STA, 3 July - Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar has taken the overall lead at Tour de France after an individual attack that secured him the second place in the 150.8-km, eighth stage of the prestigious race from Oyonnax to Le Grand-Bornand on Saturday.

The member of UAE Team Emirates broke off from all competitors for the yellow jersey 30 kilometres ahead of the finish line to cross it second only to Dylan Teuns of Belgium.

It was a second stage win in a row at Tour de France for a Slovenian after Friday's win in stage seven by Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious).

The 22-year-old reigning Tour de France champion now has an advantage of 1 minute and 48 seconds ahead of Belgium's Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and more than four minutes and a half ahead of Alexey Lutsenko of Kazakhstan (Astana-Premier Tech).

"The beginning was very demanding, there were cyclists everywhere, all of them wanting to break off. At the end I felt good in this weather, which suits me well," Pogačar said about the rainy and cold weather.

"Ahead of the last climbs, I told my team mates that I wanted to beak off the race and we managed to do it. I'm really happy with the outcome," added the new overall leader.

The remaining Slovenians fell significantly behind, including last year's Tour de France runner-up Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), who is struggling with injuries sustained in falls in the early stages of the race.

He crossed the finish line 35 minutes behind the winner, while Mohorič was better by some six minutes than Roglič.

STA, 3 July 2021 - President Borut Pahor assessed that Interior Minister Aleš Hojs saying that the term "swine" could apply to a key player in the EU administration is unbecoming of the post he holds. Hojs must find a way to apologise, said Pahor, adding that PM Janez Janša should also pay attention to this in the European Parliament on Tuesday.

Hojs caused confusion at Friday's briefing for Brussels correspondents, with the journalists interpreting one of his replies as taking aim at European Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans with a pearls-swine metaphor.

They journalists confronted Hojs about the "do not cast pearls before swine" comment he made on Twitter about the Yellow Jackets, a far-right group linked to neo-Nazis which was removed from last Friday's anti-government protests in Ljubljana.

@policija_si bo pripravila poročilo vezano na ukrepanje zoper rumene jopiče. So pa po moji oceni, le ti, brez potrebe prišli na Prešernov trg,saj bi lahko kulturno proslavljali na Trgu Republike. Ne meči biserov med svinje, pravi Sveto pismo in lahko bi sledili tej modrosti.

— Aleš Hojs (@aleshojs) June 25, 2021

The minister responded by saying he did not refer to anyone as "swine" and later added that, taking into account what was said on Thursday, when the College of European Commissioners visited Slovenia, his comment might as well apply to a key player in the EU administration.

The journalists' first impression was that this was probably an allusion to Timmermans, who boycotted a group photo because of Prime Minister Janez Janša's comments about links between Slovenian judges and the Social Democrats (SD).

Speaking to the press on the sidelines of an event in Črna na Koroškem on Saturday, Pahor said that politicians and public personalities were obliged to refrain from words that some could understand as insulting.

Hojs's words are unbecoming of someone who holds such a senior position, he added.

"Especially when he speaks not only on his own behalf, on behalf of the government and our country, but on behalf of the EU Council, he must be extra careful what and how he says something so that it does not get met with lack of understanding.

We don't need to agree, he does not need to present a position that is necessarily acceptable for all, but it must be uttered respectfully," the president added.

Pahor also noted that Prime Minister Janez Janša is to present the Slovenian presidency's agenda to the European Parliament plenary on Tuesday and answer questions from MEPs.

The president hopes that Janša will be able to resist the temptation to "say everything that he thinks, in a way that he would perhaps want to, and that everything that he says will be said on behalf of Slovenia.

"He should be careful in doing so. I don't want to give advice, but I would like to see everything go well on Tuesday," said Pahor, assessing that Janša's appearance in the European Parliament could be decisive in Slovenia winning over the European parliament.

"The parliament is difficult to win over. One needs to be very crafty and the prime minister can be very crafty. But the questions is whether he will be crafty enough on Tuesday so that we win over the authority to chair the Council in such demanding dossiers," he concluded.

