29 Nov 2020, 11:52 AM

What Mladina & Demokracija Are Saying This Week: Epidemic Failure vs Janša’s Rule of Law Letter

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 27 November 2020. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: Govt botched crisis due to incompetence, lack of trust in people

STA, 27 November 2020 - The latest editorial by the left-wing weekly paper Mladina says that the government has botched the fight against the epidemic, identifying problems in the issuing of quarantine orders and the 80% instead of full coverage of pay for quarantined workers as the main mistakes.

Looking at infection trends per 100,000 people around the EU in the second wave, the paper says that Slovenia is the only country that has not only failed to reverse the growth but has even seen a deterioration even though major restrictions in different form have been in place for over five weeks and are among the strictest in the bloc.

Mladina says the system for quarantine orders failed in October, "which is why those who were sick and those who had had contact with those who tested positive were not staying home but continued to go to work. Why? If there is no order there is no pay compensation".

"After the start of the epidemic and until 1 October we had 6,104 confirmed infections in Slovenia and during this period the state issued 80,600 quarantine orders. Since 1 October and until this week no fewer than 60,976 infections were confirmed, but the state issued only 11,847 orders for pay compensation.

"Since we know that each infected individual comes into contact with at least one person, it is clear that a significantly larger number of quarantine orders should have been issued. This data shows that people in Slovenia are going to work even though they had contact with an infected person and spread the disease," Mladina says, adding a survey had indeed shown that the majority, over 25%, got infected at work.

The paper claims this is happening because the government's compensation system. "When an individual in Germany of Austria comes into contact with an infected person and needs to isolate they automatically get 100% pay compensation. In Slovenia, such a person is automatically punished, getting only 80% (and the same share is paid back by the state to the employer)."

Mladina argues such measures are pushing workers to continue working despite the circumstance and employers to force them to ignore dangerous contacts.

According to the paper, the government's approach is the result of the way the current decision makers are perceiving people - with disdain. The feel that providing full compensation would result in workers cheating.

"They were saying that they are simultaneously saving the economy and lives but in fact they deepened the crisis by dragging out a hard lockdown while completely losing control over the virus. There are waiting lines in morgues today," Mladina says in the commentary headlined Incompetent and Greedy.

Demokracija: Left understood Janša's rule of law letter, EU didn’t

STA, 26 November 2020 – Demokracija, the right-wing weekly, writes about reactions to PM Janez Janša's letter to EU leaders in the latest editorial, asserting that the leftist opposition in the country failed to understand what German Chancellor Angela Merkel did as she described the letter as a call for compromise to resolve blockade by Hungary and Poland.

The right-wing weekly finds the left is prone to forgetfulness and double standards, recalling how "the leftist elite" - gathered at Stožice Arena in 2013 to celebrate the "soft coup and Alenka Bratušek's enthroning as the prime minister" - called the EU a "band of thieves" in what was a time that saw a culmination of "the ridiculing of the 'core' member states and the rule of law".

"You would think all of them went to special needs schools (...) It appeared to them again there was water in the pool. There may have been, it is only that German Chancellor Angela Merkel emptied the pool with her statement that Janša's letter is a call to a search for compromise to unblock funds for the post-pandemic recovery".

The paper says that it is clear politics cannot decide on the rule of law by an outvote, noting that in 2014 Janša's mandate was taken away by politics, an abuse later quashed by the Constitutional Court, without anyone being held accountable for that abuse.

The paper also uses the empty poll metaphor to describe the attempts by the centre-left opposition to form an alternative government under the economist Jože P. Damijan, saying they appear to be seeing the water as a mirage in the desert.

Damijan "can in no way explain his maths in enlisting support among MPs", he "appears to have serious problems himself as well as with others otherwise the far left Mladina magazine, which is unconditionally devoted to him, would not have called for prayer".

In conclusion, the piece says that while the right uses common sense, the capacity of candidates of the left is deteriorating, and appears to have reached a new low with Damijan: "You begin to wonder about the intellectual capacity of the deep state's master-chefs (...) wondering where the hell did they find such a substandard fellow".

All our posts in this series are here

29 Nov 2020, 04:27 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 29 November 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:

Almost 1,600 new coronavirus cases confirmed as 43 persons die

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 1,591 new cases of coronavirus in 6,938 tests on Friday and 43 died. There were 1,258 persons with Covid-19 in hospital compared to 1,324 the day before, of which 194 were intensive care, down from 206. The figures indicate a test positivity rate of just under 23%, down over a percentage point on the day before. Slovenia has so far recorded 1,336 Covid-19 deaths. The number of positive tests since the start of the epidemic currently stands at 74,265.

