STA, 12 March 2021 - The police in the north-eastern region of Pomurje pulled over a car near Srednja Bistrica on Thursday to find a 35-year-old citizen of Moldova illegally transporting 11 Pakistani citizens. They were handed over to Croatian authorities.

The Moldavian, who was driving a Renault Scenic with Austrian licence plates, was pulled over just before 7am. After police found the Pakistani men in his car, he was placed in custody and will face an investigative judge.

Police also found three foreigners hiding in a truck in Gornja Radgona. The cargo was brought to a Gornja Radgona company from Serbia, but when its trailer was opened, three men jumped out and ran away only to be caught by police soon after.

The men were citizens of Afghanistan and had entered the trailer on 9 March in Serbia to enter Slovenia illegally, the Murska Sobota police said. They too will be returned to Croatian authorities.

Koper police meanwhile discovered 30 illegal migrants this morning in a van with Slovenian licence plates, which initially refused to pull over near the Škofije border crossing with Italy in the south-west.

STA, 12 March 2021 - This weekend, the Alpine town of Kranjska Gora will be the penultimate destination of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup for this season. Top male skiers will compete on the Vitranc hill in giant slalom on Saturday and slalom on Sunday.

The two races and the competitions the following weekend in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, will determine the winner of the season's crystal globes.

In the overall standings, Alexis Pintarault currently holds an 81-point lead over Marco Odermatt of Switzerland, the only skier close enough to challenge Pintarault.

Pintarault is also at the top of giant slalom standings and will be defending his lead against Odermatt, as well as Filip Zubčić of Croatia.

Pintarault holds the highest number of Kranjska Gora podiums in giant slalom among active skiers. He climbed the podium seven times, winning the race on two of the occasions.

The standings in slalom may be cemented already this Sunday, as Marc Schwarz of Austria currently holds a 146-point lead over Swiss Ramon Zenhäusern in second place.

After the Kranjska Gora competition was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year, marking 60 years since the first race, the events will take place without spectators.

A charity campaign has been launched ahead of the competition, encouraging fans to donate the money they would have spent on tickets to the Botrstvo children charity, which also supports young athletes.

STA, 12 March 2021 - Exactly a year ago, a coronavirus epidemic was declared in Slovenia after the number of infections jumped to almost a hundred only a week after the first infection. Slovenia was in the epidemic for more than 60% of the last year.

The epidemic was declared by the then Health Minister Aleš Šabeder, who left the ministry the next day.

On the same day Slovenia closed its border with Italy, where the Covid-19 situation was the worst at the time.

The outgoing government also decided that schools on all levels close the next week and that only emergency cases be processed in healthcare.

Not long after that, the country went into a full lockdown to prevent further spreading of the virus, and people's lives changed drastically.

With strict measures and fear over a new, unknown virus, Slovenia was relatively successful in overcoming the first wave of the epidemic, which lasted 80 days, until 31 May.

In the autumn, however, the situation deteriorated again, and the epidemic was declared again on 19 October. Initially for 30 days but then this was extended multiple times to last until this very day.

In line with the latest government decision, adopted at Wednesday's session, the epidemic was extended for another 30 days, meaning until 18 March.

During last autumn and winter, children were mostly learning from home. Primary schools were closed for more than three months and secondary school students returned to their classrooms only recently.

Shops selling non-essential products were also closed for months and only the main services were available. Bars and restaurants are still closed, except for outdoor tables in two regions.

Slovenia has so far recorded almost 200,000 infections and 4,192 deaths due to Covid-19.

Experts are placing all hopes in the vaccines, striving for at least 60% vaccination rate in the population.

The first effective coronavirus vaccine was registered less than a year since the outbreak of the virus and so far four vaccines have been registered in the EU, the last one getting the green light this Wednesday.

However, despite enormous investments in the development of the vaccines, pharmaceutical companies have been unable to deliver enough vaccine for all citizens, so the vaccination strategy gives priority to the elderly, who are the most vulnerable group.

In Slovenia residents and staff of care homes, which have turned out to be the main hotspots of the disease, have already received the vaccine and people over 80 years old have been mostly inoculated too. As a result, the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals has started to decline and the epidemiological situation seems to be finally improving.

Yet the future seems uncertain. Although the second wave of the epidemic is not over yet, a third wave is being predicted. Three of the new, highly contagious strains of coronavirus have so far been recorded in Slovenia and the British variant seems to be spreading exponentially in central Slovenia.

