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STA, 3 August 2020 - The Association of Social Institutions has left the government task force for Covid-19 after their demands regarding the treatment of infected residents of care homes off-site have not been met. The Labour Ministry said it regretted the association's decision, while the Health Ministry said the association shared part of the blame for the issues.
The association initially intended to pull out of the task force which is setting the protocols for preventing the spreading of coronavirus in social security institutions on Saturday but received a new proposal regarding the treatment of infected care homes residents at the end of last week.
The solution included the possibility of transferring the infected residents to mobile units since the association has been pushing for the infected residents to be isolated outside care homes immediately so as to prevent the spreading of infections.
The association's task force looked into the proposal during the weekend but was obviously not persuaded by the solutions offered.
The demand for implementing the law and isolating the infected residents of health or other institutions whose architectural design meets the standards for such institutions has not been met, the association told the STA on Monday.
It has also been warning that most care homes do not have the capacity to set up three separate zones - a red zone for infected residents, a grey zone for potential infections and a white zone for healthy residents - in case of confirmed Covid-19 as envisaged by the current protocols.
A survey conducted by the association and NGO Amnesty International Slovenije between 30 July and 3 August among 83 social security institutions has shown that more than 86% of the institutions are physically unable to set up grey and red zones, while 93% of them lack technical capacities. Almost all institutions, 98%, lack the required staff.
Labour Ministry State Secretary Cveto Uršič said he regretted the decision of the association, noting that they had been cooperating well so far. He said representatives of the association would continue to be invited to the meetings of the task force.
"(Care) homes have been dealing with the epidemic properly, which is being confirmed by the fact that more than nine out of ten homes have successfully avoided infections. We are witnessing new infections at homes in recent weeks, but they have been responding well, including in Hrastnik, where the number of infected has been dropping," Uršič told the press.
He said hospitals had recently set up four special Covid-19 units where care home residents who would otherwise not need hospital treatment could be temporarily placed to give care homes time to set up isolation zones.
He also noted that funds for additional staff had been secured and that the Health Ministry was offering training to care home staff on ways to avoid infection.
Efforts are under way to secure enough equipment to last care homes for 30 days, he added.
"To sum up, it is a real pity for the representatives of the association to step down. A lot of effort has been invested on their part and on the part of homes and both ministries," he said.
Meanwhile, a somewhat differently toned reaction came from the Health Ministry, which wrote it was not surprised by the association's decision, "in particular because it shares responsibility for the situation, having co-shaped through the years the manner in which work is organised and staffing standards are set".
"This is an attempt to discredit the search for joint solutions," the ministry added, saying negotiation were not possible when planning for elderly care, as all decisions needed to have professional reasons as opposed to reasons based on interests or politics.
"Everybody who needs hospital care gets it ... We all operate in the interest of the residents. To expect that a resident will be moved out of the care home merely over the suspicion of infection is unethical, unprofessional and inhumane," the Health Ministry said in a written response for the STA.
The ministry added it was aware of staffing and logistic issues at some homes, but argued that those who had approached the situation in a constructive manner were coping successfully.
Suggesting that the novel coronavirus could be present in Slovenia for several years to come, the ministry said it had quizzed care homes about their interest in obtaining container accommodation units that would help address the lack of room for manoeuvring.
The association said earlier today it was hoping that their pulling out of the government task force is only temporary and that it was prepared to take part in informal meetings.
"We're still open for communication with the state, with decision-makers who will listen to our views, opinions and concrete experience ... who will give us the chance to participate, not just be present."
The government Covid-19 task force is to hold its next meeting on Thursday and Uršič said he hoped to see representatives of the association there.
The issue of handling coronavirus infections at care homes rose to prominence once again after Slovenia's curve started to rise in the last few weeks and the care home in Hrastnik became the site of a major outbreak.
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This summary is provided by the STA:
One new coronavirus infection confirmed on Sunday, two persons die
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed one new coronavirus infection on Sunday after conducting 272 tests, show fresh official data. Two Covid-19 related fatalities were recorded, raising the national death toll to 122. A total of 22 persons were hospitalised with Covid-19, including two in intensive care, with both figures staying level on Saturday. There were 228 active cases in Slovenia yesterday, six fewer than the day before.
