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

FRIDAY, 26 March
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša's appearance in front of the European Parliament's democracy monitoring group was overshadowed by a row with chair Sophie in 't Veld. After In 't Veld refused to play a pre-prepared video during the time allotted for his statement, Janša disconnected from the videoconference. He later accused her of censorship and called on her to resign.
        LJUBLJANA - A meeting between Slovenian and Romanian foreign ministers, Anže Logar and Bogdan Lucian Aurescu, confirmed good bilateral relations, with the ministers agreeing that there was still much room for improvement. The meeting also focused on Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency, with Logar presenting its priorities
        LJUBLJANA - MPs passed the government-sponsored changes to the international protection act to prevent asylum law abuse and grant international protection only to those who really need it. The law envisages faster asylum procedures, sanctions for obstructing them and violations of or failure to comply with relevant rules, including public order rules.
        LJUBLJANA - Four MPs, including Speaker Igor Zorčič, formed a new deputy faction in parliament after three of them parted ways with the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) and one left the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) deputy group. Janja Sluga was named chair.
        LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed changes to the budget implementation act under which funding restrictions would not apply to military investments. Currently, the budget implementation act states that defence investments are exempt from restrictions.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed amendments to the state prosecution act setting the conditions for hiring European delegated prosecutors and the required level of their proficiency in English.
        LJUBLJANA - MPs unanimously passed a bill on the protection of children in criminal procedures, setting up the country's first Barnahus for children. According to Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič, the house will provide full treatment to children involved in criminal procedures as victims, witnesses or perpetrators.

SATURDAY, 27 March
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left started collecting signatures for a referendum that would block military investments after the parliament adopted changes bypassing the Constitutional Court decision to stay the legislation allowing for the investments, its second attempt to block the investments with a referendum.
        SOCHI, Russia - The Slovenian national football team lost a qualifier for the 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup against Russia 1:2, the first defeat in the qualifying round.

SUNDAY, 28 March
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - The government endorsed the proposal of the Covid-19 advisory team to impose an 11-day circuit breaker lockdown starting on 1 April in a bid to help hospitals cope with an expected influx in Covid-19 patients following an increase in Slovenia's coronavirus transmission rates.
        TCHAIKOVSKY, Russia - Nika Križnar won the overall Ski Jumping World Cup to secure the first ever Crystal Globe trophy in the discipline in the women's competition for Slovenia.

MONDAY, 29 March
        LJUBLJANA - Toughened restrictions on Slovenia's borders entered into effect in advance of an eleven-day lockdown. There are fewer exemptions and the testing requirement was stepped up. Except for a narrow list of exemptions, travel to all red-listed countries is prohibited.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia supports efforts to implement the Digital Green Certificate system for cross-border travel, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek told an informal debate at the invitation of the Austrian tourism minister. He said Slovenia supported a joint approach by the EU.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly formally established a new inquiry commission, which will investigate potential interference by holders of public office in the work of the police since March 2020, when the current government was sworn in. The request came from four opposition parties.
        BIČ - The Slovenian subsidiary of the French car interior components maker Treves announced it will discontinue its Slovenian operations in September, which means 102 people will be left jobless. The news came after its plant was hit by a massive fire in January.
        LJUBLJANA - The UNESCO-sponsored International Research Centre On Artificial Intelligence, which was established in Ljubljana in October 2020, was formally launched at a virtual event. The opening ceremony presented the centre's work so far as well as opportunities for cooperation and use of AI tools.
        LJUBLJANA- Slovenia renewed its nomination of Lipizzaner horse breeding for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, which it filed last year on behalf of eight countries with this tradition.