The latest data on COVID and Slovenia

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: 

Spanish FM announces support for Slovenia's EU presidency

LJUBLJANA - Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya pledged her country's support for Slovenia's presidency of the EU Council in the second half of the year as she met her counterpart Anže Logar as part of an official visit to Slovenia. "Spain will work together with Slovenia for the presidency to be as successful as possible," Gonzalez Laya said in addressing a joint press conference. The pair also discussed resilience of the EU and migrations, which are among the presidency's priorities. Gonzalez Laya also meet Speaker Igor Zorčič, PM Janez Janša and President Borut Pahor.

Settlement agreed with General Electric over TEŠ6

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's energy group HSE and its subsidiary TEŠ announced they had reached a EUR 261 million out-of-court settlement with the US group General Electric as legal successor to French Alstom over the infamous TEŠ6 generator project, the cost of which ballooned from EUR 654 million to EUR 1.4 billion amid allegations of corruption. HSE said that EUR 131 million had already been transferred to the TEŠ account following the settlement's signing on Wednesday.

Coronavirus case count declines but concern about new variants

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw its average daily increase in coronavirus infections over the past seven days drop to 705 after another 860 people tested positive on Wednesday. However, officials briefing reporters on the situation today expressed concern in view of the spread of the new, highly-virulent variants as an additional 155 cases of the UK strain had been confirmed in Slovenia in the past week, along with a further eight cases of the South African mutation. Meanwhile, the situation in hospitals improved further with 453 Covid-19 patients hospitalised this morning. Ten died yesterday.

Slovenia not considering suspending AstraZeneca vaccine

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is currently not considering halting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, Bojana Beović, the head of the country's vaccination advisory group, told the STA after several EU countries have suspended vaccination with it as a precaution following reports of problems with blood clots. Since this vaccine will be used for education workers, the SVIZ trade union of teachers called on the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) to take a stand on the matter immediately. Should there be any doubts, SVIZ believes a rethink will be needed on potential suspension of vaccination with AstraZeneca.

Committee unanimously supports children's house bill

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Justice Committee endorsed unanimously a bill on the protection of children in criminal procedures and setting up the country's first Barnahus for child victims of sexual abuse. The government-sponsored bill aims to protect children that are involved in criminal procedures either as victims, witnesses or underage perpetrators and has been enjoying cross-party support so far.

SDS's Patria damages suit dismissed in retrial

MARIBOR - The newspaper Delo reported that the Maribor Higher Court had dismissed a damages claim by the ruling Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) against the state over the Patria defence corruption trial a second time in a retrial. The court told the paper the judgement had become final on 5 January. The SDS claimed over EUR 886,000 in pecuniary damages and interest for the impact the subsequently quashed sentencing of its leader, incumbent PM Janez Janša, had on the party's outcome in the general elections in 2011 and 2014.

Govt appoints acting head of money laundering watchdog

LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Damjan Žugelj acting director of the Office for Money Laundering Prevention. He will take over on 15 March from Ivan Kopina, who resigned earlier this month after serving as acting director for nearly a year. Žugelj, who has previously served as director of the Securities Market Agency, was appointed for the period until a full-fledged director is appointed but no longer than six months. The government also proposed to parliament to appoint Anka Čadež the director of the Securities Market Agency for a period of six years.

Reconciliation study centre gets new director

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed the appointment of Tomaž Ivešić as the new director of the Study Centre for National Reconciliation, following the resignation of Andreja Valič Zver, who had led the centre since its inception in 2008. Ivešić was appointed for a five-year term starting on 1 April. Ivešić has been the interim head of the centre since last October when Valič Zver stepped down following allegations of mismanagement.

Estimated cost of Koper rail downgraded by 7% to EUR 1.126bn

LJUBLJANA - 2TDK, the state-owned company managing the project of the new railway line between the port of Koper and the Divača hub, has downgraded the estimated costs of the project by almost 7% to EUR 1.126 billion. The previous investment programme from January 2019, which was not upgraded, the estimated costs were EUR 1.194 billion, the company said in a press release.

SSH moves to take over Terme Olimija

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia Sovereign Holding (SSH), the manager of state assets, published a letter of intent for the takeover of spa operator Terme Olimija, a move that comes as yet another step in the plan to create the State Hospitality Fund. Terme Olimija, which operates resorts in Podčetrtek and in Croatia's Tuhelj, has a total of 705,799 shares, with the SSH completing the acquisition of a 20.9% stake in the company on Tuesday, crossing the takeover threshold.

