News

16 Jun 2021, 05:45 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 16 June 2021

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:

Marjan Dikaučič appointed new justice minister

LJUBLJANA - Marjan Dikaučič, an official receiver, has become Slovenia's new justice minister after a 44:11 vote in the National Assembly. He succeeds Lilijana Kozlovič, who resigned due to the government's decision to suspend the appointment of Slovenia's members of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. Dikaučič said the programme of work at the ministry had largely been determined already and was circumscribed by the presidency of the EU. Among the tasks ahead, he singled out a reform of insolvency law, legislation on the protection of personal data, and legislation implementing several Constitutional Court decisions.

Pahor endorses declaration on Slovenian reconciliation

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor attended a ceremony at the Linden Tree of Reconciliation at Ljubljana's Žale cemetery, marking Day of Guilt, Forgiveness and Reconciliation. Recalling long-standing efforts to right wrongs, Pahor endorsed a declaration adopted by the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU). According to Pahor, it is a thorough document adopted at the level of a prestigious institution which addresses Slovenian reconciliation in the most convincing way so far and could be considered suitable for adoption by the general public.

Alstom successor strikes plea bargain in TEŠ6 trial

CELJE - GE STEAM Power Systems, the legal successor to Alstom, struck a plea bargain with the prosecution in a case involving an alleged bribery scheme in the construction of TEŠ6, theunit six at the Šoštanj coal-fired plant. The proposed plea agreement was announced by the judge as the first pre-trial hearing in one of the biggest corruption cases in Slovenia finally got under way at the Celje District Court. GE STEAM Power Systems agreed to pay EUR 23 million in damages plus EUR 50,000 in legal costs, subject to approval by the judge.

SocDems propose closer partnership between opposition parties

LJUBLJANA - The leader of the Social Democrats (SD) Tanja Fajon proposed that four opposition parties forge a closer partnership, starting with a "partnership discussion" that would chart the way forward. Fajon wants the opposition to "really firmly strengthen cooperation with a partnership, set its commitments, and convince people in the coming weeks and months that we will be capable of better and more normally managing the situation in this country and, hopefully, winning the next election."

Active contact tracing relaunched

LJUBLJANA - With new coronavirus infections steadily declining, the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) has relaunched the active tracing of contacts of those who have tested positive, which had been suspended in autumn due to an unmanageable inflow of daily cases. Between 70 and 100 contact tracers will be available each day, according to Mario Fafangel, the head of the NIJZ's Centre for Communicable Diseases. Active contact tracing was abandoned in October, when cases started surging to over 1,000 per day.

Slovenia reports 112 coronavirus cases for Monday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 112 of 2,330 PCR tests came back positive on Monday for a positivity rate of 4.8% as the epidemiological situation in Slovenia keeps improving. Two Covid-19 patients died, show fresh government data. Hospitalisations declined by twelve to 122 this morning. 40 patients were in intensive care, down by two. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 people dropped by ten to 120 and the rolling seven-day average of daily cases decreased by 15 to 132.

Corruption increased in Slovenia during pandemic, shows survey

LJUBLJANA - More than half of Slovenian respondents (51%) believe that corruption increased last year, shows the Global Corruption Barometer for the EU 2021, a survey by Transparency International. Responses by Slovenian participants suggest the second worst deterioration of the situation in the EU. Almost two-thirds of Slovenian respondents said that citizens feared retaliatory measures upon reporting instances of corruption, which is the third highest rate in this category in the EU.

EU directive on whistleblowers crucial for fight against corruption, debate hears

LJUBLJANA - The implementation of the EU directive on the protection of whistleblowers is extremely important for the fight against corruption, agreed participants of a round table debate on whistleblowers hosted by the British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce. Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik noted that in Slovenia the protection of whistleblowers had been regulated by law since 2011, however the arrangement that the EU directive envisages was wider.