TUESDAY, 30 March
        LJUBLJANA - The coalition failed to unseat Igor Zorčič as National Assembly speaker after he quit the Modern Centre Party (SMC) deputy group. 45 voted in favour of the dismissal, one short of the required majority, as the majority of the opposition abstained.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly elected Tina Žumer a vice-governor of the Slovenian central bank and backed the government's proposal to appoint jurist Anka Čadež director of the Securities Market Agency for a six-year term.
        LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed changes to the water act. A provision which would have allowed industrial plants that use hazardous materials to be build on protected water area was scrapped from the bill in the wake of criticism by NGOs, but environmentalists warned that the legislation was still problematic.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislative changes under which cross-border workers will be temporarily eligible for higher unemployment allowances than workers employed in Slovenia since they pay higher unemployment insurance in the countries where they work.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia pledged EUR 70,000 in fresh humanitarian aid to Syria over the next two years at a donor conference for Syria. Foreign Minister Anže Logar said the donation would support the activities of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Syria.
        MARIBOR - Boris Novak stepped down as director general of postal operator Pošta Slovenije by mutual agreement with the new supervisory board. He is succeeded by Tomaž Kokot, the chair of the supervisory board, who will step in as interim director.
        LJUBLJANA - Little Girl, a documentary by Sebastien Lifshitz about an eight-year-old girl trapped in a boy's body, was named the winner of the Amnesty International Slovenija Award at the 23rd Festival of Documentary Film.

WEDNESDAY, 31 March
        LJUBLJANA - The government gave the Interior Ministry the go-ahead to sign special agreements with EU countries on joint patrols on the Slovenian-Croatian borders. The move comes after the government's proposal of having the army help the police failed to garner sufficient support in parliament.
        WASHINGTON, US - The US Department of State's 2020 Human Rights report on Slovenia singled out attacks on the media and harassment of journalists as one of the key human rights issues. Other significant issues include criminalisation of libel and slander and discrimination against the Roma community.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar hosted North Macedonia's Deputy PM Nikola Dimitrov, who is in charge of EU affairs, with the official visit revolving around priorities of Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency and North Macedonia's efforts to join the EU.
        LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs talked to Margaritis Schinas, the European commissioner for promoting the European way of life, as part of Slovenia's preparations for its EU presidency in the second half of 2021. Hojs presented Slovenia's priorities for the presidency, above all efforts to strengthen the Schengen zone.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and 12 other countries joined the US-proposed joint statement on the study of Covid-19 origins by the World Health Organization that expresses concern over its delay and calls for more clarity over the pandemic's outbreak, the Foreign Ministry announced.
        LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) called on the government to immediately settle all of its outstanding liabilities to the STA and to comply with its legal obligations to finance the STA public service.
        LJUBLJANA - Anton Balažek stepped down as interim head of the opposition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) at the party council meeting. Brigita Čokl will be in charge until the election congress, which is expected in June.
        KRŠKO - The Krško Nuclear Power Station (NEK) shut down for scheduled maintenance as its 31st fuel cycle ended. 1,800 workers from the EU and US will be involved in some 40,000 individual activities.

THURSDAY, 1 April
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia entered its third lockdown in just over a year in a bid to buy time for vaccination and stem the third wave of the pandemic, which is driven by the highly virulent UK variant. The lockdown is planned until 11 April, with the exception of Easter Sunday, when up to two households will be able to socialise.
        LJUBLJANA - Genetic sequencing showed the UK variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Slovenia. Data from the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food and the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology show over 40% of all samples were not the UK variant.
        LJUBLJANA - Health authorities recommended that Covid-19 vaccination be focused in the next three weeks on older persons. The National Public Health Institute said the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines should be administered to persons aged 65+, and to particularly vulnerable chronic patients regardless of age. The AstraZeneca vaccine is recommended for persons aged 60-64.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar spoke over telephone with Nasser Bourita, the Moroccan minister of foreign affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan expatriates. They called for the strengthening of bilateral relations and exchanged views on current regional issues, including migration.
        LJUBLJANA - The Securities Market Agency closed an insider trading case against Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak concerning purchases of Petrol stock prior to full liberalisation of fuel prices. Vizjak said the agency's did not find irregularities.

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STA, 2 April 2021 - The opposition-sponsored motion proposing parliament impeach PM Janez Janša before the Constitutional Court is the seventh such motion against a prime minister or president to date. None have succeeded. Most have been tabled by Janša's Democrats (SDS) with late Janez Drnovšek being the most frequent target.

22 November 1994, a motion to impeach PM Janez Drnovšek

The motion was tabled at the initiative of the People's Party (SLS) by 17 opposition MPs. They accused Drnovšek of violating several constitutional articles and the foreign affairs act through negotiations with Italy on foreigners' right to real estate in Slovenia. The National Assembly overwhelmingly voted down the motion on 19 January 1995, but had to repeat the vote on demand from one MP (the result of the first vote was 15 in favour and 58 against; and of the second 17 in favour and 56 against).

