STA, 1 September 2020 - Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman has called for the remaining open issues between Croatia and Slovenia to be resolved bilaterally as he was interviewed by the STA on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) conference.

"Open issues need to be closed," Grlić Radman said when asked whether there had been any progress in their resolution since the new government in Slovenia took over in March.

He noted that Croatia had withdrawn from the international arbitration process to demarcate the disputed parts of the Slovenian-Croatian border and that the EU Court of Justice had decided that the relevant lawsuit by Slovenia was inadmissible.

Grlić Radman added that the court had advised Slovenia and Croatia to seek a bilateral solution. "Both sides need to come to terms that this is reality. There is no arbitration if there is no other side," he stressed.

The Croatian foreign minister has thus called for the remaining issues that are pressing the countries to be resolved bilaterally.

It is in politicians' interest not to leave this burden on the shoulders of next generations. "These are thorns in our sides that must be shaken off," Grlić Radman said.

"Slovenians and Croats understand each other well. If people are on good terms, why politicians would not be as well?".

The minister also called for Slovenia and Croatia to together endorse the countries of Western Balkans on their way to EU and NATO integration.

According to him, the countries have many comparative advantages due to their geographical position and share many views. "There only must be good will. If there is good will, we can do a lot together."

Grlić Radman has assessed that the countries cooperate well in the fight against the novel coronavirus at all levels - from prime ministers and ministers to professionals.

With the meetings with his Slovenian counterpart Anže Logar in May and July, a platform has been created on which the countries are able to tackle concrete issues which are important for both countries, he added.

He noted that Croatia had opened up for Slovenian tourists, many of whom own properties and vessels in Croatia, and that the country was satisfied with the visit by Slovenians in the summer months.

In his talks with Logar on the sidelines of the BSF, he proposed that Slovenia put on the Covid-19 red list only individual counties in Croatia with poor epidemiological picture, and not the entire country.

As an example, he mentioned Germany, which has put only two counties in Dalmatia on the red list, and said he expected understanding from Slovenia. "If Slovenian citizens want to come, we are open."

Grlić Radman assessed the countries' cooperation in fighting illegal migration as very good, while noting that Croatia protected its borders and the EU borders in that respect and thus met the conditions to enter the Schengen Area.

He rejected the criticism levelled at the Croatian authorities in relation to treatment of migrants, and said cooperation was needed with the Western Balkan countries in preventing illegal migration.

All these countries should take responsibility for protecting their borders if they want to join the European Union, he concluded.

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, Orban call for closer cooperation

BLED - PM Janez Janša held talks with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban. They discussed "close all-around cooperation" between the two countries. The pair expressed strong support for the respective minorities on both sides of the border and called for stronger cooperation in a variety of bilateral projects. They also "highlighted the importance of strategic cooperation in the Central European area," Janša's office said. The meeting was held a day after Orban attended the Bled Strategic Forum, at which he participated in the leaders' panel along with Janša and several other Central and Eastern European leaders.

Croatian FM advocates bilateral resolution of open issues

BLED - Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman called for the remaining open issues between Croatia and Slovenia to be resolved bilaterally as he was interviewed by the STA on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum. He noted that the EU Court of Justice advised Slovenia and Croatia to seek a bilateral solution. "Both sides need to come to terms that this is reality. There is no arbitration if there is no other side," he said. He also lauded bilateral cooperation in the fight against Covid-19.

Opposition committee members critical of PM's stances at EU summit

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary EU Affairs Committee debated on Tuesday the positions Prime Minister Janez Janša advocated at the last EU summit, with the opposition MPs accusing him of supporting the alleged opposition of a group of countries to the idea to tie EU funds drawing with the respect of the rule of law. FM Anže Logar rejected the accusations, saying they were said it "typical fake, invented fake news". He noted that the session of the European Council had been held behind closed doors and that only the prime ministers knew what they had talked about.

