STA, 30 April 2021 - 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 has reported.

On 1 January 2021, men outnumbered women in Slovenia, as there were 1,059,938 male residents and 1,049,039 female residents.

The share of women among the Slovenian citizens, which has been slowly declining for a number of years, stood at 51.1%, while among foreigner residents it was only 34.2%, or a total of 57,742.

In the last quarter of 2020, 7,028 people moved to Slovenia, which is almost 5% less year-on-year, while the number of people who moved out from the country was up by 5% to 5,562.

Related: Foreign Nationals in Slovenia, by Country, Region & Continent (2018 data)

The number of Slovenian citizens who moved out of the country in the fourth quarter of last year was higher than the number of foreign citizens who moved out, the Statistics Office notes.

According to preliminary data, there were 4,480 births in Slovenia in the last quarter of 2020, while there were 8,431 deaths. The number of births was down 4.7% year-on-year, and the number of deaths was up by 64.8%.

In the fourth quarter of last year, fewer people got married year-on-year, but there were also fewer divorces. The number of new marriages dropped by a quarter to 711, and the number of divorces was down by more than a third to 400.

A total of 43,190 people moved internally within Slovenia in the last quarter of 2020, which is 52% more than in the same period in 2019.

The Statistics Office attributes this mostly to the Covid-19 epidemic, as many people decided to change their residence address due to the ban on travel between municipalities or regions.

STA, 29 April 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday to discuss the countries' successive presidencies of the Council of the EU. Macron said before the talks that coordination was needed because of the extraordinary circumstances in which the two countries will hold the presidency.

The French president said before meeting Janša that the Slovenian and French presidencies would be held in exceptional circumstances as Europe is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and trying to avoid an economic crisis. "That is why we need to be perfectly coordinated," he said.

According to Macron, Europe must stay united in dealing with the health crisis. Noting that vaccination would enable a careful return to the normal life, he called for more investment in the development and production of vaccines.

The president also expressed hope that the process of adopting national recovery plans and the ratification of the legislation enabling financing would be concluded by summer.

He said he would discuss with Janša the priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency, bilateral relations and regional issues, especially in the Western Balkans and the EU's neighbourhood.

Janša said Slovenia and France cooperated in many areas, from economy to culture and sports, sharing the same views on most issues as part of the EU.

Merci @EmmanuelMacron pour ta généreuse hospitalité. Nous avons redit combien étaient fortes les relation entre la Slovénie et la France et confirmé que nous ouvrerons ensemble étroitement pendant nous deux présidences du Conseil qui se suivent. ?? ?? pic.twitter.com/AzttitLsEx

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) April 29, 2021

He noted that the two countries had signed an agreement on strategic partnership ten years ago.

France is one of the most important economic partners of Slovenia, with trade in goods reaching EUR 3 billion before the pandemic, and trade in services half a billion, Janša said, calling for more French investment in Slovenia.

He said the main priority of Slovenia's EU presidency would be to boost the EU's resilience to crises such as pandemics and cyber attacks. He also mentioned speeding up efforts for EU enlargement to the Western Balkans.

Janša stressed there were many obstacles in this respect that needed to be overcome. He pointed to the EU's commitment made at the summit in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2003, which guaranteed an EU future to Western Balkan countries when they meet the conditions for membership.

"That is the only prospective positive solution for the region that we see ahead," Janša was quoted as saying by his office.

The Slovenian EU presidency in the second half of 2021 and the French EU presidency in the first half of 2022 will also be connected through the conference of the future of the EU. Janša said most of the debates would be held during Slovenia's stint and expressed hope France would wrap up the conference successfully.

Janša's office said that the prime minister had also expressed condolences to the family of the French police officer Stephanie Monferme, who was killed last week, noting that "we will fight together for zero tolerance to terror".

The prime minister also invited Macron to Slovenia for the celebration of the country's 30th independence anniversary.

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Janša, Macron discuss cooperation during EU presidency

PARIS, France - Prime Minister Janez Janša met French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the countries' successive presidencies of the Council of the EU. Macron said coordination was needed because of the extraordinary circumstances in which the two countries will hold the presidency. Janša said the countries shared views on most issues within the EU, noting the two countries had signed an agreement on strategic partnership ten years ago. Bilateral relations and regional issues were also on the agenda, especially in the Western Balkans and the EU's neighbourhood.

