STA, 2 February 2021 - The NGO Inštitut 8. Marec filed an initiative in parliament on Tuesday to collect 5,000 signatures in support of its legislative proposal redefining the crimes of rape and sexual violence. The NGO proposes such crimes be treated in line with the consent principle "yes means yes".

A petition for redefining rape and sexual violence had been filed in January 2019. The then Justice Minister Andreja Katič promised changes in this respect, but neither the previous not the current government have proposed any systemic changes, Mojca Lukan from Inštitut 8. Marec told the press today.

"Because those in power are thus sending the message to victims of sexual violence that it was their own fault, we've decided to draw up a proposal ourselves," Lukan said.

The head of the NGO, Nika Kovač, said they had opted for the harder way because they did not want anyone to score political points.

"We heard voices yesterday bravely sharing their experiences, now is the time for us to form a movement together, to say 'it's enough' and change the legislation," she said, adding this was the only way to have fewer victims and to help victims speak up.

Currently, the law says sexual crimes must involve the use of force, which forces the victims to resist actively, thus risking even greater violence, Kristina Krajnc from the NGO said.

This means the perpetrators are often found not guilty if the victim is asleep, unconscious or numb. Such was a case processed by a court in Koper where a man accused of rape was acquitted because the victim was asleep when the rape started.

This is why the NGO proposes the principle "yes means yes", which has been adopted by many European countries.

The NGO said many victims of sexual violence at university institutions had turned to them. "This is something that is happening in all institutions with hierarchic relations," Kovač said.

She also pointed to a series of accusations of sexual harassment on Slovenske Železnice trains, saying "absolutely nothing has been done yet".

After receiving an initiative for legislative changes, the parliamentary speaker has seven days to inform the ministry in charge of the voting rights register and to set the deadline for the 60-day collecting of signatures.

If all the conditions are met, the motion enters the legislative process and the National Assembly processes it like any other bill.

The Justice Ministry welcomed the initiative but indicated it would press ahead with a previously proposed model known as "no means no", which NGOs including Inštitut 8. Marec do not consider as going far enough.

The ministry said far-reaching changes to the criminal code were being drawn up concerning consent in crimes against inviolability of sexual integrity.

It said "no means no" had been recognized by an expert group as the most sustainable model in that it will give law enforcement an effective prosecution tool while providing legal certainty to all those involved in a criminal procedure.

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: 

Govt economic adviser: After 8th stimulus law, time for exit strategy

LJUBLJANA - As the National Assembly is convening today to pass the 8th coronavirus relief package, Matej Lahovnik, the economist heading the taskforce preparing the mitigation measures, suggested it was now time to start thinking about an exit strategy. Addressing the daily government press briefing, Lahovnik said the general view was no more additional aid instruments should be sought, and instead in the stimulus packages to follow it was necessary to start thinking about an exit strategy.

Slovenia logs 1,619 coronavirus cases for Monday, including 240 school staff

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 1,619 new coronavirus infections on Monday, a decrease of 3.9% from a week ago, as rapid mass testing of school and kindergarten staff in seven regions where schools are open detected 240 infections. Another 19 Covid-19 patients died. Data presented at the daily briefing by the government's Covid-19 spokesperson Maja Bratuša, shows that a total of 37,299 tests for Sars-CoV-2 were performed yesterday, the biggest number of tests yet.

More than 950 serious Covid-19 infections caught in hospitals

LJUBLJANA - The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) data confirm reports that numerous Covid-19 patients have got infected in health institutions. So far, at least 956 severe hospital-acquired infections have been recorded. Since mid-November over 2,400 persons have contracted the virus in health institutions. The data on hospital-acquired infections that have developed into a severe form of Covid-19 are based on the Episari network, which includes 15 hospitals.

Slovenia shocked at Navalny sentence, calls for his release

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry said that Slovenia was shocked at Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny being sentenced to prison. "We urge his immediate and unconditional release," it added on Twitter. A court in Moscow changed today Navalny's suspended sentence to three and a half years in prison for violating the terms of his probation while he was recuperating in Germany from nerve-agent poisoning. The prison sentence will be shortened by the time he has already served under house arrest.