What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

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FRIDAY, 25 June
        LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša symbolically took over the presidency of the EU from Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva at the Statehood Day ceremony. He warned against using double standards and said that as the presiding country, Slovenia would fight for equal standards for everyone.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor made an appeal for a new national consensus in his address to the Statehood Day ceremony, highlighting the importance of shared goals and cooperation. He also called for a respect of differences and diversity. The prime ministers of Austria, Croatia and Hungary, the foreign minister of Italy, and the president of the European Council also congratulated Slovenia on the 30th anniversary of its independence as they addressed the ceremony.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša told reporters as part of the EU summit that there would be enough Covid-19 vaccine and that now the key problem would be how to utilise all resources so that as many people as possible got vaccinated. As for the new Hungarian law on the LGBTIQ community, he said Slovenia did not want to be part of any new divisions in Europe.
        LJUBLJANA - Organisers of weekly anti-government protests staged an alternative celebration of Statehood Day, with the crowd filling Prešeren Square as speakers criticised political elites. In inviting people to the protest, the organisers said the event was open to all people who recognise that this is a holiday of the people, not a holiday of political elites.
        LJUBLJANA - Several international NGOs promoting freedom of the press called on the Slovenian government to refrain during the presidency of the EU Council from attempts to undermine initiatives that aim to improve the conditions for freedom of the press in EU member states and in EU candidate countries
        LJUBLJANA - The Romanian Orthodox Church announced it had established a parish in Ljubljana in order to provide spiritual care for the Romanian diaspora. "It is a moral obligation to take care of all Romanians, wherever they are," said Patriarch Daniel.
        LJUBLJANA - The pandemic severely affected population statistics in Slovenia in 2020, as a high death rate was coupled with fewer births. Life expectancy declined by almost a year, Statistics Office said.

SATURDAY, 26 June
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his German and Portuguese counterparts, Heiko Maas and Augusto Santos Silva called for EU enlargement to the Western Balkans in an op-ed published on the BalkanInsight web portal, describing such efforts as a strategic and shared interest.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša discussed the values of independence as well as what he called high treason in an interview with the commercial broadcaster Nova24TV, saying that while independence never divided the nation it did divide politics, owning to those for whom an independent Slovenia was not an "intimate option".
        ŠMARJEŠKE TOPLICE/ŠENTJERNEJ - A meeting discussing Slovenia's green future was held under the auspices of President Borut Pahor, who stressed the need for a consensus on the green future of the country. Robert Golob, chairman of Gen-I, which organised the conference, highlighted the importance of joint efforts to fight climate change.
        MARIBOR - Maribor held its second Pride Parade, a week after a similar event was held in Ljubljana, with the city's local authorities and the university joining. The organisers said they had distributed all the 300 promotional bracelets among the participants.

SUNDAY, 27 June
        BERLIN, Germany - Slovenia as a whole was removed from the list of Covid risk areas by Germany, which means those who arrive in Germany from Slovenia by land can enter without restrictions. The change in Slovenia's status comes after parts of the country were already removed from the list of risk areas in mid-June.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša and the first prime minister of the independent Slovenia, Lojze Peterle, noted the vital role that the Slovenian diaspora played in the independence efforts, as they addressed the 27th annual get-together of Slovenians living abroad.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša attended a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the first session of the Slovenian World Congress where a commemorative plaque was unveiled. He was presented with a distinction awarded to individuals and institutions whose activities strengthen the national consciousness of their compatriots.
        TOMAJ - Josip Osti, a Sarajevo-born poet, writer and translator who earned international acclaim for his literary work as well as praise for his efforts in linking different cultures, died in his home town of Tomaj at the age of 76.
        
MONDAY, 28 June
        LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin informed his German counterpart Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as she visited Slovenia that the government would purchase German eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicles Boxer for the Slovenian Armed Forces. The ministers called for greater cooperation and announced a joint task force.
        ROME, Italy - Foreign Minister Anže Logar took part in the ministerial session of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh, pledging Slovenia's commitment to enhanced cooperation against the militant group. Logar also met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič said Slovenia would seek to accelerate the enlargement process during its presidency of the Council of the EU as he took part in the summit between the European Parliament and parliamentary speakers from the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court ruled that the interpretation by the National Assembly of the provisions of the criminal procedure act that instruct destruction of evidence obtained by means of covert surveillance if no criminal prosecution is initiated in two years after evidence is obtained is unconstitutional.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor nominated law professor Janez Kranjc, an associate member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU), for a vacancy on the Constitutional Court. Pahor's office described Kranjc as a highly esteemed law expert both at home and abroad.
        LJUBLJANA - Police Commissioner Anton Olaj ordered supervision of the work of the Ljubljana Police Administration in policing the 25 June alternative celebration of Statehood Day by anti-government protesters in Prešeren Square. He said there were doubts as to whether all protesters were treated the same.
        LJUBLJANA - The government as the STA's sole shareholder asked its communication office to transfer EUR 845,000 advance to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) for the expenses related to the performance of public service once the STA provides UKOM with access to business documentation for the last ten years and if a contract on public service is signed.
        BRESTANICA - The Brestanica Thermal Plant (TEB) inaugurated its seventh gas unit in an investment valued at EUR 26.4 million. The 56-megawatt Unit 7 and the 53-megawatt Unit 6, which has been in operation since 2018, will replace three lower capacity units that are nearing the end of their lifespan.
        
