15 Dec 2020, 21:11 PM

DeSUS Will Discuss Whether to Leave Janša’s Coalition

STA, 15 December2020 - The top bodies of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) will meet on Thursday to discuss whether or not the party should leave the coalition, party leader Karl Erjavec said on Tuesday, noting that there was pressure from the rank-and-file, dissatisfied with the government's work.

Erjavec made the statement after meeting the leaders of the four centre-left parties that make up the Constitutional Arch Coalition (KUL), which wants to unseat the government with a vote of no confidence that requires the proponents to muster an absolute majority in parliament and put forward a candidate for prime minister-designate.

While the parties initially coalesced around the economist Jože P. Damijan, Erjavec has been offered the job of prime minister as well. Erjavec said today he was indeed one of the candidates, subject to approval by the party's decision-making bodies.

Listing the reasons why DeSUS should leave the coalition, Erjavec said the party membership was dissatisfied with ideological issues, attacks on the media, and Slovenia's closer relations with Hungary and Poland. The government is also at a loss for solutions about the coronavirus epidemic.

However, DeSUS alone joining KUL will not be enough to form a new government coalition. In response to Erjavec's announcement today, Zdravko Počivalšek, the head of the junior coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), which has also been wooed by KUL, again rejected the possibility of leaving the coalition.

He said he wanted to finish what the coalition had started and reiterated the party's position that a constructive vote of no confidence would be an irresponsible and destructive move at a time when the country is amidst an epidemic.

The opposition Left meanwhile welcomed Erjavec's announcement, also expressing hope that a part of SMC MPs would leave the party in the wake of news that Počivalšek is being investigated by the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption over personal protective equipment purchasing.

Meanwhile, Marjan Šarec, the head of the namesake opposition party LMŠ, said he would endorse Erjavec for prime minister.

Erjavec returned as party leader in early December after an eight-month hiatus and has since made several steps seen as an attempt at a break with the coalition, including by declaring he did not wish to be a minister in a Janez Janša government.

Last week Erjavec reportedly proposed to the DeSUS deputy group that the party should leave the coalition, but his effort was thwarted after four of the five DeSUS MPs rejected the move.

Indeed, deputy Robert Polnar, an outspoken critic of Erjavec, said four MPs were willing to quit the party and go independent unless "things calm down".

Now, Erjavec said the party's council would vote on a motion to exclude Polnar, which he said should mean he would also be ejected from the deputy group.

Erjavec says the motion came from the municipal unit of the party of which Polnar is a member, with allegations ranging from inappropriate statements to insulting the party.

Polnar decried Erjavec's premiership ambitions as an experiment, likening the recent meeting with him to "a surrealist German film" in which the protagonist does not know whether or not he is in a dream.

In today's response for the STA, the MP said this was not an important issue for him at the moment as he was preoccupied with the latest anti-coronavirus legislative package as the chair of the parliamentary Finance Committee.

"It seems to me that this is much more important for the country than me dealing with Karl Erjavec," he said, adding that he had a seat in parliament in line with the constitution.

"I'm not bound by any instructions and I will not be bound by any instructions in the future," Polnar concluded.

15 Dec 2020, 14:56 PM

Slovenia & Coronavirus: 1,524 New Cases Monday, 27% Positivity, Mass Testing Starts in Ljubljana Next Week

STA, 15 December 2020 - Another 1,524 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Monday and a further 44 Covid-19 patients lost their lives as the number of hospitalised patients dropped somewhat, government data show.

Of the 5,634 tests performed yesterday, 27.05% returned positive results, meaning the positivity rate was slightly up again after dropping to 25.67% from over 31% the day before.

"Even though the share of positive tests remains high, the number of newly confirmed infections over the past three days compared with the figures a week ago is falling after all," Jelko Kacin, the government Covid-19 spokesman, said.

The number of new cases confirmed yesterday was down 103 from a week ago, as 49 fewer infections were confirmed on Sunday than a week ago and even 200 fewer on Saturday than a week ago, said Kacin.

The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 dropped by 36 to 1,284 after 127 were discharged home and 115 were newly admitted, and the number of those treated in intensive care units fell by four to 204.

The latest figures take the total number of infections confirmed so far to over 98,000. The death toll has increased to 2,151.