7 April 1998, a motion to impeach PM Janez Drnovšek

The motion was put forward by the SDS over a contentious security agreement Slovenia signed with Israel in 1995. The National Assembly rejected the motion on 21 May by 46 votes to 28.

19 October 1998, a motion to impeach PM Janez Drnovšek

The proposal was submitted by a group of MPs headed by Janša (SDS), once again over the Israeli-Slovenian agreement. It was voted down on 9 February 1998 with 24 in favour and 46 against.

28 January 2010, a motion to impeach President Danilo Türk

The motion was put forward by MPs from the ranks of the SDS and SLS and was prompted by Türk's decorating in 2009 Tomaž Ertl, a former chief of the communist secret police for his role in a police operation helping Slovenia's independence efforts. The MPs argued Ertl was directly responsible for human rights violations. The motion was voted down by 52 votes to 32 on 3 March 2010.

15 November 2017, a motion to impeach PM Miro Cerar

The proposal was filed by SDS MPs, who accused Cerar of abusing his position for intervening to prevent a lawful decision to deport Syrian refugee Ahmad Shami. The National Assembly rejected the motion by 52 votes to 18 on 9 January 2018.

21 December 2018, a motion to impeach PM Marjan Šarec

The motion was proposed by MPs from the ranks of the SDS and National Party (SNS) for the legislator's failure to implement a Constitutional Court ruling to secure full financing of publicly approved curricula in private primary schools. The motion was voted down by 53 votes to 29 on 29 January 2019.

2 April 2021, a motion to impeach PM Janez Janša

The proposal was tabled by MPs from the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), the Left and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), who allege the government seized all the powers to manage the Covid-19 epidemic and failed to order all the available amounts of vaccines. They also allege pressure on the media and prosecution, among other things.

*In 2014 the SDS announced such a motion against Alenka Bratušek, the prime minister of the time, over delays in enacting a law on the fiscal rule. The motion was not filed because Bratušek stepped down a few weeks later after being defeated by Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković for the presidency of the party Positive Slovenia.

STA, 2 April 2021 - The Škofja Loka Passion Play, Slovenia's oldest play, was staged in the town of Škofja Loka on Good Friday exactly 300 years ago. Passion processions had been held in town before and the play was in the making for years, but the preserved manuscript is dated 1721.

The 300th anniversary of the oldest preserved play in Slovenian and the oldest preserved director's book in Europe was to be celebrated with the staging of the play but the mass event was pushed to 2022 because of the epidemic.

The Škofja Loka Passion Play is the biggest play staged outdoors in Slovenia featuring around 1,000 volunteers.

It is difficult to say for certain when it was written down, "but we know that it was in the time when father Romuald lived in the Škofja Loka Capuchin monastery, meaning between 1715 and 1727," coordinator of the Škofja Loka Passion Play Agata Pavlovec told the STA.

"One performance definitely took place on Good Friday in 1721," she said, adding that the preserved director's book carried that year and that passion plays had been staged every year only on Good Friday.

In modern times the play was revived, and has been staged every six years since. Usually it is performed eight times during Lent and before Easter.

According to Matija Ogrin, a literary historian who presented the historical context of the play in this year's scientific publication dealing with the Škofja Loka Passion Play, there are many variants of the Capuchin passion play and passages dating back to the 17th century.

They started to emerge soon after the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin came to Ljubljana in 1606 and introduced passion processions on Good Friday there.

"This means that until the passion play started to be staged in Škofja Loka there was an almost a 100-year tradition of passion play texts in a number of versions, additional scenes, dialogues etc.," said Ogrin.

Any leader of the procession, for example in Radgona, Villach and Škofja Loka, where they were being staged, had access to these texts within the Capuchin order.

When father Romuald was writing his text for the procession in 1715 he used previous versions of Capuchin processions.

There is evidence that passion plays had been staged in Škofja Loka from 1713 until a ban in 1768. The literary text by father Romuald was written and supplemented between 1715 to 1727, Ogrin said.

