02 May 2021, 15:30 PM

More than 20% of Population Have Had One Dose of Covid Vaccine, 10% Two

STA, 2 May 2021 - The vaccination campaign against Covid-19 has reached two important milestones. According to data by the National Institute of Public Health, more than 20% of the population has received one shot of a Covid-19 vaccine and more than 10% have been fully vaccinated.

So far, 426,043 people have been vaccinated with the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 211,199 have received both doses.

The first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine has been administered to 236,509 women and 189,534 men. A total of 124,014 women and 87,185 men have received both shots and are considered fully immunised.

Among those over 60 years old, at least 40% have received the first dose of the vaccine, and in the age group of over 65 the share is at 50% or more.

The highest share of vaccinated persons is in the 70-74 age group, where 64% have received the first shot and 45% both.

The most successful regions in terms of vaccination are the Zasavska, Koroška, Goriška regions, central Slovenia and Gorenjska, while the immunisation rate is the lowest in the Pomurska, SE Slovenia, Podravska and Posavska regions.

Of all vaccines available, 253,866 persons have so far received the first dosage of Pfizer, and 187,260 have also received the second dosage.

Another 128,431 people have received the first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine and only 834 have received the second due to problems in the supply.

Meanwhile, 43,687 have received the first shot of Moderna and 22,710 have also receive the second shot.

02 May 2021, 15:19 PM

Muslim Graves Desecrated with Red Fluid, Pork in Domžale

STA, 2 May 2021 - Three Muslim graves at a cemetery in Domžale, 15 km north of Ljubljana, were desecrated on Saturday. An unknown perpetrator poured red fluid over the graves and put pieces of meat on them, media have reported. Police are investigating the incident, which has already been condemned by the Islamic community in Slovenia.

The Ljubljana police station told the media it had been informed of the incident at around 9am. After inspecting the scene, police are now collecting information related to the crime of public inciting of hatred, violence or intolerance.

(KRONIKA) Neznani storilec tri muslimanske grobove polil z neznano rdečo tekočino in na njih odložil kose mesa. Kaj so sporočili s policije? https://t.co/5Xv0UkEhfT
— Večer (@vecer) May 1, 2021

The prosecution will be informed once the circumstances of the act are clarified.

The Islamic community in Slovenia was informed of the desecration by the families whose graves were affected. They said pieces of pork, which is forbidden for Muslims, had been placed on the graves.

The community condemned the desecration, saying it was an act of public inciting to hatred, violence and intolerance. It expects police to find the perpetrators and process them in line with the law.

02 May 2021, 09:38 AM

Brussels Airlines & Wizzair to Operate Ljubljana-Brussels Flights From 31 May

STA, 1 May 2021 - Ljubljana will be connected to Brussels with regular flights during Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of the year. The routes will be operated by carriers Brussels Airlines and Wizzair, Slovenia's permanent representation in Brussels has said.

Between 31 May and 30 October, Brussels Airlines will be operating six flights a week between the Jože Pučnik Airport Ljubljana and the Brussels Zaventem airport. The carrier will fly every day of the week bar Saturday.

Wizzair will be flying between the Jože Pučnik and the Charleroi airports every Monday and Thursday as of 31 May.

After traffic to and from the Ljubljana airport was slashed by the coronavirus pandemic and no direct routes to Brussels have been re-established, the government has made a considerable effort to ensure good connectivity during the presidency.

The press release also said that they were now working on securing flights to Brussels at appropriate hours of day, as well as to other destinations across Europe.

02 May 2021, 08:31 AM

Slovenia, Hungary Agree to Recognise Each Other’s Vaccination Certificates

STA, 1 May 2021 - Slovenia and Hungary have agreed to mutually recognise their respective Covid-19 vaccination certificates, the Slovenian Ministry has announced. A vaccination certificate issued in one country will have the same legal effect as the one issued in another, in line with the internal national legal orders.

Slovenia already permits entry to the country from Hungary without mandatory quarantine or proof of a negative coronavirus test if a vaccination certificate is produced.

