24 Aug 2020, 04:42 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 24 August 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:

Slovenia sees 34 coronavirus cases on Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Out of 760 coronavirus tests conducted in Slovenia on Saturday, 34 came back positive, the highest weekend number since late March. There were no Covid-19 related fatalities, with the national death toll remaining at 131. A total of 17 persons were in hospital with Covid-19, none requiring intensive care, showed fresh official data. There were 402 active cases in the country, according to the national tracker covid-19.sledilnik.

EU's future, regional cooperation in focus of Bled Strategic Forum

LJUBLJANA - The 15th Bled Strategic Forum (BSF) will be very different from previous iterations of Slovenia's flagship foreign policy event, said Peter Grk, the BSF secretary general, in an interview with the STA, highlighting that the line-up would nevertheless be exceptional. Restrictions will be in place to help prevent the spread of coronavirus and some panels will be held online. There will be fewer guests in Bled than in years past, the forum will be a one-day event, there will be no youth or business section.

No major traffic jams on Slovenian-Croatian border

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians holidaying in Croatia will probably return home in great numbers on Monday, the last day to come back without having to go into a 14-day quarantine after Croatia was put on Slovenia's Covid-19 red list, since there were no particularly long car queues at border crossings between the two countries until the evening. Traffic congestion and longer waiting times are expected in the evening hours and on Monday.

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

23 Aug 2020, 11:56 AM

Coronavirus & Slovenia, 23/08: 34 Cases Saturday; Most Summer Cases Imported from Croatia

STA, 23 August 2020 - Out of 760 coronavirus tests conducted in Slovenia on Saturday, 34 came back positive, the highest weekend number since late March. There were no Covid-19 related fatalities. A total of 17 persons were in hospital with Covid-19, none requiring intensive care, show fresh official data.

One person was discharged form hospital yesterday. The national death toll remains at 131.

Most of the latest cases were detected in Ljubljana and eastern Slovenia and in persons aged 15-24 or 25-34.

So far, Slovenia has recorded 2,651 coronavirus cases. Currently, there are 402 active cases in the country, according to the national tracker covid-19.sledilnik.

Can I transit Slovenia? Find out from the police...

Over 50% of all imported Covid-19 infections in summer from Croatia

STA, 22 August 2020 - As many as 300 persons infected with Sars-CoV-2 came to Slovenia from abroad, of whom 55% from Croatia, shows data obtained by National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) epidemiologists and labs for the period between 1 June and 21 August.

The majority of a total of 165 persons who brought the virus from Croatia, or 120, were persons aged 15 to 34. The majority, or 108, were men.

Another 26 persons got infected from them in Slovenia, NIJZ said on Saturday.

Since the number if infected persons returning from Croatia was rapidly rising, NIJZ notified all EU members through the early warning and response system (EWRS).

The number was at 16 two weeks ago, rose to 64 last week and is currently at 57 this week. However, NIJZ expects this week's figure to exceed last week's.

This was one of the main reasons why the coronavirus task force and NIJZ proposed to the government to impose a two-week quarantine for Slovenians returning from Croatia.

Since yesterday, Croatia has thus been on Slovenia's red list of coronavirus countries with a two-week quarantine.

There are some exceptions, however, including for those currently still on holiday in Croatia; they can return home without being quarantined until Monday midnight

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

23 Aug 2020, 11:34 AM

STO Developing Recovery Plan for Slovenian Tourism

STA, 22 August 2020 - Slovenian tourism will see a 70% drop in tourists from abroad this year, but Slovenians holidaying in the country in big numbers, also due to tourist vouchers distributed by the state to help the industry, will offset the loss somewhat, so that the overall drop is to amount to around 50%.

To accommodate the industry to a new reality resulting from the coronavirus, Slovenian partners are working on a recovery plan, Slovenia's Tourist Board (STO) announced.

The STO is aware people will always want to travel, yet not at all cost, but to "destinations which can guarantee a safe and at the same time pleasant experience", STO director Maja Pak said in a release.

The STO is thus working together with the Economy Ministry, tourism industry representatives, product associations and destination managers to prepare a recovery plan for Slovenian tourism.

