STA, 15 May 2021 - Several radio stations with special status and two national newspapers have been left without the state's financial support and thus face a precarious situation, report the dailies Delo and Dnevnik on Saturday.

Media outlets which applied for the government's co-funding scheme in an annual open call by the Culture Ministry have started receiving the ministry's decisions.

A number of them have failed to secure state funding and thus face financial struggles.

Among these are also the national newspapers Delo and Dnevnik, which reported today that their applications had been rejected for their alleged media bias and because they did not focus on local coverage enough.

According to Dnevnik, the daily received zero points out of ten when it came to criteria determining politically balanced news coverage. Delo meanwhile received two.

Another major newspaper in Slovenia, Večer, was granted EUR 19,000 in what is co-funding for local and regional content, Dnevnik reported.

Media expert Marko Milosavljević from the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences told Dnevnik the ministry's commission in charge of reviewing the applications was in fact politically imbalanced itself.

"A five-member commission makes decisions about media plurality and objectivity with four members being extremely close to the SDS party," he said.

The commission features Matej Makarovič, Borut Rončević, Mitja Štular, Jonatan Vinkler and Suzana Žilič Fišer.

Also soon to be left without government support are five radio stations that enjoy special status under the law, including Radio Študent, a small independent radio station which received almost EUR 100,000 from the state last year. This is 50% of the station's co-funding scheme which will be impossible to secured elsewhere.

"This year's open call was identical to last year's, and so were the assessment criteria, the application was comparable to last year's, the only thing that is different in the entire open call is the composition of the 'expert' commission," Ana Kandare, the head of the Radio Študent institute, told Delo, describing the rejection as politically-motivated.

The remaining radio stations that have not been granted state funding are local Radio Krka, Radio Koroška, Radio Triglav and Radio Kranj. Radio Koroška told Delo that as a result of the cut in funding, the radio station will be forced to reduce its programme for the first time since it was established 60 years ago.

So far, the ministry has not responded to the STA's query regarding the open call. The ministry did tell Dnevnik though that it would make the results of the open call public when all the applicants were notified of the decisions.

Meanwhile, also struggling financially is the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), which remains without government payment for performing public service. The agency has launched court proceedings to seek enforcement of pecuniary obligations for January.

The State Attorney's Office, which is representing the government, rejected an option of a peaceful settlement of the dispute.

In what is the latest development in the STA funding story, the State Attorney's Office lodged a complaint against the enforcement procedure on the last day before the relevant deadline, thus prolonging the proceedings.

The STA management sees the step as a way of stalling and is confident that the enforcement of payment will be secured in court as the law is clear about the state's obligation to provide sufficient funding for the STA.

European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič, the Slovenian member of the European Commission, told Dnevnik's Saturday edition that the Commission was concerned about suspension of the STA funding. The Commission calls for the matter to be resolved without any delay, he said.

Cause for concern are also frequent verbal attacks on journalists in Slovenia, the commissioner said. "Given the European Commission's stance, Slovenia is thus approaching its EU presidency on a bad note," he said.

STA, 15 May 2021 - As easing of coronavirus restrictions continues following the government's 12 May decisions, some changes kicked in today, when up to 50 persons are allowed to gather for organised public events and rallies, up from previously 10.

The other restrictions governing such events remain in place: face masks must be worn indoors, and a distance of at least 1.5 metres must be kept indoors and outdoors.

Several countries are also no longer on the list of high-risk red countries, including Slovakia and Israel.

Quarantine can meanwhile be again interrupted, if imposed on entry into Slovenia, after five days in case of a negative PCR test.

Already yesterday, cultural events were allowed to reopen to 50% sitting capacity outdoors and indoors for visitors who have been vaccinated, tested or recovered from Covid-19.

More people have also been allowed to attend religious services since yesterday.

Further easing is kicking in on Monday, when all secondary school and university students will be allowed to fully return to in-person schooling.

The government opted for the latest series of relaxations after Slovenia entered yellow tier of infections as Covid hospitalisations fell below 500 and the seven-day average of new infections below 600. It nevertheless formally extended the epidemic by another 30 days, starting on 17 May.