Out of all Capuchin passion plays only the Škofja Loka Passion Play has stood the test of time.

The original book, which underwent restoration last year, is kept at the Škofja Loka Capuchin monastery, where it was written.

The Škofja Loka Passion Play was first staged in modern times in 1936, and then in 1999, 2000, 2009 and in 2015.

Next year, it will be put on for the first time since it was listed on UNESCO's representative list of intangible cultural heritage in 2016.

The play is performed by amateur actors and the spoken text is accompanied by music and singing. The performance features cavalry, men who carry crosses, whippers, Adam's children, colourful fraternities and guilds, musicians and singers.

Around 900 performers and 400 support staff take part and they are all volunteers, reads UNESCO's description of the play.

This year, Škofja Loka will mark the tricentennial with several on-site and virtual events dedicated to the play and its heritage, including several exhibitions and screenings of the play.

The town was also to host the annual conference of the European towns with the tradition of passion plays, Europassion, which unites almost 90 passion groups from 16 countries, but the event was cancelled due to the pandemic.

STA, 2 April 2021 - Slovenia will get its pro rata share from a package of 10 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine whose delivery has been pushed forward from the first to the second quarter of the year. Under the plan agreed last evening by EU member states, this means approximately 47,000 doses of the vaccine.

Slovenia, Austria and the Czech Republic will get their share relative to the number of citizens, having decided not to participate in the solidarity model.

The remaining countries agreed with the proposal of the Portuguese presidency that certain countries which are furthest behind in the vaccination effort get higher shares.

Under the agreement reached on Thursday, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia will thus get a combined 2.85 million doses of the vaccine shipment, and the remaining countries will get 6.66 million doses, expectedly in the second quarter of the year.

Prime Minister Janez Janša said in a tweet that "the solution is acceptable for Austria and Slovenia, but not for the Czech Republic, which is currently severely affected."

Janša added that "at least five million doses out of the ten million that had been agreed in principle on Thursday should have been distributed under a solidarity-based model for all to be covered, including the Czech Republic."

The government said in a press release Slovenia, along with five other countries, had tried to bridge the widening differences in the vaccination rate between member states.

In particular, Slovenia wanted five million vaccines to be distributed on a solidarity basis, not three million as the Portuguese presidency proposed.

Reiterating Janša's statement, the government voiced regret at the decision being detrimental to Czechia, noting that countries which may be able to vaccinate over 60% of their populations by June had refrained from solidarity with Czechia.

In total, Slovenia received roughly 14,000 more doses than under the Portugal presidency's proposal, but it appears it will donate the bulk of that to Czechia, while Austria decided to donate 30,000 doses from its allotment.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš wrote on Twitter today that "another act of solidarity towards the Czech Republic comes from Slovenia, the small country that offered 10,000 doses to share. Thank you so much friends and @JJansaSDS for your kind help."

Janša replied on Twitter that a year ago, "when Slovenia was in a desperate situation without personal protective equipment,
Czech Republic helped us. We said we will never forget."

The latest data on coronavirus and Slovenia, while the best data on vaccines (in Slovene) is here

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Centre-left opposition tables motion to impeach Janša

LJUBLJANA - Four centre-left opposition parties tabled a motion asking the National Assembly to impeach Prime Minister Janez Janša before the Constitutional Court. They have accused him him of violating several articles of the constitution and laws, pertaining to healthcare, media, prosecution and human and constitutional rights. In their motion, the LMŠ, SocDems, Left and SAB accused the government of failing to order Slovenia's share of Covid-19 vaccines in full. Janša called the move pathetic, the coalition said it was destructive.

Slovenia to get pro rata share of 10m doses of Pfizer vaccine

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia will get its pro rata share from a package of 10 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine whose delivery has been pushed forward from the first to the second quarter of the year. Under the plan agreed Thursday evening by EU member states, this means approximately 47,000 doses of the vaccine. Slovenia, Austria and the Czech Republic will get their share relative to the number of citizens, having decided not to participate in the solidarity model. Slovenia decided to donate 10,000 shots from its allotment to the Czech Republic.