TUESDAY, 29 June
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia presented to Brusssels correspondents the priorities of its presidency of the Council of the EU with the Fit for 55 legislative package attracting the most interest. Slovenia's Permanent Representative to the EU Iztok Jarc said Slovenia hoped for a breakthrough in accession negotiations with Northern Macedonia and Albania by September to provide for a better atmosphere ahead of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Slovenia on 6 October.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - PM Janez Janša met the ambassadors of the EU member states for a working lunch, to note that the key challenges of the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU are the Covid-19 situation, economic recovery, improving resilience, the Conference on the Future of Europe and EU enlargement, the government said.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Five MEPs and a German MP called on the European Commission and the European Council to take measures regarding the situation in Slovenia. They think that the Commission should trigger the mechanism under which funds are conditional upon the respect of the rule of law due to pressures on the media and judiciary.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to call in reserve police to make up for absences as active police force members take on additional tasks to protect the events during Slovenia's EU presidency, secure the border and to provide the security at sporting events. About 2,000 reserve police deployments are estimated to be required.
        LONDON, UK - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) upgraded by 1.5 percentage points its GDP growth forecast for Slovenia in 2021 to 5%. The institution expects that Slovenia's economy will expand by a further 4% next year.
        AJDOVŠČINA - Slovenian military pilots are to train on and test aircraft produced by the light aircraft maker Pipistrel under an agreement signed by Defence Minister Matej Tonin and Pipistrel director Ivo Boscarol. The sides also agreed a special partnership that includes efforts to obtain EU and NATO funds for development projects.

WEDNESDAY, 30 June
        MARIBOR - Podravje, Slovenia's second largest region, was offered the prospect of EU-subsidised investment for a development breakthrough as the government toured the region. Prime Minister Janez Janša said the goal was to keep young people, in particularly the highly-educated, at home.
        PODLEHNIK - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs visited the Gruškovje border crossing to meet with mayors of municipalities located along the southern Schengen border as part of the government's visit to the Podravje region. He announced the deployment of reserve police officers to help guard the border.
        LJUBLJANA - National Assembly President Igor Zorčič symbolically took over from Portugal the parliamentary dimension of the presidency of the Council of the EU today alongside National Council President Alojz Kovšca. Slovenia's presidency will mainly focus on the EU's post-pandemic recovery and efforts to strengthen the bloc's resilience, Zorčič he said.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, urged the Slovenian EU presidency to provide better protection to refugees in Europe and around the world. It also called for an agreement on the EU pact on migrations and asylum.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian government is overseeing an increasingly systematic effort to undermine critical media, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a coalition of press freedom organisations and journalism groups warned in a report released after conducting a virtual fact-finding mission to Slovenia in late May and early June.
        LJUBLJANA - Pope Francis appointed Andrej Saje the new bishop of Novo Mesto. The priest of the Ljubljana Archdiocese and native of the town in south-eastern Slovenia has previously worked as a judicial vicar of the Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Court in Ljubljana and teacher at the Ljubljana Faculty of Theology.
        LJUBLJANA - Unhappy with collective bargaining with the government, professional firefighters went on a token strike. The trade union of professional firefighters said the strike was not directed at the people and they would not feel it as firefighters would still protect lives and property.
        LJUBLJANA - Measures to mitigate the consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic affected Slovenia's public finances also in the first quarter of the year, with the general government deficit amounting to EUR 969 million or 8.3% of the country's GDP, the Statistics Office said. This is somewhat less than in the last quarter of 2020.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Slovenia increased by 2.4% to EUR 16.6 billion last year despite there being no major takeovers like the year before, according to a report from the central bank. Austria ranks as the biggest investor with a 25.6% share in the total value of incoming FDI.
        RENNES, France - Slovenian cycling star Tadej Pogačar won stage five of the Tour de France race. Last year's winner of the Tour was 19 seconds faster than Stefan Küng from Switzerland in the 27.2-kilometre individual time trial between Changé and Laval Espace Mayenne.