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Slovenian Armed Forces Day marked with optimism

IG - Slovenian Armed Forces Day was marked at a special ceremony remembering the day 30 years ago when Slovenian conscripts started serving exclusively in Slovenia. President Borut Pahor, the supreme commander, praised the army as a military pillar of national security. Pahor, as well as Defence Minister Matej Tonin and Maj-Gen Robert Glavaš, chief of the general staff, said the legislative changes adopted over the past year signalled better times ahead in terms of funds and staff. Pahor praised the EUR 780 million military investment law as "a brave and wise decision", with Tonin saying that at the start of its fourth decade the army was "in for modernisation, which entails great responsibility". The event was also attended by PM Janez Janša and the president of the upper chamber of parliament, Alojz Kovšča.

Lenarčič says Commission worried about situation in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič said the European Commission was worried about the situation in Slovenia, chiefly about media freedom, although Brussels had never treated Slovenia as a problematic member. While some might wish Slovenia follow in the footsteps of Hungary and Poland, the situation here is different than in Hungary, Slovenia's member of the Commission said in an interview with the newspaper Dnevnik. He said "we still have media plurality, and I hope it stays that way", arguing free media are a fundamental ingredient of democracy , which is one of the fundamental values of the EU.

Govt rejects co-funding two newspapers, small radio stations

LJUBLJANA - The dailies Delo and Dnevnik reported that several small radio stations with special status, as well as Delo and Dnevnik, had lost the state's financial support provided under the Culture Ministry's annual co-funding scheme. Especially for the small radio stations this is bound to cause serious financial problems. Delo and Dnevnik said their applications had been rejected for their alleged media bias and because they did not focus on local coverage enough. Media expert Marko Milosavljević told Dnevnik the ministry's commission in charge of reviewing the applications was in fact politically imbalanced itself, with four of the five members being extremely close to the ruling SDS. The ministry will release the outcome of the media tender once all applicants have been notified of the results.

494 coronavirus infections on Friday, six deaths

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 494 coronavirus infections for Friday in what continues to be a steady improvement of the epidemiological status and the situation in hospitals. The 7-day average declined further to 447. Another six Covid-19 patients died, show fresh official data. The latest cases came from 4,177 PCR tests, for a positivity rate of 11.8%, down from 14.6% on the same day a week ago. Hospitalisations decreased to 421 this morning, ICU cases were down to 121.

Cap on public events, rallies up from 10 to 50

LJUBLJANA - As easing of coronavirus restrictions continues following the government's 12 May decisions, some changes kicked in today, when up to 50 persons are allowed to gather for organised public events and rallies, while several countries are no longer on the list of high-risk red countries, including Slovakia and Israel. Quarantine can be again interrupted, if imposed on entry into Slovenia, after five days in case of a negative PCR test. Further easing is kicking in on Monday, when all secondary school and university students will be allowed to fully return to in-person schooling.

OHO prize won by Lene Jekše

LJUBLJANA - Lene Jekše, born in 1995, was honoured with this year's OHO prize, the main award for up-and-coming visual artists in Slovenia. Her work Strategies of Whistling was praised by the jury as "dealing with specific circumstances of work in the pandemic without words, precisely and critically". Lekše graduated in sculpture from the Ljubljana Academy of Art and Design in 2018, where she also earned her master's degree. Her works have been exhibited as part of several group and solo shows in Tallinn, Ljubljana, Celje and Novo Mesto.

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 14 May 2021. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: Bitter EU presidency for Janša

STA, 14 May 2021 - The left-wing weekly Mladina says in Friday's editorial that Slovenia's EU presidency later this year could prove a bitter experience for PM Janez Janša, as it anticipates that senior EU officials might not be willing to come to Slovenia because Janša's actions are not in line with EU values.

EU presidency has been reduced to a show of protocol, except if a powerful member state, such as Germany, is at its helm.

When a weak member state is presiding, the presidency is relatively unnoticeable, which also goes for Slovenia, no matter who would be in power at that moment.

Nevertheless, the eyes of all politicians start glowing when they think of all the photo sessions they will get during visits by foreign officials.