Supreme Court upholds guilty verdict against militia leader

LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court has upheld a guilty verdict against Andrej Šiško, the leader of Štajerska Guard, a self-proclaimed militia, who was found guilty in March 2019 of trying to subvert the constitutional order. He has already served out his eight-month sentence. The court held that Šiško had not been found guilty because of his political convictions, but because of incitement to violence, which is a crime pursuant to the Criminal Code.

New unit of specialised border police launched

BREŽICE - A new police unit specialised in the protection of the border was launched in Brežice in an effort to help beef up border security in a region where many migrants cross into the Schengen zone. The new unit, which follows the Ljubljana-based unit set up in 2002, will initially operate with 23 police officers but up to 52 posts are planned.

Telekom Slovenije upgrades 5G network

LJUBLJANA - The telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije upgraded its 5G network, launched in 2020, with an additional spectrum band. It currently covers 33% of mobile users nationwide. System upgrades at Bled and Brdo Pri Kranju are to follow next to make the cutting-edge communication service available during the Slovenian EU presidency. The milestone is taking place exactly 30 years after the first mobile network was set up by the company, Telekom Slovenije notes.

Cinkarna shareholders get dividend of EUR 21 gross per share

CELJE - Chemical company Cinkarna Celje will pay out dividends of EUR 21 gross per share after shareholders rejected a proposal by the management for EUR 11 per share and backed a counter-proposal by one of the shareholders. This means the company will spend nearly its entire accumulated profit of EUR 16.5 million for dividends, which will be paid out on 24 June.

Photo exhibition by Joco Žnidaršič opens in Cankarjev Dom

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition of photography by Joco Žnidaršič, entitled Years of Breakthrough, will be included in the series of exhibitions in the arts centre Cankarjev Dom, marking this year's 30th anniversary of Slovenian independence. Opening tonight, the exhibition shows a selection of the photographer's works created between 1988 and 1991. Žnidaršič captured almost all of the most important events of this crucial time for Slovenia. He belongs to the oldest generation of Slovenian photographers and is a legend of Slovenian photojournalism.

15 Jun 2021, 15:51 PM

As Slovenia’s COVID Numbers Fall, Active Contact Tracing Relaunched

STA, 15 June 2021 - With new coronavirus infections steadily declining, the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) has relaunched the active tracing of contacts of those who have tested positive, which had been suspended in autumn due to an unmanageable inflow of daily cases.

Between 70 and 100 contact tracers will be available each day, Mario Fafangel, the head of the NIJZ's Centre for Communicable Diseases, told the press on Tuesday.

Those who have been in a high-risk contact with an infected person will be notified via the contact tracing app #OstaniZdrav, by the infected persons themselves, or by the contact tracers at the NIJZ call centre.

"We have three tools and as always, the power of these tools depends on the extent to which people are willing to cooperate," Fafangel said.

He described the system as optimal given the current resources, but said it might be worth considering professional call centres in the event of a new pandemic.

Active contact tracing was abandoned in October, when cases started surging to over 1,000 per day. But as Fafangel pointed out, epidemiologists still called every infected person, the difference is that now the tracing will be expanded to high-risk contacts.

15 Jun 2021, 13:49 PM

Survey: Perceived Corruption Increased in Slovenia During Pandemic, With 2nd Worst Results in EU

STA, 15 June 2021 - More than half of Slovenian respondents believe that corruption increased in Slovenia last year, shows Global Corruption Barometer for the EU 2021, a survey released by Transparency International (TI). Responses by Slovenian participants suggest the second worst deterioration of the situation in the EU.

Almost a third of European citizens think that 2020 saw a rise in corruption. Meanwhile, only respondents from Cyprus gave a worse assessment of the situation than those in Slovenia as 65% of them think that corruption flourished during the pandemic year of 2020. In Slovenia, the relevant rate is 51%.

Almost two-thirds (66%) of the Slovenian respondents said that citizens feared retaliatory measures upon reporting instances of corruption, which is the third highest rate in this category in the EU, behind Cyprus (76%) and Croatia (72%). This is cause for concern, said the head of TI Slovenija Alma Sedlar.