THURSDAY, 1 July
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Rule of law was one of the main topics discussed during the visit by the College of Commissioners. Prime Minister Janez Janša said that in a rule of law, final decisions are in the hands of courts. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was important to always respect the rule of law and European values.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Prime Minister Janez Janša said the procedure to appoint European delegated prosecutors (EDPs) from Slovenia could be wrapped up by the autumn. "How fast the procedure will be depends on those who participate in it ... in my assessment it could be concluded by the autumn if everybody does their job."
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU enlargement is one of Slovenian EU presidency priorities and a response to strategic challenges, Prime Minister Janez Janša said after a meeting between the government and the EU Commission delegation marking the start of the presidency stint. In the next six months there will be a return to addressing enlargement as a strategic response to open issues.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Prime Minister Janez Janša and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted the EU's post-covid recovery as a major issue that Slovenia's EU presidency will deal with. The past 15 months had shown that "the EU has been part of the solution during this time," according to Janša, who said resilience, recovery and the EU's strategic autonomy were among the Slovenian presidency's priorities.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Media freedom was one of the topics that the College of Commissioners discussed as they met the government at the outset of Slovenia's presidency of the EU. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expects that Slovenia will swiftly sort out the financing of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and ensure its independence.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission endorsed on Slovenia's EUR 2.5 billion national recovery and resilience plan. Pending confirmation by member states, Slovenia will be able to draw EUR 1.8 billion in grants and EUR 705 million in loans under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
        LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court struck down an application by the pair of prosecutors who have been approved for Slovenia's European delegated prosecutors before the government annulled the appointment procedure on procedural grounds. It said it had set aside the lawsuit and the request for a temporary stay on the government's decision.
        BRNIK - The new passenger terminal at the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport received its first passengers in what the airport operator labelled as a landmark in Slovenian aviation history. "It is a great event ... as Slovenia has gotten infrastructure that it had long desired," Fraport Slovenija director Zmago Skobir said.
        LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition rejected the coalition's call for a political truce during Slovenia's EU presidency. They are determined to continue to use all the available means at their disposal and are not ruling out a new attempt at a vote of no confidence.
        STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Slovenia turned fully green on the map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), as the western part of the country joined the eastern part, which made it to the green list last week.
        KOPER - An honorary consulate of Hungary was inaugurated in Koper, with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto highlighting the strategic position of Koper for Hungarian companies and good relations between Slovenia and Hungary.

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Croatian regulators approve Petrol's takeover of Crodux, Iskra's takeover of Elka

ZAGREB, Croatia - The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) has given Slovenia's energy company Petrol a green light on the takeover of Croatian petroleum products seller Crodux as well as authorised the Iskra electronics group to acquire Croatian electric cable manufacturer Elka. Petrol signed the acquisition deal with Crodux in January and will thus become the second biggest player in the Croatian market after the Croatian oil company Ina. At the same time, the CCA has decided to approve Iskra's takeover of Elka. The companies signed the deal in May but did not disclose its value.

Pahor makes case for rapid EU enlargement to Western Balkans

OHRID - President Borut Pahor made a case for the EU's rapid enlargement to Western Balkans as he addressed the Prespa Forum Dialogue, arguing that this was in the interest of the EU and would strengthen the bloc as well as the region. The president said continued enlargement was instrumental to the stability and prosperity of Western Balkans. He described enlargement as a "first-rate geopolitical issue" and said the region needed to be treated as a whole.

Hojs causes confusion among EU reporters with swine statement

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs raised an issue at a briefing for Brussels correspondents, as they interpreted one of his replies as taking aim at European Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans with a pearls-swine metaphor. The journalists confronted Hojs about the "do not cast pearls before swine" comment he made on Twitter about the Yellow Jackets, a far-right group linked to neo-Nazis which was removed from last Friday's anti-government protests in Ljubljana. Hojs responded by saying he did not refer to anyone as "swine" but later added that, taking into account what was said on Thursday, his comment might as well apply to a key player in the EU administration.

Sassoli says Slovenian presidency should defend EU values, rule of law

BRUSSELS - European Parliament President David Sassoli said Slovenia's EU presidency had a great responsibility to defend EU values and the rule of law. "Slovenian citizens are well aware of the value of Europe and of freedom. Appointing Slovenia's EPPO Prosecutors is a way to guarantee transparency and protect legal rights. We expect a fast response," he said on Twitter. Slovenia's EU presidency officially kicked off yesterday with a visit by EU commissioners. Rule of law, one of the presidency's priorities was among the principal topics on the agenda of the talks with the Slovenian government.

Corruption watchdog finds no conflict of interest in Vizjak-Mokrice case

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for Corruption Prevention (KPK) has found no conflict of interest in the case of Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak in connection to the construction of the Mokrice hydro plant on the Sava river. The matter was investigated after the KPK received several reports of suspected conflict of interest, including from an NGO. The KPK said it had received several reports last year in relation to Vizjak's previous job at the power producer HESS, which is to operate the Mokrice plant, just before he became minister and that he had been personally in charge of the Mokrice project.