And while "Janša wants to pin the EU presidency on his wrinkled coat", he has started realising the EU could punish him by depriving him of the much-desired photo sessions.

"Today it is already clear that European politicians find our prime minister repulsive, to use this harsh word that can be heard in Berlaymont's corridors, at the seat of the European Commission."

Whatever he does is base and disgusting for Europe, which is based on the Enlightenment. EU institutions see the story about the STA as a Putin-styled political concept which represents everything Europe is not and does not want to be.

If this regime does not collapse before, Janša will preside the EU, Mladina says. But it seems it will be a bitter experience for him, because senior representatives of EU institutions and statesmen could be cancelling their participation.

The weekly says that every meeting will be marked by counting who has come to Ljubljana, and who has instead sent a lower-ranking official with a kind letter explaining that urgent matters have kept them in their own country.

Reporter: Coalition's move on Zorčič a bluff

STA, 10 May 2021 -The right-wing weekly Reporter says in its latest commentary that parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič would not let himself be bluffed by the coalition into resigning. His current reputation as a person who stubbornly resists Prime Minister Janez Janša is of key importance for his current recognisability and greater popularity in the public.

The coalition had called on Zorčič to resign honourably as it claimed it had enough votes to dismiss him, but the alleged 47 votes dwindled to only 38 in only two days.

"It is not clear what had prompted the coalition parties to go after Zorčič with such an apparent bluff," the weekly adds under the headline Bluffers.

The clumsy move by the coalition that is difficult to understand had been doomed in advance, and even without the fiasco with MP signatures, the stunt was unnecessary, because Zorčič had no reason whatsoever to resign himself.

"Because this is hygienic, as his predecessors Dejan Židan and Matej Tonin resigned themselves? But the two knew that they have no chance of remaining at the post, while Zorčič made a calculation that says that they cannot replace him."

Zorčič has realised that standing up to the coalition brings him points, as those who had criticised him for not supporting the KUL coalition in its attempt to overthrow Janša are now applauding him.

Reporter wonders whether Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, because of the lack of votes in parliament, will be "really forced to swallow the humiliation and return to parliament for the sake of the majority in the National Assembly."

Although Počivalšek likes to brag that the economy badly needs him, Janša would quickly find a replacement for him at the ministry. "At this moment the prime minister needs deputy Počivalšek more than Minister Počivalšek."

All our posts in this series are here

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

If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.

FRIDAY, 7 May
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Defence Minister Matej Tonin presented to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Slovenia's defence reforms, plans to raise defence spending, and investments into the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) designed to meet the country's commitments towards NATO.
        PORTO, Portugal - PM Janez Janša said as he arrived at the Porto Social Summit that the best social policy was creating new, well-paid jobs. Such a social policy demands an education system that not only gives the young a lot of know-how but foremost teaches them to use this knowledge in an innovative way.
        KLAGENFURT, Austria - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Governor of Carinthia Peter Kaiser met to discuss a number of topics, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the situation of the Slovenian minority in Austria and the German-speaking community in Slovenia. They also talked about the priorities of the upcoming Slovenian EU presidency.
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court ruled the legislative amendments that ban most shops from being open on Sundays is not in contravention of the constitution as claimed by several retail companies. In a unanimous decision, it held that the right to free enterprise invoked by the petitioners may be limited if a public interest such as protection of health is proven.
        LJUBLJANA - STA director Bojan Veselinovič announced legal action against PM Janez Janša after he implied on Twitter that Veselinovič had been involved in the "murder" of a former STA editor-in-chief more than a decade ago. What Janša wrote exceeds all boundaries, Veselinovič told the TV Slovenija current affairs show Tarča on Thursday evening.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor proposed that the National Assembly appoint Marko Ilešič the Slovenian judge at the Court of the EU in Luxembourg for another term. The president's office said Ilešič was a "respected long-serving justice of the Court of the EU".
        MARIBOR - The council of UKC Maribor, the country's second largest hospital, appointed Anton Crnjac the hospital's new director. Crnjac, who has already served as the medical director, was the only candidate for the post. If endorsed by the government, he will succeed Vojsko Flis, whose term ends on 19 June.
        NEW HAVEN, US - Uroš Seljak, a Slovenian physicist, cosmologist and astronomy professor at the University of California, Berkeley is among the recipients of this year's Gruber Prize in Cosmology. Seljak will share the US$500,000 prize with his colleagues Marc Kamionowski of Johns Hopkins University from Baltimore and Matias Zaldarriga of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.
        
