STA, 28 October 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša visited UKC Ljubljana today, meeting director Janez Poklukar. The latter said in a statement after the meeting that the hospital was investing massive efforts in providing beds, but the biggest problem was lack of staff.

"For 300 Covid-19 patients and another 60 in intensive care, we need 500 nurses and between 75 and 100 doctors. We need to reorganise other programmes to create internal reserves to tend to Covid-19 patients," Poklukar said.

Currently, there are 150 Covid-19 patients at UKC Ljubljana, of them 28 are in intensive care. They are located at five different locations: the infectious diseases clinic, the orthopaedic clinic, the old and the new paediatric clinic and the Peter Držaj hospital.

Preko 1700m2 nedograjenih bolnišničnih kapacitet že več kot desetletje sameva v @ukclj. V manj kot 10 dneh lahko s hitro adaptacijo zagotovimo veliko število oskrbnih mest za #Covid bolnike tik poleg vse ostale potrebne infrastrukture. Izziv za naše gradbenike. #Zmoremo? pic.twitter.com/NXQpstz7Bj

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) October 28, 2020

Poklukar also said that an agreement would be made with spa operators in the coming days to take in some of the patients. Talks are taking place at the national level, said Poklukar, who believes that patients who are no longer infectious could be sent to spas.

Poklukar today briefed Janša about the hospital's efforts, with the prime minister commending the hospital staff for their work during the pandemic.

The prime minister said in a tweet that more than 1,700 square metres of space had been left undeveloped at the hospital for over a decade, saying that quick adaptation works could provide a large number of beds for Covid-19 patients.

UKC Ljubljana explained for the STA that these were premises of a planned diagnostic and therapeutic service complex, which was an extension to the main hospital building.

The premises are in the development phase and the original plan was for them to house intensive therapy and operating theatres, the hospital said, adding that it would now try to turn it into a makeshift Covid-19 ward with around 100 beds.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia

STA, 28 October 2020 - The Commission for Justice and Peace (Komisija Pravičnost in mir) of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference has warned in a statement ahead of All Saints' Day that there is a danger of a growing culture of disregard for human life. It expressed support for everybody fighting for human lives in the coronavirus pandemic and criticism of a part of political opposition.

"Life takes precedence over ideology and the fight for power," the commission has said, adding that a part of the opposition invests a lot more effort into climbing back to power than in helping save lives and preserve health of Slovenians.

"In this situation, this is a perverse political practice because it does not focus on people and the common good, but on interests of certain groups," the commission said in the statement issued on Wednesday.

Citizens rightly expect a different approach: leaders joining forces in key issues and expressing unity and solidarity in order to save lives despite holding diverging views and interests. "Effort for the common good is a top commandment and a norm of any responsible politics and civil position."

Part of the left-leaning opposition took issue with this, saying that the Catholic Church in Slovenia was undermining its own credibility with such statements.

The Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) said it was "appalled and disappointed with the unwarranted insinuations about the bad intentions of the opposition".

The party would like the Church to deal with its primary mission, instead of undermining its own credibility with "cheap politicising" and showing its lack of understanding of democracy and democratic processes, it added.

The commission is also worried about "acquiescence or even inciting of Friday protests", saying that protests would soon become insignificant had "they not had support from the main public media, above all RTV Slovenija".

The Left said that the statement represented ideological fight against the protesters, RTV Slovenija and the opposition.

"With such moves, the leadership of the Slovenian Roman Catholic Church is doing harm mostly to believers and the Church itself, as such divisive addresses only resonate as an extension of the ruling party SDS," it added.

The commission is also worried because of what it feels is unresponsiveness of the public opinion in the face of incitement to violence and murders of political opponents.

"Culture of death - as Pope John Paul II labelled disregard for human life - is reflected in a peculiar way by the attitude of a part of our politicians toward decent burial of victims found in the graves of war and post-war mass killings perpetrated by Communist revolutionaries."

The commission also noted that All Saints' Day will not be commemorated by group religious events.