Pivec deems boosting agricultural resistance key

KOBLENZ, Germany - The EU's agricultural ministers discussed the agricultural and food sector's resistance to the Covid-19 pandemic as they met in Germany's Koblenz. Slovenia's Aleksandra Pivec believes a further strengthening of the system's resilience to future outbreaks is key. Providing opportunities for the recovery of Europe's economy is equally important, she said at the two-day informal ministerial. The minister also highlighted the importance of immediate and joint efforts at the EU level in the event of such crises. Normal functioning of the markets and food supply chains as well as cooperation among member states are key for a stable food supply system in the EU.

Daily tally of coronavirus cases at 41 on Monday

LJUBLJANA - After a drop in new daily coronavirus cases attributed to reduced testing at the weekend, Slovenia recorded 41 infections from 1,415 tests on Monday. The overall case count hit 2,924, out of which 468 remain active cases. No fatalities were reported and hospitalisations remain stable at 25. Government spokesman Jelko Kacin said that only five of the latest cases had been imported, which showed Slovenia successfully contained the import of infections from abroad. Meanwhile, the national voluntary contact tracing app #OstaniZdrav (#StayWell), launched in mid-August for Android to help manage the epidemic, was also released for the iOS operating system.

DeSUS split over party council's powers

LJUBLJANA - After a split on whether its head Aleksandra Pivec should step down over suspicion of corruption, the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) is now divided over the issue of which party body can dismiss the party president. While the commission for statute matters said on Monday that the party council has that power, a group led by Pivec begs to differ. The head of the party's council Tomaž Gantar said today that the commission's opinion would help the council make a decision next week. Pivec disagrees with the interpretation that the council can dismiss her, arguing this would mean that the party's top body, the congress, was not needed.

School year starts in-class amid warnings by experts

LJUBLJANA - The new school year started in-class for almost 191,000 primary and secondary pupils and almost 18,000 teachers. However, many precautions are in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including the wearing of face masks in common areas, which the public health authorities recommended for pupils of all ages. On the occasion, experts advised caution, saying that unlike earlier studies more recent ones show there was potential for children to not only spread coronavirus but become primary sources of infection in the family.

Loan guarantee scheme uptake at 1%

LJUBLJANA - Out of two billion euro in state loan guarantees offered to businesses as a stimulus measure passed in April to revive production in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, only about 1% have been used since the scheme became operational in mid-July. Data from SID Bank, the state-run export and development bank which manages the scheme, show a total of EUR 21 million worth of state guaranteed loans have been approved with contracts already signed for EUR 16.9 million worth of loans.

Ljubljana-Amsterdam air link suspended

BRNIK - The Dutch low-cost airline Transavia will put on hold its Ljubljana-Amsterdam service starting on 13 September due to Slovenia red-listing the Netherlands in terms of Covid-19 risk. The air route is supposed to be renewed on 29 October, online portal Ex-Yu Aviation reported. After Slovenia changed the status of the Netherlands some ten days ago, any arrivals from there regardless of their citizenship are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine.

Roglič and Pogačar secure historic double Slovenian stage win at Tour de France

BRIANCON, France - Slovenia's cycling star Primož Roglič won the fourth stage of the Tour de France, while Tadej Pogačar in second place helped secure a historic double win for Slovenia. Roglič, the Vuelta a Espana champion who is also among the prime candidates for final overall victory at the Tour, won the uphill sprint in Orcieres-Merlette in the Alps after 160.5 kilometres of racing. Roglič advanced to third place overall, three seconds behind Britain's Adam Yates and seven seconds behind French rider Julian Alaphilippe. 21-year-old Pogačar consolidated his fourth position overall and donned the white jersey of the best young rider.

Swim City initiative showcased in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - Swiss Ambassador to Slovenia Denis Knobel opened an exhibition themed Swim City at the Architecture and Design Museum (MAO) to present a Swiss initiative promoting swimming in city rivers as a new phenomenon in urban areas. The exhibition, set up by the Swiss Architecture Museum in 2019, highlights rivers as an important element of public space. Also on display will be a project highlighting the Ljubljanica river as one of the fundamental elements of the city of Ljubljana.