Almost 84% of the respondents in Slovenia said that corruption within the government was a big or a very big problem. What stands out is an increase in those who think that the Slovenian prime minister or members of his office are involved in corruptive practices (38.6%).

On a positive note, the share of those who believe that citizens could contribute to the fight against corruption has significantly increased, to 66.1%.

For the first time since the start of such polling, the survey focused on various types of personal experience of corruption. In Slovenia, 18% used personal connections to gain access to public services in 2020, the second lowest rate in the survey, which compares to the EU average of 33%. 4.1% of the Slovenian respondents bribed their way to public services.

Sedlar warned that even though Slovenia was a country where bribery was a rare occurrence, the increase in this category did not bode well for the situation, noting that the amount of those with experience of bribery in healthcare more than doubled to 4.6% compared to 2016.

Some 6% of the Slovenian respondents said that they or their acquaintances were asked to do sexual favours in exchange for access to some public services in the past five years, which is slightly below the EU average of 7%.

TI Slovenija pointed out in a press release that "it seems that there is no discussion on reforms to ensure a more effective prevention of corruption in Slovenia". The NGO said that its appeals to provide a more effective protection of whistleblowers, step up efforts to ensure transparency and come up with preventive measures in relation to the recovery plan had been ignored.

The survey was conducted between October and December 2020 among more than 40,000 adults across the EU. In Slovenia, the survey was carried out between 13 October and 19 November 2020 among 1,003 respondents.

Get a PDF of the full report here

15 Jun 2021, 12:19 PM

Telekom Slovenije’s 5G Network Upgraded

STA, 15 June 2021 - The telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije upgraded its 5G network, launched in 2020, on Tuesday with an additional spectrum band. It currently covers 33% of mobile users nationwide. System upgrades at Bled and Brdo Pri Kranju are to follow next to make the cutting-edge communication service available during the Slovenian EU presidency.

This marks the next step in the development of mobile communications, upgrading Slovenia's first 5G network so that users can take advantage of additional capacities and a faster and more stable mobile data transfer. The milestone is taking place exactly 30 years after the first mobile network was set up by the company, Telekom Slovenije notes.

"5G is an important foundation of today's digital society and Telekom Slovenije actively participates in creating it," said Telekom Slovenije chairman Cvetko Sršen, highlighting that the company developed smart city and community solutions, stayed at the forefront of industry 4.0 development and focused on public safety, health and cyber security.

Additional frequency bands and upgrade of the 5G network will enable speeds up to 2Gbit/s, significantly decrease response times and make new services available to users. In light of video services expansion, increased user-to-network transmission speed is also a key factor.

Telekom Slovenije set up the first commercial 5G network in Slovenia last July and made it available to subscribers in October. With today's activation of the network's upgrade, frequency bands the provider acquired at the national auction held by Agency for Communication Networks and Services (AKOS) in April have been activated.

Free-of-charge 5G access has been available to Telekom Slovenije's subscribers from 1 June. They gain access to the 5G network by sending an SMS with the key word 5G to the number 1918 or by activating the feature in their Moj Telekom account.

15 Jun 2021, 11:37 AM

Police Commissioner Files Charges Against Left Party Over “Fake” Manifesto Claim

STA, 14 June 2021 - Police Commissioner Anton Olaj has filed a criminal complaint against the opposition Left for suspicion of making false accusations against him in response to the party pressing charges against him for suspicion of abuse of office.

"The police will continue to act in an unbiased manner and under the legal principle of equality before the law. I will continue to defend freedom of expression under the framework of respectful discourse," said Olaj, highlighting that he had never urged an investigation against any political party.

The Left accused Olaj last week of abuse of office. It alleges Olaj used a fake manifesto that has been attributed to the Left, which the party denies, to launch an investigation against the party on suspicion of inciting a forceful re-writing of the Constitution.

The party also filed criminal complaints against the ruling Democrats (SDS) and "its media network" on suspicion of a systemic spread of non-truths, and against an unknown perpetrator for allegations of forging the manifesto to discredit the party and incite politically-motivated hatred in society.