Slovenia receives EUR 913m from SURE scheme

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission disbursed EUR 913 million to Slovenia in the form of loans under favourable terms as part of the SURE instrument after the country already received EUR 200 million last year to mitigate unemployment risks during the coronavirus pandemic. The Commission said that it had paid out today a total of EUR 14 billion to nine EU member states. Since the scheme kicked in, 15 EU member states have received EUR 53.5 billion, of which Slovenia has received slightly more than EUR 1.1 billion, the final sum.

Brussels approves EUR 5m in state aid for Fraport Slovenija

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission has approved EUR 5 million in state aid for Fraport Slovenija. The company operating Ljubljana airport will receive the money to compensate the damage it suffered between 17 March and 30 June 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Commission said. If the actual damage suffered by Fraport Slovenija is lower than the approved amount, the company will have to return the difference. It said the state aid scheme was confirmed because it meets the conditions applying to the temporary state aid rules.

Erjavec plans to submit new motion of no confidence next week

LJUBLJANA - Karl Erjavec, the leader of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), plans to submit a new motion of no confidence in the government next week even as he remains short of the 46 votes required to unseat the Janez Janša government. Erjavec told the press on Tuesday the motion would have ten MP signatures, the minimum required by law to initiate the proceedings; the previous motion carried 42 signatures.

Actress speaks out about sexual harassment at Ljubljana academy

LJUBLJANA - Mia Skrbinac has become the first Slovenian actress to speak out publicly about sexual harassment as she revealed for TV Slovenija in a programme aired last night she had been sexually harassed for two years by a well-known actor and acting professor during her time as a student at the Ljubljana Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television. Speaking for the weekly magazine show Tednik, the actress gave an account of how she had been subjected to psychological and physical violence from the professor, whom she would not name, during acting classes and outside class between 2014 and 2016.

NGO proposes legislative changes to redefine sexual violence

LJUBLJANA - The NGO Inštitut 8. Marec filed an initiative in parliament to collect 5,000 signatures in support of its legislative proposal redefining the crimes of rape and sexual violence. The NGO proposes such crimes be treated in line with the consent principle "yes means yes". After receiving an initiative for legislative changes, the parliamentary speaker has seven days to inform the ministry in charge of the voting rights register and to set the deadline for the 60-day collecting of signatures.

Bill improving status of soldiers drafted

LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry has drafted a set of legislative changes bringing a number of benefits to improve the status of Slovenian soldiers and overhauling military education. For instance, the changes to the service in the Slovenian Armed Forces act bring more rest for soldiers in international missions and operations.

Pahor in talks with party leaders to prepare joint meeting

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor launched a series of meetings with the leaders of the parliamentary parties to discuss preparations for their joint meeting. Although two opposition parties have already declined his invitation, Pahor has high expectations from the meeting, the president's office said. The presidents of the parliamentary parties received on Monday Pahor's invitation to the meeting aimed at a consensus on the need for the country to focus the epidemic, a post-pandemic recovery and the country's EU presidency.

Minister, commissioner discuss EU presidency priorities in agriculture

LJUBLJANA - Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek held talks with the EU's Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski. They talked about topics that will be on the agenda of Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency. The officials highlighted reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, sustainable agriculture and rural development in the context of the EU Green Deal, long-term vision for rural areas, agriculture's response to altered consumer expectations, and unfair business practices in the food supply chain.

Investigation into suspected EUR 30m corporate fraud under way

LJUBLJANA - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) conducted house searches as it investigates a suspected EUR 30m case of corporate fraud. The case revolves around the sale of retailer Engrotuš's brands in 2016, the company confirmed. The NBI said it was investigating abuse of position or trust in a business activity involving the sale of stakes in multiple companies and failure to repay loans. Three individuals are among the suspects and face up to eight years in prison.

Austria introduces negative test obligation for daily migrants

VIENNA, Austria - Austria has introduced stricter conditions for entry into the country due to coronavirus. For the first time since the start of the epidemic, daily migrants will also need to present a negative test for coronavirus. This is to affect the around 26,000 daily migrants who come to Austria from Slovenia every day. The country will also keep its controls on the border with Slovenia.

Sonja Šmuc ending her tenure as GZS director general

LJUBLJANA - Sonja Šmuc, the director general of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), will leave her post by mutual agreement effective on 28 February, the GZS announced. The procedure for the appointment of a new director general has started. In the interim period, the chamber will be headed by executive director Mitja Gorenšček.