All out stories on religion and Slovenia

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Slovenia confirms 2,605 new coronavirus cases, highest daily figure so far

LJUBLJANA - A total of 2,605 infections were confirmed in nearly 7,500 Covid-19 tests in Slovenia on Tuesday. Both figures mark the highest daily numbers since the start of the epidemic. The previous daily record was just short of 2,000 and was reached last Friday. The week-on-week comparison shows that the pace of increase may be starting to slow down. While weekly increases of 100% were the norm in the past two weeks, on Monday and Tuesday they were at 87% and 73%, respectively. Almost 35% of all tests came back positive, the highest percentage so far. The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 rose to 612 from 560, while the number of intensive care cases rose by 13 to 99, show data from the tracker Covid-19 Sledilnik. Seven people died in hospital on Tuesday.

Slovenian media pledge not to yield to pressure

LJUBLJANA - Editors of a number of media outlets have issued a statement committing not to yield to pressure, nor change their truthful stance or their obligation to the public. They say that the media, which have in recent months been subject to increased pressure and strong criticism levelled by PM Janez Janša, are aware of their responsibility in the current health crisis, but the latter cannot be a pretence for political interference in media independence. The 22 editors-in-chief who have signed the open letter, including the STA's, say the consequences of attacking the media are detrimental to society and that "this environment hampers the functioning of institutions and individuals and also has a significant effect on the lives of citizens".

Brig-Gen Škerbinc, ex-Minister Erjavec reach settlement over 2019 dismissal

LJUBLJANA - Brigadier General Miha Škerbinc and former Defence Minister Karl Erjavec have reached a court settlement after Škerbinc took Erjavec to court last year over his April 2019 dismissal as Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) force commander. "We both understand that we were victims of a set of various circumstances and interests," the pair wrote in the settlement, confirmed by the Ljubljana Local Court on 22 September. A part of the settlement was published in October's Slovenska Vojska (Slovenian Army) magazine. Erjavec dismissed Škerbinc upon the proposal of the then chief of the general Staff, Major General Alenka Ermenc, a move that led to a tug-of-war between Erjavec and a soldier trade union and the opposition filing a dismissal motion, which Erjavec survived.

Most Slovenian MEPs welcome Commission's minimum wage proposal

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenian MEPs welcomed the standards for setting adequate minimum wages the European Commission presented to the European Parliament in Brussels. The standards are geared toward ensuring fair payment and decent life for workers, however, the Commission is not allowed to set wages in member states. Slovenian MEPs share the view that workers must receive decent pay for their work, but most believe that the amount of the wage should be left in the hands of individual member states.

UKC Ljubljana struggling to provide enough beds and staff, seeking volunteers

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša visited UKC Ljubljana, meeting director Janez Poklukar, with the latter saying after the meeting that the hospital was investing massive efforts in providing beds, but the biggest problem was lack of staff. "We need to reorganise other programmes to create internal reserves to tend to Covid-19 patients," Poklukar said. The central hospital in the country is also looking for volunteers as the coronavirus case count and hospitalisation figures continue to rise. The hospital mainly requires the help of students of degrees in health-related fields. UKC Maribor is meanwhile seeking help from youths, appealing to students of all degrees to join the hospital's teams to lend a hand with manual labour tasks.

Employers' Association urges emergency freeze of minimum wage

LJUBLJANA - The Employers' Association called on the government to freeze the minimum wage for at least a year as part of the planned sixth anti-corona package. It also proposes a more flexible and simpler framework for teleworking and retiring upon meeting minimum retirement conditions. Sonja Šmuc, the director general of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), recently said GZS projections showed the minimum wage will rise by at least 9% based on the new formula that puts it 20% above the minimum cost of living. Another organisation that appealed to the government for help is the Chamber of Commerce (TZS), which stressed the lockdown was seriously hurting non-grocery retailers.