25 coronavirus cases confirmed on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 25 new coronavirus infections for Thursday in 1,656 PCR tests for a positivity rate of 1.5%, roughly on par with Wednesday's figure. Both the 7-day average of new cases and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 population dropped from 25 to 22, show fresh official data. Hospitalisations decreased from 66 to 64 and the number of ICU cases remained at 16. There have been no Covid-related deaths for a week now. The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) estimates that there are 507 active cases currently in the country, down from 569 on the day before.

Jana Kolar to chair the ESFRI Forum

LJUBLJANA - The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) will be chaired for the next two years by Jana Kolar, the Slovenian representative to ESFRI and a member of its executive board. Kolar will take up her two-year term in 2022 as the first Slovenian and the first woman in this post, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport said. Kolar's priority will be to improve the forum's functioning and make it more visible. "I would like to leave the ESFRI better integrated into a renewed European Research Area, better functioning and more visible," she said for the ESFRI website.

STA director proposes agreement to temporarily restore partial financing

LJUBLJANA - The director of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), Bojan Veselinovič, proposed to the government an agreement that would temporarily sort out the relations between the STA and the Government Communication Office (UKOM) since the agency has been without public funding of its service for over 180 days. The STA proposes to the government to pay 80% of the money the agency was supposed to receive so far and then start transferring 80% of the funds the agency is entitled to every month until a contract on the financing is signed, the STA management said in a press release on Thursday.

Newspaper Dnevnik celebrates 70 year

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljanski Dnevnik, the forerunner of today's Dnevnik, was published for the first time on 2 July 1951. "Dnevnik has been and remains a community of people who engage because they care," wrote the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Miran Lesjak, in today's editorial marking the anniversary. "Since the media are exposed to social forces, decades are long periods in our lives; many media can emerge and disappear in a mere decade, but Dnevnik has been proving for 70 years that it is not some short-lived device that only works until its warranty expires," Lesjak wrote.

Higher Court overturns decision in sawn-off hand case

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Higher Court issued a ruling in the sawn-off hand case, overturning the first-instance sentences of Sebastien Abramov and Julija Adlešič, Delo and Slovenske novice have reported. According to the Higher Court, the situation regarding the cause of Adlešič's injury was not sufficiently clarified. According to Delo, the Higher Court believes that the Ljubljana District Court violated the rights of the defence by refusing the motion for a biomechanical expert and a sawing test on a human cadaver, which affected the correctness and legality of the ruling.

Slovenia's Mohorič wins 7th stage of Tour de France

CHALON SUR SAONE, France - Slovenia's Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) won stage 7 of the Tour de France from La Vierzon to Le Creusot and took the polka dot jersey for the best climber. Defending champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) lost some ground. Mohorič won the longest stage of this year's tour, at 259 kilometres, in a getaway group of 29 riders and now places fourth in the overall rankings, 3:09 minutes behind the Dutch race leader Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Fenix). He earned his third stage win in the Grand Tour races (he also has wins in Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana).

World music festival bringing eight concerts to Ljubljana and Maribor

LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - The world music festival Druga Godba starts in the evening with a concert by Tigran Hamasyan Trio, featuring Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan, known as one of the most remarkable and distinctive jazz-meets-rock pianists of his generation, according to the organisers. Until 10 July, the festival will bring eight concerts, mostly played outdoors.

24th Storytelling Festival kicks off in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - The Črn, Črn Smeh (Dark, Dark Laughter) concert, featuring folktale-inspired poems accompanied by music, will open the 24th Storytelling Festival at the Švicarija venue in Tivoli Park tonight. After last year's events were cancelled, this year's edition will have two parts, with the second taking place in October at Cankarjev Dom.

STA, 2 July 2021 - Slovenia's Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) won stage 7 of the Tour de France from La Vierzon to Le Creusot on Friday and took the polka dot jersey for the best climber. Defending champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) lost some ground.

Mohorič won the longest stage of this year's tour, at 259 kilometres, in a getaway group of 29 riders and now places fourth in the overall rankings, 3:09 minutes behind the Dutch race leader Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Fenix).

"I knew yesterday that today could be a good day... Until the final moment I could not believe what I have achieved," Mohorič said after earning his third stage win in the Grand Tour races (he also has wins in Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana).

Pogačar is now fifth, 3:43 minutes behind, but the climbing specialist is counting on the upcoming hilly section of the race to make his move.

"This was really a difficult stage. Very difficult... The next two days will be hard as well, but we can still be optimistic about the next two weeks," the defending champion told TV Slovenija.