The seven-day average of new cases is 1,496, and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents is 984, government data show.

Voluntary mass testing to begin in Ljubljana next week

STA, 15 December 2020 - Health Minister Tomaž Gantar has announced that voluntary mass testing for coronavirus could start in Ljubljana as early as next week prior to Christmas holidays, with testing to be made available more widely after New Year's.

"We'll start performing testing as a trial next week in the Ljubljana area; testing will be voluntary, with only health insurance card being required," Gantar said.

Announcing the plan at the daily coronavirus briefing on Tuesday, Gantar said in Ljubljana testing could be performed as early as between 21 and 24 December.

He said about 60 such rapid tests could be taken per hour and testing would be performed for about nine to ten hours a day.

Later, when 100 mobile testing units are available, mass voluntary testing will also be available elsewhere in the country.

The ministry last week issued a public call for mobile unit teams, receiving bids from 30 providers for 100 mobile testing units on the ground.

Although the first call for rapid antigen tests was unsuccessful with a repeat call expiring today, the minister expects 30,000 such tests to be available on 21 December and as many more on 28 December.

After the New Year the priority for testing will be teachers with the priority measure after the New Year being to allow schools to reopen on 4 January or a week later.

15 Dec 2020, 13:45 PM

First 5,000 Vaccine Doses Expected in Slovenia Before End of Year

STA, 14 December 2020 - Slovenia has been promised to get some 5,000 doses of anti-coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year, Health Minister Tomaž Gantar told MPs in questions time in parliament on Monday. This is the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, which is expected to be green-lighted by the European Medicines Agency on 29 December.

However, Gantar is worried that given the strong anti-vaccination movement, Slovenia would in the long-run not achieve a 60% vaccination rate, which scientists deem necessary to guarantee herd immunity.

This is one of the reasons the country decided to buy the vaccine via the European Commission and the Medicines Agency, to raise trust in the safety of the vaccine, he told the MPs.

Once the entire first batch has arrived in the country, it is expected to suffice for 50,000-60,000 people. The country would earmark EUR 10.5 million for anti-Covid vaccination, which will be voluntary, this year.

In line with the national anti-coronavirus vaccination strategy, the first to be vaccinated will be healthcare staff and staff at care homes.

15 Dec 2020, 13:27 PM

Coins Issued Soon to Mark 30 Yrs of Slovenian Independence

STA, 15 December 2020 - Slovenia's central bank will issue collector coins in the coming days to commemorate the 30th independence anniversary. This year's commemorative coins will mark the 500th anniversary of the birth of the author of the first Slovenian grammar book Adam Bohorič. The coins will be available for purchase starting on 23 December.

Banka Slovenije said it would bring into circulation 500 gold coins marking the independence anniversary at the price of EUR 420, 1,000 silver 50-euro coins, 40,000 bi-coloured regular three-euro coins, and 750 bi-coloured three-euro coins in BU quality at the price of EUR 16.

Slovenia in Your Pocket: Coins that Celebrate the Culture

?Kotiček za numizmatike
Zbirateljski in spominski kovanci 2020 v prodajo 23. decembra ? https://t.co/QXmfJ3rzPc
?Sprednja in zadnja stran zbirateljskega in spominskega kovanca.#BankaSlovenije #numizmatika #30let pic.twitter.com/6Ap3GqVIC0
— Banka Slovenije (@BankaSlovenije) December 14, 2020

The bank will also release a collection of Adam Bohorič coins featuring 990,500 regular two-euro commemorative coins and 2,000 coins in BU quality at the price of EUR 15.

The commemorative coins are legal tender in all eurozone countries, while collector coins can be used as a means of payment only in Slovenia.

All the coins will be available for purchase in selected branches of Deželna Banka Slovenije, company Moro & Kunst and at the Banka Slovenije's cashier's desk. If the epidemiological situation does not allow in-person sale, the sale will be organised via post.

Next year, the commemorative coins will mark the 200th anniversary of the predecessor of the National Museum and collector coins will commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Škofja Loka Passion, an early 18th-century play.