President and Ombudsman deem restrictions proportionate

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor received Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina to discussing how human rights were respected and curbed during the coronavirus pandemic. The pair came to a conclusion that anti-corona measures in Slovenia were generally proportionate to the situation and based on experts' views. Despite temporary restrictions one should "aspire to a fully democratic life," Pahor was quoted in his office's press release, while Svetina said restrictions had an effect on human rights. He stressed the importance of the measures being acceptable, proportionate and temporary.

Archbishop urges respecting anti-Covid measures on All Saints' Day

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore urged people to observe all precautionary measures as they visit graves on All Saints' Day or the Day of Remembrance of the Dead, adding that believers should visit graves in their municipality only and avoid socialising. Just like this year's Easter, the 1 November holiday will be different due to the municipal travel ban, Zore said. But this is "a sacrifice" everyone should make to help contain the spread the epidemic, to prevent hospitals overcrowding and to save people's lives".

Church warns of increasing disregard for human life

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for Justice and Peace of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference has warned in a statement ahead of All Saints' Day that there is a danger of a growing culture of disregard for human life. It expressed support for everybody fighting for human lives in the coronavirus pandemic and criticism of a part of political opposition. "Life takes precedence over ideology and the fight for power," the commission has said, adding that a part of the opposition invests a lot more effort into climbing back to power than in helping save lives and preserve health of Slovenians. Part of the opposition took issue with this, saying that the Catholic Church in Slovenia was undermining its own credibility with such statements.

Slovenian public health expert to join WHO executive board

LJUBLJANA - Kerstin Vesna Petrič, the head of the Health Ministry's public health directorate, has been elected to the 34-member executive board of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the 2021-2024 period, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry said. She will join the executive board in May 2021 after all new members have been formally endorsed by the WHO assembly. The Foreign Ministry said she had convinced the organisation with her expertise and extensive experience in public health, and that she will also be on the executive board during Slovenia's stint as the EU presiding country in the second half of 2021.

Slovenian rider Roglič wins 8th stage of the Vuelta a Espana

LEON, Spain - After losing the overall leader's red jersey at the Vuelta a Espana on Sunday, the defending champion Primož Roglič of Slovenia won the eighth stage of the race around Spain today to climb to the second place overall. In the 164-km stage from Logrono to Alto de Moncalvillo, the rider for the Dutch team Jumbo-Visma was followed by Richard Carapaz of Ecuador, the overall leader, who was 13 seconds behind the Slovenian, which is also the lead he has ahead of Roglič overall.
"There is still a lot to be done until the end," he said as another ten stages are scheduled until 8 November.

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

All the facts we know are in the headline, with the cameraman commenting "It's a rebellion, bravo."

Dans na Rudniku. pic.twitter.com/70UGhiRH5i

— ᴍᴀᴛᴇᴊ ᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ (@maticej) October 27, 2020

STA, 28 October 2020 - The Civil Society Alliance, an ad-hoc group, has urged the National Assembly to put an end to the government's abuse of the Covid-19 epidemic for its own ideological agenda and for an enhanced introduction of authoritarianism.

The public appeal, filed to parliament on Wednesday, remains open for signing after it has already been joined by 42 organisations and over 740 individuals.

The alliance brings together anti-government protesters, individuals and civil groups after Friday cycling rallies were suspended due to the worsening of the epidemic and other forms of protest were announced last week.

The appeal shows that those who penned it have come together to restore democracy and the rule of law and boost the welfare state, social responsibility and solidarity.

In a statement in front of the National Assembly, they said the appeal aimed to remind MPs of their constitutional right and duty to recall such a government.

Ex-Health Minister Dušan Keber (2000-2004) said that "instead of fully focussing on containing the epidemic, which poses a tremendous health and economic threat and threatens to turn into a humanitarian catastrophe sooner or later, the government is adopting laws and by-laws, appointing staff along the party lines, attacking the media, subjugating the police, humiliating judges and attacking the civil society in the shadow of paralysed public life and in the absence of public debate".

The alliance urges the government to withdraw the changes to media legislation and the bills on the demographic fund and on the abolishment of several public agencies.

It also takes issue with excluding NGOs from environmental procedures and evicting NGOs from the Metelkova complex and with a bill on investment in military equipment.

Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič announced after receiving the appeal, which the alliance hopes would gather 50,000 signatures, that he would distribute it to all MPs.

While every MPs can form their own opinion on the proposals in the appeal, Zorčič believes the assessment that democracy is being trampled on is exaggerated.

He said that "nothing has happened that would warrant such action" on the part of the National Assembly.

Zorčič however said the protesters' decision to suspend Friday cycling rallies was a responsible move.

STA, 28 October 2020 - The Employers' Association (Združenje delodajalcev Slovenije - ZDS) called on the government on Wednesday to freeze the minimum wage for at least a year as part of the planned sixth anti-corona package. It also proposes a more flexible and simpler framework for teleworking and retiring upon meeting minimum retirement conditions.

"Employers are aware that each anti-corona package so far has brought upgrades of previous measures as well as new measures.

"Our proposals have been acknowledged during negotiations, however the Employers' Association has been noting an urgent need for certain labour market measures since March, measures that have not been included in the packages so far, and we expect them in the sixth anti-corona package."

The employers deem freezing the minimum wage a priority measure.

The new formula for setting the minimum wage, which enters into force in January, does not envisage coordinating the minimum wage with social partners; instead it excludes employers and trade unions from the procedure and puts the Labour Ministry in charge of determining the amount, said the association.

"The existing law has also never been discussed by the Economic and Social Council, it was adopted without social dialogue and without taking into account any of the arguments of businesses."

The Slovenian economy is in the middle of the gravest economic crisis in the past 70 years due to Covid-19, said the association, adding that the general consensus of opinion is that 2021 will not see recovery let alone results similar to those in 2019.

In such circumstances the economy cannot stand even minimum pressure in regard to labour costs, said the association, noting that any minimum wage raise, which would lead to pay raises in general, would be unimaginable during such a crisis.

A month ago, Sonja Šmuc, the director general of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), said that GZS projections showed the minimum wage will rise by at least 9% based on the new formula that puts it 20% above the minimum cost of living.

She warned that the last substantial rise in the minimum wage a decade ago caused a structural unemployment situation and had a long-lasting impact.

Šmuc argued now is not the time to experiment with a new formula and urged that the minimum wage be preserved at current levels at least in 2021.

The opposition Left, which drafted the new law, responded to today's call by the Employers' Association by saying that the organisation had overlooked the needs of workers and their families in following its own interests.

"The new concept of the minimum wage, which is being introduced gradually, is a guarantee that no one who works will live in poverty," said the Left, adding that certain representatives of the capital were trying to prevent the realisation of this concept.

The party also said that employers had received a significant financial aid from the state, which is why the cost of the minimum wage raise would be "a drop in the ocean" compared to those amounts.

Another organisation that appealed to the government for help today is the Chamber of Commerce (TZS).

The closure of shops during the epidemic has aggravated the situation of retailers, warned the chamber, calling for the sixth stimulus package to feature aid for companies whose operations have been restricted or suspended due to anti-corona restrictions.

Non-grocery retailers are among worst-hit business sectors, said the TZS, adding that those that are required to be closed or partially closed generate 30% of Slovenia's total retail income.

Such companies have been pushed to the limits of financial capacities and jobs have been jeopardised, pointed out the chamber, deeming government aid vital.

The TZS proposes Slovenia follow Austria's example of a fixed-cost subsidy scheme to help retailers come out on top of the coronavirus crisis.

STA, 28 October 2020 - A total of 2,605 infections were confirmed in nearly 7,500 Covid-19 tests in Slovenia on Tuesday. Both figures mark the highest daily values since the start of the epidemic. The previous daily record was just short of 2,000 and was reached last Friday.

The week-on-week comparison shows that the pace of increase may be starting to slow down. While weekly increases of 100% were the norm in the past two weeks, on Monday and Tuesday they were at 87% and 73%, respectively.

Almost 35% of all tests came back positive on Tuesday, the highest rate so far. The 14-day cumulative number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 population, an EU-wide benchmark, is currently at 872, according to Jelko Kacin, the government's Covid-19 spokesman.