The manifesto had been circulated on social media and reported on by media with close ties to the SDS.

Olaj dismissed the allegations already last week, saying that the work of the police was based only on tasks assigned to them by the current legislation.

To press charges based on false accusations is punishable by an imprisonment of maximum two years.

15 Jun 2021, 09:04 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 15 June 2021

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:

PM says Slovenia must do its homework regarding defence spending

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Arriving at a NATO summit, Prime Minister Janez Janša said Slovenia would not be able to reach the NATO target of 2% of GDP in defence spending by 2024, but it must do its homework. He noted that under the current government the spending trend had been reversed. In 2014, NATO members set the target of defence spending at 2% of GDP by 2024, of which a fifth for investments. Janša expects that by 2030 Slovenia will be able to say: "We're glad you're providing for our security but we can provide for our shared security in equal measure as well."

Janša sees China as NATO's key challenge

BRUSSELS, Belgium - China is NATO's key challenge, PM Janez Janša said ahead of a summit of NATO leaders he is attending together with Defence Minister Matej Tonin. "If we want the world not to be faced with a new fatal arms race or a hot conflict in the coming decades then NATO must be aware of that and stay strong," he said. "The world has changed in the last three decades and threats have changed as well. Some have remained, some are gone, but others have emerged," Janša said, adding that China was definitely a topic that will dominate not only this but future summits as well.

Logar, di Maio discuss bilateral issues, EU presidency

ROME, Italy - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Italian counterpart Luigi di Maio chaired the 7th session of the Coordinating Committee of Ministers between Slovenia and Italy. Bilateral issues were discussed along with Slovenia's upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU. In a joint statement signed after the meeting, the ministers voiced the desire for stronger cooperation in security and migrations, infrastructure, sustainable mobility, industry, the green transition, agriculture and forestry, science and higher education.

Labour minister presents presidency priorities at EU ministerial

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Janez Cigler Kralj, the minister of labour, family, social affairs and equal opportunities, presented the priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency under his brief to fellow EU ministers in Luxembourg, while he also held meetings with Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli and Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit. Slovenia is to work for a successful post-pandemic recovery, for a resilient and inclusive labour market that would ensure a decent living to workers in the EU and for a society that would not leave the most vulnerable behind.

Police commissioner presses charges against Left

LJUBLJANA - Police Commissioner Anton Olaj filed a criminal complaint against the opposition Left on suspicion of making false accusations against him in response to the party filing a complaint against him on suspicion of abuse of office. "The police will continue to act in an unbiased manner and under the legal principle of equality before the law. I will continue to defend freedom of expression under the framework of respectful discourse," said Olaj, highlighting that he had never urged an investigation against any political party.

Slovenia confirms 24 new cases of coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 24 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, the lowest daily figure since late August last year. Just over a thousand PCR tests were confirmed, for a positivity rate of 2.3%, the latest government figures show. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population thus dropped to 130 and the rolling seven-day average of daily cases declined to 147. The number of people in hospital declined by one to 134, of whom 42 were in intensive care, down by three. Two persons with Covid-19 died yesterday, bringing the death toll to 4,722 since the start of the pandemic.

NLB shareholders to get dividends again

LJUBLJANA - While the NLB bank did not pay out dividends last year, this year shareholders will receive EUR 1.24 gross per share in two instalments in line with a decision adopted at a shareholders' meeting. NLB's distributable profit reached EUR 342 million in 2020, of which EUR 24.8 million will go for dividends in line with a proposal by the management and the supervisory board. CEO Blaž Brodnjak said dividends could be higher but were restricted by the regulator.

Fiscal rules mostly respected in the epidemic year of 2020

LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council found the implementation of the Slovenian budget to have been mostly in line with fiscal rules in the epidemic year of 2020. However, no measures were adopted to mitigate the expected negative effects of structural, mostly demographic pressures on the public finances. A deficit of EUR 3.9 billion or 8.4% of GDP was generated last year mostly due to the epidemic, which is the second largest deficit of the general government sector so far, the council said in a report.