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PETA approved cork bags, wallets and purses at CORK.SI

And that's it - Saturday was a slow news day in Slovenia

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

28 Nov 2020, 15:33 PM

Slovenia & Coronavirus, Sat 28/11: 1,591 New Cases, Positivity Rate Falling, Epidemic Calming Down

STA, 28 November 2020 - Slovenia confirmed 1,591 new cases of coronavirus in 6,938 tests on Friday. 43 persons died, the latest government data show.

There were 1,258 persons with Covid-19 in hospital compared to 1,324 the day before, as 113 persons were discharged, of which 194 were intensive care, down from 206.

The figures indicate a test positivity rate of just under 23%, down over a percentage point on the day before.

Slovenia has so far recorded 1,336 Covid-19 deaths. The number of positive tests since the start of the epidemic currently stands at 74,265.

There are currently just over 20,000 active cases in the country, down marginally from the day before, with the number of new cases per 100,000 population over the past 14 days also down slightly, to 960, show Covid-19 Sledilnik data.

The Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS), which has been modelling the epidemic, said the latest figures showed the epidemic had finally started to calm down.

"We hope that with a consistent implementation of 16 November measures, whose effect will become increasingly pronounced in the coming days, we will succeed in decisively bending the curve."

IJS said peak hospital numbers may have been achieved already, while the R-value, which shows how many people one infected person infects on average, had dropped to about one.

All our stories on Slovenia and coronavirus

28 Nov 2020, 13:14 PM

Last Week in Slovenia: 20-26 November, 2020

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

If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.

FRIDAY, 20 November
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia' death toll from Covid-19 passed the 1,000 mark, rising to 1,245 by 25 November after another daily record of 59 on 23 November, as the case count passed 71,000 with more than 20,000 active cases. PM Janez Janša announced government departments had been instructed to prepare a mass testing of the population by 5 December and registration of volunteers for vaccination.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a bill on EUR 780 million defence investment until 2026, the bulk of which will be spent to buy armoured personnel vehicles and set up a medium infantry battalion group. An aircraft and two helicopters are also to be bought. Six days later the opposition Left and SocDems submitted over 28,000 signatures in support of a referendum challenging the law before seeking to collect 40,000 verified signatures to call the vote, which the Defence Ministry said would not be legally permissible.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar spoke with his Brazilian counterpart Ernesto Araujo via video call, reaffirming the good relationship between the two countries and calling for a further strengthening in political dialogue and business links.
        LJUBLJANA - An international study by the Tax Justice Network, Public Services International and Global Alliance for Tax Justice found that Slovenia loses US$213.9 million in tax revenue a year to tax abuse.
        LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that plans for the creation of a national state-owned tourism holding hit a snag since epidemic-related expenditure crowded out budget funds needed for a key portion of the plan - the purchase of a 43% stake in tourism company Sava.
        LJUBLJANA - The energy group Petrol saw its revenue drop by 30% year-on-year in the first nine months of the year to EUR 2.29 billion as net profit fell 49% to EUR 40.5 million, a development blamed on coronavirus restrictions.
        LJUBLJANA - Insurance group Sava Re reported a net profit of EUR 47.6 million for the nine months to the end of September, an increase of 26.4% year-on-year, which is mostly due to the acquisition of life insurer Vita. Gross premiums written rose by 12.4% to EUR 527.1 million.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a bill regulating the processing and protection of personal data in procedures before law enforcement authorities, transposing the relevant EU directive, which should have been implemented in the national law by May 2018.
        LJUBLJANA - A renewed attempt by the opposition to ban the extraction of natural gas through hydraulic fracturing in Slovenia was voted down by the National Assembly. The proposal is related to the British company Ascent Resources' plans for the Petišovci gas field in the north-east.
        LJUBLJANA - Two days after a series of raids, the police revealed they had arrested seven and filed criminal complaints against 12 suspects following an 18-month investigation into a suspected international migrant smuggling ring which is also believed to have involved Slovenian citizens in charge of security at Ljubljana's asylum centre.