The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 rose to 612, as 113 were newly admitted on Tuesday and 54 discharged from hospital.

The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care rose by 12 to 99, with 57 needing a ventilator to breathe.

Seven people died in hospital yesterday and another seven at nursing homes, putting the national death toll at 278, according to the covid-19.sledilnik.org tracker site.

Seven people died in hospital yesterday. Kacin said fatality data from nursing homes was not yet processed, which means the final figure for the day cannot be determined yet.

There are now an estimated 18,269 active cases in the country out of a total of 28,208 infections since the start of the epidemic.

Kacin said that an average delay of two days is occurring in the notification of individuals who tested positive, as epidemiologists cannot keep up with the large rise in new infections.

Asked about potential new restrictive measures, he announced the government would decide on what is a very likely "prolongation of a number of measures" on Thursday.

On the same day a meeting will take place at the European level and the government will decide on further steps after it. Individual measures will be presented on Friday.

Kacin announced a decision on whether children return to schools after this week's autumn holidays would be taken by the government on Thursday evening at the latest.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia

STA, 26 October 2020 - The Stigma safe house for women users of illicit drugs marked its 10th anniversary this year. Neva Faninger and Sabina Zorec, social workers working at the house, have told the STA that the facility is a shelter for women who have fallen through the cracks in the social system.

The safe house was set up by the Ljubljana-based Stigma association, which aims to mitigate damage done by drug use. The shelter strives to be something similar to a home where women can put life on the street behind them.

It is one of the few such facilities in the world, and the only one in Slovenia, that does not expect its residents to be completely drug-free when they enter the programme.

The organisation however endeavours to keep the house as drug-free as possible. In the facility and its surrounding area drug use is banned, said Zorec and Faninger. Any illicit drugs brought to the house have to be put away and placed in special lockers.

The association came up with the idea for the shelter having seen how many women who were caught in a vicious circle of drug use and violence had nowhere safe to go, most notably released women prisoners. Their families were often a source of problems and did not provide a safe space.

Stigma stepped in and has since housed women with various stories, including those who do not have a drug problem but have ended up in a situation where the house was their only option.

"The system is rigid, everyone has their own fief and wants specific users, whereas people are complex," said Zorec, calling for a more flexible approach that would acknowledge people's different stories and needs.

"Recently, we admitted a girl who just turned 18. The moment she came of age, she arrived at the house from a youth crisis centre. She does not have an acute drug problem, but her only options were the safe house or the streets," said Zorec, noting that the shelter does not admit minors.

The average age of the residents is 37. Aside from drug use, homelessness and experiences of street or domestic violence, one thing they usually have in common is trauma. They were often either victims of child abuse or sexual abuse later in life. Lack of education and mental disorders are also frequent characteristics of the residents.

"A behavioural disorder label is considered a consequence of drug use, although it is often the other way around," said Zorec.

"They make up for that as much as they want and can in the house," said Faninger, adding that education is the best way out of the vicious circle, even though for many it is also the most difficult path. Residing in the house can be a stepping stone for shelter programmes that require complete abstinence though.

Women may stay at the house for a year and a half with the possibility of extension. Since 2016 the organisation also has two support flats of the Ljubljana housing fund at its disposal for residents who have achieved a certain level of stability.

Zorec and Faninger have noted certain changes during the past ten years; there are more young residents who are barely adults and new psychoactive substances have emerged. Ten years ago, heroin was the drug of choice, now anything that is available counts as long as it serves the purpose of escaping reality.

"Drugs are a way of survival for them, they mitigate struggles that usually stem from childhood," said Faninger.

The facility can admit up to eight women, however the number has recently been reduced to seven since one room has been turned into a potential quarantine space in the event one of the residents is infected with the coronavirus.

Due to the shelter's high hygienic standards, there has been little need to additionally ramp up disinfection efforts since the outbreak, said Faninger.

The safe house hosts workshops and endeavours to get its residents involved in volunteering or to find them work. The staff accompanies and supports them during doctor visits, court hearings or when maintaining contact with their children.

