23 Dec 2020, 14:27 PM

Slovenia & Coronavirus, Wed 23/12: Mass Testing Starts, 20% Positivity Rate

STA, 23 December 2020 - A total of 2,129 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Tuesday from a combined 10,593 antigen and PCR tests as voluntary mass testing got under way, government data show. The combined test positivity rate was 20%.

The government data also show that another 36 patients with Covid-19 died yesterday, which brings the overall death toll to 2,454, according to the tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org.

The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 dropped by 35 from the day before to 1,226 after 123 were discharged home. 204, or seven fewer than the day before, were treated in intensive care units.

The 7-day average of new cases is 1,349 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents is 941, show data published on the government website.

According to the tracker site, 1,913 of the latest infections were confirmed from the 6,524 PCR tests performed yesterday.

With the latest cases from PCR and antigen tests added to the total released by the National Institute of Public Health yesterday, Slovenia's case count since the start of the pandemic would reach 109,934.

All our stories on Slovenia and coronavirus

23 Dec 2020, 13:43 PM

Slovenia’s Events Industry Warns of Hard Times Due to Coronacrisis

STA, 22 December 2020 - Representatives of the Slovenian event industry are erecting a New Year tree in Ljubljana's Congress Square made from stage scaffolding and lights in order to warn about the sector having ground to an almost complete halt in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis, and about the financial troubles of its employees.

After the sector was the first to be shut down at the beginning of March, and after the summer with almost no festivals, after a year of cancelled concerts and tours, a New Year tree will be erected in Congress Square instead of a stage.

The association Mi Delamo Dogodke (We Make Events) added in the press release on Tuesday that the tree would be constructed exclusively from stage material, and put together by Slovenian stagehands.

The tree being put together with help of the Ljubljana City Municipality and "enthusiastic individuals and companies", which the organisers hope will bring at least a bit of the holiday atmosphere, will be standing in the centre of the capital until 4 January.

En ? za ekipo, Črtu Birsi za oblikovanje konstrukcije in HVALA vsem podjetjem, ki so posodila opremo: Akustika Pirman,...
Posted by Mi Delamo Dogodke #wemakeevents on Wednesday, 23 December 2020

On the occasion, Mitja Prezelj of the coalition of the music sector told the STA that the government had failed to include in the latest stimulus package the sector's proposal to raise the universal basic income for those who had suffered revenue loss in 2020.

"We justify the proposal with the duration of the measure. The universal basic income of EUR 1,100 is not sufficient to cover all costs of living and the self-employed are thus forced to cover the the difference from our own savings," he added.

The sector is worried about it being struck out from the aid measures applied for other companies with a significantly lesser drop in revenue, because the government does not take into account the specifics of the sector.

According to Prezelj, the largest problem for the event industry next year will be that they will have to negotiate concerts for July and later without knowing whether they would be able to organise them at all due to the epidemiological situation.

He noted that some countries, like the UK and Germany, offer to organisers compensation for costs related to cancellation of events, which is not the case in Slovenia.

23 Dec 2020, 04:12 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 23 December 2020

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:

People queuing up as mass testing gets under way

LJUBLJANA/CELJE - Long queues formed at coronavirus testing points as voluntary trial mass antigen testing got under way across the country. In Ljubljana, the waiting time was about two hours and in Celje about an hour. Most came because they had been in a contact with an infected person or wanted to check prior to Christmas gatherings whether they are infected. Results of rapid tests are available within 15 minutes. They are being treated as equivalent to those produced by PCR tests.

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Daily rise in coronavirus down on week ago

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 1,474 new coronavirus cases from PCR tests on Monday, a drop of 3.7% from a week ago, as 39 more Covid-19 patients lost their lives. While government data show 25.6% of the 5,763 tests returned positive results, combined data from PCR and rapid antigen tests presented by government Covid-19 spokesman Jelko Kacin, show a total of 1,504 new infections were confirmed from 7,416 tests with the positivity rate of 20%.

EU approves Slovenia's partial fixed cost coverage scheme

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission has approved the Slovenian aid scheme that covers part of fixed costs of companies affected by the coronavirus crisis. The scheme has been approved on the basis of the Temporary Framework for State Aid, the Commission announced. The scheme, worth EUR 900 million, will enable Slovenia to further support companies affected by the epidemic by partly covering their operating costs, Vestager added.