Under the agreement, Hungary will now do the same for entry from Slovenia, after only certain exceptions have so far been permitted to enter Hungary, the ministry said on Facebook.

In addition to the vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), also applied in Hungary are the Russian vaccine Sputnik V and the vaccines of the Chinese producers Sinopharm and Sinovac Biotech.

02 May 2021, 04:02 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 2 May 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:

1,017 new infections confirmed, seven Covid-19 patients die

LJUBLJANA - A total of 4,197 PCR tests for the novel coronavirus were performed in Slovenia on Friday, resulting in 1,017 confirmed positive cases, for a positivity rate of 24.2%, up from 21.4% from the day earlier, fresh government data show. A total of 616 people were in hospital this morning, which is ten fewer than the day before, while the number of patients in intensive care decreased by three to 154. The the rolling 7-day average was up by 27 to 667. Discharged from hospital for home care on Friday were 75 people, while seven Covid-19 patients died.

On Labour Day, unions critical of govt's attitude to social dialogue

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted a Labour Day reception on Saturday at which the head of the ZSSS trade union association Lidija Jerkič said the holiday should be an opportunity to reflect on workers' rights, and assessed that the government was ignoring social dialogue with trade unions. Pahor called for social dialogue as one of the most important pillars of successful and fair recovery after the Covid-19 crisis, while PM Janez Janša meanwhile said in his message that the government's objective was to create conditions for decent work for decent pay for all able-bodied people.

Slovenia, Hungary mutually recognise vaccination certificates

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and Hungary have agreed to mutually recognise their respective Covid-19 vaccination certificates, the Slovenian Ministry has announced. A vaccination certificate issued in one country will have the same legal effect as the one issued in another, in line with the internal national legal orders. In addition to the vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency, also applied in Hungary are the Russian vaccine Sputnik V and the vaccines of the Chinese producers Sinopharm and Sinovac Biotech.

EU Commission receives Slovenia's recovery and resilience plan

BRUSSELS - The European Commission confirmed it has officially received Slovenia's recovery and resilience plan, which specifies reforms and public investments projects the country intends to implement with support of the EU recovery and resilience mechanism. European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen said on Twitter that the plan was "oriented towards the future: green and digital transition; smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; health and welfare of all". Out of the EUR 2.5 billion available under Slovenia's plan, 43% or more than EUR 1 billion is intended for green goals.

Two carriers to fly between Ljubljana and Brussels during presidency

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana will be connected to Brussels with regular flights during Slovenia's presidency of the EU Council in the second half of the year. The routes will be operated by carriers Brussels Airlines and Wizzair, Slovenia's permanent representation in Brussels has said. Between 31 May and 30 October, Brussels Airlines will be operating six flights a week between the Jože Pučnik Airport Ljubljana and the Brussels Zaventem airport. The carrier will fly every day of the week bar Saturday. Wizzair will be flying between the Jože Pučnik and the Charleroi airports every Monday and Thursday as of 31 May.

EU member state flags raised in front of parliament building

LJUBLJANA - The flags of the EU member states and of the Ljubljana city were raised in front of the parliament building on Friday in the run-up to and for the duration of Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU. A total of 29 flag poles have been erected, featuring the Slovenian and the EU flags at the beginning, and followed by flags of the EU member states in alphabetical order. The line-up concludes with the flag of the city of Ljubljana. According to Ljubljana Mayor Janković, the poles were erected and flags flown early because the idea was that they are already there for the International Workers' Day.

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

01 May 2021, 12:37 PM

What Mladina & Reporter Are Saying This Week: Government Wrongdoing vs Čeferin

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 30 April 2021.

Mladina: Record and remember govt's wrongdoings

STA, 30 April 2021 - Mladina says in its latest commentary that the duty of the public and political parties is to encourage civil servants not to leave their posts and to instead watch and remember what the current government is doing so that the wrongdoings could be prosecuted once it inevitably steps down from power.

The left-leaning weekly quotes criminologist Dragan Petrovec, who said at Tuesday's anti-government rally that there was a "series of institutions where employees do not dare resist bullying, insults and abuse by their superiors."