Last year's runner-up Primož Roglič, badly bruised in a crash in the first stage, lost a lot of ground and is now outside the top 30 with a gap of more than nine minutes.

STA, 1 July 2021 - The European Commission's Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans did not participate in the family photo after Thursday's meeting of the College of Commissioners and the Slovenian government, reportedly due to Prime Minister Janez Janša's comments about links between Slovenian judges and the Social Democrats (SD).

Matjaž Nemec, an SD deputy, said on Twitter that Timmermans refused to join the photo in protest at Janša showing a photo from a May Day picnic at which several judges were in the company of SD politicians, construing it as proof that the party controls the judiciary.

#FamilyPhoto Skupinska fotografija Vlade Republike Slovenije in Evropske komisije. #EU2021SI ???? pic.twitter.com/tECQ5TFYAn

— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) July 1, 2021

@MatjaNemec pojasnjuje, da so se sodniki z njegovo predsednico @tfajon slikali zgolj slučajno. Sodnik Gazvoda je tudi slučajno oblekel majico z rdečo zvezdo. Slučaj je tudi, da EU poslanec @strankaSD @milan_brglez nosi majico Che Guevare. pic.twitter.com/Ik3DzDNlfm

— Aleš Hojs (@aleshojs) July 1, 2021

After tense meeting of @EU_Commission with government of @JJansaSDS, @TimmermansEU tells @SZ why he did not join the family photo: “I simply could not be on the same podium with PM Jansa after his unacceptable attack on and defamation of two judges and two S&D MEPs” 1/ #EU2021Sl

— Matthias Kolb (@matikolb) July 1, 2021

Timmermans did not comment, but reports by several other media, including the German and Austrian press agencies, dpa and APA, and the Austrian magazine Die Presse, corroborate the version of events.

APA quotes a source present at the meeting as saying that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said judges were allowed to have personal histories and that they deserve respectful treatment, even when they have a different political proclivity.

Von der Leyen appeared to refer to the event at the subsequent press conference when she said that political dialogue demanded all democratic political parties be respected, adding that judges have the right to have a history.

Timmermans hails from the ranks of the European Socialists and was their Spitzenkandidat in the 2018 elections to the European Parliament.

STA, 2 July 2021 - The Ljubljana Higher Court issued a ruling in the sawn-off hand case, overturning the first-instance sentences of Sebastien Abramov and Julija Adlešič, Delo and Slovenske novice have reported. According to the Higher Court, the situation regarding the cause of Adlešič's injury was not sufficiently clarified.

 According to Delo, the Higher Court believes that the Ljubljana District Court violated the rights of the defence by refusing the motion for a biomechanical expert and a sawing test on a human cadaver, which affected the correctness and legality of the ruling.

The new trial will therefore have to consider this evidence, and then also decide on the motion to appoint a clinical psychology expert for Adlešič and on the motion to make inquiries at the Ribnica police station in order to assess the credibility of a testimony of one of the witnesses in the investigation.

Finally, after weighing and analysing each piece of evidence individually and in light of other evidence, the newspaper adds, the court will have to decide the case anew. The defence sought to use this evidence to prove that Adlešič was injured by accident.

In September last year, a panel of the Ljubljana District Court found the defendants guilty of the further offence of insurance fraud. The court sentenced Adlešič to two years in prison and Abramov, who had been previously convicted of fraud, to three years in prison.

The defendants were convicted of "having previously agreed that Adlešič would cut off her arm in order to receive a large compensation, they took out insurance policies with five insurance companies under which, if she had been 100% disabled as a result of severing her arm, she would have received EUR 1,166,300 in compensation".

STA, 1 July 2021 - Rule of law was one of the main topics discussed during Thursday's visit by the College of Commissioners. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was important to always respect the rule of law and European values. Prime Minister Janez Janša said that in a rule of law, final decisions are in the hands of courts.

"This civilisation does not exist without rule of law. But in a rule of law, courts always have the final say in disputes," Janša said.

"We have problems with independence of courts in Slovenia, we acknowledge that and we've never concealed it. We discussed this today in an intensive debate with the European Commission."

According to Janša, the fundamental problem with rule of law in Slovenia is that "we have largely not satisfied the recommendations that we got when we entered the EU."

"We asked the European Commission today to help us with that - how to satisfy the recommendations so that we are not accused of violating the independence of the judiciary," he said.

Von der Leyen said trust was the EU's most valuable asset. This includes trust in an independent judicial system and in independent media, with sufficient financing.