Erjavec announces motion of no confidence in govt by year's end

LJUBLJANA - After meeting representatives of the informal KUL coalition, Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) president Karl Erjavec announced that a motion for a constructive vote of no confidence in the government would be filed next week or by the end of the year. He expects that the required 46 MP votes will have been secured by then. While Erjavec told the STA on Monday that he would be a candidate for a prime minister-designate only if at least 46 signatures of MPs were secured, it seems now that the motion may be submitted in any case.

Police union announces strike starting on 11 January

LJUBLJANA - The PSS, one of the two trade unions in police, announced a strike starting on 11 January due to the government's failure to honour commitments from a 2019 agreement that ended a previous strike. The union demands a re-evaluation of individual jobs, new rules on promotions, and separate collective bargaining for the police force. Under law police officers must carry out all duties prescribed by law even during a strike, which often comes in the form of work to rule or officers opting for warnings instead of fines for minor offences. The government criticised the decision, saying it was politically motivated.

NGO worried about situation of the elderly at care homes

LJUBLJANA - The Srebrna Nit association campaigning for dignified old age blames the government for many Covid-19 related deaths among the elderly, criticising the authorities for what it says are inappropriate measures, such as red zones at care homes. The association says that until 17 December, 1,264 care home residents died, of whom as many as 678 at care homes, not in hospital.

Police also take issue with forced retirement provision

LJUBLJANA - The Trade Union of Police Officers (SPS) asked the government and National Assembly to delete from the latest anti-coronavirus legislative package the provision allowing retirement of workers without a justified reason immediately after they meet the conditions for old-age pension. It believes this will further affect what is already a dire staff situation.

Fiscal Council takes issue with some relief measures prosed by govt

LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council warned that the latest legislative stimulus package contained certain provisions that could worsen the structure of public finances, including the proposal for simplified retirement and one-off aid to population groups not directly affected by the coronavirus epidemic. The body that monitors Slovenia's compliance with the constitutional balanced-budget rule said the proposed 7th stimulus package should contain "more sustainable solutions".

Commission finds no interference with SOVA in Farrokh case, its chair disagrees

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary intelligence oversight commission concluded the SOVA intelligence agency was not influenced while compiling a report in the Farrokh case. However, its chair Matjaž Nemec disagreed, pointing a finger at PM Janez Janša and his State Secretary Žan Mahnič, who is in charge of national security.

NLB's takeover of Serbian bank about to be completed

LJUBLJANA - NLB, Slovenia's largest bank, has obtained all the required permits to take over an 83% stake in Komercijalna Banka in line with the February contract, NLB said in a press release. The takeover of the bank which the Serbian state sold to NLB in February for EUR 387 million is expected to be finalised by the end of the year.

STA staff write to parliamentary speaker over funding

LJUBLJANA - The STA's staff urged Speaker Igor Zorčič to ensure the resolutions adopted by the parliamentary Culture Committee about STA funding be honoured. The committee called on the government twice to meet its legal obligations and pay its overdue bills for the STA's services, as well as to provide the agency's stable financing. "It's been 28 days since the STA has not received the money for its work from the state even if STA journalists continue doing their job and the agency fully meets its contractual obligations."

Court sends rapper Zlatko decision back to Culture Ministry

LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court has annulled a Culture Ministry decision to erase rapper Zlatko from the register of freelancers before his status expired and thus abolish his state-funded social security contributions. It tasked the ministry to decide on the matter again. The court established the ministry's 26 November decision is flawed, being based on no detailed analysis, so it cancelled it without even waiting to receive the ministry's reply to Zlatan Čordić - Zlatko's lawsuit, the rapper's lawyer Dino Bauk told the STA.

First Covid-19 patient lung transplant performed at UKC Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - Doctors at the UKC Ljubljana hospital have successfully conducted a lung transplant on a Covid-19 patient in what Tomaž Štupnik, the head of the hospital's ward for thoracic surgery, said was the first lung transplant on a Covid-19 patient in Slovenia while only about ten such procedures have been conducted in the world. According to UKC Ljubljana, the procedure conducted ten days ago took ten hours and the patient is now stable and in intensive care.