Elan unveils first foldable carving skis in the world

BEGUNJE NA GORENJSKEM - The sports goods maker Elan has presented its new product, Elan Voyager, a pair of highly-efficient versatile foldable carving skis, the first such innovative product in the world. The new skis will facilitate access to steep slopes and change the future of skiing, said Elan at Monday's online presentation. Elan Voyager being foldable will change the outlook on ski equipment and its transport, said Leon Korošec, the head of Elan's winter division.

Zavod Iskreni vandalised with swastikas

LJUBLJANA - A building in Ljubljana housing the Zavod Iskreni, a Christian NGO, has been defaced as unknown perpetrators spray-painted two swastikas on its facade and entrance and wrote "Corruption?" on the door, in what is another in a series of similar recent incidents. The NGO, which is best known for promoting family and Christian values and organising anti-abortion rallies and pickets, has lately been in the spotlight after it was one of the organisations selected to receive funding from the Labour Ministry for mitigation of the impact of the coronavirus epidemic.

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

STA, 2 February 2021 - A building in Ljubljana housing the Zavod Iskreni, a Christian NGO, has been defaced as unknown perpetrators spray-painted two swastikas on its facade and entrance and wrote "Corruption?" on the door, in what is another in a series of similar recent incidents. The NGO thinks the defacing reflects Slovenia's current state of mind. 

The investigation into the incident, which occurred in the night to Tuesday, is ongoing, the Ljubljana Police Department told the STA, adding that the defacing caused some EUR 2,000 in damage.

Responding to the incident, Zavod Iskreni said that the defacing mainly demonstrated Slovenia's state of mind, frustration, anger and growing intolerance. The latter is directed at someone who is not guilty of anything through political and media fuelling and inciting, the NGO wrote in its response for the STA.

It added that its staff and volunteers were not used to "such intensely negative political and media attention", so they were even more upset. The incident has only exacerbated the situation, Zavod Iskreni noted, calling on everyone, particularly politicians and media, to acknowledge the effects of such spotlight.

The NGO, which is best known for promoting family and Christian values and organising anti-abortion rallies and pickets, has lately been in the spotlight after it was one of the organisations selected to receive funding from the Labour Ministry for mitigation of the impact of the coronavirus epidemic.

This prompted corruption allegations and a motion of no confidence in Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj, who used to have close ties to the organisation.

The defacing has been condemned by officials across the political spectrum.

"Radical political views that deny basic human rights to those who think differently or have different values have throughout history always led down a wrong path," New Slovenia (NSi) leader Matej Tonin said on Twitter, calling for joint efforts promoting plurality, tolerance and respect for diversity.

"Do you understand how psychology works when you incite and pit people against someone?" Rok Čakš, the editor of conservative news portal Domovina, published by Zavod Iskreni, wrote on Twitter.

Razumete, kako deluje psihologija, ko podpihujete in hujskate ljudi proti nekomu?
Tole danes prostori Zavoda Iskreni v LJ: pic.twitter.com/qoSXx8qbN1

— Rok Č. (@Rok_DS) February 2, 2021

Uroš Urbanija, the head of the Government Communication Office (UKOM), responded to Čakš's tweet by describing the incident as unacceptable. He also said that "Tonin was right when he stressed that these were systemic attacks on Christians and our values", wondering where the police were.

The opposition SocDems as well as Jerca Korče, an MP of the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the largest opposition parties, have condemned the latest incident.

The SD wrote on Twitter that corruption should be persecuted by competent authorities. "There is no space for violence and vandalism in democracy and there should not be."

The NGO is another in a series of targets which have been defaced recently.

On Friday evening, swastikas were spray-painted on a building in Trbovlje where Health Ministry State Secretary Alenka Forte, a medical doctor, has her office.

STA, 1 February - After a very rough year that saw the coronavirus pandemic halve tourist arrivals, Slovenia's tourism sector is in for another demanding year in 2021. However, the country holds the title the European Region of Gastronomy this year, bringing hope that the sector will once again be able to open.

This year, the Slovenian Tourism Board (STO) included restaurateurs in its scheme with the sign Slovenia Green Cuisine.