SATURDAY, 21 November
        LJUBLJANA - Matej Tonin, the head of New Slovenia (NSi), pledged to continue to aspire for cooperation in politics as he addressed a virtual congress that endorsed him for another term as the only candidate for the presidency of the party. He warned "any coalition bow can snap if pulled too tight", but said attempts by the Constitutional Arch (KUL) to oust the government were "not cool".
        LJUBLJANA - Apples, a Greek-Polish-Slovenian co-production directed by Christos Nikou, was declared the winner of the online iteration of the Ljubljana International Film Festival, as the Best Short Film Award went to Portuguese-French co-production Invisible Hero by Cristele Alves Meira, and the FIPRESCI Award to Visar Morina's Exile, a co-production of Kosovo, Germany and Belgium. The Art Kino Network Award went to Italian-French co-production Martin Eden by Pietro Marcello.
        MIAMI, US - Goran Dragić, one of three Slovenian NBA players, signed a two-year US$37.5 million contract extension with the Miami Heat. "I'm glad that I can announce that I'm staying with my Miami Heat. Let's finish the job we started!" he said on Twitter.

SUNDAY, 22 November
LJUBLJANA - More than 60% of those questioned in a poll commissioned by the commercial broadcaster POP TV supported government coronavirus measures, however nearly 55% said they did not support the government's work. The share was up 1.3 points from October as the percentage of supporters also rose by 3.2 points to 36.3%. The ruling Democrats (SDS) remained in the lead at 16.5% while the junior coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) made biggest gains, adding 2.2 points to 3.9%, as it prepares for a change of leadership.

MONDAY, 23 November
        LJUBLJANA - As mandatory testing of health staff came into force, hospitals across the country reported having started or ramped up rapid antigen testing for Covid-19 to screen staff as a way to prepare for regular weekly testing, to be mandatory from 7 December, also at care homes.
        LJUBLJANA - The leader of the Constitutional Arch Coalition, economist Jože P. Damijan told reporters the newly formed coalition of four centre-left opposition parties was still seven votes short to call a vote of no confidence in the government. He indicated this could happen after the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) gets a new president on 5 December.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia observed Rudolf Maister Day, a public holiday in memory of the general who established the first Slovenian army in modern history and secured what would became Slovenia's northern border. In his address President Borut Pahor appealed to the nation to nurture what united them rather than what divided them.
        LJUBLJANA - Rapper Zlatko, a prominent anti-masker, harassed Milan Krek, director of the National Institute of Public Health, in the street in an incident that drew widespread condemnation.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Book Fair opened for the first time as an online-only event, featuring 97 publishers and more than 100 online events with Spain as the guest of honour.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed the first case of avian influenza in a dead swan found in the coastal municipality of Piran. The strain is the highly pathogenic H5N8 which is not dangerous to humans but has been spreading among birds in Europe.
        MOSCOW, Russia - Sports climber Jernej Kruder became the new European bouldering champion, claiming the first ever European title for Slovenian men's climbing and the 24th medal for the country at European championships.
        LJUBLJANA - Police said they had charged a 67-year-old man from Ljubljana with multiple counts of crime for having the corpse of his mother, who would have been 97 now, kept for several years and collecting her pension.

TUESDAY, 24 November
        BERLIN, Germany - Foreign Minister Anže Logar addressed the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum to highlight the priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency in the second half of 2021 and call for solidarity among EU member states, also in order to reach a comprise acceptable to all as he argued that different perceptions of the rule of law should be accepted.
        LJUBLJANA - After four sessions dedicated to the matter, the coalition majority on the Home Affairs Committee concluded the police response to the 5 November protest in Ljubljana which turned into a riot was suitable and efficient, despite the opposition insisting such a conclusion could only be made by experts. Committee chair, Democrat (SDS) Branko Grims filed a criminal complaint against Left MP Miha Kordiš for allegedly divulging classified information about the riot, a charge Kordiš described as "fairy tales" to divert attention from problems faced by the country.
        LJUBLJANA - The four left-leaning opposition parties jointly urged against government plans to involve Hungary in the construction of a new rail track to the port of Koper, arguing this would only delay the project and make it more expensive.
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court admitted one of three challenges against the Supreme Court's decision in January to quash the 1946 death sentence against collaborationist general Leon Rupnik. The court suspended the renewed criminal proceedings against Rupnik, arguing their potential termination would absolve Rupnik of his guilt.