Stage scaffolding New Year tree warns about troubles in event industry

LJUBLJANA - Representatives of the Slovenian event industry started erecting a New Year tree in Ljubljana's Congress Square made from stage scaffolding and lights in order to warn about the sector having ground to an almost complete halt in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis, and about the financial troubles of its employees. The tree being put together with help of the Ljubljana City Municipality and "enthusiastic individuals and companies", which the organisers hope will bring at least a bit of the holiday atmosphere, will be standing in the centre of the capital until 4 January, the association Mi Delamo Dogodke said.

Cankarjev Dom to mark several anniversaries next year

LJUBLJANA - The programme of the Cankarjev Dom culture centre in 2021 will be all about marking several important anniversaries, including the 30th anniversary of Slovenia's independence. It will also mark the centenary of composer Josip Ipavec's death and the 140th anniversary of the death of writer Josip Jurčič, the author of the first Slovenian novel. Cankarjev Dom will also mark the 200th anniversary of Dostoevsky's birth with a film series and a theatre production based on his novel Idiot.

Pahor, Mattarella congratulate Nova Gorica on ECC 2025 title

LJUBLJANA/ROME, Italy - The Slovenian and Italian presidents, Borut Pahor and Sergio Mattarella, have congratulated Slovenia's Nova Gorica on being declared the European Capital of Culture 2025 in cooperation with Italy's Gorizia, situated just across the border. "We are sincerely excited by the news that Nova Gorica and Gorizia will become the European Capital of Culture in 2025 with the Go! Borderless project," the presidents said in joint statement.

Pokljuka Biathlon Worlds get mascot in Jurček the Gnome

POKLJUKA - The 2021 Biathlon World Championships, scheduled to take place in Pokljuka on 9-21 February next year, will have a new and special mascot in Jurček the Gnome, who is joining the chamois as the informal mascot of all biathlon competitions on the Alpine plateau in north-western Slovenia. The gnome, is a "friend of the chamois and the hero of a story that brings a message of the importance of nature protection, exercise and sports to young generations," the organisers said.

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22 Dec 2020, 18:04 PM

Erjavec Promises Vote of No Confidence in Govt by Year's End

STA, 22 December 2020 - After meeting representatives of the informal KUL coalition on Tuesday, Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) president Karl Erjavec announced that a motion for a constructive vote of no confidence in the government would be filed next week or by the end of the year. He expects that the required 46 MP votes will have been secured by then.

Speaking to the press after meeting the heads of the left-leaning opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), the Left and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), which form the Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL), Erjavec said it had also been agreed that the parties' bodies would confirm him as a candidate for a prime minister-designate.

According to the DeSUS president, this is important because it has been widely speculated lately that this role could be assumed by someone else. The confirmation means a guarantee that once the motion is submitted, he will be the candidate.

While Erjavec told the STA on Monday that he would be a candidate for a prime minister-designate only if at least 46 signatures of MPs were secured, it seems now that the motion may be submitted in any case.

He expects that a sufficient number of signatures will be collected by the end of the year and claims that "things are looking good and we are very close".

Erjavec added that the informal coalition was following the recommendation by President Borut Pahor, who called after Monday's meeting of senior state officials for the political situation in the country be resolved as soon as possible.

After DeSUS member Tomaž Gantar recently resigned as health minister as the party left the coalition, Prime Minister Janez Janša took over as interim health minister, so Erjavec believes that this means that Janša has assumed the responsibility for the current Covid-19 situation.

"We see what the results are. This is also one of the reasons why we want a new government. We think that this trend continuing would be irresponsible," he said, noting that DeSUS, which advocated the elderly, could not stand and watch.

According to him, the motion is also an opportunity for MPs to change this politics which, "as far as the epidemic is concerned, is unsuccessful". He pointed to certain moves by the government, including concerning the media and financing of NGOs.

"This is dismantling of social systems," said Erjavec, who primarily expects from the deputies of the Modern Centre Party (SMC), who according to him do not feel well in the government, to take responsibility for changing the situation in the country.

SMC head and Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said last week that all eight SMC deputies were united in their non-support for Erjavec, but the DeSUS president assesses that the statement lacks credibility as it later turned out that this is not the case.

Asked what would happen if SMC deputies fail to contribute their signatures, Erjavec said that "this means that the structure of this National Assembly supports ... the absence of the rule of law, attacks on the media, non-financing of NGOs".

Meanwhile, SMC MP Gregor Perič told a current affairs show on TV Slovenija that MPs faced increasing pressure and that things had gone too far. "We receive mail to our home addresses, emails, there are threats, more or less veiled offers. The political arena is reaching a boiling point."