Under the headline Secret Allies of the Public, it adds that Petrovec noted that capable people were leaving their jobs, while it would be better if they fought back and stayed at their posts.

Mladina adds that "people should start preparing for the moment when this government, which does not have public support and cannot win it back, tumbles down from power. Perhaps this will take one full year - but Slovenia must prepare for that moment already today."

The weekly argues that people need to prepare for the "cleansing from what has happened in the past year and what will happen in the coming months - the complete abuse of power."

It notes that in the coming few months, the government of Janez Janša is planning a number of "encroachments upon the state", including with the establishment of a tourism holding, adding that this is "nasty abuse and systemic corruption."

For this reason, it is important for individuals and social groups, including the police and prosecution, to start systemically collecting evidence about all of this. "Let them stay in drawers for now ... but let them be collected."

Mladina says that the public and political parties that understand how important this is and that themselves introduced stricter ethical standards should look up to Iceland as a good example.

"It is up to political parties that want public support in the next election to commit today ... that they will find the way for the information about wrongdoings could see the light of the day safely," concludes the commentary.

Reporter: Schadenfreude for Čeferin in Slovenia

STA, 26 April 2021 - The right-wing weekly Reporter comments on the failed attempt by a dozen football clubs to establish their own Super League, saying the project found support in Slovenia because many could hardly hide their Schadenfreude for UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, a potential new player in Slovenian politics, thus a bogeyman for politicians on the right.

His being the head of a powerful international organisation makes him the most serious potential rival of Prime Minister Janez Janša if he decides to enter politics.

Čeferin's public objections and criticism of Janša have led many to believe that he is getting ready to return to Slovenia and become prime minister, the weekly says under the headline Schadenfreude.

When Super League clubs tried to sabotage Čeferin a week ago, it was bizarre to watch many Slovenian Twitter users siding with greedy rich men. Čeferin was being labelled a mafia lawyer, arrogant and even blamed for the clubs' attempt at defecting.

The attacks were the continuation of what started a few days earlier, when in an interview for the commercial broadcaster POP TV Čeferin criticised the fact that anti-government protesters are being punished in Slovenia.

"This is merely another battle in a war that started when Janša realised that Čeferin, being the head of a powerful international organisation, is in the perfect position to take over the top political position in the country."

However, the weekly doubts that this will indeed be the case. "Paradoxically, his victory against the Super League could delay Čeferin's return to Slovenia."

If the Super League were actually established, he might have returned earlier and still enjoyed great support for having fought billionaires' greed, Reporter says.

If he remains at the helm of UEFA until the end of term in March 2023 and then goes on to another high-profile job abroad, many politicians, not just Janša, will be relieved. "But a great number of undecided voters looking for a new saviour will be disappointed."

All our posts in this series are here

01 May 2021, 11:57 AM

Last Week in Slovenia: 23 - 29 April, 2021

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, 23 April
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed the government's proposal to raise the public spending ceiling until the end of 2024 in order to mitigate the negative impact of Covid-19. The spending cap for 2021 was raised from EUR 24.9 billion set in November to EUR 25.3 billion for a general government deficit of 8.6% of GDP.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly voted 46 to 42 to reject the government's proposal to merge eight major regulators into two mega agencies (for market and consumers and for financial markets) amid criticism the government wanted to subjugate oversight institutions.
        LJUBLJANA - The ban on travel between regions was lifted and cultural events for up to 10 people were permitted while public assembly was scaled back from a hundred to ten people.
        LJUBLJANA - EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson wrapped up a two-day visit by discussing the priorities of Slovenia's presidency of the EU in a meeting with Foreign Minister Anže Logar, including migration and the Schengen system.
        KOPER - President Borut Pahor and his Greek counterpart Katerina Sakellaropoulou unveiled a bench of friendship in a gesture celebrating ties between Slovenia and Greece in memory of Greek statesman Ioannis Kapodistrias (1776-1831), whose family originated from Koper.
        CELJE - The newspaper Večer reported that the wife of Prime Minister Janez Janša, Urška Bačovnik Janša, had received a death threat targeting her and the couple's children. The letter was sent to the hospital in Celje where she works as a doctor and has been handed over to police.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - The Strategic Council for Digitalisation met for its maiden session with Prime Minister Janez Janša saying the government expected it to put forward a plan of the country's digitalisation by 15 September.
        LJUBLJANA - Mercator, Slovenia's largest grocer, passed into majority ownership of Fortenova after the transfer of shares from the troubled Croatian group Agrokor was completed. Fortenova will now publish a takeover bid for the remaining 11.90% shares. Mercator saw its revenue rise by 1.6% to EUR 2.17 billion in 2020, but posted a net loss of EUR 156.7 million, largely due to revaluation of property and impairments to other assets.
        LJUBLJANA - The telco group Telekom Slovenije reported EUR 647.2 million in sales revenue for 2020, down 3% from 2019, and EUR 24.9 million in net profit. Excluding the negative impact of Covid-19, the net profit would have reached EUR 32.8 million.