The document is to digitalise and optimise marketing and promotion to bring them in line with travellers' new habits, and bring new criteria to assess success in tourism.

Since the coronavirus hit the country in March, the STO has launched several campaigns, focussing on promoting Slovenia as a green, safe and responsible destination.

Just recently, Virtuoso Travel Week, an online event promoting boutique and luxury tourism, was attended by over 4,000 tourist agents and destination managers from 96 countries.

The STO is also enhancing communication with foreign businesses with new projects.

One is a digital platform enabling travel agents to deepen their knowledge about Slovenia and potentially include it among their destinations.

World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) data shows interest in travel is still below last year's, but despite a 20% drop in the interest, Europe is still the most desired tourist destination.

23 Aug 2020, 04:35 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 23 August 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:

Friday's new Covid-19 cases at four-month high

LJUBLJANA - Of of 1,203 tests were carried out, 43 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Slovenia on Friday, matching Wednesday's four-month record. One person meanwhile died, which put the national Covid-19 death toll at 131. Eighteen Covid-19 patients were in hospital, but none required intensive care. The number of active cases is now at 370, the majority, 90, in the municipality of Ljubljana, which recorded the largest number of new cases, 10, according to the tracker covid-19.sledilnik. Slovenian health authorities expect infections to further rise in the coming weeks as many Slovenian holidaymakers are returning from Croatia.

German ambassadorial pair advocates united and strong EU

LJUBLJANA - The new German ambassadors to Slovenia, who will take turns in their duties in what is the first such ambassador duo appointed by Germany, told the STA that they see a solution to the coronavirus crisis in a united EU. Natalie Kauther and Adrian Pollmann said this would be one of the main priorities as their country has taken over the EU presidency. According to Kauther, Slovenia and Germany share similar views and are very close when it comes to certain topics. Slovenia is also interesting for Germany as it is a junction between Western Europe and the Western Balkans, and serves as a kind of an interpreter and connecting tissue.

Over half of all Covid-19 infections in summer imported from Croatia

LJUBLJANA - 300 persons infected with Sars-CoV-2 came to Slovenia from abroad, of whom 55% from Croatia, shows data obtained by National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) epidemiologists and labs for the period between 1 June and 21 August. The majority of a total of 165 persons who brought the virus from Croatia, or 120, were aged 15 to 34. The majority (108) were men. Another 26 persons got infected from them in Slovenia, NIJZ said. Since the number of infected persons returning from Croatia was rapidly rising over the past two weeks, the Covid-19 task force and NIJZ proposed imposing quarantine for Slovenians returning from Croatia, NIJZ explained.

World consumes natural resources 4 months after Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - As a society and economy, Slovenia uses as much resources as if it had three Slovenians at its disposal, the national Environment Agency (ARSO) said on Earth Overshoot Day, a date calculated to show when humanity consumes natural resources beyond the Earth's capacity to regenerate them that year. While the world arrived at Earth Overshoot Day, previously known as Ecological Debt Day, almost a month later than before due to the coronavirus crisis, Slovenia reached it already on 26 April, a day earlier than in 2019. According to ARSO, Slovenia's ecological footprint is largely a result of unsustainable energy use, foremost in households (heating) and transport. It said long-term investments in transport and other infrastructure were of utmost importance to avert the tend.

Slovenia with narrowest gap between minimum and average wages in EU

LJUBLJANA - The gap between the minimum and average wages in Slovenia stood at 50.6% in 2019, which made the country the EU member state with the narrowest gap, data from Slovenia's Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD) shows. Since Slovenia introduced the minimum wage in 1995, legislation has been amended on several occasions changing the manner in which the minimum wage is set or raised. Over the past 25 years, there have been two major minimum wage raises, which have brought the minimum wage closer to the average salary, one in 2010 and the other in 2020-2021. IMAD also said that minimum wage growth had exceeded productivity growth throughout the last decade.