Italian group Safilo to close Slovenia plant

ORMOŽ - The Italian group Safilo announced it would close its eyewear production plant in the Slovenian town of Ormož in June to adjust production capacities to meet changing demand. A total of 557 workers will lose jobs. The development, which took both trade unions and the municipality of Ormož by surprise, comes after Safilo has already closed two plants in Italy. The group said the Covid crisis had further aggravated the situation that had been already challenging prior to the pandemic.

Govt adopts building energy efficiency improvement strategy

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a strategy for improvement of energy efficiency of buildings until 2050 that, among other things, defines decarbonisation approaches and policies of the National Housing Fund. The strategy will promote sustainable refurbishment of old buildings and new construction that would reach almost zero emissions, the Government Communication Office said. The document is tied to the EU goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95% by 2050 in comparison with 1990.

Intereuropa group's net profit drops 15% to EUR 3.6m

KOPER - The logistics group Intereuropa saw its sales revenue drop by 6% year-on-year to EUR 150.7m in 2020, while net profit was down by 15% to EUR 3.6 million, shows the unaudited annual report. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation were down 12% to EUR 12.3 million, while the group's net debt dropped by EUR 10 million to stand at EUR 44.4 million at the end of 2020 for an EBITDA ratio of 3.6.

EUR 30m in loans available to SMEs for development projects

LJUBLJANA - Loans in the total amount of EUR 30 million have been made available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as part of a loan guarantee scheme provided by the SID Banka export and development bank for projects intended for research, technological development and innovation. Loans will be available through the Delavska Hranilnica bank, which has been selected through a call for applications published in February, SID Banka announced.

Tourism statistics: Tourist farms suffered least in 2020

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's tourism sector took a significant hit last year due to the global pandemic, with nearly all providers seeing their figures plummet, as the number of tourists halved compared to 2019. The only exception were tourist farms, where the number of nights was roughly the same, at some 250,000, data from the Statistics Office show. There was, however, a significant change in the structure of tourists, as foreign tourists accounted for only 25% of all guests.

Baroque painter Bergant on display at National Gallery

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition of works by Fortunat Bergant, one of the main Slovenian Baroque painters, opened at the National Gallery, showcasing around 40 of his works, as well as works by his contemporaries and artists of the generation after them. It comes 70 years after Bergant's last comprehensive show and marks 300 years since his birth. Bergant (1721-1769) is one of the main Slovenian Baroque artists alongside Valentin Metzinger, Franc Jelovšek and Anton Cebej.

Exhibition on Slovenian sport technology on show in Bistra

BISTRA - An exhibition on Slovenian sport technology is on display at the Technical Museum of Slovenia (TMS) in Bistra, presenting until the end of the year a review of the creations by Slovenian makers of equipment for sports on land, in the air and water. The producers showcased in the exhibition that spans from the inter-war period until today include Alpina, Mont, Športoprema Ljubljana, Planika, Toper, Rašica, Akrapovič, Goltes, Dedra, Slatnar, Dali and others.

Report: Slovenian lorry driver gets 15 years in UK for drug smuggling

CANTERBURY, UK - A court in the English town of Canterbury sentenced at the end of February a Slovenian lorry driver caught smuggling drugs last April to 15 years in prison, media have reported. A 50-year-old man from Koper was reportedly arrested in Dover in England on 26 April after 81 kilos of cocaine and three kilos of heroin were found in his truck, loaded with frozen pizzas. The English police have assessed that the illegal cargo was worth around EUR 7.5 million.

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

STA, 11 March 2021 - A new shipment of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in Slovenia on Thursday, containing 14,400 shots, the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) told the STA. However, in the next couple of weeks, 100,000 doses fewer than planned will be supplied, the NIJZ added.

Initially, more than 153,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were expected this month but the NIJZ said today that together with the shots already supplied, the country would have received 45,860 doses this month, which means that fewer than 10,000 shots are expected in the next couple of weeks.

Several EU countries have meanwhile temporarily suspended vaccination with AstraZeneca as a precaution after reports of problems with blood clots following vaccination.

Asked whether Slovenia may also temporary stop using the vaccine, the NIJZ told the STA today that a vaccination task force must first decide on this and then report to the health minister.