Coronavirus curve and ICU cases rise further

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 1,169 coronavirus cases for Thursday, a 13% increase from the same day a week ago, to push the rolling 7-day average up by a further 21 to 1,043, fresh government data show. Nine more Covid-19 patients died as the number of patients needing intensive care rose by ten to 118. Hospitalisations dropped by three to 515. The latest cases were confirmed from 5,353 PCR tests, for a positivity rate of 21.8%.

Slovenia orders one million rapid tests

LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry has picked Sanolabor as the supplier of a million rapid antigen test for mass testing for coronavirus. Sanolabor offered EUR 1.37 per test, with the total cost for the state amounting to EUR 1.137 million, show data published on the Public Procurement Portal. Some 50,000 tests are to be delivered per week.

Caution advised as condition to depart from fiscal balance is to be met

LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council noted that at least one of the two conditions enabling the government to depart from the obligation of medium-term fiscal balance under exceptional circumstances would be met next year. Therefore, it advised caution and again called on the government to clearly define mitigation measures and quantify their fiscal effect.

SMC turning into satellite of SDS, says MP Sluga

LJUBLJANA - The SMC is turning into a satellite party of the ruling SDS and SMC leader Zdravko Počivalšek failed to stand his ground against PM Janez Janša, MP Janja Sluga, who recently left the SMC for a new deputy group, told the weekly Mladina. She also accused Počivalšek of focusing on ways to capitalise on the SMC breakup. Sluga sees Janša's actions as moves to show and reaffirm his power.

Plaintiff allowed by court to leave country despite restrictions

LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court has issued a temporary injunction allowing an unnamed plaintiff to leave the country despite the ban on travel to countries on Slovenia's red list of high-risk countries. It said the plaintiff and his family are allowed to fly out of the country, according to the court decision circulated by the Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy. The details of the case have not been revealed.

NGO urges govt to reveal latest recovery and resilience plan

LJUBLJANA - The Focus environmental NGO called on the government to publish the latest draft of the national recovery and resilience plan to allow the expert public to weigh in. The NGO said that the plan must not take into account "only the interests of selected stakeholders, and that projects must comply with EU climate goals."

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

STA, 2 April 2021 - Four centre-left opposition parties have tabled a motion asking the National Assembly to impeach Prime Minister Janez Janša before the Constitutional Court, accusing him of violating several articles of the constitution and laws, pertaining to healthcare, media, prosecution and human and constitutional rights. Janša called the move pathetic.

Addressing reporters in front of the parliament, Marjan Šarec, the former prime minister and leader of the LMŠ party, presented Slovenia's failure to order its full share of available vaccines against Covid-19 in December as the first count of the motion.

Žal mi je, da smo prišli do trenutka, ko se moramo kot opozicija poslužiti najbolj resnega instrumenta, preresnega, da bi ga zlorabili za lastno promocijo ali pa za diskreditacijo instituta predsednika vlade. pic.twitter.com/AXJZUfcQBs

— Tanja Fajon (@tfajon) April 2, 2021

On the second count, the LMŠ, Social Democrats (SD), the Left and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) accuse the Janša government of "deliberate destruction" of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) through suspension of financing.

The government is also accused of breaking legislation on prosecution by failing to appoint five out of ten prosecutor candidates put forward in the autumn and "dragging its feet" in the appointment of the selected candidates for European delegated prosecutors.

All those charges show "the government is eroding the foundations of democracy [...] Based on ideology it is destroying basic human rights and constitutional rights," SD leader Tanja Fajon said, offering the "spread of violence against women" as one example.

Luka Mesec, the leader of the Left, highlighted the government's military investment plans, which his party has been trying to prevent through a referendum, asserting the government was trying daily to break the limits of power set by the constitution.

SAB leader Alenka Bratušek added that the health crisis had been compounded by a crisis of democratic values. "It's more than obvious Janez Janša cannot govern in a crisis."

One of the accusations levelled at the government is that the government has put the constitutional right to clean drinking water at risk through controversial amendments to the water act.

Drži. Tako jasne samokritike od @tfajon @strankaSD še nismo slišali. Bodo sledila dejanja? Izselitev iz ukradene judovske vile? Nič več prepovedi sodelovanja medijem na njihovih NK? Nič več klanjanja množičnim morilcem? Nič več nestrpnega zavračanja vabil predsednika države? https://t.co/yMEQqYsFSg

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) April 2, 2021

Responding on his Twitter account, Janša called the motion yet another "pathetic move" aimed at destabilising the country during the epidemic, which he said followed the failed vote of no confidence in him, "media murders of coalition partners DeSUS and SMC and a series of failed interpellations".