Seven persons are employed at the 24-hour shelter, including three men, which has turned out to be a positive feature. Women can thus see that not all men are perpetrators of violence. The staff members are of different educational backgrounds, ranging from social workers and graduates in comparative literature to engineers.

Discrimination and a social stigma are common features experienced by the residents. Even the staff are often a target of discrimination, especially when they accompany or assist the women in the outside world, said Faninger, adding that prejudices are present among experts as well.

Marking the 10th anniversary, the organisation decided to release a publication by the residents to present the project and show that there are positive aspects, opportunities to change for the better.

You can learn more about Stigma at the group’s website

STA, 27 October 2020 - Slovenia's star road cyclists Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar continue to top the rankings of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), but they have switched places this week, with Pogačar, the recent winner of the Tour de France, becoming no. 1 for the first time.

The 22-year-old Pogačar, who ended the season after a third place at the 4 October classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege that was won by Roglič, has 3,970 points. The 30-year-old Roglič, the Tour runner-up who is currently riding in fourth-place overall as the defending winner of the Vuelta de Espana, has 3,945 points.

Meanwhile, remaining in third place in the UCI rankings is Roglič's Jumbo Vista teammate Wout van Aert from Belgium, who has 2,700 points.

Slovenia also holds the top stop in the country rankings ahead of France and Belgium. The rankings, which add up the points of the top eight riders from each country, give Slovenia 9,479 points, 152 points more than France.

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: 

Ban on movement between municipalities in force

LJUBLJANA - A ban on movement between municipalities entered into force as the government stepped up restrictions in response to a surge in coronavirus cases. Rules on face masks outdoors were somewhat relaxed, as people walking or exercising in open green spaces are not required to wear them if they can keep a distance of at least three metres from others. The 9pm-6am curfew and the rule of six remain in force, with certain exceptions, such as those related to work and emergency situations.

1,499 coronavirus infections confirmed for Monday, 13 deaths

LJUBLJANA - Monday's tally of new coronavirus infections in Slovenia reached 1,499 as 5,756 tests were carried out, meaning 26% of all tests came back positive, coronavirus spokesperson Jelko Kacin told the press. Thirteen people with Covid-19 died. The number of active infections increased to 16,347. There are 560 coronavirus patients currently in hospital, up from 523 the day before. As many as 86 are in intensive care, up four, of whom 57 on a ventilator, as many as the day before.

Coronavirus testing to be limited

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will limit SARS-CoV-2 testing to persons who are expected to fall seriously ill with Covid-19, to care home and hospital staff, to those who have many contacts at work and those who live with individuals from vulnerable groups. The change in guidelines, that have already been sent to GPs, were announced by the government's chief Covid-19 adviser Bojana Beović on TV Slovenija on Monday. The daily number of tests should thus be reduced from between 6,000 and 7,000 to between 4,000 and 5,000 as the current number of tests exceeds the capacity of Slovenian laboratories.

More than 660 elderly in care homes infected

ZIDANI MOST - Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj revealed that 665 elderly residents of care homes across the country are currently infected with coronavirus. However, many have also recovered, he said as he visited a care home near Zidani Most in the east, where 113 residents and 39 staff are infected. Coronavirus has shown how badly understaffed and underfunded social and aged care homes in the country, but the government is to invest EUR 26 million over the next two years to deal with the problem.

MPs reject petition or referendum on defence investment

LJUBLJANA - Parliament rejected by 47 votes to 35 the petition by the opposition Left for a consultative referendum on EUR 780 million defence investment planned for 2021-2026. While most opposition parties spoke of bad timing and of the need for voters to have a say, the coalition stressed the need to invest in the army, security and honour international commitments. The vote means the parliamentary majority can go ahead by passing the bill on the investment, which the Left indicated could try to challenge in a binding referendum.