SATURDAY, 8 May
        PORTO, Portugal - Prime Minister Janez Janša called for profound changes in educational systems as a means of preserving the EU's social model as he arrived for an informal meeting of EU leaders. To preserve the European way of life, prosperity and the existing social model, it is essential to significantly change the educational system and systemically introduce lifelong learning, he said.
        LJUBLJANA - The presidents of 21 EU member states addressed a letter to Europeans on the eve of the Conference on the Future of Europe, inviting them to take part in shaping a common European future. The initiative for the appeal came from the Slovenian and Italian presidents, Borut Pahor and Sergio Mattarella.
        LJUBLJANA - A new green party led by Jure Leben, a former environment minister, was established, entering the political arena just over a year before the next scheduled election. The Party of Green Action (Z.DEJ) plans to strike a balance between sustainable economic development and protection of the environment.
        LJUBLJANA - José Manuel Campa, the director of the European Banking Authority (EBA), told Delo that loan moratoriums were no longer a viable blanket measure to help companies, an indication that the Slovenian loan deferral scheme might not be extended as hoped for by business associations.

SUNDAY, 9 May
        PORTO, Portugal - Prime Minister Janez Janša commented on the proposal to waive patent rights on Covid-19 vaccines by pointing to the problem of insufficient production capacities, which he said not even full liberalisation of patent rights would not solve at the moment.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar told the commercial broadcaster POP TV that Slovenia would be well prepared to preside the Council of the EU. Asked whether Slovenia being in the spotlight of EU institutions due to the "war with the media" and issues concerning the rule of law was bad for its presidency, Logar said that "this is a matter of individual perception".

MONDAY, 10 May
        NOVO MESTO - Police officers from Estonia, Lithuania and Poland joined their Slovenian colleagues to help patrol the border with Croatia and prevent illegal migrations. The 21 officers will be deployed for at least a month and up to six months and are soon to be joined by additional officers from several European countries.
        ATHENS, Greece - Prime Minister Janez Janša presented the priorities of the Slovenian EU presidency at the Delphi Economic Forum, highlighting resilience to health crises and cyber attacks, and the European way of life. Janša also held talks with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis and European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Anže Logar emphasised the importance of the EU's continued engagement in the Western Balkans as EU foreign ministers reaffirmed the EU membership prospects of countries in the region. He expressed regret over the standstill of the enlargement process and the negotiating frameworks for North Macedonia and Albania.
        LJUBLJANA - The Police Trade Union (PSS) and Interior Minister Aleš Hojs signed an agreement designed to end a strike that police officers started in January. Under the deal, some police wages will increase, a bonus for working on the Schengen border will be reinstated, and talks on a new collective agreement for the force should start within a year.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia opened mass vaccination against coronavirus to all adults after a nation-wide vaccination booking app was launched last week.
        
TUESDAY, 11 May
        LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša denied on Twitter media reports that he was being sidelined from the inauguration ceremony of the Conference on the Future of Europe after Delo reported the co-chair of the executive committee, Guy de Verhofstadt, did not want him to be invited. Janša said the Council was represented by the PM of the current presiding country, Portugal, while he would co-chair the conference next time.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Following several calls to speed up appointment of Slovenia's two delegated European prosecutors, Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič said she had done all in her power, while it was now up to the government to act.
        LISBON, Portugal - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs took part in a ministerial conference on migration organised by Portugal's EU presidency in Lisbon with EU ministers and ministers of several African countries sharing their experience with migration. The talks focused on finding a solution to return migrants from the EU to African countries.
        PORTOROŽ - As Slovenia concluded its third presidency of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative (AII), the Izola Declaration was adopted at the EUSAIR strategy forum, underlining the European perspective of the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek discussed Slovenia's EU presidency priorities concerning food safety, and animals and plants with European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides via videoconference. He said Slovenia would devote utmost attention to consumer safety and food traceability.
        LJUBLJANA - In a bid to have a Constitutional Court ruling implemented, coalition MPs tabled a bill to secure 100% state funding of private primary schools' obligatory curriculum and 85% of their optional programmes.