15 Dec 2020, 04:16 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 15 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:

Janša says it was Croatia and Italy's good will to invite Slovenia for talks

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša told parliament that it had been Italy and Croatia's "good will" to invite Slovenia for talks on their plans to declare their exclusive economic zones in the Adriatic Sea. The two countries have the right to declare the zones and it is solely because of "our reputation" and their good will that they had invited Slovenia for talks on the matter, he said during questions time in parliament.

Jurist says Croatia should implement arbitration award before economic zone

KOPER - Croatia should first come to an agreement with Slovenia on the implementation of the June 2017 border arbitration award in line with international law and only then expand its rights at sea, maritime law professor Marko Pavliha told the STA. "Croatia's exclusive economic zone - and Italy's as well - will strip Slovenian fishermen of the possibility to fish in the open seas, because there will be no open seas any more," he said. Slovenia should protest via diplomatic channels or restore talks on the implementation of the arbitration award.

431 new coronavirus cases confirmed on Sunday as 44 die

LJUBLJANA - Just over a quarter of tests came back positive on Sunday as Slovenia confirmed 431 new coronavirus cases. A total of 44 persons died, government data show. The latest figures take the total number of infections confirmed so far to 96,745. The death toll stands at 2,107. There were 1,320 Covid-19 patients in hospital yesterday, up five from the day before, and the number of persons in intensive care rose by seven to 208.

Gantar: Slovenia expects first 5,000 doses of vaccine by end-2020

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has been promised to get some 5,000 doses of anti-coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year, Health Minister Tomaž Gantar told MPs in questions time. The vaccine was developed by Pfizer and BioNTech and is expected to be green-lighted by the European Medicines Agency on 29 December. He is worried that given the strong anti-vaccination movement, Slovenia would in the long-run not achieve a 60% vaccination rate, which scientists deem necessary to guarantee herd immunity. Once the entire first batch has arrived, it is expected to suffice for 50,000-60,000 people. The first to be vaccinated will be healthcare staff and staff at care homes.

Janša predicts demanding fight with last third of epidemic

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša told the MPs in parliament Slovenia was in for a "very demanding fight with the last third of the Covid-19 epidemic", after which time would come to eliminate the consequences. He said the EU's recent agreement on the EUR 1.8 trillion recovery package "makes the light at the end of the tunnel brighter". He said Slovenia would earmark part of the funds it is entitled to for healthcare. As for the economy, measures would be focused on improving the investment environment as well as on debureaucratisation and taxes. Solutions regarding the latter should be in parliament before the spring so that they could enter into force in 2022.

Hojs: EU members still apart on solidarity in new migration pact

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The positions of EU member states on solidarity in the new migration pact remain rather different, Slovenia's Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said after taking part in an online EU ministerial. Slovenia remains against obligatory relocation, similar to nine other members state, he said. Hojs labelled the report by the presidency on headway made as regards the pact as too optimistic. He believes matters relating to solidarity and obligatory relocations are "the key dilemma of this pact".

Logar supports EU-Latin America partnership

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar reiterated Slovenia's support for giving cooperation between the EU and Latin American and the Caribbean a fresh impetus as he took part in Monday's online informal meeting between the two regions hosted by the EU's German presidency as part of the bloc's European External Action Service. He said the Covid-19 pandemic showed the importance of close cooperation, strong resilience and good preparedness for potential catastrophes. The meeting focussed on strengthening dialogue and cooperation in green, sustainable and inclusive post-coronavirus recovery, including with the help of digitalisation.

Businesses, economy minister welcome easing of measures, health minister worried

LJUBLJANA - A temporary relaxation of some anti-coronavirus restrictions kicking in on 15 December until 23 December is a major step towards relaunching the economy, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said, noting that rules and guidelines by medical experts should be heeded consistently. Business representatives welcomed the step and urged compliance with the rules. Health Minister Tomaž Gantar meanwhile said he was worried about limited healthcare capacity, so he advocates stepping up restrictions during the coming holidays. The government is to review the latest epidemiological developments on Thursday. Unofficial reports suggest a full lockdown could be introduced for 24 December-4 January, meaning only health institutions, pharmacies and grocers would be open.

Outdoor face mask use slightly relaxed for all regions as of Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - The government relaxed the rule under which face masks are mandatory in all outdoor public areas in regions where the two-week average number of new infections exceeds 140 per 100,000 residents. From 16 December, face masks will be mandatory in outdoor public areas only if it is not possible to keep at least a 2-metre distance. The government adopted the relaxed measure which applies to all statistical regions today, and it will be in place for seven days.