Slovenians not returning from Croatia en masse yet

LJUBLJANA - Contrary to expectations, Slovenians holidaying in neighbouring Croatia were not yet returning home in great numbers today after the country was put on Slovenia's red list in terms of Covid-19 on Friday. More massive returns are expected on Sunday and Monday, as Slovenians can return from Croatia without having to go into a 14-day quarantine until Monday midnight. Waiting times on the border to enter Slovenia were thus comparable to previous years. Mirko Skuhala of border police at Gruškovje told the press that 11,000 vehicles entered Slovenia last night, on a par with the same period last year.

New football season begins, multiple teams vying for title

SEŽANA - The 30th season of the Slovenian football league got under way with a ten-day delay due to Covid-19 infections among football players. Celje, crowned champions for the first time in history last season, will be defending the title as the ten participating clubs seem closer than ever in terms of quality. Still, Maribor and Olimpija from Ljubljana are likely to be the main obstacle in Celje's efforts to defend the title. The opening match between Tabor Sežana and Koper ended 1:0 (1:0).

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

22 Aug 2020, 18:10 PM

Slovenes in No Hurry to Leave Croatia Before Monday’s Midnight Deadline

STA, 22 August 2020 - Contrary to expectations, Slovenians holidaying in neighbouring Croatia are not yet returning home in great numbers after the country was put on Slovenia's red list in terms of Covid-19. Waiting times on the border to enter Slovenia are thus comparable to previous years.

More massive returns are expected on Sunday and Monday, as Slovenians can return from Croatia without having to go into a 14-day quarantine until Monday midnight.

Can I transit Slovenia? Find out from the police...

Police data from border crossings with Croatia shows that it is mainly Germans and Czechs crossing into Slovenia, including at two of the main border crossings - Dragonja in the south-west and Gruškovje in the east.

Data from the Traffic Information Centre meanwhile shows that the longest waiting time to enter Slovenia is an hour and a half at Gruškovje.

Many are still also heading for Croatia, and have to wait around an hour at Dragonja, the longest waiting time.

Mirko Skuhala of border police at Gruškovje told the press today that 11,000 vehicles entered Slovenia last night, which is on a par with the same period last year.

22 Aug 2020, 17:41 PM

Slovenia & Coronavirus, 22/08: Friday's Cases at 4-Month High

STA, 22 August 2020 - As many as 43 new coronavirus cases were recorded in Slovenia on Friday, when 1,203 tests were carried out, the latest government data, released on Saturday, shows. This is the same as the four-month record recorded on Wednesday. One person meanwhile died yesterday, which put the national Covid-19 death toll at 131.

Eighteen Covid-19 patients were in hospital, but none required intensive care.

A total of 2,617 Sars-CoV-2 infections have so far been confirmed in the country, while the number of active cases is now at 370, according to the national tracker covid-19.sledilnik.

The majority of new infections, ten, were again recorded in the municipality of Ljubljana. The capital was one of 26 municipalities where infections were recorded on Friday. The city has also the largest number of active cases, 90, followed by Celje with 24.

Can I transit Slovenia? Find out from the police...

Slovenian health authorities expect infections to further rise in the coming weeks as many Slovenian holidaymakers are returning from Croatia, which has been since yesterday again on the country's red list.

According to the necenzurirano.si news portal, 52 tourists from Slovenia got infected in Croatia in the period between 7 July and 17 August, all but one in Novalja on the island of Pag, which is known for its night life.

The virus has meanwhile not spread in the retirement home in Šmarje pri Jelšah, where one resident tested positive last week. The care home's director, Gordana Drimel, told the STA on Saturday that all the tests carried out were negative.

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

22 Aug 2020, 13:15 PM

What Mladina & Demokracija Are Saying This Week: Lack of Govt COVID Info vs Remote Learning Stops Left Indoctrinating Young

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 21 August 2020. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: Lack of info makes it hard to see through govt measures

STA, 21 August 2020 - A poor flow of information stemming from the coronavirus pandemic makes it harder to compare Slovenian government decisions to developments in other countries, the left-wing Mladina weekly says in Friday's editorial, headlined Closed Society. It criticises a decision to introduce quarantine for returns from Croatia instead of offering testing.