WEDNESDAY, 12 May
        LJUBLJANA - The government eased several coronavirus restrictions, including raising the cap on gatherings to 50, and relaxing restrictions on hospitality, tourism, sports, culture and education, effective from 17 May. It also extended the state of Covid-19 epidemic by another 30 days.
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry responded to the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Palestinians by calling on all sides to prevent further civilian casualties. Rocket attacks on #Israel as well as any form of violence are unacceptable and must end immediately, it said.
        BUDAPEST, Hungary - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs met his Hungarian counterpart Sandor Pinter, with the working visit dedicated to presenting the priorities in interior affairs during Slovenia's presidency of the EU Council in the second half of the year.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia expects to be invited to a summit of MED7, a group of seven Mediterranean EU countries, this autumn, Foreign Minister Anže Logar said as he answered an MP question about the country's plans to join MED7.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's upcoming presidency and the delay in the appointment of Slovenia's European delegated prosecutors (EPDs) topped the agenda as Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič met European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders on Wednesday. Reynders called Slovenia again to appoint the two prosecutors
        LJUBLJANA - The Institute of Microbiology and Immunology at the Ljubljana Faculty of Medicine said it had confirmed the Indian variant of coronavirus in a sample taken on 20 April from a person who tested positive after returning from India.
        BERN, Switzerland - The European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) addressed an open letter to Prime Minister Janez Janša calling on him to resolve the dispute with the Slovenian Press Agency (STA).
        LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption established that Tomaž Vesel's work for FIFA's Audit and Compliance Committee is not incompatible with his office of Court of Audit president under Slovenia's integrity legislation, and ended the procedure against him.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission upgraded Slovenia's GDP growth forecast for this year by 0.2 of a percentage point to 4.9%, while downgrading it to 5.1% for 2022, by 0.1 of a point from its previous, winter outlook.
        LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije announced it had suspended the sale a 100% stake in its subsidiary TS Media, whose portfolio includes the news portal Siol.net. According to United Group, one of the bidders, the decision shows it is not possible to carry out an independent and fair tender in Slovenia.
        LJUBLJANA - Spanish start-up Glovo announced it would acquire one of the largest food delivery providers in Slovenia, Ehrana. The acquisition is expected to be formally completed in the next few months and the two companies are already planning their transition strategy.

THURSDAY, 13 May
        PRISHTINA, Kosovo - President Borut Pahor met his Kosovo counterpart Vjosa Osmani in the run up to the the Brdo-Brijuni Process summit in Slovenia. He said that as a "big advocate of the dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade", he expects the new authorities in Kosovo to be willing to provide the dialogue with a new momentum.
        BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - The foreign ministers of the Central 5, including Slovenia's Anže Logar, discussed possible relaxation of Covid-19 border restrictions during the summer season. They agreed that coordinating and informing each other about measures was necessary so that movement of people and business is not excessively restricted.
        LJUBLJANA - Trade unions decided to leave the Economic and Social Council (ESS), the country's main industrial relations forum. The main reason is the "government's systematic violation of rules on the functioning of the ESS".
        LJUBLJANA - A total of 57 persons of Slovenian descent have so far been repatriated from Venezuela. Many have already found jobs and settled down, the parliamentary Commission for Slovenians Abroad was told.
        LJUBLJANA - The specialised prosecution office has asked a court to formally open an investigation against former German owners and management of Adria Airways for financial misdeeds that allegedly led to the Slovenian flag carrier ending up in receivership in October 2019, news portal Necenzurirano reported.