"The worse for Slovenia, the better for the parties SD, LMŠ and the Left," Janša said.

Drži. Tako jasne samokritike od @tfajon @strankaSD še nismo slišali. Bodo sledila dejanja? Izselitev iz ukradene judovske vile? Nič več prepovedi sodelovanja medijem na njihovih NK? Nič več klanjanja množičnim morilcem? Nič več nestrpnega zavračanja vabil predsednika države? https://t.co/yMEQqYsFSg

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) April 2, 2021

In a separate post, he responded to Fajon's calls for an end to violations, addressing them back to her: "We haven't heard this clear self-criticism from Tanja Fajon or the SD party before. Will actions follow? A move out of the stolen Jewish villa? No more banishing media from their press conferences? No more bowing to mass murderers? No more intolerant declining of invitations from the president?".

For the motion to succeed, it would have to be backed by at least 46 of the 90 deputies of the National Assembly. The legislature needs to decide on the proposal within 60 days or else it is considered rejected. If backed, the motion is then referred to the Constitutional Court.

Šarec said the motion was an opportunity for "each MP to take a stand". The parties propose for President Borut Pahor to state his opinion on the motion as well.

He said the deputy group established by MPs who defected from the factions of the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), a former coalition partner, did not sign on to the motion but they had not talked about their potential support in the vote.

In response, the head of the group, Janja Sluga, said the charges listed in the motion were "exactly" why they left the SMC deputy group and coalition.

Janša's Democratic Party (SDS) will respond once it has studied the motion, but its coalition partner New Slovenia (NSi) accused the opposition of "destructive and irresponsible conduct".

The opposition "appear to be willing to use all available means to add political instability to the aggravated epidemiological picture", instead of joining forces in defeating the Covid crisis, said the NSi.

In a similar vein, Zmago Jelinčič, the leader of the National Party (SNS), said the motion showed the left opposition were "in a terrible panic, willing to ruin the country and homeland to regain former privileges.

The SMC and DeSUS are yet to take a stand.

This is the seventh impeachment motion to date, including one targeting a president. Most have been tabled by Janša's SDS and none have so far been successful.

STA, 2 April 2021 - US tech giant Google will update its Street View service for Slovenia, starting on 8 April, said the Information Commissioner on Friday. Slovenia was first included in the application in 2014.

Google will take new photos in a number of Slovenian cities and towns, including, among others, Ljubljana, Maribor, Škofja Loka, Murska Sobota, Črnomelj, Postojna, Kočevje, Ptuj, Kranj, Novo Mesto, Celje, Koper, Nova Gorica, Brežice, Slovenj Gradec and Grosuplje.

The Information Commissioner said that it had not received any further information, adding that more information about personal data protection was available on Google website.

Google started to capture images of Slovenia's streets with its fleet of camera-equipped cars in the summer of 2013, whereas Street View was launched in the country in January 2014. Since then the company has been regularly updating the imagery.

Slovenia was the 55th country to be included in the application, which offers 360-degree imagery of streets and tourist sites. So far, more than 80 countries have been included in the project.

STA, 1 April 2021 - After schools reopen on 12 April, secondary school students will begin self-testing for coronavirus, followed a while later by pupils of the final three years of primary school, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said on Thursday. 

While on a visit to Maribor, Poklukar said everything will be done for schools to reopen on 12 April. By then Slovenia will set up a system of rapid self-testing for older students.

Next week, school staff will be coached about self-testing and the project would be launched when the schools reopen.

Tests would be performed on Thursdays and Fridays so that those with a positive result would be able to get a PCR test on Monday to confirm the rapid test result.

The Health Ministry and the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) are also preparing video content for students who will be self-testing.

Commenting on the 11-day lockdown ahead, Poklukar said he would be happy if the incidence figures were the same as today on 11 April.

He underlined the government followed recommendations of the expert advisory group. Commenting on reports that the obligatory face masks outside were not proposed by the group, Poklukar said this was true but that most of its members were not against.