Editor-in-chief Grega Repovž says that we are witnessing a year when information flow has drastically slowed down globally, with the focus on Covid-related information.

The lack of information makes comparison with other countries harder, so Slovenians see government decisions as "completely logical and the only possibly ones".

Repovž points to a decision to impose a two-week quarantine for travellers returning from Croatia, saying public debate is centred on whether to introduce it or not, instead of considering a third option - mandatory testing.

While this option has been introduced in the majority of Western countries, there is no public pressure to consider it in Slovenia and the government is not mentioning it.

If one decides on voluntary testing, they can do it at only two points, and it comes with a high price tag of over 90 euro.

Belgium, a much richer country, offers it for a mere 46 euro, and it is free of charge in Austria or Germany for those returning from other countries.

Repovž says that many people being quarantined has economic consequences for entire Slovenia which go beyond the potential cost of testing for the state.

But being closed information-wise, we see the government's thoughtless moves as the only option, he says.

Education is another area the editor takes issue with, saying the government should have changed legislation to give schools more autonomy in adjusting to Covid-19.

Instead, headmasters and teachers are terrified not knowing whether they will be able to observe all the recommendations.

Repovž says that if there was no emergency due to the epidemic, all major world media outlets would have sent their teams to Slovenia by now.

The epidemic has somewhat concealed the fact that Slovenia is an EU member state where anti-establishment protests have been going on for the fifth month running.

Was there no epidemic, it would be clearer the country is in a deep political crisis, says Repovž, adding that foreign media will probably realise that in the autumn when protests get more radical.

Problematic East European countries linking up in an ever louder and self-confident manner gives the EU and its powerful members more opportunities to react in a harder and clearer manner to the course pursued by the European East, to which Slovenia now belongs, concludes the editorial.

Demokracija: Remote learning prevents left-wing indoctrination

STA, 20 August 2020 - Two weeks before students are to return to brick-and-mortar schools, the right-wing weekly Demokracija says there would be no harm for students if remote learning continues in the autumn, saying that left-wing politicians are critical of this scenario because it would make it harder for them to indoctrinate children.

The weekly says that the results of the matura secondary school leaving exam were better this year following months of remote learning, but the left wing leaves this out of debates. Instead, they focus on "socialisation, which is actually indoctrination and has been made harder in distant learning."

"They are scared that they are losing power over the young and over their training to become future obedient multiculturalists and rainbow warriors," Demokracija editor-in-chief Jože Biščak says under the headline Dialectics of Good and Bad.

When a child learns by themselves or with the help of parents, focus shits away from things deemed important in the 2011 education white paper put together by a left government.

The biggest victory of cultural Marxists was to change education white books so as to render knowledge unimportant. Standards have been lowered to accommodate the "new citizens, arrivals from countries where the average IQ is by up to two standard deviation classes lower than the average IQ in developed countries".

The goal was social engineering that made subjects like the mother tongue, mathematics, physics and other natural sciences unimportant, replacing them with environmental activism, hunger and poverty, LGBT rights, multiculturalism, the fault of Europeans for the underdeveloped third world, green energy and social fairness.

The consequence is that children are raised to be mediocre to reduce the differences between them. "This is a typical socialist concept of being equal in poverty, but with an enlightened (and self-proclaimed) elite at the head".

The elite is the only one to benefit from the system that makes the development of any country virtually impossible by repressing meritocracy, whereas the latter benefits everybody, even those who are unsuccessful. The meritocratic elite can split an atom, research nanoparticles, send a man to the moon, make iPhones and laptops and boost food production with sophisticated technology.

To raise as many such people as possible, the education system should only provide young people with knowledge, they can form their own view of the world later on by themselves. This is the only way we can move forward, Demokracija says.

"You don't believe me? I ask you, which of these studies is more important to tackle hunger and poverty: studies by various 'peace institutes' about patriarchy in rural areas and gender equality in agricultural work, or a study by a technical institute about new and more effective ways to grow corn and cereal?"