Conditional movement restriction exemption faces criticism

LJUBLJANA - The government's plan to allow movement across municipalities within regions with the best epidemiological situation only to those who have installed the Covid-19 contact tracing app on their mobile devices is raising dust, as many legal experts claim the condition is unconstitutional. Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told the press residents will be obligated to show their apps to police officers when crossing municipal borders. If they fail to do so, they will have to turn back or be fined.

Prime minister does not agree social dialogue non-existent

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša said the government did not neglect social dialogue during the epidemic. There have been many proposals and they frequently contradict each other. The government not taking into account all of them does not mean there is no social dialogue, he added. Janša was responding to a question by opposition MP Jani Prednik, who alleged the government was not conducting an adequate social dialogue and instead engaged in activities that had nothing to do with battling the epidemic.

Anti-graft watchdog hands Vizjak case to ATVP

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption closed its investigation into the case of Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak's purchase of Petrol shares ahead of the full liberalisation of fuel prices after concluding that this is not within its purview. It handed the case over to the Securities Market Agency (ATVP). Vizjak had been reported to the commission after buying over 400 shares of energy group Petrol in the spring, before the government decided to fully liberalise fuel prices as of October, which significantly raised the shares' value.

Conflict about STA financing also goes to court

LJUBLJANA - The suspension of STA financing has led to criminal charges being filed by both sides. The STA's in-house trade union reported Government Communication Office (UKOM) head Uroš Urbanija to the prosecution on Friday over abuse of office, overstepping of powers and causing damage to the STA's public service. Urbanija filed charges against STA director Bojan Veselinovič, former UKOM head Kristina Plavšak Krajnc and four STA supervisors. Plavšak Kranjc was reported over suspicion of abuse of office and Veselinovič over suspicion of abuse of public funds.

Janša says government not interfering with STA

LJUBLJANA - Independent media are very important for democracy in any country, said PM Janez Janša in parliament while responding to an MP question, saying the government was not interfering with the STA. The contract it wants to be honoured was signed between the Government Communication Office (UKOM) and the STA last year during the previous government's term, he said. Just as the government is obligated to honour that contract, so is the STA. He announced the next contract to be signed with the STA will be clear in what is required by law.

RTV Slovenija approves production programme for next year

LJUBLJANA - The programming council of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija approved the programme and production plan for 2021 as the document was put to a vote for the second time. The plan is a slight upgrade of the document rejected by the programming council on 30 November. RTV Slovenija director general Igor Kadunc said it entailed the barest minimum that allows the broadcaster to still meet its legal obligations. The council did not, however, show approval for the broadcaster's financial plan, the approval of which lies in the hands of the supervisory board.

Delo poll: SDS slips but still in lead, govt gets lowest mark

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democrats (SDS) lost almost three points in the latest public opinion poll commissioned by the newspaper Delo, but are still in lead with 16.9%. There are some changes on the centre-left, as the SocDems slid from the second to the fourth place, behind the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and the Left. The government received the lowest average mark in the Mediana poll of 2.44 on a one-to-five scale (down from 2.78 in November).

Remote schooling to continue at least until year's end

LJUBLJANA - School will continue remotely at least until the end of the year given the demanding epidemiological situation in a bid to protect the health of teachers and children, Education Minister Simona Kustec said. When the situation improves, the priority will be to open schools, first for children in the first three forms of primary school and for special-needs children. The president of the Slovenian Headmasters' Association, Gregor Pečan, said the decision was expected but expressed concern that industries with strong lobbying power might disrupt the course of restriction easing as recently laid out by the government in its five-tier strategy.

Eco Fund reduces subsidies for electric vehicles

LJUBLJANA - The Eco Fund has reduced subsidies for electric vehicles in its latest tender published in the Official Gazette. The fund decided on the move because the overall volume of subsidies had been rising in recent years as the number of subsidised vehicles almost doubled each year while the price of vehicles has been dropping. In the two public calls for application, for individuals and companies, which were published on Friday, the rules stipulate that subsidies cannot exceed 20% of the vehicle's value and thus range from EUR 300 to EUR 4,500.