WEDNESDAY, 25 November
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed the sixth stimulus package designed to mitigate the fallout from coronavirus. Valued at around EUR 1 billion, the legislation most notably extends the furlough scheme and measures to improve liquidity, and introduces help with fixed expenses for companies. The opposition criticised "cuckoos" inserted in the package which it said served vested interests. The government is meanwhile working on a next package where particular attention is to be paid to the sectors hit by lockdown the most and vulnerable groups of population.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Institute of Public Health presented the results of a survey among 10,205 infected between 16 and 22 November which show the most (25%) reporting getting infected at work, followed by almost as many who do not know where they got infected, over 20% who got infected from a household member, and 15% at care homes. Officials also revealed that 580 care home residents died in the second wave and 2,660 were actively infected.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Parliament debated allegations that Hungary had been interfering in media in Slovenia and North Macedonia. Four Slovenian MEPs presented their views on the matter, with S&D and Renew members claiming that Hungarian media with close links to the government influencing Slovenian media was dangerous, and EPP MEPs dismissing the claims.
        LJUBLJANA - Eight airlines - Turkish Airlines, Swiss Air, Air Serbia, Montenegro Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France, Wizzair and LOT - were picked to receive state subsidies to operate flights to Slovenia. The first instalment of the incentive is worth EUR 985,320.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces and the police signed a document on cooperation between the army and police in securing the border and preventing illegal migration. A similar plan was adopted in 2015.
        LJUBLJANA - Nine NGOs, movements and civil initiatives formed a group called Za Savo (For the Sava) to fight the planned construction of hydro power plants on the central part of the Slovenian section of the river.

THURSDAY, 26 November
        LJUBLJANA - The government extended by a week all of the main lockdown measures, including the ban on gatherings, in-class schooling, movement between municipalities and the 9pm-6am curfew. Public transport will remain suspended for two more weeks. Shops selling non-essential goods, cultural institutions, and bars and restaurants remain closed as well.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Defence Committee failed to muster the needed two-thirds majority to endorse a government proposal to give soldiers police powers to help secure the border against illegal migration. This is the second attempt of the Janez Janša government to activate Article 37.a of the defence law after the first failed to make it past the committee in April.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to sign a memorandum of understanding with all key stakeholders of the Ljubljana Passenger Terminal, a project valued at EUR 350 million that will include Mendota Invest, a company affiliated with Hungarian bank OTP. Construction is slated to start in 2022.
        LJUBLJANA - The retail group Mercator reported a net loss of EUR 69 million for the first nine months as sales revenue rose by 2.1% year-on-year to EUR 1.6 billion, the loss being blamed on property revaluation.

28 Nov 2020, 12:14 PM

Ljubljana Protesters Move from Bikes to Cars, Fines for Violating Gatherings Ban, Road Rules (Video)

STA, 28 November 2020 - After a break of a few weeks, the Friday anti-government protesters hit the streets of Ljubljana again today, this time in cars and not on bicycles as usual, as public gatherings are banned under a government anti-coronavirus decree.

The protesters were circling the streets around the National Assembly building, and the police have beefed up security in the area, the public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported.

The drivers were honking horns and one of the cars had a bicycle affixed on its roof rack and a slogan saying "Attention. A falling government!". Some of the protesters were IDed by the police.

"Z dveh koles na štiri" - petkov protivladni #protest se je zaradi ukrepov med epidemijo s koles preselil v avtomobile. Protestniki vozijo po ljubljanskih ulicah in svoje nezadovoljstvo tokrat izražajo z glasnim hupanjem. @rtvslo @InfoTVSLO pic.twitter.com/1XZdmlQ0Zw
— Tina Hacler (@TinaHacler) November 27, 2020

Na današnjem protestu zoper vlado Janeza Janše se je ponovno pokazalo, da ukrepi proti protestnikom nimajo nikakršne...
Posted by Protestna ljudska skupščina on Friday, 27 November 2020

In an announcement of the protest, the movement said it would take a drive around Ljubljana to "massively, loudly and visibly express criticism of the current authorities".

The protesters believe that the government has again proven that it "takes advantage of the epidemic for dictatorship, repression and violation of fundamental human rights, such as the right to expression".

Among other things, they are bothered by the latest anti-coronavirus legislation under which fines for organisers of gatherings in public places for the duration of the ban were raised to between EUR 1,200 and EUR 12,000.

The protesters argue that these are disproportionately high penalties which come as a result of distinctly political, and not expertise-based decisions.