Slovenian Cinematheque paying homage to Morricone

LJUBLJANA - Film buffs are in for an exciting new season at the Slovenian Cinematheque, which strarted on Tuesday evening with a screening of Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West, scored by Ennio Morricone, who passed away recently. Apart from honouring the work of the famous Italian composer, Slovenska Kinoteka will also stage a retrospective of the iconic Swedish filmmaker Andersson this month, while an exhibition and film screenings will mark the centenary of Federico Fellini's birth from late October to December.

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

STA, 1 September 2020 - Slovenia's cycling star Primož Roglič won the fourth stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday, while Tadej Pogačar in second place helped secure a historic double win for Slovenia.

Roglič, the Vuelta a Espana champion who is also among the prime candidates for final overall victory at the Tour, won the uphill sprint in Orcieres-Merlette in the Alps after 160.5 kilometres of racing that began in Sisteron.

While this is the third individual stage victory at the Tour for Roglič, who also clinched wins in 2017 and 2018, the 30-year-old did not yet secure the yellow jersey of the overall leader.

The Jumbo-Visma captain advanced to third place, three seconds behind Britain's Adam Yates and seven seconds behind French rider Julian Alaphilippe.

"It was quite a fast day actually, quite hard, but the guys did a very good job again, I was in a good position all along. At the end I was able to deliver a nice sprint, so I'm very happy," Roglič said after the race.

He added he did not really care that the yellow jersey was not his yet. What is important is that "we stayed safe and at the end even won".

As for his continuing recovery after a crash two weeks ago, he said "I'm coming back ... I feel a little better every day, it's nice to ride a bike again".

Meanwhile, Pogačar, a 21-year-old member of UAE Team Emirates, consolidated his fourth position overall and donned the white jersey of the best young rider.

According to public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, Pogačar became the youngest holder of the white jersey in the last 32 years.

The COVID crisis has changed much about daily life, often for the worse and less colourful, as events are cancelled and replacements often found wanting in terms of contact, excitement and human warmth. It’s thus reassuring to see familiar marks in the calendar come around without a cancellation or postponement, as is the case with the famed Red Bull Goni Pony (“peddle your Pony”), taking place this year on 5^th September.

On this day, a Saturday, one the strangest races in Slovenia is open to all those who register, have access to an appropriate bicycle – the small, foldable “Pony” that gives the race its name – and are ready for a retro festival of old bikes, old clothes, and an old-fashioned ride to the top of Vršič Pass, an journey most recommend making by car.

The race is open to the first 500 people who register and pay the €25 fee within 72 hours, but sadly for all interested readers without tickets these sold out weeks ago. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the day, though, with a trip to the mountains and a chance to see other people huff, puff and sweat their way to the top.

The race will see the daring competitors cycle a 13.5 km course with an elevation of 801 metres. Not an easy task, even on a full-sized bike with gears, never mind a pocket model like the Pony, with 20” wheels. What’s more, many entrants will be dressed in vintage clothing from the 60s to 80s – the heyday of this beloved but often impractical bike– and there’s a competition for the best costume that takes place at 14:00 in Kranjska gora, where the race itself starts at 15:00.

Since this is a road race that means there will be road closures, and the Vršič Pass will be closed from 14:.30 to 18:00 on Saturday 5 September. More details at the official Red Bull Goni Pony site

STA, 1 September 2020 - After a drop in new daily coronavirus cases attributed to reduced testing at the weekend, Slovenia recorded 41 infections from 1,415 tests performed on Monday, fresh government data show.

With the latest cases, the overall case count has inched nearer to the 3,000 mark, and currently stands 2,924, out of which 468 remain active cases, according to the tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org.

Hospitalisations remain stable at 25 after three Covid-19 patients were discharged yesterday. Two remain in intensive care, that is one fewer than the day before.

Addressing reporters at a coronavirus briefing, government spokesman Jelko Kacin said that five of the latest cases had been imported, one each from Croatia, Russia and Austria, and two from Bosnia.

Almost half of the cases, 16, are local transmissions, while the origin of 13 cases is unknown and seven more cases are still being looked at by epidemiologists.

Kacin said data were showing Slovenia successfully contained infection imports from abroad.

Nearly half of latest cases were in the middle age group with ten infections among among 35-44-year-olds and nine among those aged 45 to 54.