EU Commission approves EUR 2.5 million state funding for STA

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. Margrethe Vestager, the Commission vice-president for competition policy, said the decision would enable the STA to continue deliver its important public service, while Vera Jourova, the Commission vice-president for values and transparency, urged for the funding for the STA to be "unlocked as soon as possible for the agency to continue its public service". PM 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.

Černač says recovery plan will focus on most affected segments

LJUBLJANA - Presenting the national recovery and resilience plan, Development Minister Zvonko Černač noted that the focus would be on kick-starting the activities and social systems that have been restricted and affected by the crisis. The plan envisages EUR 2.5 billion worth of measures, with Slovenia counting on EUR 1.8 billion in grants and EUR 666 million in loans. 43% or more than EUR 1 billion is intended for green goals and 20% or more than EUR 330 million for digital goals. As for the lower than available amount of loans, he assured the public that funds would be secured elsewhere. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said it wanted to see more grant funds. The opposition is meanwhile critical of the plan, saying it lacks environmental investments.

SAF Force Commander being promoted to maj-gen

LJUBLJANA - The government gave its go-ahead on Wednesday for Brigadier General Miha Škerbinc, the force commander of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF), to be promoted to the rank of major general. He will be formally promoted by President Borut Pahor as the commander in chief. Chief of the General Staff Robert Glavaš was promoted to the rank of major general in December 2020, to join another two active generals in the Slovenian army, both ex-chiefs of the general staff.

Govt proposes compensation for relatives of independence war victims

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted changes to three acts dealing with war victims on Wednesday, proposing, among other things, EUR 100,000 lump-sum compensation be paid out to around 20 children who lost a parent to the 1991 independence efforts. Amendments to the acts on war disability, victims of war aggression, and special rights of victims of the 1991 Slovenian War of Independence are proposed to be fast-tracked in parliament to provide legal protection to those who lost a parent, spouse or descendant in the 1991 war.

Slovenia to host conference on population ageing during EU presidency

LJUBLJANA - Marking the European Day of Solidarity between Generations, the Labour Ministry announced that Slovenia would host a conference focussing on population ageing during its coming presidency of the Council of the EU. The conference will particularly stress the importance of intergenerational solidarity and cooperation, the ministry said. Slovenia is projected to become one of the countries with the highest share of the elderly in Europe in the coming decades, which is why it plans to host the conference.

Memorial marks 30th anniversary of key DEMOS meeting

BRDO PRI KRANJU - A memorial marking the 30th anniversary of a key meeting of the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (DEMOS), at which its members committed to realising the will expressed in the Slovenian independence referendum, was unveiled on Wednesday at the Brdo estate. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Janez Janša, former Prime Minister in the DEMOS government Lojze Peterle and former Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, among others.

Over 900 coronavirus cases reported for Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw its daily coronavirus count tick up again week-on-week after declining on Tuesday bank holiday. It logged 918 new infections on Wednesday, and six deaths, government data show. The positivity rate was 23.3%, the highest rate since 9 April. Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 15 to 636 despite 59 patients being discharged yesterday. The number of patients in intensive care rose by two to 157. The 7-day average of new cases rose to 632. According to the NIJZ, there are now 9,284 active cases in the country.

Slovenia supports plans for EU's future financial development

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Stanislav Raščan took part in a meeting of ministers in charge of development cooperation, discussing the EU's future financial development architecture. They called for more cooperation among financial institutions, noting that no major systemic changes were necessary, the Foreign Ministry said. According to Raščan, enhanced cooperation among all development stakeholders of the EU law is the way to a more efficient development policy of the EU.

Survey unemployment down slightly to 4.8% in March

LJUBLJANA - 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 compared to the same month last year. The Statistics Office estimates that around 50,000 people aged between 15 and 74 were jobless in Slovenia in March, of whom 48% were men and 52% women. Among men, the unemployment rate was 4.3%, and for women it was 5.4%.

Iberia to fly between Madrid and Ljubljana in August

MADRID, Spain - Spanish airline Iberia will operate a Ljubljana-Madrid route this summer, after its social media followers chose Ljubljana in an online campaign. In August, it will be flying between Spain and Slovenia twice a week. This was the first time that Iberia asked its social media followers about their preferences. The users of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter chose Ljubljana from among seven destinations, with the Slovenian capital receiving 38% of the votes.