They said they would not let the government silence the people and the increasingly loud and bitter criticism against it, and would not let the government put the blame and responsibility for the epidemiological situation on anyone but itself.

"The Friday protests never endangered people's health and there is no evidence whatsoever that infections were spread at the protests," the protesters said, adding that this was virtually impossible among cyclists who wear face masks.

They also announced that protests in cars would be held every Friday from now on until the ban was revoked.

28 Nov 2020, 04:01 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 28 November 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:

Covid-19 hospitalisations at new high, 1,609 new infections

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 1,609 new coronavirus cases for Thursday and 48 more fatalities as the number of Covid-19 patients requiring hospital treatment reached a new high of 1,324, even as the number of intensive care patients dropped to 206. Government data show the latest cases come from 6,587 tests, meaning the positivity rate was 24.4%, up slightly from 23.9% the day before but down from over 27% a week ago. The death toll among patients with Covid-19 has risen to 1,293.

Many dilemmas about rapid tests at companies

LJUBLJANA - After a recent survey by the National Institute of Public Health showed one in four infected likely contracted coronavirus at work, the idea to introduce rapid antigen tests at companies is gaining traction. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Economy Ministry are among those in favour, but there are still a number of dilemmas to be resolved, not least who should bear the cost. Some companies, like Chinese-owned Gorenje, are already testing their staff, while others are reserved, also because they have not had many infections so far.

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PETA approved cork bags, wallets and purses at CORK.SI

Health Ministry says care homes, healthcare staff among first to get vaccine

LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry announced that a strategy for vaccination against Covid-19 would be ready within three weeks. Presenting some outlines, it said the plan was to first provide vaccination in care homes, for those above 60 with chronic conditions, and for staff in healthcare and critical infrastructure. The ministry said the strategy would be flexible, being upgraded with each new certified vaccine. It will be divided into three sub-segments, with conditions of distribution, storage and vaccine preparation differing for each of the vaccine platforms.

FM calls for even greater cooperation in the Mediterranean

LJUBLJANA - Taking part in a virtual ministerial of the Regional Forum of the Union for the Mediterranean on Friday, Foreign Minister Anže Logar expressed support for further strengthening of relations and cooperation as part of the alliance, and for greater security, stability and development of the Mediterranean region. Logar called for the strengthening of political dialogue and closer cooperation of member states of the Union for the Mediterranean when it comes to social, cultural and human ties, the Foreign Ministry said.

Slovenian, Icelandic FMs for strong transatlantic cooperation

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Icelandic Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson discussed a number of topics via a video call on Friday, supporting a strong and united EU, and strong transatlantic ties. Views on priorities during Slovenia's EU presidency in the second half of 2021 were also in the focus, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

Parliament declares referendum on defence investment inadmissible

LJUBLJANA - Responding to an ongoing opposition Left and SocDems-led referendum initiative against an act envisaging EUR 780 million in additional defence spending in 2021-2026, parliament adopted in a 51:33 vote a decree that declares such a referendum inadmissible. The Left said it would turn to the Constitutional Court. The Left's leader Luka Mesec suggested this was a dangerous precedent where anti-referendum provisions inserted in the referendum act during the epidemic to prevent referenda on coronacrisis legislation were being used outside this framework.

Report finds systemic lack of transparency in political decisions

LJUBLJANA - Transparency International Slovenia issued a report on political integrity in Slovenia on Thursday that points to systemic shortcomings related to the transparency of decisions affecting the public. In response, the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption expressed concern in particular over the high number of decisions adopted in emergency procedure. Also frequent are violations of the prescribed 30 to 60-day deadline for consultation or public presentation, the commission said.

Friday anti-govt protesters hit streets, this time in cars

Ljubljana - After a break of a few weeks, the Friday anti-government protesters hit the streets of Ljubljana again, this time in cars and not on bicycles as usual, as public gatherings are banned under a government anti-coronavirus decree. The protesters were circling the streets around the National Assembly building, and the police have beefed up security in the area, the public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported.

Luka Koper's operating profit down 44% in first nine months

LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 pandemic continued to impact the global flow of goods in the third quarter of the year, affecting the nine-month results of Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's sole maritime port, which saw its sales revenue drop by 11% year-on-year to EUR 155 and operating profit by 44% to EUR 22 million. This is a result of the Koper port recording a 16% drop in transshipment in the January-September period year-on-year, Luka Koper said.