Other MPs do not talk about this because they fear making things worse, said Perič, in whose constituency signs had been placed wondering whether he was a hero or a traitor.

Erjavec reiterated that DeSUS guarantees four MP votes for a potential new government. The fifth MP, Robert Polnar, has already been expelled from the party and Erjavec expects him to withdraw from the DeSUS deputy group.

A civil initiative has meanwhile expressed support for the government of Janez Janša and the MPs who cooperate with it, as it believes that it, with the help of the healthcare system, is successful in tackling the Covid-19 epidemic and its consequences.

Prebudimo Slovenijo (Let's Wake Up Slovenia) added that the moment that some parties had picked to undermine the government was not selected randomly and that an attempted return was being made by "those for whom democracy is only means to make personal gains".

22 Dec 2020, 14:25 PM

Slovenia & Coronavirus, Tue 22/12: Numbers Going Down, Long Lines For Voluntary Mass Testing

STA, 22 December 2020 - Slovenia recorded 1,474 new coronavirus cases from PCR tests on Monday, a drop of 3.7% from a week ago, as 39 more Covid-19 patients lost their lives.

Data released on the government's Twitter profile show that 25.6% of the 5,763 tests performed yesterday returned positive results.

However, combined data from PCR and rapid antigen tests presented by the government Covid-19 spokesman Jelko Kacin, show a total of 1,504 new infections were confirmed from 7,416 tests with the positivity rate of 20%.

The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 dropped by ten from Sunday to 1,261 after 119 were discharged and 134 were admitted yesterday. 207 or one fewer was being treated in intensive care units.

Long lines as voluntary mass testing begins

STA, 22 December 2020 - Voluntary trial mass testing started in several Slovenian towns on Tuesday, with long lines reported in big towns. In Ljubljana, people waited about two hours to get tested around noon. In Celje, the waiting time is also more than an hour.

Most people want to get tested because they were recently in contact with an infected person or to be sure that they are healthy before meeting other people during the holidays.

Both young and older people can be seen in the lines. Some came prepared, with something to read, or in a group.

Due to high demand, the Health Ministry said in the afternoon that additional testing locations would open tomorrow. The list of locations is yet to be made available in the ministry's website. State secretary Marija Magajne said the ministry was pleasantly surprised by the high turnout.

Up to two tests are conducted in a mobile unit a minute, and the results are known in 15-30 minutes, Žiga Skok from the Ljubljana Medical Centre said in Celje today.

Those tested are informed of their test result in a text message. The results are also entered into the national patient register.

Nuška Čakš Jager, deputy head of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Public Health, warned today that those with a negative result must still adhere to protective measures during the holidays.

A negative test means a person is not infected now but this does not mean that they cannot develop symptoms in two to three days or get infected later. She again called on people to stay within their bubbles for the holidays.

She also stressed that those who have symptoms of Covid-19 must not wait in lines but call their doctor to make an appointment for testing.

According to the official, the data from PCR tests and the rapid tests would be collected separately, so no infection would be counted twice.

On Monday, 1,474 infections were confirmed in 5,763 PCR tests, while another 30 infections were detected in 1,653 rapid tests.

Those who wish to get tested free-of-charge need to bring along their ID and health insurance card. They must also give a mobile number to which the test result is sent. No appointments are required.

The mass testing will be held until 24 December. After the holidays, rapid tests will be used among specific groups of residents, including those in education and child care.

All our stories about Slovenia and coronavirus

22 Dec 2020, 12:24 PM

Slovenia Marks 30 Years Since Independence Referendum

STA, 22 December 2020 - On Wednesday, 23 December, Slovenia will mark three decades since a decision that is seen as a landmark in the nation's history: an independence referendum at which the overwhelming majority opted to leave Yugoslavia. The referendum results were declared three days later, on what is now celebrated as Independence and Unity Day.

Following a rising wave of pro-democratic movements in the 1980s, the first free multi-party general elections were held in April 1990. The Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (DEMOS) won, formed a government and completed key steps towards the independence referendum in cooperation with the opposition.

Lojze Peterle, the first prime minister, says the idea for a referendum had been around at the time DEMOS was formed, with the final decision to hold a vote taken at a 9-10 November meeting in Poljče, at which members of a commission that drafted Slovenia's constitution helped convince DEMOS deputies to confirm the proposed vote.