AGRFT finally almost fully under one roof

LJUBLJANA - The Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (AGRFT) finally has most of its departments under one roof, having recently relocated to the former building of the Faculty of Chemistry in Aškerčeva Street in an EUR 18 million refurbishment project that is just about to be finalised. The academy will also keep the premises in Trubarjeva Street. Spanning 4,000 sq metres, the new premises feature several theatre halls, a dance hall and a room for theatre singing classes.

Beti Bricelj featured in Royal Scottish Academy's exhibition

EDINBURGH, UK - Slovenian visual artist Beti Bricelj has been selected to participate in the 195th annual exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. Bricelj is being featured with a piece from her FlatCube series, which she has been working on since 2017. The most extensive modern art and architecture exhibition in Scotland is being held this year in the digital form. It opened on 2 April and is on display until 30 May.

Balcony art campaigning for live culture events

MARIBOR/NOVA GORICA - Brief balcony performances were held at five minutes to noon in a pro-culture campaign initiated by the Narodni Dom Maribor arts centre in Maribor, Nova Gorica and some other towns to point to the dire situation in culture because of coronavirus restrictions. The organisers of the campaign, which featured 25 cultural institutions, want to stand up to what they see as measures that have been proven to make no sense, and ad-hoc solutions intended only to mislead the public while increasing the distress of the cultural sector.

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

STA, 29 April 2021 - The European Commission has approved, under EU state aid rules, EUR 2.5 million granted by Slovenia to the Slovenian Press Agency (Slovenska tiskovna agencija – STA) in compensation to fulfil its public service mission.

"The public funding will contribute to the independent news provision to the Slovenian public without unduly distorting competition in the single market," the Commission said in announcing its decision on Thursday.

"Today's decision will enable the Slovenian Press Agency STA to continue deliver its important public service. Independent news agencies play an essential role in news media," said Margrethe Vestager, the Commission vice-president who is in charge of competition policy.

"The preservation of an independent national press agency in a member state ensures that news media can refer to a news stream which reports on national and international developments, from the perspective of that country," said Vestager, adding this contributed to the plurality of media and information sources throughout the EU.

Vera Jourova, the Commission vice-president for values and transparency, tweeted: "Funding should be unlocked as soon as possible for the agency to continue its public service - and its independence should remain protected."

Important good news: it is confirmed that Slovenia’s funding to Slovenian Press Agency STA is fully in line with state aid rules.
Funding should be unlocked as soon as possible for the agency to continue its public service – and its independence should remain protected. pic.twitter.com/auWK08LCqI

— Věra Jourová (@VeraJourova) April 29, 2021

Considering that Slovenia had notified the Commission of these funds, the Commission considers that Slovenia intends to pay out the funds, competition speaker Arianna Podesta said.

Podesta said the Commission had made the decision because Slovenia did not wish to withdraw the notification even though the Commission made it clear that a decision is not required for Slovenia to pay out the funds.

The Commission took the decision based on Slovenia's notification in late January of its plan to compensate the STA with EUR 2.5 million for carrying out its activities of informing the Slovenian public about national and international news in 2021.

Having examined the measure, the Commission concluded it is in line with EU state aid rules, as it "fosters a service of general public interest and promotes media plurality, without unduly distorting competition".

It found the STA performs a service of general economic interest, which it could not provide for its national market to the desired extent by its own means and revenues.

"The funding is limited to what is needed to perform STA's public service tasks, which it has to offer free of charge. An annual external and independent audit is ensuring the supervision of these conditions," reads the Commission's argument.

The decision has been welcomed by the STA, which has been without state funding as granted by the law for its public service for the 119th day. The agency said the decision "removes yet another obstacle that the government as the agency's sole shareholder has set to undisrupted financing of the STA".

However, Prime Minister Janez Janša said on the sidelines of his visit to France today that the decision referred to the funds that had already been paid out.

"As far as I know it is the money that has been paid out after the bill was passed in the National Assembly. It was, however, necessary to request for the European Commission's consent under the existing rules. The Finance Ministry has done this and as you say the consent arrived today. But this concerns the funds that have already been paid out," Janša told the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija.

STA director Bojan Veselinovič said this was "pure manipulation and a lie". He noted the government had requested for the Commission's opinion on the financing in line with the seventh stimulus law in January, meaning after it entered into force on 31 December 2020.

"The STA has not received a single euro for this year although the Government Communication Office announced in a press release in January that everything would be paid for when the European Commission makes its final decision, which happened today," Veselinovič said.