Social institutions pull out of Covid-19 task force
LJUBLJANA - The Association of Social Institutions left the government task force for Covid-19 after their demands regarding the treatment of infected residents of care homes off-site have not been met. The association has long been warning that most care homes do not have the capacity to set up three separate zones in case of confirmed Covid-19 as envisaged by the current protocols. It hopes the decision is only temporary and is prepared to take part in informal meetings.
Jančar receives major Austrian literature prize
SALZBURG, Austria - Drago Jančar, arguably Slovenia's leading contemporary writer, formally received the Austrian State Prize for European Literature 2020. The life-time achievement award is awarded to writers with a strong international presence. "Taking an individual to penetratingly render understandable the delusions of our history: this is one of the big strengths of his literature," the jury wrote about the 72-year-old. The ward ceremony also featured Nobel laureate Peter Handke, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and Austrian Culture Ministry State Secretary Andrea Mayer.
Treasury extends three-year bond issue by EUR 50m
LJUBLJANA - The treasury has extended an existing three-year bond by EUR 50 million following demand by an investor. The yield to maturity was -0.492%, the lowest on record and just 27 basis points over a comparable German bond. The issue was completed at the end of June and is an indication of investor trust in the government's policies in the fight against Covid-19, the Finance Ministry said.
DeSUS MPs request explanation from Pivec over corruption allegations
LJUBLJANA - The pressure is building for Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec to give her side of the story about allegations of integrity breach or conflict of interest made against her. The MPs of her Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) said they expected to hear her explanations on Friday, however Pivec plans to do that next week.
Roma Holocaust Memorial Day marked
MURSKA SOBOTA - The European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day was marked, with keynote speaker Boštjan Žekš, an advisor to President Borut Pahor, saying he felt ashamed over the suffering of the Roma being almost forgotten. He also said that the Roma did not have it easy in modern-day Slovenia. What is more, it took a long time before the world started paying respect to the victims killed on the night of 2 August 1944 in Auschwitz-Birkenau when all the Roma prisoners had been killed, he said.
Italian, Danish pairs win beach volley World Tour in Ljubljana
LJUBLJANA - The Italian men's pair Andrea Abbiati and Tiziano Andreatta and the Danish women's pair Clara Windeleff and Line Trans Hansen are the winners of the fourth FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour tournament held in Ljubljana's Congress Square over the weekend. This was the first international beach volleyball competition after the four-month break imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.
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Cycling has become a common activity among many people in Slovenia. For many, cycling presents for casual recreational activity and for many, a more serious sports activity. A number of cycling events, which annually take place, invite many to Slovenia. Cycling events which also present cyclists with the picturesque diversity one can find in Slovenia. In the past, Robert Posl, an active cyclist in Slovenia, shared what it is like taking part in the most challenging cycling event in Slovenia, the Marathon of the Alps.
Yet some cyclists come to Slovenia for a more casual ride through Slovenia, at their own pace. Thus, not taking part in cycling events. To get to know more about the diversity one can experience through Slovenia, Robert agreed to share more about the diversity one can experience through Slovenia.
Living in Slovenia, now already over 25 years, I am still fascinated by the diversity one can meet with, in Slovenia. Coming from South Africa, a much larger country, and a country with a much more uniform landscape, it only fascinates me more.
I enjoy taking part in cycling events, which annually take place in Slovenia. One year, I decided to take part in one event, the “Marathon of three borders”; Though this cycling marathon took place more than 200km away, in the province of Prekmurje, which is in the extreme east of Slovenia; I decided that after I completed with the marathon that I would take on the challenge of cycling through Slovenia. A tour, which would take me much further than just getting home, but a tour crossing the borders of every country neighbouring Slovenia.