While the opposition wanted to shift the referendum to the spring of 1991, it eventually accepted the December date. In return, DEMOS and the government acquiesced to the rule that the referendum would be successful if at least half of all the eligible voters opted for independence. DEMOS had initially wanted an ordinary majority.

On 6 December 1990, the representatives of political parties and deputy groups in parliament signed a compromise agreement in which all signatories pledged to work together in preparing and executing the referendum. They stated that they were aware of the historical significance of the decision.

Based on that agreement, the parliament passed a law on the independence referendum. The vote was unanimous, with four MPs abstaining.

"The signing of the agreement was very important since it was a strong message to the people that Slovenian politics is united," Peterle has told the STA. Milan Kučan, president at the time, said the agreement had helped overcome distrust.

On 23 December, independence was confirmed with a 95% majority on a turnout of 93.2%, which means that over 88% of all eligible voters voted in favour. When the results were proclaimed shortly after 10pm, DEMOS leader Jože Pučnik famously said that Yugoslavia no longer existed. Both Peterle and Kučan say they never doubted the outcome of the referendum.

The results of the referendum were officially proclaimed on 26 December, which has since been celebrated as Independence and Unity Day. Immediately thereafter, proceedings for a formal declaration of independence were initiated and Slovenia declared independence on 25 June 1991.

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, celebrations of the landmark event will be muted.

President Borut Pahor will host an open day and address the people via video. The ceremony itself will be a pre-recorded TV show with an address by Prime Minister Janez Janša, while the National Assembly will hold a brief ceremonial session.

22 Dec 2020, 11:51 AM

Poll: SDS Still Most Popular Party, But Govt Support Falling

STA, 21 December 2020 - The December public opinion poll carried out by pollster Ninamedia for the newspapers Večer and Dnevnik shows some changes for the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and New Slovenia (NSi), whereas the ruling Democrats (SDS) remain the strongest political party. The government support has meanwhile further dropped.

The SDS leads the way with 20.6%, followed by the opposition Social Democrats (SD) with 11.8% and the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) with 11.7%.

The opposition Left garnered 9.1% support - its best result in a Vox Populi poll this year - to place fourth.

The coalition NSi dropped to its lowest this year - from 6.5% in January to 3.8% in December, its worst result in 2020.

It thus came close to the sixth-placed DeSUS party, which improved its position from 2.5% in November to 3.7% after leaving the government coalition last week.

The opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) garnered 2.9%, the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS) 2.2%, the opposition National Party (SNS) 2% and the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) 0.1%.

Another 23.5% of those polled did not know which party they would vote for and another 6.9% would not go to the polls at all.

Judging by the voters who clearly stated their party preferences, the SDS would win 29 seats in the 90-strong parliament in a general election was held last weekend.

The SD and the LMŠ would each get 16 seats, the Left 13, DeSUS and NSi each 5 and SAB 4. The other parties would not enter parliament.

The informal KUL coalition members - the SD, LMŠ, Left and SAB - would thus have a combined 49 seats, and 54 if joined by DeSUS.

On the other hand, the SDS and NSi would have a total of 34 MPs between them.

The poll also shows low government support, with 64.9% saying it performed unsuccessfully and 30.9% successfully.

The respondents were also asked whether they supported the Constitutional Arch Coalition's (KUL) plan to file a vote of no-confidence in the Janez Janša government, with slightly more than 48% saying yes and slightly more than 45% no.

As for the popularity of politicians, President Borut Pahor remains at the top of the rankings, followed by MEP Ljudmila Novak (EPP/NSi) and now already former Health Minister Tomaž Gantar, who overtook SD leader and MEP Tanja Fajon (S&D).

The poll was carried out among 700 adults between 15 and 17 December.

22 Dec 2020, 04:03 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 22 December 2020

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:

Bill redrawing electoral districts tabled

LJUBLJANA - The coalition tabled a bill to redraw some electoral districts in line with a December 2018 Constitutional Court decision, after a rival opposition-sponsored bill that would have abolished electoral districts and introduced a preference vote failed to garner the two-thirds majority in parliament last week. The new bill includes a proposal drawn up by the Public Administration Ministry and aims to change electoral districts to reduce the differences in size in terms of the number of residents.

395 new coronavirus infections, 26 deaths confirmed on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 395 new cases of coronavirus in just under 1,500 tests on Sunday, for a positivity rate of about 27%, and 26 deaths, show the latest government data. Hospital figures increased substantially from the day before. The number of Covid-19 patients rose by 57 to 1,271 with 208 in intensive care, up by seven.