Janša responded to this on Twitter saying that the STA had received full payment for last year based on its contract with the Government Communication Office (UKOM) "although the STA did not forward the due documents". "All the rest will be transferred after the STA fulfils its legal obligations, government decisions and when a contract is signed with the UKOM. As is the common practice."

Izplačano je bilo vse za lansko leto na podlagi pogodbe z UKOM, čeprav @STA_novice ni posredovala dolžne dokumentacije. Vse ostalo pa bo nakazano potem, ko bo STA izpolnila zakonske obveznosti, sklepe @vladaRS in bo sklenjena pogodba z UKOM za leto 2021. Kot vedno doslej. https://t.co/PRAoucKKFh

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) April 29, 2021

The Finance Ministry has not responded to the Commission's decision, while the UKOM told the STA it had not yet received the decision and could thus not comment.

In its first reactions to the notification in January, the Commission said European state aid rules could not serve as an excuse to suspend financing of press agencies in the EU and that state funding may be provided to the STA without a prior notification or the Commission's approval.

The Commission's spokesperson for competition Arianna Podesta said today the Commission had made the decision because the Slovenian authorities would not withdraw the notification of STA financing.

Asked whether the Commission could launch a procedure against the Slovenian authorities if they did not grant the state aid, the Commission said the decision on state aid was in the hands of member states. The EU rules on state aid do not obligate member states to grant state aid, it added.

STA, 28 April 2021 - The latest annual report by the Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists is critical of what it sees as the Slovenian government's attempts at undermining independent media and stoking harassment of journalists. The platform is particularly alarmed by the situation of RTV Slovenija and the STA.

The 2021 report, which analyses the situation of European media in the past year, was released today. It warns that massive damage was done to media freedom in 2020 and points to increased harassment of journalists as well as a growing number of physical or verbal attacks against them.

The platform reported a record 201 alerts of media freedom violations in 2020, an almost 40% increase on 2019. Only three of those were resolved by the end of 2020. The governments replied to 42% of them, which compares to 50% in 2019.

Slovenia was no exception to this alarming trend, the report says, primarily voicing concerns over the suspension of financing of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and the government's plans to enact legislative changes that would defund the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija.

"The Slovenian government should cease all efforts to damage the independence and credibility of Slovenian public media," the report says.

Slovenia is listed as one of the countries where online harassment of journalists was often fuelled by politicians in the past year.

"Alerts show a high number of verbal attacks in some member states - North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey - being made by representatives of public authorities, including by ministers and heads of government."

RTV Slovenija reporters were the target of online smears and abuse, not only by members of the public, "but by right-wing media outlets and, on some occasions, prominent politicians".

The report highlights an alert in March 2020 that reported a defamation and hate campaign led by the government against journalist Blaž Zgaga. Another alert was issued in April 2020, focusing on Prime Minister Janez Janša's attacks on RTV Slovenija on social media.

Moreover, the report mentions Janša's insulting tweet describing two RTV female reporters as "washed-up prostitutes".

One of them, Eugenija Carl, was also the target of threats, insults and harassment on social media by Janša's supporters and later received a threatening letter containing white powder. Her case is used as an example of how quickly digital threats could translate into the physical world with potentially grave consequences.

The platform notes that Slovenia was one of the countries who in 2020 suspended deadlines by which public bodies were required to respond to freedom of information requests.

The report also warns about the chilling effect of abusive legal proceedings across Europe, noting that defamation should be decriminalised.

"In Slovenia three journalists from the online outlet Necenzurirano.si are facing 13 criminal defamation suits each over a series of articles reporting on the business dealings and connections of Rok Snežič, a friend and tax policy adviser to Prime Minister Janez Janša."

Ahead of 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić called on EU member states in the report to show more political will to protect journalists and independent journalism and to stop the situation from further deterioration.

A PDF of the full report is here

STA, 29 April 2021 - Spanish airline Iberia will operate a Ljubljana-Madrid route this summer, after its social media followers chose Ljubljana in an online campaign. In August, it will be flying between Spain and Slovenia twice a week, the company said on Thursday.

This was the first time that Iberia asked its social media followers about their preferences. The users of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter chose Ljubljana from among seven destinations, with the Slovenian capital receiving 38% of the votes.

Nearly 4,720 people took part in the campaign, which saw the Azores take second place, while the Greek island of Zakynthos placed third.

Iberia will be flying to 113 destinations this summer. The prices for a return ticket between Madrid and Ljubljana will start at EUR 115.