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: 

Pahor, Vučić discusses unchangeability of borders in the Balkans

BELGRADE, Serbia - President Borut Pahor met Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vučić in preparation for the Brdo-Brijuni Process summit with the pair agreeing that the borders in the Western Balkans must not be changed. Pahor reiterated his opposition to any changing of the borders in the region, noting that peaceful changes to the border were not possible. He said this was important not only for peace and stability in the region, but within the EU as well. Vučić said that Serbia, which does not recognise Kosovo's independence, exclusively advocated the principle of unchangeability of borders in line with UN decisions.

New basic training concept for military service

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has a new concept of basic training for the Slovenian Armed Forces, designed as a single entry point for those interested in either voluntary or professional service. For the whole 13 weeks of training, recruits will get pay of roughly EUR 3,200. Defence Minister Matej Tonin said a modern military required stable financing and more staff. Financing has been secured, while the new training system, which will be launched in July, is expected to increase the inflow of potential staff.

Unions say govt expelled them from ESS with ignorance of social dialogue

LJUBLJANA - Trade union confederations said they had decided to leave the Economic and Social Council (ESS) because the government had practically abolished social dialogue and thus deprived them of the seats at the negotiating table. They warned the government's action was leading to a conflict. Lidija Jerkič of the ZSSS said unions intended to fight for worker rights with other means. Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj regretted the decision. He said the current situation was tough, as the foundations were being laid for post-Covid times, so he urged them to return to negotiating table as soon as possible.

Govt flies Israeli flag in solidarity with Israel

LJUBLJANA - An Israeli flag was hoisted along the Slovenian and EU flags on the Slovenian government building as an expression of solidarity with Israel. "We condemn the terrorist attacks and we stand by Israel," the government said on Twitter, a message also shared by Prime Minister Janez Janša. President Borut Pahor expressed disagreement, tweeting that he was "not in favour of the expression of the country's views on international issues with the raising of other countries' flags", a view also echoed by Speaker Igor Zorčič. There was a rally in support of Palestine in front of the Israeli consulate in the afternoon featuring about 100 protesters.

Timing of phaseout of monetary policy measures key, governor says

LJUBLJANA - Boštjan Vasle, the governor of Slovenia's central bank, thinks the key challenge of the post-corona recovery will be to get the timing of the end of extraordinary monetary policy measures right. "We have to be mindful not to withdraw [the measures] too quickly and thus jeopardise the strengthening of the recovery dynamics to a sustainable level," he told the STA in an interview. At the same time, the measures must not persist for too long since they have negative side affects as well, while the precise timing depends on the course of the pandemic and monetary policymakers remain cautious.

Slovenia wants green certificate deployed by 1 July

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia thinks it is essential that the EU digital green certificate, which is designed to facilitate cross-border travel, be implemented by 1 July. If that does not happen, member states will be forced to resort to national solutions, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said after an informal meeting of EU ministers in charge of tourism. "We want to have a safe relaxation of cross-border mobility and the provision of safe tourist services," Počivalšek said.

Economist Mrak criticises government's recovery plan

LJUBLJANA - Economist Mojmir Mrak has criticised for Mladina the content and the drawing up of the national recovery and resilience plan. He feels that the measures are not sufficiently oriented towards development and productivity, and that the government showed distrust towards experts and public in the process. Mrak, a professor at the Ljubljana School of Economics and Business, also pointed out plan relied heavily on constructing physical infrastructure.

Slovenia's 1991 defence guidelines remembered with memorial plaque

POLJČE - A memorial plaque was unveiled in Poljče marking a key meeting in May 1991 that set the guidelines for Slovenia's defence in the independence war that followed in June. All those at the meeting knew Slovenia declaring independence would result in a clash with the Yugoslav People's Army, PM Janez Janša, at the time defence minister, said. He unveiled the plaque together with Defence Minister Matej Tonin and Janez Slapar, who was back then the chief of Slovenian Territorial Defence.

Logar thinks Slovenia, Andorra could boost coop in agriculture, high-tech

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met Andorran Foreign Minister Maria Ubach Font, with the pair agreeing that the cooperation between Slovenia and Andorra could be enhanced. Logar proposed agriculture and high-tech as the areas with the most potential, while assessing bilateral relations between the two countries were currently at a low level but there are many opportunities to change that.