Regional-wise, five of the infections were recorded in Ljubljana, which now has 91 active cases, and four in Rogaška Slatina in the east, with further cases in 25 more municipalities country-wide.

No new fatalities have been reported since 24 August, leaving the national death toll from Covid-19 at 133.

The latest statistics on coronavirus and Slovenia, and the latest police news on red, green and yellow list countries. All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia. Can I transit Slovenia? Find out from the police...

STA, 1 September 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša held talks on Tuesday with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban. They discussed "close all-around cooperation" between the two countries.

 The prime ministers expressed strong support for the respective minorities on both sides of the border and called for stronger cooperation in a variety of bilateral projects.

They also "highlighted the importance of strategic cooperation in the Central European area," Janša's office said.

Janša gave Orban a special commendation and medal for his efforts in fighting Covid-19, and thanked him for Hungary's selfless help and solidarity during the coronacrisis.

Speaking to Hungarian press agency MRI, Orban said that he and Janša agreed the two countries would strive for good neighbourly relations but that it would take a few more months before a concrete plan emerged.

The basis for such a plan will be each country's support for their respective minorities, he said, adding that the bedrock of ties was also the aid Hungary provided to Slovenia during the coronavirus epidemic.

Orban said the tone of Hungarian-Slovenian relations was much more positive than ever before, according to MTI.

The meeting was held a day after Orban attended the Bled Strategic Forum, at which he participated in the leaders' panel along with Janša and several other Central and Eastern European leaders

All our stories about Orban and Slovenia

STA, 1 September 2020 - For almost 191,000 primary and secondary school students in Slovenia, and their almost 18,000 teachers, the new school year will start on Tuesday the same way the previous school year ended: in-class but with many precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including the wearing of face masks in common areas.

It came as a relief for many parents last week when the government decided that the school year should start in-class rather than remotely, even if the number of new coronavirus cases remains fairly high.

Students will not have to wear masks in class either, but the National Institute of Public Health has recommended that students of all ages wear masks when mixing in common areas, an upgrade of the earlier recommendation that only students 12 and older wear masks.

Schools are advised to follow a number of other precautions, including regular use of hand sanitizer, frequent hand washing, ventilation of classrooms, and keeping a safe distance whenever possible.

To what extent individual schools can follow these recommendations depends largely on school size and architecture. Large schools, for example, can simply not do the recommended distances in classrooms because there are too many children per class, a recommendation that is easier to follow for smaller schools with fewer students.

Education Minister Simona Kustec has said schools should follow the recommendations to the best of their abilities, but stressed that each school should use discretion in adapting the recommendations to the situation on the ground.

"Schools have my full confidence that they will do their best both in prevention and in terms of the teaching process," she has told the STA.

The overarching aim is to conduct as much of the teaching process normally, which means that if a student is confirmed to have coronavirus, the entire class is quarantined while the rest of the school continues instruction in-class.

The decision whether to step up precautionary measures or close schools will depend on the statistics: the daily and weekly number of infections, and the demographic profile of the infected persons, according to Kustec.

Quarantined students will be taught remotely, and the school system is seen as well prepared even if schools should have to close again like they did in spring.

Arnes, a public body which provides internet access to schools and other tools for remote teaching, has upgraded its infrastructure since the first wave of the epidemic.

Using additional state funding, the organisation has increased the capacity of its entire network and upgraded tools such as online classrooms and videoconferencing.

There is also money to buy up to 4,000 computers for students and teachers who do not have their own devices, and during the summer holiday dozens of online courses were organised to teach teachers how to use online tools in class and remotely.

As school starts, experts warn kids can become major vectors of infection

STA, 1 September 2020 - Children have not been considered a major factor in the spread of coronavirus, and they rarely develop severe symptoms. As school starts in-class for all students in Slovenia, experts warn that there is potential for children to not only spread coronavirus but become primary sources of infection in the family.

Mateja Logar, an infectologist at the UKC Ljubljana's clinic for communicable diseases, said on Tuesday that studies conducted after schools started to reopen in late spring shed new light on the role of children in the spread of coronavirus.