Another parliamentary inquiry into handling of Covid-19 launched

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly launched an inquiry to determine possible political responsibility in actions of the government related with the coronavirus epidemic. Proposed by the four left-leaning opposition parties, the inquiry will focus on the incumbent government, while an existing inquiry, initiated by the coalition, is already looking into the actions of the previous government. The Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the Left, the Social Democrats (SD) and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) accuse the government of irrational spending during the epidemic and of violating human rights and freedoms.

Analyst estimates 5,000 jobs at risk

LJUBLJANA - Bojan Ivanc, an analyst with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, assesses that around 5,000 jobs are at risk of being lost by the end of the year because of the coronavirus crisis despite the government's stimulus measures that have protected the vast majority of jobs. Despite those measures, he fears that now that a lockdown has been declared a second time, some companies in the services sector will still need to resort to redundancies, also because of the fixed costs.

Parliament endorses Human Rights Ombudsman's recommendations

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed a resolution calling on relevant authorities to implement all of the nearly 160 recommendations made by the Human Rights Ombudsman in its report for 2019. During the debate last week, MPs expressed concern that some recommendations remain unimplemented for years. The report points to 305 violations in relation to 48 state bodies, mostly the Labour Ministry, municipalities and courts, followed by the Environment Ministry, social centres and police stations.

Slovenian nominee for EU General Court said to be rejected by vetting committee

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Klemen Podobnik, Slovenia's nominee for one of the country's two spots at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg, has been rejected by the Brussels committee vetting the candidates, the STA found out from well-placed sources. Slovenia thus remains without a judge at the court and the call for applications will have to be repeated again. The Justice Ministry said Podobnik was interviewed by Committee 255 last Friday with the official opinion of the committee expected on Wednesday.

Slovenian EPP MEPs urge Jourova to condemn protest against culture minister

LJUBLJANA - Three Slovenian MEPs from the ranks of the European People's Party (EPP) have written to European Commissioner for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova after a protest in front of the Culture Ministry that has been interpreted as death threats against Culture Minister Vasko Siomoniti and his team. In the letter, MEPs Romana Tomc, Milan Zver and Franc Bogovič urge clear condemnation of death threats. The protest involved tables splashed with red paint and carrying the names of ministry officials.

Opposition proposal for demographic fund voted down

LJUBLJANA - An alternative opposition proposal to the government-planned Demographic Fund, meant to pool state assets to shore up the pension system, was rejected in parliament. This means the government's proposal can be put on the agenda of one of the upcoming parliament session. While the government plans to transfer most state equity stakes onto the new fund, the opposition SocDems and Alenka Bratušek Party proposed that the Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) remain the manager of state assets, while the pension fund management KAD be transformed into a new demographic reserves company.

Proposal to tax tech giants defeated by MPs

LJUBLJANA - A bill sponsored by the opposition Left to levy a 7% digital services tax on multinational tech companies was defeated in the National Assembly by 43 votes to 38. Setting out the proposal in the legislature last week, the leader of the Left Luka Mesec argued the bill could raise some EUR 10 million in budget receipts next year. The government and coalition opposed the bill on the grounds that a comprehensive globally coordinated solution was required.

Erjavec and Krope to vie for DeSUS presidency

LJUBLJANA - The Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) endorsed Karl Erjavec and Srečko Felix Krope as candidates for the party's top job at the 28 November congress. DeSUS hopes the epidemic will slow down so the congress could be held in person, or else the vote is to be carried out by mail. Erjavec served as DeSUS leader for almost 15 years until he was defeated by Aleksandra Pivec in January. Pivec was forced out as party leader in September and then as agriculture minister after becoming embroiled in a scandal involving her semi private official trips.

Slovenia semi-successful in reducing nitrates in water

LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit found that Slovenia was semi-effective in removing nitrates from water between 2014 and 2018, as the Environment Ministry did a better job at protecting water quality, whereas the Agriculture Ministry could have done more to change farming practices. Monitoring of nitrates trends in water showed that the situation had been alarming for decades in the Mura, Drava and Savinja basins in the east and north-east. The Ljubljana area including the Ljubljana Marshes and Krško area in the east are also a cause for concern when it comes to nitrates in bodies of water.