All our posts in this series are here

22 Aug 2020, 09:42 AM

Last Week in Slovenia: 14 - 20 August, 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, 14 August
        LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Ministry State Secretary Blaž Košorok told the STA that Slovenia is and will remain a nuclear country. The government recently placed a new nuclear reactor in Krško on the list of strategic projects and while this does not mean a final decision has been made, he said Slovenia will continue relying on nuclear energy.
        LJUBLJANA - Chinese tech company Huawei said it was surprised by the joint declaration on security of 5G networks which Slovenia has signed with the US, stressing that any kind of discrimination and restrictions to the free market always have a negative impact. Huawei Slovenia representatives reiterated that the company respected all standards in cyber security and posed no threat to Slovenia.
        LJUBLJANA - The Environment Ministry for the first time ever launched a procedure to allow other public interests to prevail over nature conservation. The unprecedented procedure was launched for the Mokrice hydro plant on the Sava river on 5 July and is soon to be launched for a series of hydro plants on the central Sava, Dnevnik newspaper reported.

SATURDAY, 15 August
BREZJE - Cardinal Franc Rode, often vocal in his criticism of the Slovenian state in the past, praised President Borut Pahor and Prime Minister Janez Janša for their efforts towards national reconciliation to overcome divisions stemming from WWI. "We waited a long time for a statesman with the courage and understanding," he said, adding that the state leadership was the only stakeholder in reconciliation, being the successor of the leadership of the former Yugoslavia.

MONDAY, 17 August
        LJUBLJANA - The council of the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) postponed to 25 August the vote on whether party leader Aleksandra Pivec should further enjoy the party's confidence. DeSUS council head Tomaž Gantar, the health minister, said the reason for the postponement was the weekly government session.
        LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court reacted to PM Janez Janša's criticism of the temporary suspension of Ljubljana District Court judge Zvjezdan Radonjić. It said the persistent encroachment of one branch of power upon the powers of another branch could undermine the principle of division of power and lead to "political supremacy over the rule of law".
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian contact tracing app #OstaniZdrav became available for Android devices. The app was localised on the basis of the German Corona-Warn-App under the contract the government signed with developer RSteam. In the first day roughly 5,000 people downloaded it.

TUESDAY, 18 August
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Education Minister Simona Kustec announced that all primary and secondary school children would return to school as the new year begins in September. If the epidemiological situation worsens considerably, the plan could still change.
        LJUBLJANA - Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik indicated that after deploying a voluntary contact tracing app, Slovenia would start work on an app that would be mandatory for people with confirmed coronavirus infections and those ordered to quarantine. The app would be separate from the voluntary app and deployed only in the event the situation deteriorates.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier held a telephone conversation to stress the importance of European unity in facing the Covid-19 pandemic and in relation with other strategic challenges in the EU. The EU should also be united in tackling challenges in its immediate neighbourhood, they said.
        LJUBLJANA - Jurist Andraž Teršek, who failed to get elected a Constitutional Court judge by parliament in mid-June, withdrew a constitutional appeal that sought to annul the vote and order a new vote on his bid. He said there was not enough time for the court to decide on the appeal over invalid ballots before the deadline for new bids.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's leading insurance group, Triglav, reported EUR 33.5 million in net profit for the first half of 2020, a 3% decrease year-on-year. The group posted EUR 673.4 million in consolidated gross written premium, up 7% compared to the same period in 2019.

WEDNESDAY, 19 August
        LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša told a virtual EU summit the EU's primary concern is that the fundamental rights and freedoms of Belarusians, including the right to free and fair election and self-determination about their international connections, are respected. He said Russia should recognise these rights as well.
        BELGRADE, Serbia - Slovenia's new Ambassador to Serbia Damjan Bergant presented his credentials to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who expressed the wish that the new ambassador contribute to better relations between the two countries.
        BUDAPEST, Hungary - Slovenia's football champions Celje defeated Ireland's Dundalk with a clean 3:0 in the first round of the first qualifying round for the UEFA Champions League and will face Norway's Molde in the second round.
        LJUBLJANA - Police caught 257 foreign citizens who entered Slovenia illegally and seven people smugglers, as part of enhanced border control carried out overnight. The purpose of enhanced control was to prevent and detect illegal crossings of the border in areas of the country most at risk of illegal migrations.