NIJZ head Milan Krek told the press earlier in the day that a special commission comprised of experts was checking reports of any possible complications at the national level and reported of its findings to the European Medicines Agency.

When the Austrian commission reviews the reports of complications, it will be clear whether they were related to the vaccination. "Until then this is merely an assumption," he said.

The SVIZ trade union of teachers meanwhile insists that given worrying news from certain countries there should be an official statement on AstraZeneca safety. The vaccine is intended to be used for vaccination among school staff, which started this week, in line with the national inoculation strategy.

The trade union said it had received many inquiries by concerned members after media reported on health complications allegedly caused by AstraZeneca.

SVIZ hence called on the NIJZ to take a stand on the matter immediately. If there are any doubts regarding the vaccine's safety, SVIZ proposes a rethink on potential suspension of vaccination with AstraZeneca among school workers.

After Denmark, Norway and Iceland suspended the rollout of the vaccine due to safety concerns, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said today that risk of blood clots in vaccinated people was no higher than in the general population.

In Slovenia, all complications processed by the relevant commission so far have turned out not to be related to Covid-19 vaccination.

The Wisconsin-based theatre company Theatre Gigante, last seen in Slovenia in March 2019 with a production of Tarzan, "an exotic drama"  by the Maribor-based writer, poet, playwright, singer and songwriter Rok Vilčnik, is now performing it’s latest production to a worldwide audience under full, COVID-compliant conditions.

Inspired by The Decameron, Boccaccio’s classic collection of tales told by folk isolating to avoid the plague, Theatre Gigante  has created a series of performances hosted online under the title A Cosmic Fairy Tale A Day Keeps The Doctor Away. This is composed of 31 fairy tales from the mind of Vilčnik, as told by storytellers from Milwaukee to California, Colorado to Chicago and Boston, Taiwan to Italy and France.

Rok Vilčnik. Photo Urška Lukovnjak CC-by-SA.-3.0-unported

The stories – which touch on hopes and dreams, beginnings and endings, many questions and few answers – cover a wide range of moods from the playful to philosophical. Each is from two to 12 minutes long, and is available to view on Vimeo throughout the month of March, to be enjoyed over days or binged in an evening or weekend.

Photo: Theatre Gigante

Rok Vilčnik’s Slovene texts have been translated by students of Translation Studies at the Faculty of Arts, the University of Maribor, lprimarily Ana Arnejčič and Nejc Golob, under the mentorship of Professor Melita Koletnik. The translations were then revised and edited by Isabelle Kralj. The production is supported by visual design from Justin Thomas and music by Frank Pahl, seen below.

Tickets cost $31, or just under €26, and for that you gain access to the performances online and can enjoy them for the rest of the month, becoming more familiar with the work of a local author, while also strengthening the links between Slovenia and the world. Tickets can be found here, while you can read more about the show here.

STA, 11 March 2021 - Slovenia saw its average daily increase in coronavirus infections over the past seven days drop to 705 after another 860 people tested positive on Wednesday, as Covid-19 hospitalisations fell to 453. On the downside, ten more Covid-19 patient died, data released by the government show.

Of the 5,786 PCR tests performed yesterday, 14.9% came back positive. In addition, 25,741 rapid antigen tests were also performed.

The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 fell by further 32 to 453 after 29 new admissions and 51 discharges yesterday. Ninety patients required intensive care, two fewer than the day before.

The 7-day average of new cases dropped by 23 from the day before to 705. For the country to move to a lower, yellow tier of coronavirus restrictions the average would have to fall below 600 after Covid hospitalisations have already dropped below 500.

The cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents is at 496 and the 7-day at 255.

Commenting on the situation at the press briefing on Thursday, director of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) Milan Krek said Slovenia was still "deep in the epidemic", appealing to the public to stick to precautionary measures.

He noted the rising infection rates globally as a result of new coronavirus variants, assessing the countries were slowly descending into a new pandemic wave.

Despite the slow decline in transmissions in recent days, he said the curve was stagnating, expressing concern about a repeat of a similar situation in November when after a stagnation the curve started to climb up again at the end of last year.

Noting a slow increase in infections at schools, Krek said "additional measures might be needed if the situation deteriorates", but the goal was for pupils to finish school year in classrooms.

NIJZ data show that Slovenia has so far conformed 198,234 coronavirus cases, of which 10,445 are considered active infections.