STA, 28 April 2021 - The government has somewhat eased coronavirus restrictions for retailers and service providers in yellow-tier regions, allowing one customer per 20 square metres of surface area as of Monday, while the condition of one customer per 30 square metres remains unchanged in orange regions.

Moreover, advisory, therapeutic and educational services will be permitted in all regions as of Monday, the government decided on Wednesday.

Moreover, accommodation facilities in yellow regions will be allowed to serve guests indoors, the Government Communication Office said, adding that service will be provided only to guests seated at tables, while night clubs will remain closed.

Five statistical regions are currently in yellow tier: Pomurska, Koroška, Central Slovenia, Obalno-Kraška and Goriška.

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Slovenian, US police prevent planned mass shootings in Gorenjska

LJUBLJANA - The Kranj Police Department said that Slovenian and US law enforcement authorities had prevented planned mass shootings with firearms in public institutions in the north-western region of Gorenjska. The person suspected of planning to commit these acts has been detained. It has been established in the investigation, which included covert measures, that the suspect, a Slovenian citizen, tried to get by mail two pieces of firearms and ammunition from the US. The shipment ordered via dark web was intercepted by the US authorities, which informed the Slovenian police that the firearms had been seized.

CoE platform concerned about media situation in Slovenia

STRASBOURG, France - The latest annual report by the Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists is critical of what it sees as the Slovenian government's attempts at undermining independent media and stoking harassment of journalists. The platform is particularly alarmed by the situation of RTV Slovenija and the STA. "The Slovenian government should cease all efforts to damage the independence and credibility of Slovenian public media," says the report.

Janša on working visit to Paris on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša will be on a working visit to Paris on Thursday, having been invited by French President Emmanuel Macron. The pair is expected to speak about Slovenia's EU presidency, fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, upgrading bilateral cooperation, the situation in the Western Balkans and other international topics. As announced in Wednesday's press release by the prime minister's office, Janša's visit represents a major contribution to deepening the dialogue with France at the highest political level.

Japanese FM visiting Slovenia on Friday

LJUBLJANA - Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will visit Slovenia on Friday, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry announced. The official visit will be dedicated to strengthening friendly ties and intensifying political dialogue. Motegi is also expected to meet President Borut Pahor and Prime Minister Janez Janša. Motegi and his host, Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar, will discuss above all Slovenia's priorities for its upcoming EU presidency.

Government adopts national recovery and resilience plan

BRDO PRI KRANJU - The government adopted the national recovery and resilience plan to send it to the European Commission. The plan will serve as the basis to draw funds from the EUR 750 billion fund for recovery following the coronavirus crisis, with Slovenia expecting EUR 2.47 billion in funds: EUR 1.8 billion in grants and some EUR 666 billion in loans. The amount of funds may be increased if demand arises and conditions for this are met. Member states must earmark 37% of funds available to them for green transition goals and another 20% for digital transition goals. Slovenia's plan envisages 43.45% for green goals and 20.05% for digital goals.

Govt adopts Stability Programme, fiscal policy stays expansive

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted the Stability Programme. Slovenia's fiscal policy remains expansive as temporary departures from the pact's rules are allowed at the EU level due to Covid-19. Two main goals in the Stability and Growth Pact are a maximum general government deficit of 3% of GDP and limiting general government debt at 60% of GDP. The key role will be played by funds from the EU recovery fund, the unused cohesion funds for the 2014-2020 period and first funds as part of the 2021-2027 multi-year budget, the government said.

Police estimate Tuesday's protest crowd at 10,000

LJUBLJANA - Tuesday's anti-government protest in Ljubljana attracted some 10,000 people, according to police estimates. Police have so far established 45 violations of the communicable diseases act, one offence against the public peace and order and a road traffic offence. The Ljubljana Police Department, which was responsible for the policing of the unregistered rally, said it had so far issued 33 warnings under the communicable diseases act, while other procedures were ongoing.

State secretary's surgery vandalised

TRBOVLJE - The building housing the doctor's office of Health Ministry State Secretary Alenka Forte in Trbovlje has been been vandalised a second time this year. The Ljubljana Police Department said they were notified on Tuesday evening that jars containing black substance had been thrown into the facade of one of the buildings in the Trbovlje area. Forte condemned the act as unacceptable after she posted a photo of the vandalised building on her Twitter profile.