On the road from Murska Sobota. I thought I would never experience riding down roads like this in Slovenia; straight and absolutely no hills. And also, in the dry climate as it often is here, and relatively unvegetated
My tour started by going to Murska Sobota by train, the only larger city in the Prekmurje province. This was the first time I had ever been to this area of Slovenia. My first stretch of cycling was to get to Lendava, a town in the absolute corner of Slovenia, in almost walking distance from both Croatia and Hungary.
Cycling in this area, I experienced something I only ever experienced in South Africa. Cycling on absolutely flat terrain, with straight roads, which disappear off into the distance, as far as one can see. The next day was the marathon, which took us first into Croatia, then into Hungary, and finally back into Slovenia.
But that was not the end of cycling for the day for me, because I planned to cycle to Rogatec. This meant cycling out of Prekmurje, off the hot and dry Prekmurje plateau, as many call it, and into the Styria province where my parents live. This brought on a considerable drop in altitude above sea level and into terrain, which brought on a gradual change in the climate.
After a day’s break, I took on the next stage of the challenge, which took me, at first South, to the Lower Carniola province and to the Sava river, and then West towards Ljubljana. The Lower Carniola province is known for its unique quinze and whines. This was one stage where I faced the greatest transition in the countryside and in the climate. Even before getting close to the Sava river, I gradually came into more vegetated landscape, which I am more used to in Slovenia. Heading West, towards Ljubljana, I gradually met up with more forested countryside. After almost reaching Ljubljana, I headed North for Kamnik, and back towards the Alps region of Slovenia.
The next day, I went on a short round trip out of Kamnik. For many, Kamnik is that picturesque town at the foot of the Alps. For those visiting, they soon find out what that means. From Kamnik, there are many directions a cyclist can choose from. I decided to head west and up to a cabin known by most cyclists in the region, “The 902”. It’s a pub, which is located on a mountain pass, at 902 meters above sea-level. This is very much different cycling than that I had faced in the 400km so far, across from the East of Slovenia to here. The presence of the mountain ranges is so persistent; with roads winding through the mountains, crossing and following mountain streams from one woodland and into the next.
Kamnik, almost wedged in between the Kamnik, Savinj Alps. Makes for excellent mountain riding, which attracts many, to this alive and vibrant town
After another day’s break, I took on the most daunting stage of my tour. It was into the Upper Carniola province. Going into the Upper Carniola region, you get that feeling, that you are now really in Europe. The first section of the day was to get up to the border with Austria. This involved following through another river valley, to get up and over another Alpine pass, and across the border into Austria. In Austria, I followed yet more mountain roads and into the river basin of the great Drava river. I then turned South to Italy and in Italy, back to Slovenia. I was in Italy for a short time, as I followed the road back into Slovenia. I crossed back into Slovenia, near the renowned Planica ski-jumping centre. One of the highest, if not the highest or largest known ski-flying hill.
One of the many mountain passes, along one of those mountain roads
Even though I had come into the mountainous region of Slovenia, cycling back to Kamnik did not involve any more cycling along mountain roads. All thankyou to the Sava River, which has carved its way out through the land already in Austria, through the Carniola province, passed Ljubljana and further through Slovenia.
Taking on this cycling challenge across and through Slovenia, I experienced first-hand the diversity you can find in Slovenia. Various provinces of Slovenia, which are all unique and known for their individual countrysides.
More by Robert Posl: See Slovenia by bike, with the marathon of the Alps
STA, 3 August 2020 - The pressure is building for Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec to give her side of the story about allegations of integrity breach or conflict of interest made against her. The MPs of her Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) said on Monday they expected to hear her explanations on Friday, however Pivec plans to do that next week.
The MPs are unanimous in asking for concrete explanations for Pivec's conduct and expect to hear them at the party's meeting on Friday.
The DeSUS deputy faction discussed today what the next steps should be in the wake of the media reports alleging Pivec's professional misconduct and risk of corruption in regard to her recent visits to winemaker Vinakras in the Kras region and the town of Izola, which have raised questions about who paid for them and whether there was potential payment of services for private purposes or family members.
Pivec has denied the allegations and announced that she would provide explanations after she returned from her annual leave. Her party peers expect explanations already on Friday and have requested DeSUS council vice-president Tomaž Gantar to convene a party council session by 25 August at the latest.