SATURDAY, 24 April
        LJUBLJANA - Hospitality establishments reopened across the country to serve guests at outdoor tables, from 7am to 7pm, while in three regions with the lowest infection rates guests may also be served indoors if they produce a negative coronavirus status.
        LJUBLJANA - At the start of the week-long May Day school break, Health Minister Janez Poklukar appealed to the population to hold on and bear with coronavirus precautions a while longer, pointing to the Covid-19 vaccination rollout as a way back into normality.
        LJUBLJANA - The government formed a strategic council on social policy as an advisory group to the prime minister, appointing MEP Romana Tomc (SDS/EPP) to head the 15-member council, whose job will be to propose a reform of the social security system.

SUNDAY, 25 April
        LJUBLJANA - The news transpired that Ljerka Belak, a prolific theatre, film and TV actress, died at the age of 72, on 22 April. Excelling in comedy, Belak won the Borštnik Ring, the highest accolade for theatre acting, in 2015.
        LJUBLJANA - Speaker Igor Zorčič told TV Slovenija the National Assembly should be dissolved unless an agreement is reached to allow four unaffiliated MPs, including him, to participate in parliamentary working bodies.
        LIEGE, Belgium - Tadej Pogačar, a rider for UAE Team Emirates, won the Belgian one-day classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege in his sixth win this season and 23rd overall, as fellow Slovenian rider Primož Roglič failed to defend the title.
        LJUBLJANA - Data from the Financial Administration showed gross gaming revenue in Slovenia fell by 42% to EUR 188 million in 2020. Lotteries' revenue dropped by 10% to EUR 61.3 million and the revenue of casinos and gaming parlours was halved to EUR 127 million.

MONDAY, 26 April
        LJUBLJANA - In address to a joint meeting of parliamentary committees on foreign policy and EU affairs, Foreign Minister Anže Logar said the "phantom non-paper" on Western Balkans that some media attributed to Slovenia did not exist and discussion on that damaged Slovenia as well as Bosnia-Herzegovina.
        LJUBLJANA - Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde visited Slovenia for talks with her counterpart Anže Logar, which focused on cooperation in light of the upcoming Slovenian EU presidency and Sweden's current OSCE chairmanship. The pair also discussed relations with Russia and the situation in Ukraine. Linde also met President Borut Pahor.
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi addressed a letter to Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič expressing concern because Slovenia had not yet proposed its two candidates to join the European Public Prosecutor's Office, to become operational on 1 June.
        LJUBLJANA - Accommodation facilities across the country were allowed to reopen to accept guests with negative Covid status in up to 30 rooms. The Tourism and Hospitality Chamber urged the government to scale back what it described as "senseless" restrictions.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Sovereign Holding reported EUR 26 million in net profit for 2020 after posting a net loss of EUR 16.6 million in 2019. The return on equity, at 4.3%, was 1.6 percentage points below the target.
        LJUBLJANA - The STA supervisory board endorsed the annual report for 2020 which shows revenue rose by 1% to EUR 4.28 million despite the aggravated situation due to the Covid epidemic as net profit reached EUR 17,800.
        BOHINJ - Two lynxes, a male and a female from Romania, were released into the wild on Jelovica Plateau as part of efforts to reintroduce the species to north-western Slovenia after a successful rejuvenation of the lynx population in south Slovenia. Two days later, three more specimens were released into the Triglav National Park, as part of LIFE Lynx, an EU-funded project.