Commenting on the fact that Easter Sunday will be an exception to the lockdown, Poklukar said that this was a risk but many elderly people need the support of their children and grandchildren.

Projections presented today by Leon Cizelj of the Jožef Stefan Institute show the lockdown could relieve the pressure on hospitals by a few hundred patients and by between 50 and 60 ICU cases.

Had the lockdown not been imposed there could be more than 1,100 Covid patients in hospitals by mid-May, while the goal of the measures imposed today is to reduce the figure to between 300 and 800.

The latest data on coronavirus and Slovenia

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Slovenia enters third lockdown

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia entered its third lockdown in just over a year in a bid to buy time for vaccination and stem the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, which is driven by the highly virulent British variant. The lockdown is planned until 11 April, with the exception of Easter Sunday, when up to two households will be able to socialise. Schools, museums and most retail businesses are closed and face masks obligatory outdoors. Industry may operate normally, but companies have been urged to switch to remote work as much as possible. Addressing the public on the occasion, President Borut Pahor said the lockdown was the only alternative to protect people's lives and health.

UK variant spreading rapidly

LJUBLJANA - The highly virulent UK variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly and currently accounts for more than 40% of all cases. The National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food (NLZOH) said the share of the variant among sequenced samples rose to almost 42% from 33% last week. The Institute of Microbiology and Immunology said 44% of the samples it analysed between 15 and 21 March were the UK variant. The NLZOH has detected another specific mutation in the most prevalent coronavirus variant in the country (B1.258.17), but it remains unclear how the mutation affects the virus.

Vaccination focusing on persons aged 60+ in next three weeks

LJUBLJANA - Health authorities recommended that Covid-19 vaccination be focused in the next three weeks on older persons so that shots are given to all Slovenian residents aged 60 or older who want to get vaccinated. The National Institute of Public Health said the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines should be administered to persons aged 65+, and to particularly vulnerable chronic patients regardless of age and residents of care homes. The AstraZeneca vaccine is recommended for persons aged 60-64, and older persons if they express interest in getting this specific vaccine.

Some 33,000 shots of vaccine for Slovenia from 10-million EU batch

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia would get an extra 32,769 shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine from a package of 10 million EU doses whose delivery has been pushed forward from the second to the first quarter, according to a proposal discussed Wednesday by the COREPER. Under the proposal, seven million doses would be divided according to the pro rata principle, while the remaining three million would go to countries currently farthest behind in vaccination. This means Slovenia would not get any of the quota reserved for the vaccination laggards.

Rising trend persists, 1,335 new coronavirus cases reported

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 1,335 new cases of coronavirus Wednesday as the rising trend continues. The positivity rate was 23.7%, up significantly from the day before. A total of 518 persons were in hospital this morning, up by 18 on the day before, and 108 were treated in intensive care units, down by three. Another seven Covid-19 patients died. The 7-day average of new daily cases exceeded 1,000 for the first time since mid-February.

Slovenia introducing self-testing for students

MARIBOR - After schools reopen on 12 April, secondary school students will begin self-testing for coronavirus, followed a while later by pupils of the final three years of primary school. Announcing the plan while on a visit to Maribor, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said everything would be done for schools to reopen on 12 April. By then Slovenia will set up a system of rapid self-testing for older students. Next week, school staff will be coached about self-testing and the project would be launched when the schools reopen.

Logar calls for deepening ties with Morocco

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar spoke over telephone with Nasser Bourita, the Moroccan minister of foreign affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan expatriates. They called for the strengthening of bilateral relations and exchanged views on current regional issues, including migration, strengthening relations between the EU and Southern Neighbourhood and the latest developments in Libya, according to the Foreign Ministry. The pair also discussed cooperation between the ports of Koper and Tanger Med, while Logar presented the priorities of Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency.

No decision yet about Počivalšek becoming MP

LJUBLJANA - The executive council of the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) discussed the possibility of its leader Zdravko Počivalšek resigning as economy minister and returning to the National Assembly to secure an additional vote for the party, which recently saw three MPs leave its 8-member deputy group. It is yet to decide how to proceed. The party saaid the option raised a lot of questions that needed to be examined carefully, including calls by business representatives who want to continue working with Počivalšek in his capacity as minister.