Dobrodošla v ?? Sloveniji, predsednica Evropske komisije ?? @vonderleyen. @EU2021SI pic.twitter.com/Mb3bjOLRte

— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) July 1, 2021

She said democracy and the rule of law were never a concluded process, it involves a permanent effort to achieve a rule of law status befitting a democracy.

The EU Council presidency has an important role to play in questions of the rule of law, she said, noting that the Commission would prepare rule of law reports for member states by the middle or end of July.

Both Janša and von der Leyen also commented on the controversial Hungarian LGBTQ law.

Janša said that the debate at last week's EU summit had been heated but that parents' right to raise their children needed to be respected, as do historical differences between member states. He said Slovenia could play the role of broker.

Von der Leyen, on the other hand, said the debate was never about parents' rights, it was about respecting minorities such as the LGBTQ community.

Respect of minorities is enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty and as guardian of the treaties, the Commission would demand a formal explanation from Hungary regarding the protection of minorities.

STA, 29 June 2021 - Slovenian military pilots are to train on and test aircraft produced by the light aircraft maker Pipistrel under an agreement signed by the Defence Ministry and the Ajdovščina-based company. A special partnership has also been agreed on that includes efforts to obtain EU and NATO funds for development projects.

The agreement was signed in Ajdovščina on Tuesday by Defence Minister Matej Tonin and Pipistrel director Ivo Boscarol.

Tonin told the press on the occasion that the Slovenian Armed Forces would be testing Pipistrel aircraft to become "greener" and contribute to greater representation of the Slovenian defence industry in the national defence system.

He said the Slovenian army was modernising its fleet, which would include training aircraft for military pilots at the beginning of their careers. Currently, ten worn-out Zlin aircraft are being used for pilot training.

By using Pipistrel aircraft, the ministry also wants to send a clear message to the allies in NATO and elsewhere in the world that these aircraft are of a very good quality, and help the company be even more successful in global markets.

Tonin and Boscarol have also agreed on a special partnership under which Slovenia would attract as much EU and NATO funds as possible to develop various technologies for the defence forces.

Boscarol noted that Pipistrel aircraft were already being used by large armies, adding that the advantages of the ones that will be tested by the Slovenian army included energy economy, low noise level and safety.

He added that the company was also developing systems and aircraft for defence and surveillance from the air, and announced steps in the direction of unmanned aerial vehicles. He and Tonin today also touched on the possibility of drone defence.

The Slovenian army will test the two-seat, fully electric Valis Electro and the two-seat Virus SW 121. The plan is also that it tests the four-seat Panthera in the future.

Learn more about the aircraft at the Pipistrel website

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Janša, von der Leyen discuss rule of law

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Rule of law was one of the main topics discussed during the visit by the College of Commissioners. Prime Minister Janez Janša said that in a rule of law, final decisions are in the hands of courts. "We have problems with independence of courts in Slovenia, we acknowledge that and we've never concealed it. We discussed this today in an intensive debate with the European Commission." According to Janša, the fundamental problem with rule of law in Slovenia is that "we have largely not satisfied the recommendations that we got when we entered the EU." Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was important to always respect the rule of law and European values. She said trust was the EU's most valuable asset. This includes trust in an independent judicial system and in independent media, with sufficient financing.

PM says procedure to appoint EDPs could be concluded by autumn

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Prime Minister Janez Janša said the procedure to appoint European delegated prosecutors (EDPs) from Slovenia could be wrapped up by the autumn, as he answered a reporter question at a press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Janša said that Slovenia had its own legislation on the basis of which it would appoint its European delegated prosecutors, adding that the procedure was being repeated due to "complications". "How fast the procedure will be depends on those who participate in it ... in my assessment it could be concluded by the autumn if everybody does their job."

EU enlargement a response to strategic challenges, says Janša

BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU enlargement is one of Slovenian EU presidency priorities and a response to strategic challenges, Prime Minister Janez Janša said after a meeting between the government and the EU Commission delegation marking the start of the presidency stint. In the next six months there will be a return to addressing enlargement as a strategic response to open issues. EU enlargement is a strategic response to many challenges, he said. "In the past decade, when [enlargement] was not at the forefront, we have seen that someone else has been extending to the Western Balkans and not to spread freedom and the rule of law." The Slovenian presidency will work on resolving dilemmas and reaching a consensus on enlargement among member states, he said.