Being the European Region of Gastronomy, Slovenia has great potential due to its quality local ingredients, tradition and creativity, an online press conference on Monday heard.

But in 2020, Slovenia's tourism sector found itself at the same level as it was 10 years ago, Maja Pak, the director of the STO said.

Recovery will take a long time, she said, estimating that the figures recorded in 2019 could be reached only around 2024.

The situation is not expected to improve much this year, albeit more foreign guests are expected, whereas their numbers plummeted in 2020, while the number of domestic guests increased by about 20% over 2019.

Data by the European Travel Commission show that Slovenia and Denmark were the only two European destinations that recorded an increase in the overnight stays of domestic guests in 2020.

Vaccination inspires hope for the future, however it is still key that tourism businesses survive until guests return, said Simon Zajc, state secretary at the Economy Ministry.

"True recovery will only be possible when international transport is relaunched and restrictive measures are lifted both in Slovenia and abroad," he added.

He believes that the mitigation measures by the government aimed at helping companies survive had gone a long way in helping to preserve jobs in the sector. Among others, he highlighted the extension of the tourism voucher scheme.

Expressing hope that accommodation facilities will be able to open soon, he did however not wish to speculate when this could be.

STA, 2 February 2021 - Mia Skrbinac has become the first Slovenian actress to speak out publicly about sexual harassment as she revealed for TV Slovenija in a programme aired last night she had been sexually harassed for two years by a well-known actor and acting professor during her time as a student at the Ljubljana Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television.

Speaking for the weekly magazine show Tednik, parts of which was also shown on the main evening news on the public broadcaster, the actress gave an account of how she had been subjected to psychological and physical violence from the professor, whom she would not name, during acting classes and outside class between 2014 and 2016.

"He would wait for me outside the toilets, at the Drama [theatre house] bar, and elsewhere," she said. She could not bring herself to speak out about what was happening to her during her study years. A fellow student of hers at the time, Sara Lucu, corroborated the professor's inappropriate behaviour for the programme.

Skrbinac has reported the sexual harassment to the University of Ljubljana, part of which is the academy, known for its acronym AGRFT. She is yet considering whether to bring a complaint against the professor with the police. She would not name the professor because she believes she is not the only one to have experienced harassment.

Other actors appearing on the programme backed her in coming forward. "Abuse of a position of power is a grave form of manipulation and as such morally and ethically unacceptable," said Nataša Barbara Gračner, an actress and AGRFT professor. Actor Saša Tabaković called on the academy "to protect the victims, establish what went on, and punish the professors involved".

AGRFT dean Tomaž Gubenšek announced action, but said the academy had not yet received any complaint. "In any case, the reaction will be sharp. I have zero tolerance to such things, students must be protected to feel safe during their studies," he said on the programme.

Gubenšek told the STA today that in the wake of sexual harassment disclosures in the region of the former Yugoslavia he sent out emails to students on 27 January urging them to report if they were harassed in any way, and promising them to handle every report with due care and discretion, regardless of whether it was anonymous or not.

He said the academy and the university was still waiting for a written statement or complaint from Skrbinac before taking appropriate steps as prescribed. As a first measure to protect the students, the academy will also organise all practical classes, when the coronavirus situation should permit them, so that there will always be two professors with the students.

During the time he has worked at the AGRFT he remembers only one case of sexual harassment being handled by the academy, about 12 or 13 years ago, but this was before his time as dean so he did not know about the details. He did not think any of his predecessors would conceal any such instances or complaints in the past.

The University of Ljubljana expressed regret about such developments, saying they took every complaint extremely seriously. The university has also appointed a taskforce to recognise various forms of violence in the academic space, which TV Slovenija said showed sexual harassment and violence at the colleges were a problem.

A student research group Rezistenca has conducted a survey among 1,500 students in which one in ten reported having faced sexual violence situations. Even those women students who have reported violence to those in charge were not taken seriously enough, the group's representative Rina Pleteršek told TV Slovanija.

She called for a systematic regulation of the matter at the level of the university and the state. "The victims should not suffer an ordeal such as students at the Faculty of Arts have," Pleteršek said.

Owing to allegations of sexual harassment from his women students, Igor Pribac, an associate professor of philosophy at the faculty, failed to be endorsed by the faculty's senate to continue to teach there in October. The senate has recently decided on his appeal, with the decision not made public yet but unofficial information suggests his appeal was denied.