Rogaška Slatina voters confirm observation tower plan

ROGAŠKA SLATINA - Voters in the municipality of Rogaška Slatina have confirmed plans by the local government to erect the tallest observation tower in Slovenia. At a cost of over two million euro, the 106-metre tower is designed to become one of the landmarks in a community best known for spa tourism. Some 56% of voters endorsed the plan on a turnout of over 40% at a referendum on Sunday, called by the opponents of the plan, who objected to the cost as well as the placement of the tower at the bottom of the valley and the perceived cost-to-benefit ratio.

Top philosopher dies

LJUBLJANA - One of Slovenia's top philosophers, Cvetka Hedžet Toth, has died, aged 72, the news portal MMC reported. Hedžet Toth was a dedicated and very popular full professor at the Ljubljana Faculty of Arts who has written seven books and a number of scientific articles. Her focus was on ontology, metaphysics, utopianism, ethics and axiology. Her work was proof that she had a highly developed sense of community, the Faculty of Arts said when her last book was published in 2018.

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14 Dec 2020, 16:17 PM

Distance Learning Until at Least End of Year; Primary School, Special Needs Pupils Priority for Return

STA, 14 December 2020 - School will continue remotely at least until the end of the year given the demanding epidemiological situation. This is to protect the health of teachers as well as children, Education Minister Simona Kustec said on Monday.

Kustec said remote learning was generally going well and without major problems, and in the current circumstances it is the best possible way to ensure the right to education.

When the epidemiological situation improves, the priority will be to open schools, first for children in the first three years of primary school and for special-needs children.

Children with special needs will return to school as soon as experts give the green light. "We don't have this assessment yet," she told reporters on the margins of a National Assembly session.

After almost two months of severe restrictions, the government decided to relax some measures starting tomorrow. Schools are not included in the relaxation package.

The president of the Slovenian Headmasters' Association, Gregor Pečan, told the STA the decision was expected but expressed concern that industries with strong lobbying power might disrupt the course of restriction easing as laid out recently by the government.

He said that some of the easing planned for tomorrow caused confusion and uncertainty among teachers. "If this is only about the ability of individual lobbies to influence, this is unusual, at the very least, while I personally believe it is bad for citizens."

Even though he supports the efforts of the industrial chambers, Pečan is worried that the scheme of restriction easement will indeed work the way it has been set out. In case of lobbying, Pečan doubts the relevance of declaring the five epidemic stages that lay the foundation to restrict or impose different restrictions.

Commenting on Kustec's position that remote schooling was going without major issues, Pečan said: "It's definitely going better than in the first wave".

There are however still some technical issues, and parents find it harder to help their children because many more are working now than in the spring, he said.

14 Dec 2020, 14:12 PM

Voters in Rogaška Slatina Approve Plans for Observation Tower

STA, 14 December 2020 - Voters in Rogaška Slatina have confirmed plans by the local government to erect the tallest observation tower in Slovenia. At a cost of over two million euro, the 106-metre tower is designed to become one of the landmarks in a community best known for spa tourism.

Some 56% of voters endorsed the plan on a turnout of over 40% at a referendum Sunday called by opponents of the plan, who objected to the cost as well as the placement of the tower at the bottom of the valley and the perceived cost-to-benefit ratio.

The initiator of the referendum, local resident Eva Žgajner, said that despite the outcome, the local government should "make the project acceptable for everyone, which means changing the location of the tower".

rogaska slatina tower 01.jpg

Mayor Branko Kidrič said he was glad people recognised that building the tallest tower in the country was important for the development of the municipality and the knock-on effects it will bring.

The municipality has said the tower, called Crystal to evoke the rich glassmaking heritage of the region, would drive tourism figures. It thinks it will result in EUR 300,000 in additional local government revenue per year.

The project has been bitterly contested from the start and the referendum was held despite the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) issuing a negative opinion due to the coronavirus epidemic. The government opined the referendum could be held as long as all public health guidelines are followed.

Slovenia has seen a frenzy of tower construction in recent years after the success of the Vinarium Tower in Lendava, which has attracted tens of thousands of tourists to the region.