TAB to launch production of lithium-ion cells in Prevalje

MEŽICA - TAB, the Mežica-based maker of starter batteries for cars and industrial batteries, has founded a joint venture with the Chinese company Haidi Energy Technology to produce lithium-ion cells in Prevalje. TAB CEO Bogomir Auprih told reporters TAB-Haidi was expected to launch production in spring 2022. Valued at about EUR 100 million, the plant is to create 300 jobs in the first phase. It will be the first production facility for lithium-ion cells in Slovenia.

STA supervisors appeal to govt to restore financing

LJUBLJANA - The head of the STA supervisory board called on the government to restore financing of the agency to make sure it survives as a going concern. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Janez Janša, chief supervisor Mladen Terčelj says the agency had delivered the documentation that had been requested. "The supervisory board finds this situation with the sent documentation unusual. It does not reflect the government's desire to examine the documentation, request additional information as needed and restore regular financing of the STA public service," said Terčelj.

Row over funding dominates debate on STA annual report

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Culture Committee got acquainted with the Slovenian Press Agency's (STA) annual report for 2020. The debate mainly revolved around ongoing suspension of STA funding and the new government regulation that details how the STA should perform its public service. Presenting the report, STA director Bojan Veselinovič noted a growth in the number of news items and social media followers as well as the agency's NewsMapper, an advanced article-tracking tool, making the European Commission's list of the best European innovations in 2020.

EUR 30m in EU funds on hand for digital transformation of SMEs

LJUBLJANA - A total of EUR 30 million in funds will be allocated to small and medium-sized enterprises in Slovenia as part of a call for applications for digital transformation of SMEs (P4D React EU), with the entire amount will be contributed by the European Regional Development Fund. The Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy said this was the 5th investment under the React-EU initiative promoting a recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.

Telemach rolling out 5G network

LJUBLJANA - Having acquired frequencies for wireless broadband in a national auction in April, the telecommunications provider Telemach announce the launch of its 5G network for 15 June. The service will initially be available to users in Ljubljana's town centre and commercial district BTC. Telemach was one of the four bidders to acquire frequency bands for the 5th generation wireless technology in April. It paid EUR 51.6 million for the frequencies to increase its spectrum 3.5-fold.

Share of undecided voters rises in latest Delo survey

LJUBLJANA - The average mark for the government's performance slightly increased for the second month in a row, from 2.43 to 2.47. in the latest poll run by the newspaper Delo, however more than half of respondents remain unsatisfied with the government. The ruling Democrats (SDS) remain in the lead, polling at 17.3%, roughly the same as a month ago. The share of undecided voters rose to almost 20%.

Slovenia ranks 9th in Agenda 2030 implementation

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia climbed three spots to 9th among 165 countries in the implementation of the Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals, according to a report compiled by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network under the wings of the UN, the Bertelsmann Stiftung foundation and the Cambridge University Press. Slovenia has fared best in eradicating extreme forms of poverty, providing for dignified work and economic growth, and guaranteeing peace, justice, and strong institutions.

Suspended sentences for four officers who sought to frame minister

LJUBLJANA - Four former and current police officers who organised a police patrol to pull over and breathalyze Public Administration Minister Boris Koprivnikar in 2015 received suspended sentences as the Ljubljana District Court wrapped up trial proceedings. Vojko Marguč, Miha Sakač, Zoran Petrović and Denis Kadirić were found guilty of organising via a private Facebook group a sting to pull over the minister, who at the time headed talks with the police who were on strike. The quartet had been dismissed from the force, but one of them had been reinstated after challenging the termination.

Maribor Theatre Festival kicks off

MARIBOR - Still Life - Nine Attempts to Preserve Life, a show by the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre directed by Tin Grabnar, lifted the curtain on the 56th Maribor Theatre Festival, while the competition programme starts on Friday. Running until 27 June, the Maribor Theatre Festival will be held fully in person. Last year's festival lasted only a day due to the epidemic, just to confer the Borštnik Ring, the country's main award for theatre acting.