Velenje council would not give up coal before 2042

VELENJE - The Velenje municipal council discussed possible scenarios for the restructuring of the Savinja-Šalek coal region, home to the Velenje mine and Šoštanj coal-fired power station TEŠ. The scenarios, drawn up by auditing company Deloitte Slovenija based on the national strategy, envisage abandoning coal in 2033, 2038 or 2042. The councillors believe the region will not be able to abandon coal before 2042, and want that year to be set as the deadline for abandoning coal with the possibility of a five-year transition period. About 20% of jobs in the region are said to directly depend on coal mining.

Use of grave candles on the decline

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians light around 16 million candles on graves a year, two-thirds of which on 1 November, All Saints' Day. While a statistic showing 15% less candles were sent to market last year compared to 2018 is encouraging, the Environment Ministry warned that grave candles end up as waste. While not considered hazardous waste, their processing can be harmful for the environment as they are accumulating in cemeteries or waste collection companies and present a fire hazard.

Roman Žveglič elected agricultural chamber head

LJUBLJANA - Roman Žveglič, a vice-head of the Trade Union of Farmers, was elected the head of the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry (KGZS) to succeed Cveto Zupančič, who is bidding farewell after two four-year terms. Žveglič, a former MP for the now non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS), beat SLS leader Marjan Podobnik in a 29:25 vote after both secured 27 votes on Monday. He promised help to small farmers, improvements to food traceability and transfer of know-how from expert services to farmers.

Brane Mozetič wins second Jenko Prize for collections of poems

LJUBLJANA - Poet Brane Mozetič won the Jenko Prize, the top national award for best poetry collection from the past two years, for his 2018 collection Dreams in Another Language. With his latest collection, Mozetič exceeded "what he has created so far to create one of the most exciting collections of poems in recent times", said the judging panel of the Slovenian Writers' Association. Mozetič, an author and gay activist, won his first Jenko Prize in 2003 for Banalije (Banal Things).

Sociologist, translator and publisher Pagon dies

LJUBLJANA - Sociologist, translator and publisher Neda Pagon died on Sunday, aged 79, following a battle with illness. Pagon served as editor at the publisher Studia Humanitatis and is considered one of the top social scientists of the post-war era. Her Wikipedia page says the sociologist, historian, translator and editor was born on 13 March 1941. She is considered one of the most incisive and respected social scientists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Timbuktu, Timbuktu wins best illustrated book award

LJUBLJANA - Timbuktu, Timbuktu, a children's book written by award-winning Peter Svetina and illustrated by Igor Šinkovec, won this year's Kristina Brenkova Award for best Slovenian illustrated book. It features more than 40 extremely short stories, termed by some prose poems, which abound in nonsense, humour and imagination. The stories, published by Miš in 2020, are about a path for school children which zips up because it is cold or a bar of chocolate which eats everything on the shelf.

Pogačar overtakes Roglič as world's top-ranked cyclist

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's star road cyclists Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar continue to top the rankings of the Union Cycliste Internationale, but they have switched places this week, with Pogačar, becoming no. 1 for the first time after winning the Tour de France. Pogačar, 22, has 3,970 points, while Roglič, the 30-year old Tour runner-up who is currently riding in fourth-place overall as the defending winner of the Vuelta de Espana, has 3,945 points.

Mijatović gets another term as football association boss

LJUBLJANA - President of the Slovenian Football Association (NZS) Radenko Mijatović was appointed for another four-year term as the only candidate at an on-line assembly on the NZS on Monday. The fourth president of the umbrella football organisation in Slovenia assumed his first term on 15 December 2016, taking over from Aleksander Čeferin, who had been elected the president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

One in four Slovenians distrustful of anyone over coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - A third of Slovenians think that government measures equally take into account health and the economy, whereas almost a third believe that health is overly in focus at the cost of the economy, shows a survey by Mediana. A quarter meanwhile said they trusted no one regarding information about coronavirus, whereas a quarter trust Bojana Beović, the head of the expert group advising the government on Covid-19.

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