Post-covid recovery front-and-centre of Slovenian presidency

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Prime Minister Janez Janša and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted the EU's post-covid recovery as a major issue that Slovenia's EU presidency will deal with. The events over the past 15 months had shown that "the EU has been part of the solution during this time," according to Janša, who said resilience, recovery and the EU's strategic autonomy were among the Slovenian presidency's priorities. Von der Leyen said Slovenia was taking over the presidency at an inflection point for the bloc. "The Slovenian Presidency will be decisive. The tasks will be challenging. It is no less than laying the ground for our future prosperity... And in this endeavour, you can count on my constant support and the College's cooperation."

Von der Leyen expects STA financing to be sorted out

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Media freedom was one of the topics that the College of Commissioners discussed as they met the government at the outset of Slovenia's presidency of the EU. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expects that Slovenia will swiftly sort out the financing of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and ensure its independence. She said free and critical media which exercise oversight of governments were "the central element of any democratic society", noting that the Commission's concerns regarding the STA were well known and that the Commission had repeatedly voiced the expectation that the issue would be resolved. Prime Minister Janez Janša said that after the government recently adopted a regulation on the STA's public service, "we've now hopefully arrived at a solution and that this issue will be off the agenda".

EU Commission endorses Slovenia's recovery plan

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission endorsed Slovenia's EUR 2.5 billion national recovery and resilience plan. Pending confirmation by member states, Slovenia will be able to draw EUR 1.8 billion in grants and EUR 705 million in loans. Slovenia will spend the funds, equivalent to 5.4% of the country's GDP, to support 33 reforms and 50 investments laid out in the plan. Slovenia's plan earmarks 42.4% for green goals and 21.4% for digital goals, with 30% set aside for the promotion of smart and inclusive growth, 15% for health, and 13% for digital transformation.

Opposition not calling a truce during presidency

LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition rejected the coalition's call for a political truce during Slovenia's EU presidency. They are determined to continue to use all the available means at their disposal and are not ruling out a new attempt at a vote of no confidence. The LMŠ said that if they gave up the instruments at their disposal as the largest opposition party they would also give up democracy. Similarly, the Left said it "could not and must not" change its positions about the the ruling coalition's record in office for the sake of the presidency. The SAB said the opposition would continue to "keep an eye on the government".

Commissioner Timmermans eschews family photo

BRDO PRI KRANJU - The European Commission's Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans did not participate in the family photo after a meeting of the College of Commissioners and the Slovenian government, reportedly due to Prime Minister Janez Janša's comments about links between Slovenian judges and the Social Democrats (SD). Matjaž Nemec, an SD deputy, said on Twitter that Timmermans refused to join the photo in protest at Janša showing a photo from a May Day picnic at which several judges were in the company of SD politicians, construing it as proof that the party controls the judiciary. Several international media confirmed the version of events.

Appeal by two non-appointed delegated prosecutors struck down for being premature

LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court has struck down an application by the pair of prosecutors who have been approved for Slovenia's European delegated prosecutors before the government annulled the appointment procedure on procedural grounds. In a decision announced today, the court said it had set aside the lawsuit and the request for a temporary stay on the government's decision because the plaintiffs filed the suit before actually receiving the government's decision on the matter.

Pahor to call on govt to revive social dialogue

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will propose that the government try to find adequate solutions for resuming social dialogue as soon as possible, Pahor's office said after the president held a meeting with representatives of largest trade unions, who presented the reasons for suspension of social dialogue and Economic and Social Council. The trade unions warned that some key decisions and laws on social and economic policies had been adopted without social dialogue. Despite their numerous calls for respect for relevant rules, the situation has not improved.

New Ljubljana airport terminal welcomes first passengers

BRNIK - The new passenger terminal at the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport received its first passengers in what the airport operator labelled as a landmark in Slovenian aviation history. "It is a great event ... as Slovenia has gotten infrastructure that it had long desired," Fraport Slovenija director Zmago Skobir told the press.

Slovenia reports 23 new coronavirus cases for Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 23 new coronavirus infections were confirmed in Slovenia on Wednesday in 1,623 PCR tests, the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) announced. Both the 7-day average of new cases and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 population currently stand at 25. There were no Covid-19 deaths yesterday for the sixth day in a row.

NE region promised investment boost as govt visits

MARIBOR - Podravje, Slovenia's second largest region, was offered the prospect of EU-subsidised investment for a development breakthrough as the government toured the north-east on Wednesday with Prime Minister Janez Janša saying the goal was to keep young people, in particularly the highly-educated, at home.

Congress Square to be centre stage of this year's Ljubljana Festival

LJUBLJANA - A concert by the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev, will kick off the 69th Ljubljana Festival tonight. As the Križanke open-air venue is under renovation, Congress Square will be this year's main venue. The events will move to the Cankarjev Dom art centre and the city's main fairgrounds in case of bad weather.