TUESDAY, 27 April
        LJUBLJANA - Some 10,000 people by police estimates gathered for an anti-government protest in defiance of the ban on gatherings. The rally was organised by the same leftist activist groups that had been staging weekly anti-government cycling protests since last spring and was timed to coincide with Resistance Day. Responding on Twitter, PM Janez Janša said the "massive transmission of the virus will lead to hundreds of seriously ill and dead in the coming weeks".
        RIBNICA/LJUBLJANA - Slovenia observed Resistance Day, remembering the day 80 years ago when the Liberation Front, an organisation that spearheaded armed resistance against the occupying forces in WWII, was established. The keynote speaker at the main ceremony, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, highlighted the role resistance had played throughout the nation's survival. President Borut Pahor urged Slovenians to respect each other, stressing that what brings the nation together outweighed what tears it apart with regard to recent history.
        LJUBLJANA - Checkpoints on Slovenia's border with Italy and Austria, introduced to help contain the coronavirus epidemic, were removed, while staying in place on Slovenia's other internal Schengen border, with Hungary.
        LJUBLJANA - Amendments to the foreigners act that tighten residence conditions for foreign citizens in Slovenia and introduce the concept of a complex migration emergency took effect. The concept means access to asylum could be restricted.
        LJUBLJANA - Under a decision published in the Official Gazette, Slovenia will open an embassy in South Korea and a consulate in Las Palmas, Spain. Slovenia currently has two consulates in South Korea, in Seoul and Daegu.

WEDNESDAY, 28 April
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - The government adopted the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which after being reviewed by the European Commission will serve as the basis to draw EU recovery funds. The plan proposes for Slovenia to use all EUR 1.8 billion in grants, and EUR 666 million out of the EUR 3.6 billion in available loans where 43.45% of the funds are allocated for green goals and 20.05% for digital goals. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomed the plan as a huge step forward from a previous version, while the opposition criticised it for lack in green investments.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted the Stability Programme, a document it needs to send to Brussels, providing for expansive fiscal policy due to continued fallout from Covid-19.
        LJUBLJANA - The police announced that a plan by a secondary school student that would have resulted in the first shooting rampage in the country had been foiled in cooperation with the US law enforcement authorities, who had seized firearms and ammunition bought by the suspect on the dark net.
        LJUBLJANA - Health Minister Janez Poklukar announced the stepping up of Slovenia's Covid-19 vaccination rollout, as some 120,000 doses of vaccines were expected in the country in coming days, or almost half a million in May. He expects vaccination could soon become available to everyone.
        STRASBOURG, France - The latest annual report by the Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists raised concern about the Slovenian government's attempts at undermining independent media and stoking harassment of journalists.
        LJUBLJANA - The government gave its go-ahead for Brigadier General Miha Škerbinc, the force commander of the Slovenian Armed Forces, to be promoted to the rank of major general. He will be formally promoted by President Borut Pahor as the commander in chief.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - A memorial marking the 30th anniversary of a key meeting of the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (DEMOS) which saw its members commit to realising the will expressed in the Slovenian independence referendum, was unveiled at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Janez Janša, and Lojze Peterle and Dimitrij Rupel, the prime minister and foreign minister in the DEMOS government.
        LJUBLJANA - The US Embassy donated two devices for disinfection of hospital premises to Slovenia, to be used in the UKC Maribor and UKC Ljubljana hospitals. The devices are a result of Slovenian know-how.
        LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that Mirko Krašovec, the former treasurer of the Maribor Archdiocese who was acquitted in 2019 of the charge that he had instigated EU funds misuse over a decade ago, claims almost EUR 700,000 in damages from the state for time spent in prison.