Data from the tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org show that a total of 3,918 Covid-19 patients have died.

However, NIJZ data released on Monday show that 4,156 patients with Covid-19 had died by Sunday, 7 March. Adding Monday's seven fatalities, Tuesday's four and Wednesday's ten to that figure, brings the death toll to 4,177.

The latest statistics on COVID and Slovenia

STA, 11 March 2021 - The Maribor Higher Court has dismissed a damages claim by the ruling Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) against the state over the Patria defence corruption trial a second time in a retrial, in a judgement that has become final, the newspaper Delo reported on Thursday.

The party claimed over EUR 886,000 in pecuniary damages and interest because its leader, incumbent PM Janez Janša, was sentenced to prison ahead of the 2014 general election over a 2006 defence procurement deal. His and co-defendants' convictions were overturned by the Constitutional Court in 2015.

The party argued it sustained irreparable damage through the conviction, alleging that "unlawful conduct" by the judiciary in the Patria case impacted on the party's results in the general elections in 2011 and 2014 as the events related to the trial coincided with the election campaign and elections. Janša was ordered to report in prison shortly before the snap election in 2014.

However, the Maribor Higher Court dismissed the claim again telling Delo that the judgement had become final on 5 January and enforceable on 25 February.

The Supreme Court ordered a retrial in the case last year when it annulled the Higher Court's decision to uphold the May 2018 decision by the Ljubljana District Court to dismiss the claim on the grounds that the plaintiff failed to prove unlawful conduct by judges in the trial.

The Supreme Court held that the second-instance court had failed to provide sufficient explanation why it thought the plaintiff had failed to disprove the District Court's judgement that court actions in the Patria case were in agreement with the standards in "corruption" cases valid at the time.

Janša also claims EUR 900,000 in damages himself from the state, a former prosecutor and four judges involved in the Patria case. His claim has been moved by the Supreme Court from the district court in Celje to the one in Kranj, where Delo was told a decision in the case was not to be expected soon.

Meanwhile, co-defendants have already reached settlements with the state on their claims for wrongful imprisonment.

More on the Patria case

STA, 10 March 2021 - Addressing the EU Parliament plenary on Wednesday, EU Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova pointed to continuous attempts to undermine the sustainable funding and the independence of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA). She also noted that frequent verbal attacks against journalists in the country were cause for concern.

She listed these issues as "examples of worrying trends" that took place in recent months.

"The Commission has been in contact with the national authorities and continues to monitor the situation. And let me assure you that the Commission does not hesitate to act when there are issues of the compliance of national laws or decisions with EU rules," she told the session dedicated to a debate on media freedom in Hungary, Poland and Slovenia.

Jourova noted that media were not merely an economic sector, but "an important pillar of democracy and the rule of law", highlighting the role media freedom and pluralism played in upholding democracy.

She said that both concepts were also included in the Commission's annual rule of law report.

The report analysed the situation in all EU countries, including Hungary, Poland and Slovenia, she said, adding that problems and concerns were made very clear. The next report is expected in July.

"Each rule of law report is preceded by fact-finding visits in all EU countries, discussions with national authorities and a wide range of stakeholders," said Jourova in what might be a reference to Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša's invitation to the Commission to appoint a fact-finding mission to visit Slovenia to see the relevant situation for itself.

She also said that supporting the work of media was more important than ever given Covid-19 and an economic crisis in the sector "that started well before the pandemic", noting that there should be no political pressure on media at all regardless of the situation.

"Strong leaders are those that gain respect through their actions, that accept diversity of opinions and that allow citizens to be duly informed, not those that try to silence critical voices. In democracy, independent media should do their work and ask questions without fear or favour. Our job, as politicians, is to answer with facts, not with attacks."

Jourova also mentioned two initiatives by the Commission that will be unveiled this year: a recommendation to EU member states to improve the safety of journalists and an initiative on tackling abusive litigation. She said that "very often threats and groundless lawsuits are used to silence free media".

She acknowledged that the Commission's competences regarding media were limited though, urging efforts to determine how to "widen and strengthen the toolbox that the Commission has, from financial support, to regulation and enforcement actions".

"We will play our role. But governments also need to fulfil their obligations to ensure that media freedom is safeguarded and to enable a healthy environment for media pluralism," she said.