In response to the latter case, the university trade union welcomed "pioneering steps toward consistent and stringent sanctions of sexual harassment in the academia", but regretted they only followed after the student council gave its adverse opinion on the professor's reappointment as a last resort after disciplinary procedures failed to produce appropriate results.

The union lauded the students for exposing themselves. It urged zero tolerance tolerance to harassment, consistent implementation of the measures to protect the dignity of the students and staff, and ending a tradition of "sweeping improprieties under the carpet".

The union finds it unacceptable that confidential material discussed on the faculty senate and containing protected personal data, in particular the victims', should have made its way into the media. "Such abuse of senators' rights [...] triggered politicising where a concrete case will serve as an excuse for attacks on higher education."

Meanwhile, the Association of Audiovisual Actors backed Skrbinac, condemning any abuse of power for any kind of violence in the strongest terms and urging the academy and the university to take a firmer stance on the problem, take sanctions against the professors involved and protect the victims.

Nika Kovač, the head of the NGO Inštitut 8. Marec, said witness testimonies collected as part of the #Metoo campaign in conjunction with the City of Women festival half a year ago suggested sexual harassment in the cultural domain was rather rife with the perpetrators usually figures who enjoyed high public esteem and being in a position of power in relation to the victims.

She believes Skrbinac put herself in a difficult situation by speaking out, but she also believes it will protect future generations of students and will help other students to act differently and come forward.

You can see the interview with Mia Skrbinac here

STA, 1 February 2021 - The opposition Left, backed by three opposition parties, proposes changes to the eighth stimulus package that would temporarily remove the provision saying that the government must okay the call for applications to enrol in university courses.

The move comes after the government did not give its consent to the release of Slovenia's call for enrolment into tertiary education institutions for the 2021-2022 academic year at last week's session.

The Higher Education Act sets down that the institutions publish the call at least six months prior to the start of the academic year, meaning on 1 April at the latest.

Time is running out though as the relevant timeline envisages the deadline to be set around 1 February.

Under the proposal tabled by the Left, the government's approval would not be necessary. The changes would also allow higher education institutions to accept more students than planned in case of greater interest.

Higher education institutions should be able to decide how many students they will accept on their own, the Left said, adding that their proposal, which was backed by the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD) and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), was in line with a petition against destroying higher education and science published by the academia.

Members of the academia expressed protest against the government's interfering with higher education and science, saying the cabinet was making irrational moves that were undermining the systems that were among the pillars of this country.

The universities of Ljubljana, Maribor and Primorska, as well as the national high school and student organisations, several science and research institutes and trade unions said that the government's move was unexpected and not in line with the practice so far. They also added that just like in the previous years, the relevant document had been coordinated with the relevant ministry.

Mojca Škrinjar, an MP for the senior coalition Democrats (SDS), meanwhile said that there was a purpose in the government's power to decide about the number of openings at faculties. This is a strategic issue, not only in terms of education but also in terms of employability and development, she said.

"All government departments must give this serious thought," she said, adding it was right for the government to take the time it needs to see whether the existing proposal is good.

The Slovenian Democratic Youth (SDM), the SDS youth wing, also thinks the government acted responsibly since it warned that youth employability should be taken into account.

Emilia Stojmenova Duh, the head of SD's council for science, innovation and IT society, said in Maribor today that creating a conflict between science and technology, and humanities was misguided, as the society needed both.

According to her, the number of vacancies for studying science and technology, and humanities in Slovenia was comparable to the situation in other developed countries.

She said that the Employment Service had been looking into which are the professions of the future together with the Labour Ministry, universities and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS). "Such questions require a lot of dialogue with different stakeholders," she stressed.

The Left said that Janša's government had in the past already reduced the number of vacancies at faculties for humanities and favoured private institutions.

The party is convinced Janša is trying to "enforce a capital ideology and decisions on what is productive and what is not". He demands higher education that will serve the market, meaning the capital, and nothing else, the party said.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport published today a call for enrolment into colleges for the 2021/2022 school year, but not for universities and other tertiary education institutions.

STA, 1 February 2021 - After protests calling against closure of schools in black-tiered regions were held in a number of towns this weekend, calls for reopening of schools from a several stakeholders continued on Monday.