State secures Ankaran municipality plots for Koper port development

ANKARAN/LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec and Ankaran Mayor Gregor Strmčnik signed on Friday a set of contracts that grant the state access to around 120,000 square metres of land slated for the development of the Koper port. Commenting on the EUR 9.3 million deal with Koper's neighbouring municipality, Vrtovec said that after years of negotiations a breakthrough had been achieved on the path to the long-term development of the state-controlled Koper port.

After slump Unior revenue picking up

ZREČE - The state-owned tool maker and automotive supplier Unior saw its group sales revenue drop by about 20% year-on-year to EUR 150 million in the first three quarters. However, sales in September were up 3.6% y/y. Due to a negative impact of the pandemic and revaluation of real estate in Maribor, the group posted a loss of EUR 4.9 million. However, the property sale will allow it to reduce debt to banks by a further EUR 8.5 million, after it had already lowered it by EUR 4.1 million.

Requests for constitutional review of Sunday shop ban incoming

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has so far received three initiatives to review the amendment to the retail act that stipulates that almost all shops must be closed on Sunday, one of them having been filed by the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce (TZS). The website of Slovenia's top court shows that three initiatives have been filed against the measure which entered into force in late October after the National Assembly passed the relevant changes in late September.

Unemployment rate at 5.1% in Q3

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's unemployment rate in the third quarter stood at 5.1%, which is on par with the second quarter and 0.4 percentage points more than in the same period last year, data from the Statistics Office show. The employment rate was 54.9%, a 0.5 percentage points increase on the second quarter and 0.4 percentage points down year-on-year. Among employed persons, the number of self-employed persons decreased by 12% year-on-year.

First case of plasma treatment for Covid-19 patient in Slovenia a success

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Blood Transfusion Centre confirmed that it issued the first two units of plasma for the treatment of a Covid-19 patient a few days ago. The centre was later informed by UKC Ljubljana's clinic for infectious diseases that the condition of the patient, who had developed pneumonia as part of Covid-19, had improved after the plasma treatment.

Slovenia's Christmas tree on its way to the Vatican

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will this year provide a Christmas tree that will be put up in St Peter's Square in the Vatican, in what the government considers a major opportunity for promotion ahead of several important events and anniversaries in 2021. "The tree is 75 years old, weighs seven tonnes, was cut on Monday and is already on the way to the Vatican," Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Jože Podgoršek told the press

Slovenian gets Austrian award for Holocaust remembrance

VIENNA, Austria - The Austrian Service Abroad has conferred this year's Austrian Holocaust Memorial Award to Slovenian Dušan Stefančič for his contribution to preserving the remembrance of the Holocaust, the Austrian press agency APA reported. The 93-year-old former president of the International Mauthausen Committee and president of the Slovenian Mauthausen Committee survived six Nazi concentration camps, including Dachau, Mauthausen and Gusen.

Journalist Jožica Grgič wins lifetime achievement award

Ljubljana - Newspaper Delo journalist Jožica Grgič won the lifetime achievement award given out annually by the Slovenian Journalist Association (DNS) in what was the final event of its five-day Naprej/Forward media festival. The jury said that for Grgič, facts were more sacred than the Pope and that she understood them in a very broad context. In her 40-year career, which she started as a student at Delo's sports desk, Grgič has become one of the leading Slovenian journalists.

Videmšek's Plan B declared Book of the Year

LJUBLJANA - Reporter Boštjan Videmšek's book about climate change, Plan B, which he made together with photographer Matjaž Krivic, was declared the 2020 Book of the Year at the Slovenian Book Fair. Plan B took the pair around the globe to bring stories of unusual visionaries who are each in their own right fighting against the climate crisis.

Researchers Night moves online

LJUBLJANA - The European Researchers' Night - Humanities Rock! moved to the virtual realm this year due to Covid-19. For a third year in a row researchers of twelve University of Ljubljana faculties and academies are holding events, workshops, debates and video presentations. Running under the slogan Sciences about People, Sciences for People, the event presents scientific efforts and achievements in a bid to boost interest in research careers.

First Hollywood film by Slovenian director on Amazon Prime

LOS ANGELES, US - Life in a Year, a new film by Slovenian director Mitja Okorn starring Cara Delevingne and Jaden Smith, starts streaming on Amazon Prime today. Okorn, who has made a name for himself in Poland, told the news web portal Backstage that he had always wished to direct a Hollywood film. The film reflects on the meaning of true love, with Delevingne starring as a spirited young woman who only has one more year to live. Smith is the young man who falls in love with her.