While children had initially not been considered a major source of infections, more recent studies have shown that older children and teenagers are much more likely to spread the disease.

"We have to realise that it is possible children develop only mild symptoms but infect other family members," she said.

The latest findings are probably a result of the fact that schools closed around the world when coronavirus first hit, which is why children were not a major factor in the spread.

But as schools reopened more data and more studies poured in showing that "children do get sick as well, it is only that they have different symptoms than adults."

The younger children are, the less specific their symptoms. While the most common symptoms in adults are fever and cough, children tend to develop digestive problems such as diarrhoea or vomiting.

Under the current guidelines for schools, children are not required to wear masks in class but have to put them on while in common areas. Social distancing, frequent hand washing, use of hand sanitizer and ventilation of classrooms is advised.

Logar said it was important that these guidelines be followed as much as possible, in particular since coronavirus spreads much more easily indoor than outdoors.

STA, 31 August 2020 - Slovenia's economy has been hammered hard by the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing lockdown with fresh data from the Statistics Office showing the country's output contracted by 13% in real terms in the second quarter compared with the same quarter a year ago. The second straight quarter of negative growth puts Slovenia in a technical recession.

Seasonally adjusted GDP decreased by 9.6% compared with the first quarter, and by 12.9% year-on-year. This means that the country's economy shrunk at an annual rate of 7.9% in the first half of the year.

Revised data from the Statistics Office show the seasonally-adjusted annual rate of decline in the first quarter, at the end of which Slovenia declared the epidemic and put public life on hold, was 3.7%, which compares to an earlier estimate of 3.4%.

The year-on-year contraction posted by Slovenia in the second quarter is somewhat lesser than the average for the eurozone and the EU running at -15.0% and -14.1%, respectively.

Fresh statistics show the country's shutdown imposed in mid-March had the biggest impact on domestic consumption, which slumped by 12% due to a 11.8% drop in final consumption expenditure and a 12.8% fall in gross capital formation.

Household final consumption expenditure slumped by 16.6%, of which 21.2% on the domestic market, with the highest decrease seen in consumption of fuels and services.

Gross fixed capital formation declined by 16.7% as construction investment decreased by 14.1% and investment in machinery and equipment slumped by 26.2%.

Due to a slump in external demand, exports fell by 24.5% compared with the second quarter of 2019; exports of goods decreased by 21.9% and exports of services fell by 35%.

Imports declined by 25%. Like in the case of exports, the slump in services was mainly observed in the travel industry.

The value added also declined, in particular in the hospitality sector, but the biggest negative impact was from manufacturing, said Romana Korenič from the Statistics Office.

Employment also fell in the second quarter, with the total of those in employment falling by 2% year-on-year to 1,023,200. Hit hardest were administrative and support services, manufacturing, and accommodation and food service activities.

On the upside, the situation started to improve in swathes of the economy the third quarter of the year, judging by macroeconomic data and survey among businesses and consumers.

Considering forecasts by domestic and international institutions, Slovenia's economy is not expected to contract by more than 8% this year, provided there are no new major shocks.

Signs of improvement were also noted by the Slovenian central bank in its response to the contraction in the output in the second quarter, which it said had been expectedly strong.

It said available data such as electricity consumption, tax revenue, the purchasing managers' index or business confidence suggest a considerable economic recovery in the summer.

As the coronavirus crisis set in, the central bank forecast a contraction of between 6% and 16% for the year depending on which of the three scenarios it had proposed would unfold.

"The current situation in the economy indicates the fall in the economic growth this year will be closer to the less adverse scenario, that is in accordance with our central forecast (of -6.5%)," said Banka Slovenije.

However, the central bank also noted that the situation is uncertain and that the recovery will largely depend on the development of the coronavirus pandemic and on how countries respond to a potential major outbreak.

"Due to the uncertainty, companies will keep postponing investment and households will remain cautiously frugal," a release from Banka Slovenije reads.

Similarly, IMAD, the government macroeconomic think-tank whose forecasts serve as a basis for state budgeting, said the contraction was within its expectations, with an improvement expected in the third quarter.