The Headteachers' Association president Gregor Pečan intends to urge the government to reopen schools in the entire country if coronavirus testing among teachers conducted today shows no significant increase since a week ago.

In case of breakouts, the situation should be addressed locally, with individual classes going into isolation and switching to distance learning, he said.

Until 5pm today, 16,590 tests were conducted among teachers who teach in person with 229 coming back positive for a positivity rate of 1.4% - the same share as a week ago when 17,435 test were performed until 5pm and 244 returned positive, the Health Ministry told the STA.

Pečan said he believed most schools managed to provide today's mandatory testing without having to close for the day.

Currently, kindergartens and children in years one through three are back in schools in seven of Slovenia's 12 statistical regions. Schools and kindergartens in black-tiered regions are closed, providing only emergency childcare.

On Tuesday, schools reopened in nine regions, but only two days later the government decided that they close again in the Obalno-Kraška and Zasavje regions after the two regions slipped back into black tier due to an increase in coronavirus cases.

The decision was met with much disapproval and several hundred parents in the two regions, but also elsewhere, took to the streets this weekend.

Today, parents left their children's school bags in front of several schools in Zasavje and on the coast, while a school on the coast saw pupils boycotting remote lessons, public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported.

Many parents do not agree with the closure, because the bulk of the new infections in the regions that slipped back into black were detected among elderly residents of care homes.

While protests are expected this afternoon as well, director of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) Milan Krek warned that they were sources of infection. "What's more, children took part as well. If any of them is infected, everybody will be," Krek warned.

The left-leaning opposition parties believe that schools should reopen as well, with the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the Social Democrats (SD), the Left and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) requesting an emergency session of the parliamentary Education Committee.

They intend to use the session to exert pressure to achieve that all children return to classrooms and kindergartens, said SAB deputy group head Maša Kociper.

Luka Mesec of the Left said that the opening and closing of schools indicated a complete lack of care for children and parents. He believes that the only way for the situation to improve is to "change the government as soon as possible".

Meanwhile, the education faculties of the Ljubljana and Primorska universities called on Education Minister Simona Kustec to allow the youngest pupils back into the classrooms.

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: 

First batch of AstraZeneca vaccine expected within a week

LJUBLJANA - The National Institute of Public Health says Slovenia will receive the first batch of the newly approved AstraZeneca vaccine, amounting to 15,000 doses, at the end of this week or the beginning of the next. Some 17,500 doses of the Pfizer/BionTech vaccine are due to arrive today, to be used for second jabs. Some 52,000 people in the country have been inoculated once and more than 23,000 twice. The vaccination of the elderly who have not yet received a jab will continue next week.

Daily coronavirus case count up 19% from week ago

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 353 coronavirus cases from 4,684 tests on Sunday, an increase of 19% from a week ago. A further 19 patients with Covid-19 died, while hospitalisations rose by 13 from the day before to 1,066, including 169 intensive care patients. Both hospitalisations and fatalities have been decreasing for a while. Official data put the 7-day average of daily cases at 1,213. Over 166,000 infections have been confirmed and 3,522 deaths. An estimated 17,167 are active infections.

UK strain of coronavirus confirmed in December sample

LJUBLJANA - The National Laboratory of Health, Environment, and Food confirmed the sample taken in December which most likely contained the UK strain of coronavirus indeed contained the variant. Using a different way of sequencing, the lab managed to read the entire genome sequence of the virus after initially reading only a part. This means the first confirmed case of the new strain in Slovenia was brought to the country by a person who came from England last December.

Pahor talks climate change, Covid-19 with Van der Bellen

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor had a video talk with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen to discuss topical international issues and agree closer cooperation in fighting climate change. The presidents also talked about the Covid-19 pandemic and the Slovenian minority in Austria, welcoming a law providing a donation to Carinthia. They agreed to meet in Maribor with experts as soon as the situation allows to exchange views and best examples of how to cope with climate change.

MPs debating eighth economic stimulus bill

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Labour Committee is discussing the eighth economic stimulus bill, worth around EUR 320 million. Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj said that with the bill, the government wanted to find the middle ground with social partners by taking into account their proposals as much as possible. The opposition was critical that the invitation to trade unions to today's session had been sent out last minute, so they did not attend it. The head of the OZS chamber of small business, Branko Meh, meanwhile said the state aid was welcome but business people would foremost like to be able to work again.