"Due to leave of absence, I am to meet DeSUS deputy faction MPs as soon as I return to Ljubljana (presumably next Monday) where I will provide them with all the explanations related to my work," said the DeSUS leader on Twitter today.
Zaradi odsotnosti se bom s poslanci poslanske skupine @stranka_DeSUS sestala takoj, ko se vrnem v Ljubljano (predvidoma naslednji ponedeljek), kjer bom poslancem podala vsa pojasnila, povezana z mojim delom.
— Aleksandra Pivec (@APivec) August 3, 2020
Meanwhile, some Izola municipality officials have raised questions about the way the town has been spending its municipal funds, reported Radio Slovenija.
Izola deputy mayor Aleksej Skok, a SocDems town councillor, believes that accommodation cost incurred during the minister's visit should be looked into by the town's supervisory board. The board's chair meanwhile said that the matter was outside the board's competence, according to Radio Slovenija.
The coalition parties have so far been reserved in their comments on the developments, whereas the opposition is critical of Pivec's actions, with the Marjan Šarec Party (LMŠ) and the Left going as far as demanding her resignation.
The anti-graft watchdog is looking into the matter to determine whether there are grounds for a more in-depth investigation.
STA, 3 August 2020 - During the past few years public orchards have been planted across Ljubljana in the desire to make fruit available to locals from midsummer to autumn and create a pleasant environment for bees. Alas, the orchards have often been a target of vandalism and are not thriving as planned, according to the city.
Most of the orchards were planted near urban community gardens in Ljubljana, however the process has been slowed down due to vandalism. The city authorities will carry on planning and planting the orchards when the existing trees are old enough to bear fruit.
The orchards were meant to be venues promoting food self-sufficiency and for educational activities, for example pruning workshops.
The first orchard was created in autumn 2015, featuring 128 trees, only to be vandalised three times in 2016. No saplings survived the incidents unscathed. Young trees in most of the orchards are not developing as planned due to acts of vandalism, said the city.
The saplings are either uprooted and stolen or damaged. Ljubljana has replaced all the missing or broken saplings and reported the damage to the police, but the perpetrators remain unknown.
Last year and this year so far no saplings were hurt as the city imposed deterrent measures, including traffic warden patrols and campaigns raising awareness about the need to respect public space.
A total of some 600 fruit-bearing trees have been planted in Ljubljana so far, most notably trees producing apples, pears, plums, but also rarer types of fruit, such as persimmons, medlars, and quinces.
The trees will require a few years to develop their final size and bear fruit, but they are also hardier than those in modern orchards and need no support.
STA, 3 August 2020 - A festival starting on Monday evening will bring contemporary circus, an art form rarely seen in Slovenia, to Ljubljana this week. The 13th international Klovnbuf Festival will feature both Slovenian and foreign artists, and focus on the art of juggling, the organisers say.
Apart from acclaimed artists, the festival will also present some up-and-coming Slovenian and Slovak performers. The best foreign productions which cannot be performed live because of the coronavirus will be screened on-line at the Metelkova museum platform.
In the opening show this evening entitled What Have I Found in the Attic, Slovenian dancer Ana Lekše, who works at the Youth Circus in Leuven, Belgium, will show her mastery of aerial rope at the Stara Elektrarna (Old Power Station), the main venue of the festival.
On Tuesday, two young Slovenian artists, Luka Piletić and Jan Podbrežnik, will explore the difficult questions artists ask themselves during the creative process.
Slovakian circus and performance artist Roman Škadra will present circus as a potentially joyful, yet endlessly futile endeavour in a humorist and metaphoric show Absurd Hero on Thursday.
A highlight of the festival according to the organisers will be an award-winning performance Tangram, featuring juggling master from Belgium Stefan Sing and a ballerina, Cristiana Casadio from Italy.
The weekend part of the festival will be held outdoors at the Metelkova museum platform, and near-by parks.
On Saturday, Branko Potočan and Jana Menger, the founders of the Fourklor physical theatre will offer an overview of their joint dance history in the show entitled Down Memory Lane.