Border restrictions challenged

LJUBLJANA - Aleš Zalar, a former justice minister, has requested a constitutional review of the decree governing the crossing of borders. He has a spouse in Austria and argues the restrictions have strongly affected his family life because it is not possible to freely leave the country. He alleges the decree is discriminatory towards all foreigners who have a temporary or permanent residence in Slovenia compared to those who do not have such a residence and can come and leave without problems. Meanwhile, Equal Opportunities Ombudsman Miha Lobnik said the decree was potentially unfair to those who have not acquired immunity to the virus, among others.

Public sector unions call for preservation of single pay system

LJUBLJANA - More than a dozen public sector trade unions called on the prime minister and public administration minister to preserve the single pay system for the public sector. They say that breaking this system could have consequences for the public finance and could disintegrate the entire public system. They also see tendencies for privatisation of parts of the public sector and its services.

Regulator closes insider trading case against minister

LJUBLJANA - The Securities Market Agency has closed an insider trading case against Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak concerning purchases of Petrol stock prior to full liberalisation of fuel prices, Delo reports, quoting unofficial information that the regulators did not find grounds to press criminal charges. Vizjak confirmed for Delo he had received the agency's decision. "The agency did not find irregularities. This was the decision I expected," he told the paper.

Govt proposes extending loan deferment by year's end

LJUBLJANA - The government is proposing the sixth coronavirus relief package be amended to extend the moratorium on bank loan repayments for some types of borrowers until the end of the year. The amendments are to be rushed through parliament. Under the proposal, a new deferment would be granted to borrowers engaged in activities that have been temporarily banned due to coronavirus after 12 March and who are still not able to pay their dues to banks on time. Also eligible would be borrowers who generate the bulk of revenue with services or goods sold to the borrowers who cannot do business due to coronavirus restrictions.

UKOM says STA director concealing documentation

LJUBLJANA - The Government Communication Office (UKOM) said the director of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) was "concealing documentation" as it responded to an appeal by the STA supervisory board that the government resume public service payments to the agency as demanded by law. It said there were contracts that were detrimental to the STA and that the STA was engaging in "creative accounting" when it came to distinguishing between its public service and commercial activities. The director denied the charges.

Fitch upgrades NKBM

MARIBOR - Ratings agency Fitch upgraded the long-term credit risk for NKBM, Slovenia's second largest ban, from BB+ to BBB- with a stable outlook, citing the completion of the merger with Abanka, firm capital position and low share of non-performing loans. The agency said, according to NKBM, that the positive impact of the merger on capital and profitability outweighed the negative impact of medium-term risks associated with Covid-19.

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STA, 1 April 2021 - The highly virulent UK variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly and currently accounts for more than 40% of all cases, public health authorities said on Thursday.

Tjaša Žohar Čretnik, the head of the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food (NLZOH), said that 340 cases of the UK strain of the coronavirus were confirmed last week.

The share of the variant among genome sequencing samples has risen to almost 42% from 33% last week.

"In all the Slovenian regions, the UK variant is effectively crowding out the novel coronavirus variant which has been dominant one until now," Žohar Čretnik said, warning that this had been driving the deterioration of the epidemiological situation.

The Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, which also conducts sequencing, said that 44% of the samples it analysed between 15 and 21 March were the UK variant.

The largest share of the UK variant has been established in South-East Slovenia (78%), the northern Koroška region (68%) and the north-eastern Pomurje region (61%).

The share was the lowest in the coastal Obalno-Kraška region (24%).

Brazilian and South African variants are not spreading. A single case of the former and three cases of the latter have been confirmed in Slovenia so far.

The NLZOH has detected another specific mutation in the most prevalent coronavirus variant in the country (B1.258.17). A total of 64 cases of the mutation have been confirmed so far.

The mutation has already been detected in the South African, UK and other strains of the coronavirus, however what is new is that it has never been confirmed in the B1.258.17 variant.

Outside Slovenia, this combination has so far been recorded only in a single case in Austria, Žohar Čretnik said.

The mutation could theoretically make the virus more transmissible and will be investigated further for the experts to determine its properties and consequences.