Committee urges Court of Audit boss to step down

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Home Affairs Committee discussed the conduct by Court of Audit president Tomaž Vesel in the wake of alleged conflict of interest caused by his work at FIFA. The session was boycotted by four opposition parties and ended with two proposals, one of them being for Vesel to resign. Vesel denied the allegations, saying he would submit all the necessary documents to the anti-graft watchdog, which has launched the preliminary inquiry into the matter.

Austrian plebiscite donation law published in Slovenian

VIENNA, Austria - A law providing EUR 4 million to the Austrian province of Carinthia as promised by the federal government on the centenary of the Carinthian plebiscite last year was published in German and Slovenian in what is the first such instance in Austria's second republic. The money will support the Slovenian-speaking population in the province and projects aimed at "harmonious coexistence, cultural diversity and economic and infrastructural development in the municipalities". Slovenia welcomed the step.

Janša nominates missionary Pedro Opeka for Nobel Peace Prize

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša has nominated Slovenian Madagascar-based missionary Pedro Opeka and his humanitarian organisation Akamasoa for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Announcing the move on Sunday evening, the PM's office said Janša noted Opeka's comprehensive approach to the development of society and humanitarianism, saying his and his organisation's activities personified the UN goals. Janša first nominated Opeka for the prize in 2013 and PM Miro Cerar did in 2015.

Pahor invites party heads for talks on key topics

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor has expanded his initiative for cooperation among political parties with a call for a meeting of leaders of all parliamentary parties. He would like to measure support for his proposal that parties reach a consensus on focusing on the fight against the epidemic, on post-pandemic recovery and Slovenia's EU presidency. Tanja Fajon of the opposition Social Democrats (SD) accepted the invitation, however both she and Marjan Šarec of his eponymous LMŠ party were also critical of Pahor. PM Janez Janša described the invitation as well-intended and neutral, while also dismissing Šarec and Fajon's responses.

Slovenian army in for a busy year

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian army is planning a number of activities this year after many could not be implemented in 2020 due to the epidemic. It will increase its volume, adjust its structure and overhaul military education. International missions and cooperation with the police remain among the key tasks, senior military staff said. One of the biggest achievements last year was addressing the status of soldiers after they turn 45 and must retire from active service, which was followed by better results in recruiting new soldiers, said Major General Robert Glavaš, the chief of the general staff.

Beauty parlours appeal to top court over restrictions

LJUBLJANA - Owners of beauty parlours have asked the Constitutional Court to review all of the government's decrees restricting the sale of goods and services due to coronavirus because they deem them unfair. Under the currently valid relevant decree, beauty parlours are closed, with the exception of those providing medical manicure or pedicure to individuals who need professional assistance in these procedures. Hair salons, for example, have been allowed to operate.

Efforts to reopen schools continue

LJUBLJANA - Calls for reopening of schools from a several stakeholders continued after protests calling against closure of schools in black-tiered regions were held in a number of towns this weekend. The Headteachers' Association president Gregor Pečan intends to urge the government to reopen schools in the entire country if today's rapid testing among teachers shows no significant increase in confirmed cases compared to a week ago. The Health Ministry's data showed that there had been no such uptick week-on-week.

Left proposes scrapping govt approval to uni application process

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left, backed by three opposition parties, proposed changes to the eighth stimulus package that would temporary remove the provision saying that the government must okay the call for applications to enrol in university courses. This comes after the government did not give its consent to the release of the call and a number of organisations and members of the academia protested against what they see as the government's interfering with higher education and science. The senior coalition Democrats (SDS) meanwhile think the government's step is sensible also in terms of assessing youth employability.

Slovenia with 5th-highest rate of Covid-19 vaccine utilisation

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia has used 83.5% of the Covid-19 vaccine vials it has received so far, which puts it in the fifth place among the 15 European countries for which preliminary data are available in the relevant tracker launched by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). In Slovenia, 3% of adults have received their first shots, which ranks the country fourth among the 18 countries that have provided the data.