Noting that business sentiment and consumer confidence have been picking up since May, IMAD said they were still below the levels seen prior to the global coronavirus outbreak.

"In the third quarter we can expect a quarterly improvement or a lesser year-on-year decline in economic activity. With the presence of the virus and a new increase in infections in recent weeks, the situation remains uncertain, thus further fluctuation in economic activity is expected," commented IMAD director Maja Bednaš.

More data on this can be found on SURS

STA, 31 August 2020 - The 15th Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) boasted the most high-profile turnout in its 15-year history despite the coronavirus pandemic. Two presidents, seven prime ministers, six foreign ministers and many others attended in person, plus a number of high-profile panellists remotely. The debates focused on the future of the EU and the region's role.

The main panel featured seven Central and East European leaders, who highlighted the region's growing influence in the EU. They stressed the importance of true solidarity between all member states, noting that double standards were being used for the region.

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša said it was "dangerous to use double standards". He said the real challenges that Europe faces are different than challenges that are being discussed, a reference to extensive debates about rule of law proceedings against Hungary and Poland.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki noted that thirty years after the democratic transformation began in the region, there was still "a very peculiar approach" to the region. He said the region needed to maintain solidarity and unity, and at the same time be part of the European Union.

As for the state of the rule of law and democracy, Morawiecki rejected the notion of polarisation arguing that this was normal democracy. "We're not nationalists, populists ... it's simply a different approach in the post-communist world."

Similarly, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, asked about the state of democracy in his country, said Hungary's democracy was just as good as Germany's or Italy's by objective measures, the country just has a conservative, Christian democratic approach as it strives for "intellectual sovereignty".

The need for close cooperation, communication and the relaxing of restrictive EU state aid rules in the face of the global pandemic were in the centre of a panel debate featuring top foreign policy representatives. The broadly shared view was that the EU provided valuable support, still, the key, initial, response to the pandemic was mounted by member states.

Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok said that the EU "absolutely" provided help in addition to what was already being done by his country at home. He illustrated that while the EU was not able to provide masks when the pandemic hit, it is now leading member states out of the crisis with the recovery fund.

Czech Foreign Minister Tomaš Petriček highlighted another aspect of the crisis, saying it showed how fast the EU could revert to nation states. He illustrated that people did not complain much when the Czech Republic closed its borders at the start of the crisis.

However, when asked whether nation states or the EU would emerge stronger from this crisis, panellists expressed reservations about putting these in antagonistic terms.

Polish Foreign Minister Zbignew Rau labelled this an artificial conflict, adding that only strong member states made for a strong EU, while Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said member states and the EU need each other.

The Western Balkans was another major topic of discussion despite the absence of the traditional regional panel with foreign ministers.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, participating in the leaders' panel, thus dismissed the notion that Serbia was not keen on joining the EU. He said Serbia remained committed to the European path but expected respect from the EU.

Miroslav Lajčak, the EU's special representative for Belgrade-Prishtina dialogue, said in a special panel that the Western Balkans are part of the European story and the region's problems are also the bloc's problems. "If the EU wants to be a global actor ..., then we have to start demonstrating that we can help organise things in a European way on European soil."

There were also debates on European security and asymmetric threats, digitalisation and the future of cyberspace featuring mostly experts.

The security panel for example heard that a lot of adjustments to the European defence and security policy will be needed, including because of cyber threats and the Covid-19 pandemic. China was also discussed as an element which seeks to direct countries in the region more towards the east.

Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar said the forum provided an introduction to the coming debates on the future of the EU, which will be conducted under the German, Portuguese, Slovenian and French presidencies of the EU as part of the conference on the future of the EU.

According to Logar, these debates showed that "the leaders of individual countries see the EU and the consequences in which we are differently", which he said was "an excellent starting point for an open and lively debate".

Moreover, Logar said Slovenia was "returning to the diplomatic map" after a period of pursuing a distinct foreign policy. He rejected the notion that Slovenia was leaning more to the East now, arguing that "one country is not more important than another ... a community of equal countries provides a good platform for all countries to assert their interests."