14 Dec 2020, 13:14 PM

Eco Fund Cuts Subsidies for Electric Vehicles

STA, 14 December 2020 - The Eco Fund has reduced subsidies for electric vehicles in its latest tender published in the Official Gazette. The fund decided for the move because the overall volume of subsidies had been rising in recent years as the number of subsidised vehicles almost doubled each year while the price of vehicles has been dropping.

In the two public calls for application, for individuals and companies, which were published on Friday, the rules stipulate that subsidies cannot exceed 20% of the vehicle's value and thus range from EUR 300 to EUR 4,500.

Only vehicles that cost no more than EUR 65,000, including VAT, other discounts and battery lease included, can receive state subsidies.

In practical terms this means a subsidy for a typical electric car will drop to a maximum of EUR 4,500 from EUR 6,000, while subsidies for cargo vehicles will be EUR 1,000 lower and for light four-wheeled vehicles EUR 500 lower.

Companies will from now on be awarded subsidies under the 'de minimis' rule, which means a company must not receive more than EUR 200,000 in subsidies, with the exception of Covid-19 aid, over three business years. This is to simplify procedures, as the subsidies will be awarded for investments that have already been carried out.

Under the new rules, companies will no longer be reimbursed for the extra costs that they have with the electric vehicle compared to those using fossil fuel. Vehicles will be subsidised based on their category and regardless of the size or location of the company.

14 Dec 2020, 05:23 AM

Some Covid Restrictions Eased Tuesday, Will Return 23 December

STA, 13 December 2020 - The government has decided to temporarily ease some restrictions starting on Tuesday. Some services will resume nationwide, some will be limited to four regions with the best epidemiological situation, Prime Minister Janez Janša announced on Twitter on Sunday. The new measures will apply until 23 December.

Nationwide, public transportation will restart in limited fashion, which means up to half capacity. Gondolas will be limited to one person or one family, according to Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec. Hair salons, flower shops, car washes and dry cleaners will be allowed to reopen.

In four regions with the best epidemiological situation - Central Slovenia, Goriška, the coastal Obalno-Kraška region and Gorenjska - footwear, apparel and sports equipment shops as well as car dealerships will open.

Moreover, in these four regions individuals using the national exposure notification app #OstaniZdrav will be able to move between municipalities despite the general ban on inter-municipal movement.

Janša said the government was keeping an eye on the capacity of the health system and the 7-day rolling average of new infections by statistical regions.

"This is why there may be changes in individual regions," he said on Twitter, noting that changes could go either way.

On Thursday the government plans to analyse the latest statistics and determine the restrictions regime during the Christmas and New Year's holidays, he said.

Janša thanked health workers "and everyone heeding restrictions and protecting health and lives". "With your help we managed to stop the epidemic before it would exceed the capacities of our health system".

The announcement comes after the government held separate meetings yesterday with representatives of the medical profession and business in a bid to gauge whether and to what extent is could relax the nearly two-months long lockdown.

Prior to the meetings, health experts indicated they were opposed to any relaxation of restrictions given the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital, whereas businesses were pushing for the opening of as many types of businesses as possible, albeit in exchange for strict precautionary measures.

Slovenia has had fairly high numbers of new infections and one of the highest mortality rates in the world in recent weeks, but the epidemic has been plateauing for over a month at roughly 20,000-21,000 active cases.

Slovenia's twelve statistical regions have a seven-day average of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants from 349 to 843, according to the latest data released by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). The four most favourable regions are in the 349-395 range.

14 Dec 2020, 04:20 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday 14, 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:

Temporary easing of restrictions as of Tuesday

LJUBLJANA - The government decided to temporarily ease some restrictions starting on Tuesday. Nationwide, public transportation will restart. Hair salons, flower shops, car washes and dry cleaners will reopen. In four regions with the best epidemiological situation - Central Slovenia, Goriška, Obalno-Kraška and Gorenjska - footwear, apparel and sports equipment shops as well as car dealerships will open. In these four regions individuals using the national exposure notification app #OstaniZdrav will be able to move between municipalities, PM Janez Janša announced on Twitter.

Coronavirus test positivity rate remains high

LJUBLJANA - A total of 830 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Saturday as 31.3% of the tests came back positive. Government data also show Covid-19 hospitalisations rising above 1,300 and 22 more patients losing their lives, raising the death toll from Covid-19 to 2,063. A total of 1,315 Covid-19 patients were treated in hospitals yesterday, 39 more than the day before, despite 52 being discharged home. The number of patients in intensive care units rose by eight to 201.