THURSDAY, 29 April
        PARIS, France - Prime Minister Janez Janša met French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the countries' successive presidencies of the Council of the EU, which Macron said would be held in exceptional circumstances due to the Covid crisis. Janša said the countries shared views on most issues within the EU. Bilateral relations and regional issues were also on the agenda, especially in the Western Balkans and the EU's neighbourhood.
        LJUBLJANA - The European Commission announced it had approved, under EU state aid rules, EUR 2.5 million granted by Slovenia to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) in compensation to fulfil its public service mission. Vera Jourova, the Commission vice-president for values and transparency, urged for the funding for the STA to be "unlocked as soon as possible". Prime Minister Janez Janša said the decision referred to the funds that had already been paid out, which STA director Bojan Veselinovič described as a lie. The STA has been without state funding for its public service since the beginning of the year.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office reported that Slovenia's survey unemployment rate stood at 4.8% in March, down 0.1 of a percentage point from February and up 0.3 of a point year-on-year.
        MARIBOR/NOVA GORICA - Brief balcony performances involving 25 cultural institutions were held in towns across the country to point to the dire situation in the culture sector due to coronavirus restrictions.

01 May 2021, 04:26 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, May 1 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:

Foreign ministers of Slovenia, Japan call for boosting cooperation

LJUBLJANA - FM Anže Logar received his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi, with the pair calling for enhancing cooperation between Slovenia and Japan in business and politics, as Slovenia sees potential in high-tech. Logar said Japan was one of the most important trade partners and investors in the programme for encouraging investment and internationalisation of the Slovenian economy in the next four years. The pair also exchanged views on the Western Balkans and the Indo-Pacific region. Motegi also met President Borut Pahor and PM Janez Janša.

Pahor finds statements about govt undermining democracy too radical

MARIBOR - President Borut Pahor said in an interview with the newspaper Večer that government officials had indeed created the impression that press freedom or the independence of journalists was at risk. Still, he finds assessments that democracy is being undermined under this government too radical. He said all democratic institutions, including the political ones, were functioning without disruption, media included. But he is frustrated that the STA financing cannot be solved.

EU Commission urges Slovenia to speed up delegated prosecutor appointments

BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders urged Slovenia's Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič to speed up the appointment of European delegated prosecutors. The European Public Prosecutor's Office is set to be launched on 1 June and the only other participating country running behind is Finland, unofficial sources told the STA. Reynders addressed Kozlovič in a letter sent to her on Thursday and seen by the STA.

Budget records EUR 1.27bn deficit in first quarter

LJUBLJANA - State budget revenue in the first quarter of the year amounted to EUR 2.4 billion, up 1% year-on-year, while expenditure rose by 37% to almost EUR 3.68 billion for a deficit of nearly EUR 1.27 billion, up from EUR 304.9 million in the same period last year. The Finance Ministry said the higher expenditure was mostly due to measures to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on companies and individuals with wage payments increasing by 13.2% to EUR 391.3 million.

Protesters light bonfire in front of parliament

LJUBLJANA - After a massive anti-government protest in Slovenia's capital on Resistance Day, several hundred protesters hit the streets on their bicycles today, stopping by at the headquarters of the STA on their way to express support before lighting a bonfire in the square in front of the parliament building. The protest, which was held in defiance of the ban on gatherings of more than ten people, unfolded peacefully with most protesters wearing face masks.

Labour Day messages call for job security and safety at work

LJUBLJANA - While coronavirus restrictions prevented traditional bonfire celebrations on the eve of Labour Day, trade unions came out in support of labour right, calling for job security, decent pensions, social security but also for safety at work in the face of coronavirus infections. The youth trade union Mladi Plus urged the government to provide help to young job seekers. Over 82,600 were registered as unemployed in March, among them 16,360 people aged between 15 and 29. Offucial statistics show the outlook indicator is rising and nearing the pre-crisis level.

Slovenian, Italian unions call for easing of border restrictions

NOVA GORICA - Trade unions from the Slovenian-Italian border area staged an annual get-together on the eve of Labour Day, this year drawing attention to the problems faced by the people commuting for work across the border and calling for easing of border-crossing restrictions. Therefore the FJK-SLO inter-regional council of trade unions called upon the Slovenia and Italian governments several times to ease the restrictions, repeating their message today as well.