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:

BSF as introduction to debates on EU's future

BLED/LJUBLJANA - The 15th Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) boasted the most high-profile turnout in its 15-year history despite the coronavirus pandemic. Two presidents, seven prime ministers, six foreign ministers and many others attended in person, plus a number of high-profile panellists remotely. The debates focused on the future of the EU and the region's role. Foreign Minister Anže Logar said the debates were a prelude to talks on the future of the EU at the EU level, but the event also marked a "return to the diplomatic map" for Slovenia. He believes this is "an encouragement for Slovenian diplomacy to continue to actively and energetically approach international relations." The line-up was meanwhile criticised by the opposition; the Social Democrats (SD) labelled the BSF a get-together for destroyers of basic EU values, whereas the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) is concern with Slovenia's shift in foreign policy towards eastern EU members.

Slovenia's economy contracts by 13% in Q2, by 7.9% in H1

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's economy has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing lockdown with fresh data from the Statistics Office showing the country's output contracted by 13% in real terms in the second quarter compared with the same quarter a year ago. The second straight quarter of negative growth places the country in a technical recession with the annual rate of contraction in the first half of the year at 7.9%. On the up side, available data suggest a rebound in the second half of the year. IMAD, the government's macroeconomic think-tank whose forecasts serve as a basis for state budgeting, said the contraction was within its expectations, with an improvement expected in the third quarter.

BSF: CEE a force to be reckoned with

BLED - Seven Central and East European leaders gathered for the main panel of the 15th annual BSF highlighted the region's growing influence in the EU. The prime ministers, including Slovenia's Janez Janša, Poland's Mateusz Morawiecki and Hungary's Viktor Orban, stressed their region was a force to be reckoned with and highlighted the importance of true solidarity between all member states, noting that double standards were used for the region. Meanwhile, calls for close cooperation, communication and the easing of restrictive EU state aid rules in the face of the pandemic dominated a panel debate featuring top foreign policy officials. A small protest was held on the sidelines of the event to protest against the policies pursued by Janša, Orban and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

Panel hears EU will need to adjust security and defence policy

BLED - A panel debate at the BSF saw the participants agree that a lot of adjustments to the European defence and security policy will be needed, including because of cyber threats and the Covid-19 pandemic. China was also discussed as an element which seeks to direct countries in the region more towards the east. Matthew Rhodes of the Marshall Center said at the European Security and Asymmetric Threats panel the Balkans had been identified as the area in Europe which was the biggest reason for concern, a lot of which was related to Russia and China's activities in the area. "Both countries took advantage of a slower response by NATO to present themselves as saviours," he said. Pawel Herczynski of the European External Action Service added that "a greater role of the EU in security and defence will strengthen NATO".

Western Balkans are part of EU's story, says Lajčak

BLED - The Western Balkans are part of the European story and the region's problems are also the bloc's problems, Miroslav Lajčak, the EU's special representative for Belgrade-Prishtina dialogue and the Western Balkans, told the BSF. He stressed that normalisation in Serbia-Kosovo relations was a process. Lajčak also stressed the importance of a credible European perspective for the Western Balkans: "If the EU wants to be a global actor ..., we have to start demonstrating that we can help organise things in a European way on European soil." He also saod that the EU should stop ignoring the political aspect of enlargement. Lajčak as well as the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell were also received by President Borut Pahor as well as by Prime Minister Janez Janša.

Fiscal Council says stimulus measures could reduce GDP slump by 1.5 pp

LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council, a government advisory body, updated its estimate of the actual public budget expenditure directed thus far toward mitigating the impact of the coronacrisis, putting it at EUR 1.5 billion. While this compares to a government-planned EUR 2.8 billion, the measures could reduce the GDP contraction by about 1.5 percentage points. "The simulation of all measures showed that the level of economic activity could end up being 1.5 percentage points higher this year than would be the case in a scenario without measures," the body overseeing Slovenia's adherence to the fiscal compact said.