Several MEPs of S&D, Renew and the Greens voiced concern today over the situation of Slovenian media, particularly the STA, warning about the danger of the EU's inaction.

MEPs of the centre-right EPP did not mention Slovenia in their addresses for the most part, however Slovenian MEPs of this political group Romana Tomc (EPP/SDS) and Franc Bogovič (EPP/SLS) rejected allegations about the Slovenian government exerting pressure on Slovenian media.

Tomc reiterated Janša's invitation addressed to the Commission, highlighting that the Slovenian opposition was using today's discussion to undermine the government yet again. According to her, the government does not restrict anyone and is not abolishing the STA.

Bogovič described today's discussion as "a successful export of political bickering of Slovenian socialists and liberals into the European Parliament" that is misleading and harmful to Slovenia ahead of its EU Council presidency.

He said that media ownership issues in Slovenia were indeed real and related to the country's past, however most of the Slovenian media owners were part of the "leftist agenda".

On the other hand, Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD) listed the financial draining of the STA, attempts to put pressure on STA director Bojan Veselinovič and the case of Janša calling two critical journalists washed-up prostitutes as reasons for concern, adding that press freedom and democracy were at risk.

Irena Joveva (Renew/LMŠ) said that Slovenia was not Hungary or Poland, but was heading in that direction, noting that the EU could not afford another member in the illiberal club.

She was primarily critical of Janša and what she sees as his attempts to subjugate public media, most notably the STA, as well as the head-in-the-sand policy of his partners. Joveva told Jourova that words alone were not enough.

Dutch MEP Sophie in 't Veld (Renew/D66), head of the European Parliament's Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, which held a discussion on the situation of Slovenian media last Friday, said that verbal attacks on journalists were not harmless and could even lead to murder, as seen "in Malta and Slovakia where the murders were preceded by endless verbal attacks by political leaders".

"I'm very worried to see now that in the Slovenian government they are taking on the same habits of attacking journalists and that not only has a chilling effect on the freedom of media and freedom of expression but it actually gives people almost literally a licence to kill, it adds to a climate of hatred."

She expressed hope that the Commission will make sure that such practices do not run off track as they have in Hungary and Poland, "where we can say that the media are no longer free and therefore they [the countries] are no longer complete democracies".

Wrapping up the debate, Jourova said that the EU should step up its efforts and be very vigilant across the bloc when it comes to a potential turn-off of democratic safeguards, including media freedom and an independent justice system.

Due to quite visible alarming trends, this marks the first time "the Commission is devoting so much effort and energy to the media sector". Jourova is considering new stepped-up measures and tools to protect media freedom.

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: 

Jourova voices concern over media situation in Slovenia

BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova pointed to continuous attempts to undermine the sustainable funding and the independence of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) at a EU Parliament debate on media freedom in Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. She also noted that frequent verbal attacks against journalists in the country were cause for concern. Several MEPs of S&D, Renew and the Greens voiced concern over the situation of Slovenian media, particularly the STA. MEPs of the centre-right EPP did not mention Slovenia in their addresses for the most part, however Slovenian MEPs of this political group Romana Tomc (EPP/SDS) and Franc Bogovič (EPP/SLS) rejected allegations about the Slovenian government exerting pressure on Slovenian media.

DeSUS leader Erjavec resigns

LJUBLJANA - Karl Erjavec, the leader of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), announced he was stepping down as president. He is no longer a member of the party either, saying that this was no longer the party he led for 15 years. The statement comes after a session of the party's council, which was supposed to debate the future course of DeSUS after Erjavec spearheaded a failed bid to unseat Prime Minister Janez Janša. Until a new fully-fledged leadership is elected, the party will be headed by Anton Balažek, one of the two vice-presidents.

President wishes Slovenia were not subject of EP debates

SLOVENJ GRADEC - President Borut Pahor said he wished Slovenia were not the subject of debates in the European Parliament, in particular when it comes to freedom of the media, as he commented on a debate on pressure on the media in Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. "I think we all have to endeavour to focus our attention now ... on the final part of battling Covid-19, and that in this sensitive phase we should perhaps not deal with certain matters that are not essential." He said media freedom was "foundational to democratic life".

Restrictions broadly unchanged as state of epidemic extended by a month

BRDO PRI KRANJU - The government extended the majority of coronavirus restrictions by another week as it prolonged the state of the epidemic by another thirty days as part of its weekly review of measures. The one relaxation the government opted for is allowing all construction services to reopen as of 15 March without the need for workers to be tested.