Vaccination official says deaths among 60s and 70s unnecessary

LJUBLJANA - Bojana Beović, the head of the national advisory committee on immunisation, expressed her frustration at the fact that people in their 60s and 70s are dying of Covid-19 on a daily basis when they should have been vaccinated against the disease. "Dying of Covid-19 in that population in Slovenia at this time is not understandable or necessary, because everyone could have protected themselves on time by getting inoculated if they wished so," said Beović.

949 new infections recorded on Thursday, seven deaths

LJUBLJANA - The number of new coronavirus cases in Slovenia rose to 949 on Thursday, when 4,442 tests were conducted for a positivity rate of 21.4%. Seven patients died. A total of 626 people were in hospital, 157 of whom needed intensive care, government data show. The 7-day average of new cases rose to 640, after standing at 632 yesterday and at 606 on Wednesday.

One in five Slovenians experienced discrimination, report shows

LJUBLJANA - One in five residents in Slovenia thinks they have been discriminated against, and two-thirds think that discrimination is a major problem in the country, shows the 2020 annual report of the Advocate of the Principle of Equality. It says that discrimination is the most frequent in the employment procedure and in access to goods. The circumstances due to which individuals in Slovenia are treated unequally are disability (14%), ethnicity and race (11%), age (6%), gender (5.5%), religion or belief (5%) and citizenship (5%).

Union hotels 2020 results undermined by pandemic

LJUBLJANA - The Group Union Hoteli ended 2020 in the red due to the coronavirus pandemic. It posted a net loss of EUR 4.3 million after reporting EUR 4.4 million in profit the year before. The group's revenue went from EUR 26 million in 2019 to EUR 6.1 million, according to the group's unaudited report. CEO Matej Rigelnik said Union was the only hotel company in Slovenia to avoid state loan subsidies by issuing bonds to borrow on the capital markets.

Annual inflation at 2.1% on higher electricity prices

LJUBLJANA - The annual inflation rate in Slovenia ran at 2.1% in April, mostly due to much higher electricity prices that are back to pre-epidemic levels. The Statistics Office said those contributed one percentage point to the annual inflation, with higher petroleum product prices adding an additional 0.8 points. Inflation was driven down by lower prices of package holidays (-9.2%). The monthly inflation ran at 1%, mostly as a result of higher prices of clothing and footwear (+8.1%).

This April in Slovenia coldest in 20 years

LJUBLJANA - This year's April in Slovenia was the coldest April in 20 years, the Environment Agency said. The average temperatures for the entire country were 1.5 degrees Celsius lower than the national average in the meteorological period between 1981 and 2010. The warmest day this month was 1 April, when temperatures rose to up to 25 degrees in some parts of the country. Only a week later, the lowest average temperatures for April since 1997 were recorded around the country.

Slovenia had 2,108,977 residents on 1 January

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia had 2,108,977 residents on 1 January, of whom 1,940,326 were citizens of Slovenia and 168,651 were foreigners. A negative trend was observed in the last quarter of 2020, as the number of births decreased and number of deaths increased compared to the same period the year before, the Statistics Office reported. At the beginning of this year, men outnumbered women in Slovenia, as there were 1,059,938 male residents and 1,049,039 female residents.

Gorizia community centre celebrating 40th anniversary

GORIZIA, Italy - The Gorizia community centre, a hub bringing together the Slovenian minority in the Italian border city and broader area, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. It was marked on Thursday with the opening of an exhibition featuring more than 60 artists who have donated their work to Kulturni Dom Gorica in the last 40 years. The centre was opened with the desire to become a hub of cultural activity in the city, where the entire Slovenian ethnic community from the Gorizia area would gather. It has since gained a cross-border dimension.