THURSDAY, 20 August
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia put Croatia on the red list of countries from which travellers must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine as of 21 August. The government also put in place a number of exemptions for frequent cross-border commuters to make sure trade, commerce and cross-border ties run smoothly.
        LJUBLJANA - The government formally established a Demographic Office, a body that will monitor and analyse demographic trends, and draft strategic documents and policies for the field. It will be formally set up in Maribor within 15 days and be led by a minister without portfolio from the ranks of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS).
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided Slovenia will switch to electronic tolling system for cars as of 1 December 2021. The Infrastructure Ministry said that e-tolling would be a fairer version of the current toll sticker system.
        LJUBLJANA - In a landmark ruling for the rights of migrants entering Slovenia, the Supreme Court has overturned an Administrative Court ruling that allowed for no return of migrants to Croatia without a formal decision, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. The Supreme Court argued this is allowed under an agreement on fast-track returns signed by Slovenia and Croatia in 2006.
        TREBNJE - Polish private equity fund Innova Capital has sold the outright stake in Trimo, the Trebnje-based maker of prefabricated building components, to Irish concern Kingspan. Details of the deal were not disclosed.
        LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) unveiled a document proposing projects which it believes would give Slovenia's economy a fresh impetus. It said Slovenia should promote domestic consumption and infrastructure projects, and invest in digitalisation, R&D and smart specialisation.

22 Aug 2020, 09:06 AM

This Week’s Ljubljana Protest Focuses on National Bureau of Investigation

STA, 21 August 2020 - A number of protesters gathered in Ljubljana's Prešeren Square for the traditional Friday evening protest, this time highlighting the government's oversight of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI, Nacionalnega preiskovalnega urada - NPU)). The crowd, some 3,000 by the organisers' estimate and 1,500 by the police's, accompanied the speeches whistling and shouting "villains".

"We're letting politicians know that interfering in police and their investigations is unacceptable and illegal. The government must not only stop with such actions but also resign," said Teja Jarc of the Young Plus Trade Union.

bolj nas jebete, vec nas je pic.twitter.com/HRdMc67MhA
— Roni Kordiš (@had) August 21, 2020

Polna Gregorčičeva! #upor
Posted by Jure Poglajen El Dentista on Friday, 21 August 2020

"This government started pursuing repression as soon as it returned from the summer break to subjugate all social sub-systems, including the police.

"Ever since this government came to power, we have been witnessing autocracy, abuse of power, subjugation of all offices, political staffing, pressure on the media and attempts to frighten all those who are against the disintegration of democracy," she said.

In their invitation to today's protest, the organisers announced that they intended to insist on protests "as long as necessary".

"We won't go along fearmongering, we are not afraid. On the contrary, we had been eagerly waiting for them to return from their villas and swimming pools so that their political houses made of cards will finally crush," they wrote.

People of all ages could be seen at the protest, with half of them wearing face masks. A big banner letting the government know We Are Waiting For You! could be seen.

Following the speeches in Prešeren Square, the protesters proceeded towards the Government Palace in Gregorčičeva Street, where they had more speeches.

Ljubjana police seized a banner with what it termed inadequate content, and established one violation of the law on public assembly and another of public law and order.

All our stories on the NBI and Slovenia, and those on various protests in the country

22 Aug 2020, 04:21 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 22 August 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:

Long-term care bill finally unveiled

LJUBLJANA - The government unveiled a long-awaited draft bill on long-term care, which envisages a full coverage of rights from mandatory insurance for long-term care. The contribution rate has been proposed at 1.47%, while the contribution for mandatory health insurance would be somewhat reduced. The bill on long-term care and long-term care insurance allows for the systems of social care, health care and long-term care to be connected, said the ministries in charge of health and social affairs. Most opposition parties welcomed the fact that Slovenia is getting long-term care legislation, but must study it first before commenting. The draft bill will be in public consultation for 45 days.