Coronavirus count below 400 on bank holiday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw 398 coronavirus cases amid scaled-down testing on Tuesday, a public holiday. The 7-day average of new cases thus fell to 606. Another 15 Covid-19 patients lost their lives. Hospitalisations fell to 621 after 26 patients were admitted and 40 were discharged yesterday and the number of ICU cases fell by six to 155, government data show. Health officials told the daily briefing that Slovenia had not yet detected the double mutant Indian variant of coronavirus.

Vaccination to intensify next week, minister says

LJUBLJANA - Vaccination centres across Slovenia will step up their activities in the coming days, as Slovenia expects some 120,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines to be available in the country, Health Minister Janez Poklukar told the press. Slovenia expects large shipments of vaccines next week, he said. Expectedly, 9,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine are to be available, 69,000 doses of AstraZeneca, 6,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson and over 56,000 doses of the Pfizer/BionTech vaccine.

US Embassy donates two disinfection devices for hospitals

LJUBLJANA - The US Embassy in Slovenia donated two devices for disinfection of hospital premises to the country. They will be used in the UKC Maribor and UKC Ljubljana hospitals, the Health Ministry announced. The devices that are able to destroy bacteria, microorganisms and viruses, including the novel coronavirus, with ultra-violet radiation, are a recognised solution for disinfection of air and surfaces and enable better care of patients and safety of all employees in the most critical infrastructure, the ministry said, adding that the devices were a result of Slovenian know-how.

Committee recommends govt to boost indoor ventilation campaign

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee recommended to the government to immediately intensify the campaign to raise the awareness of the need to ventilate indoor spaces as a necessary measure to limit the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic. The session of the committee was called by the opposition Social Democrats (SD), Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) and unaffiliated MPs, who are convinced these measures are necessary.

Three candidates vying for DeSUS leader

LJUBLJANA - Two months ahead of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) congress, the party has received three bids for the president. Vying for the top job are Ljubo Jasnič, a former official of the party's Ljubljana chapter, former party head candidate Felix Srečko Krope and former Minister for Slovenians Abroad Gorazd Žmavc. The deadline for submission of bids expired on Saturday and next week, the bids are to be examined by the party's relevant bodies to establish their validity.

Ex-Church treasurer claims damages from state

LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that Mirko Krašovec, the former treasurer of the Maribor Archdiocese who was acquitted on all counts in 2019 of the charge that he had instigated EU funds misuse more than a decade ago, claims almost EUR 700,000 in damages from the state for spending several months in prison before being eventually cleared. The Ljubljana District Court the damages claim, which it said was filed in February.

Defence Ministry helping out with road upgrade in Pivka

PIVKA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin and Pivka Mayor Robert Smrdelj signed an agreement under which the ministry will invest EUR 500,000 into renovating a local road in compensation for the local community letting the military use the nearby Poček area training grounds. Pivka will receive the funds in 2021 and 2020 although the municipality was supposed to get the money over a span of five years between 2021 and 2025. Overall, the road reconstruction project is valued at EUR 600,000.

Minority in Austria boosting energy cooperation with Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Business Association (SGZ), a Slovenian minority organisation in Austria, and the Slovenian Energy Association (SZE) signed a cooperation agreement that comes after the two had already initiated activities to exchange know-how, cooperate in energy projects and provide opportunities for young energy experts.

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STA, 28 April 2021 - The Kranj Police Department said on Wednesday that Slovenian and US law enforcement authorities had prevented planned mass shootings with firearms in public institutions in the north-western region of Gorenjska. The person suspected of planning to commit these acts has been detained.

After the online edition of the newspaper Večer reported that a shooting rampage had been planned in the region, the Kranj Police Department announced a press conference for the afternoon, where some more detail was revealed.

Primož Donoša, the head of the criminal police of Kranj, said that an adult suspected of illegal production or sale of firearms or explosives had been brought before an investigative magistrate. He noted that the firearms had been seized.

It has been established in the investigation, which included covert measures, that the suspect, a Slovenian citizen, tried to get by mail two pieces of firearms and ammunition from the US.

The suspect ordered a Glock semi-automatic pistol and a Remington automatic rifle, with both pieces of firearms "hidden and packed in a microwave oven", and paid EUR 5,000 for the firearms.

The shipment ordered via dark web was intercepted by the US authorities, which informed the Slovenian police that the firearms had been seized, Donoša said, adding that all of that had happened this month.

After being notified, the Slovenian criminal police launched an investigation and tracked down the person who had ordered the firearms. This was not too difficult as the suspect had ordered the firearms as an individual to his home address.