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Mass testing to kick off in 13 towns across Slovenia on Tuesday

LJUBLJANA - Voluntary trial mass testing will start in several Slovenian cities on Tuesday, Marija Magajne of the Health Ministry told the government briefing, adding that additional testing sites will be provided in areas where the epidemiological situation is the worst. The ministry later announced a list of 13 cities and towns where testing can go ahead, while exact locations will be announced by local communities. Results of rapid tests that will be used during the testing are now deemed equivalent to those produced by PCR tests.

Lockdown of businesses tightening again from 24 Dec to 4 Jan

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a decree that again tightens restrictions for the sale of goods and services as of Thursday until 4 January, restoring the regime that was recently temporarily relaxed. Being permitted to stay open will be shops which mainly sell food, personal care and cleaning items, pharmacies, medical and orthopaedic equipment shops, farming shops, petrol stations, financial services, post offices and delivery services. The ban on the sale of pyrotechnics is still in force. The expected reduction in the number of exceptions comes after the government had relaxed the lockdown of businesses for the period between 15 and 23 December.

Slovenia's leaders appeal for stability to take on epidemic

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted PM Janez Janša and the speakers of both houses of parliament, Igor Zorčič and Alojz Kovšca, for the annual meeting, at which a call was made for restoration of political stability in the face of the coronavirus crisis. Addressing reporters after the meeting, Pahor said "cooperation is the only way to resolve the crisis faster and more successfully to the benefit of everyone". The meeting also focused on the electoral reform and preparations for Slovenia's EU.

Slovenia weighing measures over new coronavirus strain

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian health authorities are examining the situation and will propose action after a new, highly virulent strain of coronavirus was confirmed in the UK. The government will decide on any measures at the proposal of its medical task force, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. PM Janez Janša added on Monday that intensive coordination talks were being conducted at the EU level, and a possible closure of borders would also be coordinated. Slovenia does not have air links with the UK, so it does not need to ban flights from the UK. And under the existing rules, arrivals from the UK require a negative Covid-19 test or have to quarantine for ten days.

Novič acquitted second time of chemistry institute boss murder

LJUBLJANA - Milko Novič was acquitted a second time of the charge that he murdered Janko Jamnik, the director of the National Institute of Chemistry, in December 2014, after he was initially found guilty of murdering his former boss in 2017. The Ljubljana District Court delivered the not-guilty judgement just days before the case would have fallen under the statute of limitations on 27 December. Judge Sinja Božičnik said Novič could not have been at the crime scene nor could it be conclusively proved that the fragments of gun powder found on Novič were the same as those from the crime scene. The prosecution had sought 25 years in prison for Novič.

PM: Key question on EU presidency is whether epidemic will have been over

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša believes the key question of Slovenia's EU presidency in the second half of 2021 is whether the Covid-19 pandemic will have ended by then. If not enough Europeans get vaccinated by mid-2021, the main priority will be battling the pandemic, he said after a meeting of senior Slovenian politicians. He said Slovenia's expectations of the EU presidency were flexible, with contingency scenarios being in place if some other threats appear during that time.

Vox Populi poll: SDS in the lead, shifts for DeSUS and NSi

LJUBLJANA - The December survey carried out by pollster Ninamedia for the newspapers Večer and Dnevnik shows the ruling Democrats (SDS) remained the strongest political party with 20.6% support. There were some changes for the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and New Slovenia (NSi); the coalition NSi dropped to its lowest this year - from 6.5% in January to 3.8% in December, coming close to the sixth-placed DeSUS party, which improved its position from 2.5% in November to 3.7% after formally leaving the government coalition last week. The government support has meanwhile further dropped.

Unions against forced retirement provision in seventh stimulus package

LJUBLJANA - Trade unions are protesting against the provision in the latest anti-coronavirus legislative package that allows retirement of workers without a justified reason immediately after they meet the conditions for old-age pension. While they say it reduces the rights and discriminates against older workers, employers welcome the proposal. The Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS) said young people were not able to get a job because some older workers stayed in an employment relationship long after meeting the retirement conditions. The seventh stimulus bill will be debated in parliament on 29 December.