Bill proposed banning unvaccinated children from kindergartens

LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry presented a draft bill under which unvaccinated children would not be allowed to go to public kindergartens and private kindergartens co-funded by the state. Students of secondary schools and faculties teaching healthcare, education and social care would also have to vaccinated. State Secretary Tina Bregant said the changes to the communicable diseases act were meant to prevent unwarranted avoidance of vaccination while protecting public health. The bill was sent into public consultation until 30 September.

Quarantine kicks in for entry from Croatia

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia placed nine countries, including six from Europe, on the red list of countries where the risk of coronavirus is high and quarantine required for most travellers as of today. Added to the red list were Croatia, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, Ukraine and Venezuela. Nevertheless, Slovenian holidaymakers will be able to return from Croatia without being ordered to quarantine until the end of the day on Monday to reduce tailbacks at border crossings. However, Health Ministry State Secretary Tina Bregant called on all those returning to self-isolate even though they will not have a formal quarantine decision.

One fatality and 38 coronavirus cases recorded on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - Following a new four-month high of 43 cases on Wednesday, Thursday's coronavirus tests confirmed 38 new infections. One person died, which raised the death toll to 130. There were 18 Covid-19 patients in hospital, but none required intensive care. The largest number of cases, nine, was again confirmed in Ljubljana, while infections were discovered in 23 more municipalities.

Pahor, Supreme Court head call for debate on rule of law

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor received Supreme Court president Damijan Florjančič, with the pair agreeing that it would be useful to hold a round-table debate on the situation related to the rule of law, especially from the aspect of cooperation between the three branches of power while respecting their independence. The meeting comes after Florjančič had sent a letter to Pahor taking issue with the communication between the three branches of power, most notably PM Janez Janša tweets. A round table debate is to be held at Presidential Palace, if possible in the first half of October.

* Protesters condemn oversight at NBI

LJUBLJANA - Some 3,000 protesters, by the organisers' estimate, gathered in Prešeren Square for the traditional Friday evening protest, this time highlighting the government's oversight of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). The crowd accompanied the speeches whistling and shouting "villains". "We're letting politicians know that interfering in police and their investigations is unacceptable and illegal. The government must not only stop with such actions but also resign," said Teja Jarc of the Young Plus Trade Union. In their invitation to today's protest, the organisers had announced that they intended to insist on protests "as long as necessary".

Registered unemployment rate down slightly in June to 9.2%

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's registered unemployment rate was down 0.1 of a percentage point in June over May to 9.2%, said the Employment Service. In February, before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the rate was 7.9%. The June rate was the highest in Murska Sobota, north-east (12.9%) and the lowest in Nova Gorica, west (6.7%).

Consumer confidence up for fourth consecutive month

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's consumer confidence improved for the fourth consecutive month in August, with the relevant index going up by six percentage points compared to July. Consumer sentiment was however 17 percentage points down year-on-year and compared to the 2019 average, Statistics Office data showed. The index has been improving since April, however it is still 7 percentage points below the long-term average.

Pivovarna Laško boss calls for aid to hospitality sector

LJUBLJANA - The managing director of brewer Pivovarna Laško, Zooullis Mina, hopes the company will be able to gradually offset the 20% drop in sales caused by the coronavirus lockdown. Reducing the drop to a low double-digit figure by the end of 2020 would be a success, he said in an interview with the STA. After generating EUR 156.5 million in revenue and increasing profit by EUR 4.1 million to EUR 24.4 million last year, Pivovarna Laško saw its H1 revenue drop by 20% year-on-year as a result a nearly 100% drop in sales to the hotel, restaurant and catering sector. Echoing the Slovenian Brewers' Association, he expressed the wish for brewers to meet with government representatives to discuss additional aid measures for the economy, such as lower alcohol duties and VAT rates.

Part of Hidria management and partners successfully execute buyout

IDRIJA - The long-running battle for control of industrial conglomerate Hidria seems to have been won by the group of managers around Iztok Seljak and Dušan Lapajne. Following the takeover bid published in July by the pair together with partners, the Seljak Lapajne camp said it had managed to acquire enough shares securing it definitive majority ownership.

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