Holiday spirit descends upon Slovenian cities

LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR/CELJE - Christmas light displays were turned on in a number of Slovenian cities and towns. The epidemiological situation permitting, scaled-down on-site events are planned in some cities in December, however, most will be held online. A leisurely stroll through the festively illuminated streets is another way to get into the holiday mood though. The Christmas lights of Ljubljana were switched on today without a mass event celebrating the occasion.

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

27 Nov 2020, 16:54 PM

Christmas Lights Start Turning On in Slovenia

STA, 27 November 2020 - Christmas light displays will be turned on in a number of Slovenian cities and towns today. The epidemiological situation permitting, scaled-down on-site events are planned in some cities in December, however most will be held online. A leisurely stroll through the festively illuminated streets is another way to get into the holiday mood though.

The Christmas lights of Ljubljana will be switched on today, however this time around there will be no mass event celebrating the occasion.

A Christmas market is still on the cards in the capital, depending on epidemiological developments. If the event is given a go-ahead, the stalls could be rented at a 75% discount, Tourism Ljubljana said.

There will be no open-air holiday concerts or the St. Nicholas procession in the capital this year though.

Maribor citizens will get to see decorations and illuminated sculptures of the Elf City turned on today as well. The organisers of the magical and intimate festival will stage an online concert today.

The Elf City, running until 28 December, will aim to adjust to the situation on the fly. So far, the organisers have prepared either virtual events or creative activities for families or individuals that heed social distancing protocols.

"Due to these strange times we find ourselves in, we need miracles more than ever, but elves will create them in a safe way to make sure we all stay healthy," the organisers said.

Holiday lights are expected to be switched on in Maribor on 3 December, followed by the city's Christmas market as well, epidemiological circumstances permitting.

The arrival of Grandpa Frost, one of the three mythical gift-bringing figures in Slovenia, has always been a much anticipated event, however this year he will visit Maribor only via a televised appearance on 12 December.

In other cities and towns, St. Nicholas, Santa and Grandpa Frost will address children either online or they will ride their sleighs through the streets and wave from a safe distance.

Celje will turn on its festive lights on Saturday. The city does not plan any major events, however a festive market might still take place.

Ptuj intends to switch on the Christmas lights display next week. Moreover, residents will be able to enjoy Christmas songs outdoors while running errands in the city centre.

The oldest Slovenian town earmarked funds that used to go for firework displays to give gifts to children and the elderly in the past couple of years. This year, it will continue with this practice, also bringing gifts to vulnerable groups and safe house residents.

Kranj, the town where Slovenia's most famous poet France Prešeren spent his last years, will again decorate its streets with excerpts from his poems.

Lakeside resort Bled is to boast a life-size nativity scene and the biggest decorated Christmas tree in Slovenia.

Nova Gorica has vowed to display an innovative set of lights and plans to hold a book fair in mid-December. The municipality decided to allocate part of funds intended for the holiday entertainment programme to charity.

It has already donated EUR 5,000 to the local hospital to help purchase medical equipment to treat Covid-19 patients.

27 Nov 2020, 15:14 PM

Slovenia & Coronavirus, Fri 27/11: 1,609 New Cases, 24% Positivity

STA, 27 November 2020 - Slovenia logged 1,609 new coronavirus cases for Thursday and 48 more fatalities as the number of Covid-19 patients requiring hospital treatment reached a new high.

Government data show the latest cases come from 6,587 tests, meaning the positivity rate was 24.4%, up slightly from 23.9% the day before when 1,767 came back positive, but down from over 27% a week ago.

Hospitalisations have risen by 22 to 1,324, while the number of patients in intensive care units dropped by nine to 206. On another positive note, 98 patients were discharged home yesterday.

With 48 more patients having died, the country's death toll among patients with Covid-19 rose to 1,293.

Jelko Kacin, the government Covid-19 spokesman, said 37 patients died at hospitals, ten at care homes and one in a facility for people with special needs.

He said 126 residents and 41 staff at care homes newly recovered from Covid-19, while 143 residents and 57 staff tested positive anew, as did eight special needs persons and one employee at the five special social care institutions.

Infections are reported from care homes across the country, including the coastal region, the least affected of all of Slovenia's regions.