It has been established that he had ordered the firearms to use it for a mass shooting in a public institution, and there are indications that some more random victims and another two public institutions could be targeted.

According to the police, the alleged motive is the suspect's revenge against persons known to him, although no particular connections between the suspect and the potential victims have been established so far.

All the evidence collected so far indicates that the suspect, who was apprehended at home by a special police unit, acted alone. He has been cooperative in the investigation and has no previous criminal record.

The suspect did not resist arrest and, during the house search, criminal police officers found proof of the suspected criminal acts of illegal production or sale of firearms or explosives, and of attempted murder.

A prison sentence of six months to five years is envisaged for the former, and up to life in prison for the latter in the case of multiple victims.

The police also said that activities were being carried out to protect the potential victims and the targeted institutions.

According to Matjaž Jerkič, the assistant director of the Criminal Police Department at the General Police Directorate, this is the first case of the kind in Slovenia, with the suspect planning a shooting rampage involving several victims.

The police was tight-lipped about the name of the suspect, and have failed to confirm the unofficial information from Večer that it is a secondary school student from the Kranj area who has had problems in school.

The age of the suspect has not been revealed, with the police only saying that the suspect was an adult. They did not reveal how many persons were on the suspect's list, either.

"There are different factors that influence the perpetrator's decision to carry out such attacks. Most frequently these are various psychopathological states or revenge against individuals or the community," Jerkič said.

STA, 28 April 2021 - Vaccination centres across Slovenia will step up their activities in the coming days, as Slovenia expects some 120,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines to be available in the country, Health Minister Janez Poklukar told the press on Wednesday. 

Moreover, Poklukar expects a test run will be launched on a new vaccination application app next week. Apart from being a tool for vaccination, the app is also expected to simplify the administrative side of the vaccination effort.

Poklukar gave a statement for the press today after talking to the heads of vaccination centres and hospitals about the organisational aspects of the vaccination effort.

Slovenia expects large shipments of vaccines next week, he said. Expectedly, 9,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine are to be available, 69,000 doses of AstraZeneca, 6,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson and over 56,000 doses of the Pfizer/BionTech vaccine.

All of the Moderna doses are to be used for second jabs, as will 9,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Where can I get vaccinated for COVID in Slovenia?

Find your local health centre (zdravstveni dom – ZD) in the list here, then click through to the website. These have different styles, but you’re looking for something with COVID-19 ceplenje (COVID-19 vaccination). From there you should get more details and be able to register for a jab (Naročanje na COVID-19 cepljenje)

He estimates that Slovenia could have enough vaccine available in the first half of May to allow it to scrap the priority-group approach to vaccination.

Poklukar believes the biggest challenge in the effort is getting people motivated to get vaccinated. "It is up to all of us to act responsibly so that as many people as possible are inoculated as soon as possible."

Therefore, he asked all residents to apply for a jab and turn up for the vaccination when called.

The minister also counts on healthcare personnel to encourage people to get vaccinated. More than a half of vaccination centres are proactively reaching out to the population over the phone, according to Poklukar.

"The cooperation between a patient and their GP is key. Every resident must be contacted by a trustworthy healthcare worker and motivated to get the jab," said Poklukar.

He admitted that some regions fared better than others, adding that this depended on several factors. In regions where the elderly have poorer access to vaccination centres mobile units will have to be deployed and concessionaires activated, he said.

Vaccination centres could inoculate up to three times as many people as now, said Poklukar, adding that the entire population could be inoculated in only two months at that pace.

The vaccination staff are tired but highly motivated, said Poklukar. Where needed, the Armed Forces and the Civil Protection, which are already involved in the effort, will help the vaccination teams.

Force Commander Brigadier General Miha Škerbinc also took part in the press conference, saying the Armed Forces have been providing support for the Civil Protection and other state bodies. Among other things, the Armed Forces' mobile unit has also been vaccinating Armed Forces members.

Moreover, the Armed Forces have handed over to civilian healthcare teams a vaccination centre at the Kranj barracks and are ready to do the same with another centre in Ljubljana, said Škerbinc.

Civil Protection members meanwhile help out in vaccination centres with organisation and administrative tasks, Civil Protection boss Srečko Šestan said.

So far, over 410,700 people have received two doses of a coronavirus vaccine, while nearly 175,600 have had two. The share of inoculated population currently stands at 8.4%.