Average daily coronavirus count down as hospitalisations fall below 500

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 952 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, down a fifth from the same day a week ago, to push the 7-day average of new daily cases to 728. Four patients died. Of the 6,017 PCR tests performed yesterday, 15.8% came back positive. Over 25,000 rapid antigen tests were also performed with all the positives re-tested with PCR tests. The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 dropped by 21 from yesterday to 485, 14 fewer than Saturday morning when hospitalisations fell below the 500 mark for the first time since late October.

Committee okays legislation on EU prosecutors

LJUBLJANA - The Justice Committee endorsed amendments to the act on the state prosecution that lay down the selection criteria for Slovenia's two members of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, amidst complaints by the opposition that the required level of knowledge of English was an unnecessary condition. Slovenia had secured the legal basis for the appointment of delegated EU prosecutors, who will monitor the spending of EU funds, with May 2019 amendments to the state prosecution act. Last autumn the European Public Prosecutor's Office adopted rules of procedure, which requires certain corrections to the Slovenian law.

New management appointed at Telekom

LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of Telekom Slovenije appointed a new management board headed by CEO Cvetko Sršen, who comes to Telekom from postal operator Pošta Slovenije. He will be joined by another long-time Telekom employee Mitja Štular, and Tomaž Jontes has been with Telekom since 2002. All three started their terms with immediate effect.

Slovenian builder picked for first section of Koper-Divača rail

LJUBLJANA - Kolektor CPG, which submitted the lowest financial offer for main works on the first section of the Koper-Divača rail track, was picked as the winner over a consortium led by Austria's Strabag. The decision will be final in eight days unless there are appeals. Kolektor CPG offered to build the Divača-Črni Kal section for EUR 403.6 million, almost EUR 60 million less than Strabag.

Additional measures urged to help hospitality industry

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Economy Committee called on the government to put in place additional measures to help the hospitality industry. While acknowledging that existing aid has been effective and timely, the committee urged the government to reopen the sector as soon as the epidemiological situation permits and to strive for additional aid based on examples of best practice abroad. It called on the Economy Ministry to work towards a single, predictable system of the crossing of borders.

Cinkarna Celje reports 12% lower net profit for 2020

LJUBLJANA - Cinkarna Celje, the Celje-based chemical company, saw its net profit drop by 12% last year to EUR 18.95 million as revenue remained broadly flat with the year before at EUR 172.4 million, despite a drop in sale prices of titanium dioxide pigment, its main product. The company said the attained bottom line was 34% above the projections.

Business excellence award goes to Ptuj health centre

LJUBLJANA - This year's national award for business excellence and international five-star excellence certificate EFQM have been bestowed on the Ptuj Community Health Centre. Investment agency Spirit Slovenija welcomed the fact that the winner is a public sector organisation. The health centre could be a role model in terms of its expertise and organisational management for both Slovenian and foreign health organisations, said Spirit Slovenija, which is in charge of promoting business excellence.

Industrial output up in January after 2020 slump

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's industrial output increased by 1.3% in January over January 2020. Industrial revenue meanwhile dropped by 1.1% year on year, down 1.8% on foreign markets and up by 1.4% on the domestic market, the Statistics Office said. At monthly level, industrial output rose by 1.6% over December 2020, yet exclusively on account of higher output in manufacturing, which rose by 2%.

Laura Unuk Slovenia's first woman to win International Master title in chess

RIJEKA, Croatia - Chess player Laura Unuk has become the first Slovenian woman to win the International Master title awarded by the international chess governing body FIDE, the second highest-ranking title in chess. Unuk won the title by bagging a victory at the chess tournament Mediterranean Flowers in Croatia's Rijeka on Tuesday. "I only needed this rating and I finally made it," said the 21-year-old student of chemistry and chemical technology, who has entered the tournament as Woman Grandmaster.

FIHO director Vladimir Kukavica steps down

LJUBLJANA - Vladimir Kukavica is stepping down as the director of the Foundation for Funding Disability and Humanitarian Organisations (FIHO) on 30 April after almost three years on the job, citing a lack of transparency at FIHO and some council members acting against the foundation's interests. The development comes after the national Commission for the Prevention of Corruption pinpointed corruption risks in procedures related to the allocation of FIHO funds in its report adopted at the end of February and presented to the public on Monday.

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