Slovenian men's team qualifies for 2022 European Championship

OPOLE, Poland - The Slovenian men's handball team qualified for the 2022 European Championship despite Thursday's 26:27 loss to Poland in the penultimate round of qualifying, as it cannot finish worse than in the second place in Group 5. This is due to Slovenia having better head-to-head score against the group rivals Poland and the Netherlands. The final tournament will take place on 13-30 January in Hungary's Budapest, Debrecen and Szeged and Slovakia's Bratislava and Košice.

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01 May 2021, 00:21 AM

Protesters Light May Day Bonfire in Front of Parliament

STA, 30 April 2021 - After a massive anti-government protest in Slovenia's capital on Resistance Day, several hundred protesters hit the streets on their bicycles on Friday, stopping by at the headquarters of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) on their way to express support before lighting a bonfire in the square in front of the parliament building.

The protest, which is being held in defiance of the ban on gatherings of more than ten people, has been unfolding peacefully with most protesters wearing face masks.

Stopping by the STA headquarters, the protesters were addressed by Jaša Jenull, one of the protest movement leaders, who said the government was trying to silence press freedom, describing the STA as "one of the symbols of press freedom" in Slovenia.

The protesters lit a "symbolic flame of uprising" outside the STA before proceeding to the large square in front of the parliament building where they lit a "protest bonfire" in keeping with the Slovenian tradition to light bonfires on the eve of Labour Day.

In calling on people to take part in today's protest, the Protest People's Assembly said the incumbent government did not represent the idea "of our forbearers who fought for freedom, and the majority of population does not want to continue in the direction leading into demise of democracy and rule of law".

After what was a crowd of 10,000 protesters by police estimates gathered in Ljubljana on Tuesday to "declare their vote of no confidence in the government" it was now time for "MPs, who are clinging to their seats and positions, to do the same", the movement said.

They believe that democracy, the rule of law and media freedom have never been under such a threat in Slovenia before, that social distress of young people has never been so grave, and the country's international reputation never so tarnished as today, two months ahead of the start of Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU.

30 Apr 2021, 17:28 PM

Tourist Board Says Slovenia Ready for the Summer

The Slovenian Tourist Board (STB) has announced that the country is now ready to welcome tourists once again, and is thus stepping up promotional activities to gain more of the much-anticipated post-epidemic boom in travel, as people rush beyond the boundaries set by restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the wake of the successful roll-out of vaccination programmes.

While anyone arriving now will still face limits with regard to where they can stay, with hotels allowed to offer no more than 30 rooms, and where they can eat and drink, with indoor dining still involving distancing, things do seem to be moving in the right direction.

STB is playing to Slovenia’s strengths when it comes to post-epidemic travel, promoting the great outdoors along with the exercise, fresh air and general healthy living that go with it.

As Maja Pak, director of the STB, puts it:

The first steps towards the resumption of tourism give us hope for a quick re-establishment of tourist flows and the recovery of tourism as one of the most important industries. Throughout the crisis, the Slovenian Tourist Board has carried out situation-adapted communication activities on foreign and domestic markets, which have now been upgraded and strengthened, as the restrictions have released. In the light of changed travel habits, guests are in search of a non-mass, healthy and safe holiday destinations. Therefore, active experiences in unspoiled nature are being highlighted, a tourist product that has the most potential for the recovery of tourism.

Health is becoming an increasingly important value as well, so we also pay special attention to the product health and well-being. Slovenia is also the holder of the European Region of Gastronomy 2021 title, which means that we also focus on inviting domestic as well as foreign guests to discover unique gastronomic experiences. Of course, safety plays a major role when choosing a holiday destination, this is why Green&Safe brand has been launched, which present safe and attractive experiences in Slovenia.

In addition to foreign visitors, STB is also promoting staycations among Slovene’s with the Zdaj je čas. Moja Slovenija (The Time is Now. My Slovenia).

Anyone thinking of making a trip to Slovenia in the near future is advised to check out this website which has a good summary of the various criteria you need to meet in order to cross the border and avoid quarantine, with even more details provided here if needed.

There’s also an online app – in English – to guide you through the various restrictions. Just click here then scroll down to start the process, and find out if you’ll be able to enjoy a stay on the sunny side of the Alps.

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