14 Jun 2021, 13:27 PM

Journalist Sues PM Janša Over Tweets Accusing Him of Drug Use

STA, 13 June 2021 - Igor Kršinar, a journalist for the right-wing political magazine Reporter, has initiated a private prosecution against Prime Minister Janez Janša over two Twitter posts in 2019 that implied he was a drug user.

Čista laž. Očitno je Kršinar že na trdi drogi. https://t.co/Q4alqCS04S
— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) October 15, 2019

In one tweet, in October 2019, Janša said about an article that Kršinar wrote. "Pure lie. Kršinar is already using heavy drugs." A month later, Janša shared a tweet by then MP Žan Mahnič, who wondered whether "Kršinar was mixing whiskey and Helex again".

Jaz imam tovarno na Trstenjakovi, @JJansaSDS pa kliniko v Avstraliji. ??? Je Kršinor spet mešal viski in Helex? Ena največjih #FakeNews tovarn v Sloveniji je Piškotar @RevijaReporter. Očitno dobijo premalo tlake, bo moral kabinet predsednika @vladaRS še malo odpret pipico... https://t.co/9hzqdeOeE0
— Žan Mahnič (@ZanMahnic) December 4, 2019

The first tweet referred to an article describing proceedings at the Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services, which Kršinar subsequently corrected after getting access to the minutes of the meeting.

The second tweet referred to Kršinar's article about a "fake news factory" operated from the headquarters of the Democrats (SDS), Janša's party.

Kršinar says that since 2017 Janša has written disparagingly about Reporter and him personally, but the claim that he is a drug user "exceeds the boundaries of appropriate and permitted communication," the magazine said in an article published on Sunday.

Kršinar says he uses neither drugs nor is he an alcoholic and has never had problems with drug or alcohol abuse.

An arraignment hearing was scheduled for 26 May but was postponed until further notice because Kršinar's lawyer was ill.

14 Jun 2021, 11:25 AM

Women on Women (WoW) Festival Starts in Ljubljana

STA, 14 June 2021 - The ongoing WoW festival, organised by the City of Women association and taking place in Ljubljana, focuses on the accomplishments of women and non-heteronormative individuals today as well as throughout history, and serves as conclusion to the two-year Women on Women (WoW) project.

Iva Kovač, City of Women's programme manager, has noted that the programme has been complied together with the partner associations from Croatia, Ireland and North Macedonia.

To celebrate the conclusion of the project, they have introduced the WoW awards, which were presented for the second time this Saturday at the festival's opening ceremony.

Tomorrow, a feature film by Nika Autor that traces the life of a 81-year-old and adds a culinary twist to the story by featuring old Yugoslav recipes and follows the life stories of the Yugoslav guest workers will be screened.

The Wow Group, which was formed as part of the Wow project, will make a guest appearance at the Festival of Migrant Film with last year's production of Catastrophic Blues I that explores issue of precarious work.

It will be followed up with the art installation Catastrophic Blues II at the Wow festival, and additionally, an installation-related workshop will take place.

Also designed as part of the project is the Fearless Women card game that promotes social engagement. Visitors will have a chance to play a hand next Thursday at the Tabor bar.

The festival will close with an exhibition by visual artist Barbara Kapelj that features workspaces of an array of women artists, which will be on display from 21 to 25 June at the Cirkulacija 2 art house.

Learn more at the website

14 Jun 2021, 11:18 AM

Maribor Theatre Festival Starts Today, Runs Until 27 June

STA, 14 June 2021 - Still Life - Nine Attempts to Preserve Life, a show by the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre directed by Tin Grabnar, will lift the curtain on the 56th Maribor Theatre Festival on Monday. The competition programme starts on Friday.

While many festivals have opted for a hybrid format, the Maribor Theatre Festival, taking place until 27 June, will be held fully in person.

Last year's festival lasted only a day due to the epidemic, just to confer the Borštnik Ring, the country's main award for theatre acting.

The productions from the 2019/20 season selected for competition last year will thus be staged this year.