RTV Slovenija boss to challenge successor's appointment in court

LJUBLJANA - Public broadcaster RTV Slovenija director general Igor Kadunc announced that he would appeal against the appointment of Andrej Grah Whatmough as his successor. He told the STA that laws should be observed the way they had been written, noting that Grah Whatmough did not meet formal criteria for the post and lacked leadership experience.

Iskratel appalled by DARS picking Skytoll for car e-tolling

KRANJ - Iskratel said it was appalled by the decision of the state-run motorway company DARS to award car e-tolling contract to Slovakia's Skytoll, announcing it would certainly appeal the decision. The Kranj-based telecoms equipment maker said that "participation of Slovenian companies and their competences are apparently an exclusionary factor in public tenders in Slovenia". It noted that it was seriously thinking about moving the seat of the company abroad.

Mlinotest reports slightly higher revenue and profit

AJDOVŠČINA - Bread and pasta company Mlinotest saw its revenue and profit increase slightly last year to EUR 60 million and EUR 1.9 million. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, revenue from freshly-baked products, such as bread and confectionery, dropped significantly, which was offset by increased sales of flour and pasta, Mlinotest chairman Danilo Kobal told the STA. Despite uncertainties, the Ajdovčina-based company plans to modernise and increase production capacity for pasta this year.

Bled to get contemporary museum

BLED - The lakeside town of Bled can look forward to a museum of contemporary art. Designed by the renowned David Chipperfield, the museum will be located at the foot of the castle hill, along the the main road leading up to the castle. Construction work is to begin in the spring. The museum will feature works by world-renowned artists, above all those from the private collection of Igor and Mojca Lah, one of the wealthiest Slovenian families. It will be named Lah Contemporary Museum.

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STA, 1 February 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša has nominated Slovenian Madagascar-based missionary Pedro Opeka and his humanitarian organisation Akamasoa for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, Janša's office said in a press release on Sunday evening. The prime minister welcomed Opeka's comprehensive approach to the development of society and humanitarianism.

He said the activities of Opeka and his organisation personified the goals of the United Nations.

In the last 30 years, Opeka and Akamasoa have fought many battles against poverty, giving people from the social margin hope and creating opportunities for them to restore their dignity, Janša's office said.

Opeka has dedicated his life to helping people living in desperate conditions in the town of Antananarivo on Madagascar. He has enabled them to work, and gain financial independence and education.

The Akamasoa community now includes more than 18 villages with all required infrastructure. Former homeless people and families now live in more than 4,000 brick houses. The community provides an education system including kindergarten, primary and secondary schools and since recently also the university of Akamasoa, and three libraries.

Opeka and Akamasoa have so far helped more than half a million people. Akamasoa annually distributes about five million meals.

According to Janša, the charity work of Opeka and his co-workers has become a "global peace project in the battle against poverty, marginalisation and injustices".

This is the third time that Opeka is being nominated for the prize. Janša first nominated him in 2013, and a number of people from the academia, politics and civil society backed the nomination. Prime Minister Miro Cerar nominated him in 2015.

Born to Slovenian expats in Buenos Aires in 1948, Opeka joined the Lazarian missionary society in 1966. He studied theology in Ljubljana, but completed his studies at the Catholic Institute in Paris. He has been living and working in Madagascar since 1976.

Opeka has received numerous recognitions for his work, including the Golden Order for Services.

STA, 1 February 2021 - The lakeside resort of Bled, one of the country's top tourist destinations, can look forward to a museum of contemporary art. Designed by the renowned David Chipperfield, the museum will be located at the foot of the castle hill, along the main road leading up to the castle. Construction work is to begin in the spring.

The museum will feature works by world-renowned artists, above all those from the private collection of Igor and Mojca Lah. The Lah family was fourth on the Manager magazine list of richest Slovenians last year.

The couple have founded the Swiss-based Lah Contemporary Foundation. On its website the museum has also been announced, bearing the name Lah Contemporary Museum.

The news of forthcoming construction was announced in a press release from Bled's municipal Culture Institute, on Monday, soon after Artarhiv, a Ljubljana-based company, received a construction permit for the new museum.

The Culture Institute believes that the museum will raise the appeal factor of Bled, Slovenia and this part of Europe among art connoisseurs.

The press release also said that Chipperfield would come to Bled to present the design as soon as the pandemic restrictions allow.