The regional civil protection chief Rok Kamenšek reported that the Izola care home had 47 infections as of Thursday, including 12 among staff, and the one in Lucija had 68, including 23 staff.

The coastal region had 466 actively infected cases as of Wednesday, 216 of them in the Koper municipality.

However, the biggest daily increases in infections were in care homes in Krško, Brežice, Maribor and Ljubljana, of between 14 and 11, Kacin said.

Krško, the municipality in the east with a population of over 26,000, recorded as many as 59 new infections, which compares to 141 in the capital Ljubljana (over 295,000) and 81 in Maribor (almost 113,000).

The country has so far confirmed 72,682 coronavirus cases, with 20,268 cases still active. The rolling 14-day average is at 967, according to the tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org.

The regions with the highest infection rates are Pomurje in the north-east and Koroška in the north, with 1,576 and 1,538 infections, respectively, per 100,000 residents.

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27 Nov 2020, 14:04 PM

Lockdown Pushes Hairdressers & Gyms Close to Collapse

STA, 27 November 2020 - Hairdressers and fitness clubs say the government is limiting their business to the greatest extent possible during the lockdown while not offering them enough aid to avoid layoffs and bankruptcies. "We are on the verge of collapse," the two sectors said on Friday, urging dialogue with decision-makers and reopening their businesses.

Both sectors say the aid provided in the stimulus packages so far does not suffice for them to survive, calling for a different approach suited to their specifics.

David Cukjati, the director of Lassana, a leading chain of hair salons in Slovenia, said "the subsidy for furloughed workers covers 80% of the pay and is unreasonably lower than the one for sole proprietors".

Just like in the first wave, they would like to be exempt from paying health insurance contributions and electricity bills, he told the magazine Frizer (Hairdresser).

The sector also expects the coverage of at least part of fixed costs for the period when they are closed if the net loss of revenue amounts to 10%.

Cukjati believes a 40% drop in annual revenue to qualify for fixed costs subsides as set down in the sixth stimulus package is much too high, saying a fair figure would be 20%.

The hairdressers - apart from Cukjati several other representatives spoke to Frizer - also say decision-makers did not consult them a single time during the epidemic or tried to find common solutions to allow them to work.

They stress they cannot offer their services online, and accuse the government of encouraging grey market, which is also less safe and against which the sector had fought for years.

Similarly, fitness clubs - there are over 150 fitness club owners in Slovenia - say that "companies in our sector have already used all their internal reserves".

Fitness clubs largely operate without having permanent employees as they hire freelanced trainers, so pegging aid to the sector to the number of permanent employees is "completely unsuitable", reads today's release from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (GZS) new section for fitness, recreation and regeneration.

FURS data show there are almost 4,000 self-employed trainers in Slovenia who provide services worth EUR 78 million, with one trainer working in several gyms in a day.

Fitness centres thus want decision-makers to help them weather the crisis and start thinking about easing lockdown for them as soon as possible.

The release also stresses the great importance of "having a strong sector of fitness, recreation and regeneration in the period after the pandemic".

The hairdressers point out that instead of the government entering a dialogue with the services sector, the sector is now faced with layoffs and bankruptcies.

"If we had taken foreign countries as an example, we would have services provided in a safe manner instead of businesses being closed.”

27 Nov 2020, 12:24 PM

JYSK Home Goods Chain Reports Record Results in Slovenia

STA, 26 November 2020 - JYSK, the Danish home goods retail chain, reported record-breaking results in Slovenia in the financial year that ended in August despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Sales revenue was up by 6.6% to EUR 38.6 million, and operating profit rose by more than 20%.

The group's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in Slovenia increased by 22% to top EUR 5.9m, JYSK reported on Thursday despite the fact that sale moved online during the spring epidemic.

Sales across the country increased the most in furniture and garden furniture, as well as decorations and beds, the backbone of the Danish chain.

Vesna Kukić Lončarić, JYSK's manager for Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, said the staff had done a "fantastic job" in these challenging circumstances.

She said JYSK planned to continue to grow in the long-term, which was why it was investing in the modernisation of existing stores as well as opening new ones.

JYSK opened its first store in Slovenia in 2008, and now it employs 185 persons in 22 stores across the country.

Globally, the group has more than 2,900 stores in 51 countries. It posted a record-breaking EUR 4.1 billion in revenue and EUR 489 million in operating profit for the past financial year.

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