While ten were originally selected, only eight will compete because two are no longer played at their theatres.

The festival has a strong international dimension and eight foreign productions will be shown as part of the accompanying programme.

Programmes for youth and students will also be available. For the first time, some shows will be played in front of homes for the elderly.

The full programme, in English, is available at https://www.borstnikovo.si/en/programme-fbs/.

14 Jun 2021, 04:23 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 14 June 2021

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:

Journalist sues PM Janša over 2019 tweets

LJUBLJANA - Igor Kršinar, a journalist for the magazine Reporter, initiated a private prosecution against Prime Minister Janez Janša over two Twitter posts in 2019 that implied he was a drug user. In one tweet, Janša said about an article that Kršinar wrote. "Pure lie. Kršinar is already using heavy drugs." Kršinar says that Janša has written disparagingly about Reporter and him personally, but the claim that he is a drug user "exceeds the boundaries of appropriate and permitted communication".

Pogačar winner of the Tour of Slovenia

NOVO MESTO - Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar has won the Tour of Slovenia, the country's biggest cycling road race, after defending the leading position in the final stage from Ljubljana to Novo Mesto. This marks the 25th career victory for the 22-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider, who won last year's Tour de France. The German Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) won the final, 175-kilometre stage, after he had already claimed the opening stage.

Construction baron Ivan Zidar dies aged 82

LJUBLJANA - Ivan Zidar, who dominated the Slovenian construction industry for decades until his demise in the mid-2000s, has died aged 82, Delo newspaper reported. Zidar was among the defendants in the Clean Shovel, a anti-corruption sting which uncovered collusion of major builders in the construction of an air traffic control power at Ljubljana Airport. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison but due to ill health he never went to jail.

Slovenia reports 91 new coronavirus cases, three deaths

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 91 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, down by over 40% from the week before and the continuation of a weeks-long decline. Three patients with Covid-19 died. The number of people in hospital declined by three to 135 this morning, of whom 45 were in intensive care, up by one. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population dropped to 133.

13 Jun 2021, 16:35 PM

Tour of Slovenia: Pogačar Wins Final Stage from Ljubljana to Novo Mesto (Video)

STA, 13 June 2021 - Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar has won the Tour of Slovenia, the country's biggest cycling road race, after defending the leading position in the final stage from Ljubljana to Novo Mesto on Sunday.

This marks the 25th career victory for the 22-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider, who won last year's Tour de France.

"We're really happy. This was a well prepared race and we had loads of fun," Pogačar said.

After a short break, he will compete in the national championship before heading to France.

"We'll see if my form picks up a bit more, for now I feel quite okay. We'll see in a couple of weeks," said Pogačar, who is considered the top favourite at the Tour de France.

The German Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) won the final, 175-kilometre stage, after he had already claimed the opening stage.

Pogačar secured the win in the second stage, which ended with a climb to Celje Castle.

In the final rankings, Pogačar finished one minute and 21 seconds ahead of last year's winner, the Italian Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) and his compatriot Matteo Sobrero (Astana-Premier Tech), who was a further 14 seconds adrift.

Two more Slovenians were in the top ten. Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) finished seventh and Jan Polanc (UAE Team Emirates) was ninth.

- Tour of Slovenia, final standings:
 1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates)         15 h 11:26
 2. Diego Ulissi (Ita/UAE Team Emirates)                1:21
 3. Matteo Sobrero (Ita/Astana-Premier Tech)            1:35
 4. Rafal Majka (Pol/UAE Team Emirates)                 2:08
 5. James Shaw (UK/Ribble Weldtite)                     2:29
 6. Tanel Kangert (Est/BikeExchange)                    2:34
 7. Matej Mohorič (Slo/Bahrain Victorious)              2:39
 8. Giovanni Carboni (Ita/Bardiani-CSF-Faizane)         2:46
 9. Jan Polanc (Slo/UAE Team Emirates)                  3:21
10. Jonathan Lastra (Spa/Caja Rural-Seguros RGA         4:45

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