EasyJet terminates Ljubljana-Berlin route

LJUBLJANA - Budget carrier EasyJet has decided to end its Ljubljana-Berlin service, the second route it has terminated out of the Slovenian capital after it shut its base in London Stansted, the aviation portal Ex-Yu Aviation reported. EasyJet launched the route in August 2018 as the only link between the Slovenian and German capitals. After air transport was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic in spring, the carrier resumed its service in summer and temporarily suspended it in November.

Welcome to Chechnya docu LGBT festival audience's favourite

LJUBLJANA - Welcome to Chechnya, a US documentary about anti-gay purges in Chechnya in the late 2010s, was chosen the winner of the audiences of the Ljubljana Festival of LGBT Film. The film by David France previously received awards at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival. The Ljubljana festival concluded on Sunday after offering 18 feature-length films and documentaries and 17 shorts on the Cinesquare platform and via Vimeo.

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21 Dec 2020, 21:49 PM

Business Lockdown Tightening Again, 24 Dec to 4 Jan, Curfew Remains Over Holidays

STA, 21 December 2020 - The government adopted a decree at Monday's correspondence session that again tightens restrictions for the sale of goods and services as of Thursday. The decree that restores the regime that was recently relaxed will be in force until 4 January.

Being permitted to stay open are shops which mainly sell food, personal care and cleaning items, pharmacies, medical and orthopaedic equipment shops, farming shops, petrol stations, financial services, post offices and delivery services.

According to a press release from the government, also belonging to the exceptions are individual non-medical counselling and therapeutic services, personal pick-up of goods or food except alcoholic beverages at pick-up points.

This applies for the period between 6am and 9pm, while it is not permitted to eat food and drink beverages in public places. Other essential services for ensuring safety and health are also permitted.

The ban on the sale of pyrotechnics is still in force.

Shops that are allowed to be open must provide at least 30 square metres per customer and all anti-epidemic recommendations must be followed.

The expected reduction in the number of exceptions comes after the government had relaxed the lockdown of businesses for the period between 15 and 23 December.

In this period, hairdressing salons, flower shops, car washes and cleaning facilities are allowed to operate. In certain regions, residents are able to cross municipal borders if they have an installed and active contact tracing app.

Government spokesman Jelko Kacin said today that travel between municipalities would be allowed on Christmas Day and also for the New Year's.

Under the latest government decree, the municipal and regional travel ban will not be in force from noon on 24 December to 8pm on 25 December, and from noon on 31 December to 8pm on 1 January.

The 9pm-6am curfew remains in force, also over the holidays, and gatherings in public spaces will not be allowed. Private meetings of up to six adults from up to two households, including their children, are allowed.

Events, rallies, parties, weddings and gatherings remain prohibited. The decree enters into force on 24 December and will be in force up to and including 4 January, the government said.

21 Dec 2020, 17:55 PM

No Changes to Rules Yet for New Covid Strain, But Borders May Close, Non-Urgent Travel Discouraged Till March 2021

STA, 21 December 2020 - Slovenian health authorities are examining the situation and will propose action after a new, highly virulent strain of coronavirus was confirmed in the UK. The government will decide on any measures at the proposal of its medical task force, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.

Slovenia does not currently have air links with the UK, so unlike many other European countries, it does not need to ban flights from the UK. And under existing quarantine rules, arrivals from the UK require a negative Covid-19 test or have to quarantine for ten days.

Prime Minister Janez Janša wrote on Twitter last night that Slovenia had "prepared measures to close borders, because there is a chance that the mutated virus is also present in some other EU countries".

Janša added today that intensive coordination talks were being conducted at the EU level on the matter, adding that a possible closure of borders would also be coordinated.

He noted that in addition to vaccination, protection of the most vulnerable groups and all restrictive measures, a "new risk is becoming known in recent days", and was increasing despite the good information related to Covid-19 vaccination in recent weeks.

Janša expects that more would be known later in the day, while adding that it was already clear that the new strain was not present only in the UK, but in many other European countries, including the Slovenian neighbourhood.

As for border closure, he said it was a drastic measure that would need to be coordinated on both sides of the border so that there were no major issues for people.

However, as of today Slovenians are advised against non-urgent travel abroad until mid-March next year, and all who intend to travel to Slovenia are also advised to postpone their trips, Janša said.

At least one case of the mutated strain has been confirmed in Italy in a man who recently arrived from the UK and is now quarantining, according to multiple media reports.

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