DeSUS MPs remain party members

LJUBLJANA - The executive committee of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) was expected to decide whether to strip its MPs of party membership over their recent voting record. Due to procedural issues, the matter was not put to a vote. Four regional chapters would have had to back the proposal to hold a vote, but only two did, the party's interim president Brigita Čokl said. The session was held in the aftermath of reports that some regional chapters were unhappy that their MPs continue to vote with the government even though the party left the coalition in December.

Fines for quarantine violations confirmed

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed amendments to the act on communicable diseases that bring fines of between EUR 400 and EUR 4,000 for those who ignore orders to quarantine. The new provisions stipulate that the National Institute of Public Health may order individuals to quarantine if they have been in a high-risk contact with a person infected with a dangerous communicable disease. Police may issue quarantine orders on arrival in the country.

CIVICUS warns of Janša's pressure on civil society, media

LJUBLJANA - CIVICUS, an international organisation of NGOs, warns in its latest report of the attitude of Prime Minister Janez Janša and the Democrats (SDS) towards the civil society and media. It expresses concern over government attacks on the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and a ban on protests. CIVICUS lists several examples of government pressure on people's freedoms, the civil society and media.

Slovenia recorded 471 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, six deaths

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 471 new coronavirus cases on Thursday and six new deaths, as the rolling seven-day average of new cases dropped to 466. Another 443 Covid-19 patients are currently in Slovenia's hospitals, fresh government data show. Yesterday, 11.9% of the 3,961 tests came back positive, which is a lower positivity rate than the day before, when it stood at 12.9%.

Miner initiation ritual declared intangible cultural heritage

VELENJE - The Ministry of Culture has declared the Jump over the Leather Apron, a traditional initiation ritual for beginner miners in Velenje, as Slovenia's intangible cultural heritage. Novice miners symbolically jump over a leather apron as this is an accessory that used to be worn by miners to protect themselves from damp. This initiation event was first held in 1961.

STA, 14 May 2021 - The National Assembly endorsed on Friday amendments to the act on communicable diseases that bring fines of between EUR 400 and EUR 4,000 for those who ignore orders to quarantine.

The new provisions stipulate that the National Institute of Public Health may order individuals to quarantine if they have been in a high-risk contact with a person infected with a dangerous communicable disease.

Police may issue quarantine orders on arrival in the country.

Compliance with quarantine orders will be supervised by the Health Inspectorate, which will issue fines for violations.

The main difference compared to the current system is that inspectors will conduct systematic checks, according to Health Ministry State Secretary Franc Vindišar.

A quarantine order may be issued if a person has been in contact with a person infected with plague or viral haemorrhagic fever, or any communicable disease that has triggered the declaration of an epidemic.

Updated at 19:50 with news of the President's disapproval, and gain at 20:30 with news of the protest

STA, 14 May 2021 - An Israeli flag has been hoisted along the Slovenian and EU flags on the Slovenian government building as an expression of solidarity with Israel amidst an escalating conflict with armed Palestinian groups.

"We condemn the terrorist attacks, and we stand by Israel," says a post on the government's official Twitter account, where photos of the flags have been published.

Prime Minister Janez Janša posted the same message on his Twitter account.

As a sign of solidarity with #Israel the Israeli flag ?? is hoisted on the buildings of the @govSlovenia. We condemn the terrorist attacks and we stand by Israel. ?????? pic.twitter.com/CDWQzXw2Dm

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) May 14, 2021

The move follows Austria, where an Israeli flag has been flown at the seat of government and the Foreign Ministry, and the Czech Republic, where an Israeli flag has been raised at Prague Castle, the seat of the president.

President Borut Pahor expressed disagreement with the government's decision, tweeting that he was "not in favour of the expression of the country's views on international issues with the raising of other countries' flags".

He also endorsed the recent EU appeal for an end to Israeli-Palestinian violence and reiterated his statement that the dispute should be resolved peacefully in accordance with the two-state solution.

Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič said he was "not in favour" of such "cheerleading raising of flags". "In armed conflicts, Slovenia should pursue a neutral stance and support initiatives for negotiations and the achievement of peace."

There was a rally in support of Palestine in front of the Israeli consulate in Ljubljana in the afternoon as about 100 protesters chanted slogans such as "Free Palestine" and "Death to Israeli occupation".

Some also protested against the flying of the Israeli flag. The crowd featured several Palestinian refugees who have relatives in Gaza, public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported.

Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič said he was "not in favour" of such "cheerleading raising of flags". "In armed conflicts, Slovenia should pursue a neutral stance and support initiatives for negotiations and the achievement of peace."

STA, 13 May 2021 - A total of 57 persons of Slovenian descent have so far been repatriated from Venezuela. Many have already found jobs and settled down, the parliamentary Commission for Slovenians Abroad was told on Thursday.

The repatriation project was launched in 2019 and those who arrived in the first round have completed Slovenian language classes. Many have found jobs and their children are in school, said Dejan Valentinčič, state secretary at the Office for Slovenians Abroad.

This group is approaching the end of the 15-month period during which they receive special integration treatment. Within this period, they are required to gain either Slovenian citizenship or residency so that they can remain in the country.

According to Valentinčič, the key factor in successful integration is that they were scattered around the country, which made it easier for them to forge ties with the local community.

There are nine more persons in Venezuela who have official clearance to come to Slovenia but have not yet made the journey, either because they are sorting out personal matters or are not ready to make the move yet.

It remains unclear how many more ethnic Slovenians might wish to move to Slovenia. Valentinčič said they get sporadic inquiries. "There is interest in principle, it is not massive but it exists."

According to official data, there were a few hundred Slovenian citizens in Venezuela in 2019 and up to a thousand in total who are of Slovenian origin.

STA, 13 May 2021 - A group of NGOs and research institutions has condemned incitement of "racist and ethnic hatred" after Jasminka Dedić, the head of the Slovenian Bosniak Cultural Association, came under attack from right-wing media for comments she made for the Sarajevo-based newspaper STAV.

In an interview that STAV run under the headline Jasminka Dedić: Bosniaks and Migrants for Slovenians, Dedić spoke about Slovenia's attitude to people of different ethnic backgrounds, saying that Prime Minister Janez Janša did not tolerate any criticism and attacks were likely to follow.

In response the weekly Demokracija and the broadcaster Nova 24 targeted Dedić, an employee at the Government Office for Development and Cohesion Policy, in an article headlined Leftist Quislingism: Employed and Paid by Slovenian Government that She is Slandering Abroad!

Some media have reported that Minister Zvonko Černač, who heads the Office for Development and Cohesion Policy, has allegedly been collecting signatures from his subordinates to sack Dedić. The STA turned for comment to the office latest week but has unable to get one yet.

Now several organisations, headed by the Chair of Social Justice and Social Inclusion at the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Studies, issued a public letter to condemn what they say is "obviously an orchestrated incitement of racist and ethnic hatred" in some media and government services.

"We understand the minister's conduct as pejorative and malicious ethnic and racist labelling of Slovenian citizens who are being denied the right to express political views as representatives of minority cultural associations," reads the letter, referring to Černač.

"We condemn in the strongest terms the incitement of intolerance and a purge among public employees that is also supposed to serve as a form of disciplining other public employees and Slovenian citizens who have views different from the ruling party or minority ethnic backgrounds," reads the letter.

The signatories, which include three institutes affiliated with the Science and Research Institute of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Ljubljana Jewish Cultural Centre and several other research institutions and chairs affiliated with the universities of Ljubljana and Primorska, expect a public apology from the media outlets that slandered Dedić's good name, and an end to attacks at her workplace.

Concern was also expressed by the Bosniak Cultural Association, which pointed to untruthful claims in the Demokracija article. "We are deeply concerned because you gravely encroached on the integrity of Dr Dedić, in particular because of strong indications that due to your manipulative and untruthful accusations she will become the target of retaliatory measures from her employer."

The association says it will not let be intimidated and will report media attacks and smear campaigns to the relevant Slovenian, European and international authorities.