Revised budget for 2020 raises expenditure by almost 30%

LJUBLJANA - The supplementary budget for 2020, which the government filed to parliament today, raises expenditure by EUR 3 billion or 29% to EUR 13.39 billion. A major portion of the extra funding is to go to the Finance Ministry; its budget is to increase by EUR 2.1 billion to EUR 4.6 billion. Covid-19-related costs account for 19% of all expenditure, with EUR 2.6 billion earmarked for measure meant to mitigate the impact of the coronacriss. Opposition parties are meanwhile largely critical of the revised budget, saying it lacks ambition and is not development-oriented, cutting funds for science and research. They also fear the enormous expenditure would have to be paid for by generations in the coming decades.

18 new coronavirus cases reported for Sunday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 18 new coronavirus infections from 588 tests performed on Sunday, according to the government data release Monday. The latest figures bring the total national case count to 2,883, of which 454 remain active. A total of 25 Covid-19 patients were in hospital, three of them requiring intensive treatment, that is one more than the day before. No new fatalities were reported, with the death toll from Covid-19 remaining at 133.

FURS boss Peter Jenko dismissed

LJUBLJANA - The government dismissed Peter Jenko from the post of director general of the Financial Administration (FURS) after he led the national revenue service for nine months. Irena Nunčič, until now one of the state secretaries at the Finance Ministry, became acting director general for up to six months, effective on 1 September, the Government Communication Office said in a release after today's government correspondence session.

Slovenian-developed vaccine produces high immune response in mice

LJUBLJANA - A team of researchers at the National Chemistry Institute in Ljubljana has developed a coronavirus vaccine that has produced a high immune response in mice. Trials have shown the antibodies neutralise the virus just like with other vaccines and just like the antibodies in patients who have recovered from infection. The team, led by Roman Jerala, developed the vaccine based on the plasmid DNA that contains the code for the virus proteins and triggers the production of virus proteins in human cells.

Police can use electroshock weapons from 1 Sept

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian police officers who will find themselves in danger will be able to use electroshock weapons against their attackers starting from 1 September. The police say the use of the new weapon will be very restricted and all procedures involving them will be recorded. Slovenia currently has 20 sets of the Taser X2 paralyser, and 237 experienced police officers have been trained to use them, the General Police Department said. The legislation introducing the new, controversial weapon was passed three years ago.

Price growth negative in August

LJUBLJANA - Consumer prices in Slovenia fell by 0.1% in August year-on-year as well as on July with the Statistics Office attributing annual deflation mainly to cheaper petroleum products and the monthly fall in prices to clearance sales. Goods prices went down by 1.2% in a year, while prices of services rose by 1.6%. Measured with the harmonised index of consumer prices, an EU-wide gauge, Slovenia recorded an annual deflation rate of 0.7% in August with no change at the monthly level.

Comtrade CDS acquired by British IT firm Endava

LJUBLJANA - Comtrade CDS, the largest Slovenian IT company in terms of workforce size, has been acquired by the British IT company Endava in a deal worth EUR 60 million, the business newspaper Finance reported. Comtrade CDS was recently spun off from the Slovenian arm of the Serbian Comtrade group, and consists of the divisions for digital services and system integration, which together accounted for almost two thirds of Comtrade's EUR 70.5 million in revenue last year. The roots of the Slovenian Comtrade arm go back to the former Ljubljana IT company Hermes SoftLab, which was bought by Serbian entrepreneur Veselin Jevrosimović in 2008 for roughly half of what was paid now by Endava.

Covid-19 slashing DARS revenue and profit

LJUBLJANA - National motorway company DARS posted EUR 187.9 million in operating revenue in the first half of 2020, a 25% drop compared to the same period in 2019 due to the corona crisis. Net profit plunged by almost two thirds year-on-year, totalling EUR 28.4 million, shows the company's unaudited report. Net sales revenue was at EUR 179.7 million, with DARS recording the biggest fallout in revenue from tolling (-20%), which accounts for 97% of total net sales revenue.

President decorates Prof Edward Gobetz

CLEVELAND, US - Edward Gobetz, professor emeritus at Kent State University, 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. The decoration was presented to the professor on behalf of Slovenian President Borut Pahor by Consul General Alenka Jerak in Cleveland on Sunday.

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