Italian, Croatian ministers to discuss EEZs Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša announced that the foreign ministers of Slovenia, Italy and Croatia would meet in Venice on Saturday to discuss plans by Italy and Croatia to declare exclusive economic zones (EEZ) in the Adriatic Sea. In a Twitter post on Saturday evening, Janša said he had received a call from his Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte, who "in the light of neighbourly relations" informed him of Italy's reasons to declare an exclusive economic zone. Janša also talked to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

Pahor urges Bosnia leaders to engage in joint efforts

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - President Borut Pahor called on the leaders of Bosnia-Herzegovina to focus on the country's economic and social challenges together, as he addressed by video link a ceremony in Sarajevo on Saturday marking the 25th anniversary of the Dayton agreement, which ended the war in the country. Pahor said the political leadership in the country should establish trust aspire for reconciliation and focus on what truly mattered to the citizens.

Hydrogen-powered Hy4 aircraft makes successful virgin flight

AJDOVŠČINA - Pipistrel Vertical Solutions, a company of the Slovenian ultralight aircraft maker Pipistrel, announced that the Hy4 hydrogen fuel cell driven hybrid-electric four-seater aircraft had made a successful virgin flight in a "landmark for the MAHEPA project and for the future of clean aviation". The Hy4 made the flight from Maribor airport, in the north-east of Slovenia, in November, despite the Covid-19 repercussions and with all safety precautions in place.

SDS with 12-point lead in Nova24TV poll

LJUBLJANA - The Democratic Party (SDS) of Prime Minister Janez Janša polled at 26.6% in the latest poll commissioned by the commercial broadcaster Nova24TV, 12 percentage points ahead of the runner-up. The opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) polled at 14.5% and the Social Democrats (SD) at 10.5%, where the percentages are from answers of respondents who would definitely cast their vote. The junior coalition New Slovenia (NSi) got 8.5% and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) 7.3%.

Prof Edward Gobetz dies

CLEVELAND, US - The Slovenian Consulate General in Cleveland announced that Edward Gobetz, an esteemed Slovenian American philosopher, sociologist and anthropologist, a professor emeritus at Kent State University, had died, aged 94, of Covid-19 complications. In August, Gobetz was honoured with the Order of Merit for his contribution to the recognition of Slovenia and enrichment of knowledge about the achievements of Slovenians in the US and the world.

Michelin star chef to launch Zemono+ brand

VIPAVA - Tomaž Kavčič, one of Slovenia's top chefs, who runs Michelin-starred restaurant Pri Lojzetu in Zemono Mansion near Vipava, has unveiled plans to launch his own brand Zemono+. Foodies will be able to purchase Zemono+ products via an online shop starting in January. The Zemono+ shop is expected to come to life in mid-January. "Online sale is inevitable," Kavčič said this week during an online presentation of the brand.

Martin Čater sensational winner of World Cup downhill opener

VAL D'ISERE, France - Martin Čater won the first World Cup downhill of the season in France's Val d'Isere in what is the first podium finish for the 27-year-old, who entered the race with the start number 41. Čater is only the third Slovenian male World Cup downhill winner since independence after Andrej Jerman, who has two wins, and Boštjan Kline, who secured the most recent one in 2017.

Norway win team event at Planica, Slovenia 4th

PLANICA - Norway won the team event at the Ski Flying World Championships at Slovenia's Planica, overtaking Germany in the last round as Halvor Egner Granerud performed better than Karl Geiger, who beat the Norwegian yesterday in the individual event. Slovenia bounced back from the turmoil in their ranks by finishing fourth. The Norwegian team thus defended their gold medal from the previous Ski Flying World Championships to earn the fifth medal for the nation in team events.

Looking for a gift this Christmas that says “Slovenia” and will keep you and your loved ones happy and well fed for years to come? Then check out the beautifully produced book Cook Eat Slovenia, with 100 easy to follow recipes for all seasons. The book has won three awards at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020, for best translated, best self-published, and best food tourism cookbook for Slovenia, and for the second best in the world for food tourism, and third best for self-published. Our review is here, and you can order a copy from anywhere in the world here.

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

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