The festival will close with performances by young Slovenian artists and juggling concert Mismo Nismo featuring Tjaž Juvan, Oton Korošec, Eva Zibler, who combine contemporary circus and improvisation with various art genres and formats.
The last day will be reserved for children, featuring The Lion with a Grey Beard by Zavod Bufeto & EX-teater, and several other performances held at Špica Park and Tabor Park.
All events will be admission free.
The website is here, and the programme is below
MONDAY, 3rd August
-
8:00 PM
work-in-progress
What have I found in the Attic
Ana Lekše (SI)
@ Old City Power Station - Elektro Ljubljana
-
8:30 PM
talk back
@ Old City Power Station - Elektro Ljubljana
TUESDAY, 4th August
-
8:00 PM
work-in-progress
Luka Piletič & Jan Podbrežnik (SI)
@ Old City Power Station - Elektro Ljubljana
-
8:45 PM
talk back
@ Old City Power Station - Elektro Ljubljana
THURSDAY, 6th August
-
8:00 PM
work-in-progress
Roman Škadra (SK)
@ Old City Power Station - Elektro Ljubljana
-
9:00 PM
talk back
@ Old City Power Station - Elektro Ljubljana
FRIDAY, 7th August
-
4:00 - 7:00 PM
workshop
Roman Škadra (SK)
@ Zavod Salesianum OE SKALA
-
8:30 PM
Stefan Sing & Cristiana Casadio (DE, IT)
@ Odprti oder Muzejska ploščad Metelkova
-
10:00 PM
public screening
Gandini Juggling (UK)
@ Odprti oder Muzejska ploščad Metelkova
SATURDAY, 8th August
-
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
workshop
Stefan Sing & Cristiana Casadio (DE, IT)
@ Zavod Salesianum OE SKALA
-
8:30 PM
Branko Potočan & Jana Menger (SI)
@ Odprti oder Muzejska ploščad Metelkova
-
10:00 PM
public screening
Thick & Tight (UK)
@ Odprti oder Muzejska ploščad Metelkova
SUNDAY, 9th August
-
11:00 AM
Zavod Bufeto & EX-teater (SI)
@ Odprti oder Muzejska ploščad Metelkova
-
11:00 AM
Laboratorij Bufeto & Teatro Matita (SI)
@ Špica Park
-
12:00 PM
Globus Hystericus (SI)
@ Špica Park
-
6:00 PM
Laboratorij Bufeto & Teatro Matita (SI)
@ Tabor Park
-
7:15 PM
Globus Hystericus (SI)
@ Tabor Park
-
7:30 PM
Tolpa Lutkalica (SI)
@ Tabor Park
-
8:30 PM
Mismo Nismo (SI)
@ Odprti oder Muzejska ploščad Metelkova
-
10:00 PM
public screening
Edd Arnold, Thick & Tight (UK)
Harry Alexander, Thick & Tight (UK)
Vidya Patel, Thick & Tight (UK)
Gary Clarke, Thick & Tight (UK)
@ Odprti oder Muzejska ploščad Metelkova
FREE ENTRANCE FOR ALL EVENTS
DONATIONS ARE WELCOME
STA, 3 August 2020 - Drago Jančar, arguably Slovenia's leading contemporary writer, will formally receive on Monday the Austrian State Prize for European Literature 2020. The life-time achievement award is awarded to writers with a strong international presence.
"Taking an individual to penetratingly render understandable the delusions of our history: this is one of the big strengths of his literature," the jury wrote about the 71-year-old.
Jančar is well known in the German-speaking world and a number of his works have been translated into the German, among them the 2017 novel And Love Itself (In Ljubezen tudi)
His works often deal with individual's struggles with society and some delve into post-WWII events in Slovenia, a source of many present-day political fault lines.
Jančar, a novelist, playwright and essayist, is the most widely translated Slovenian writer and has received an unparalleled number of awards in Slovenia and abroad.
He has written eleven novels; one of the most celebrated ones, I Saw Her That Night (To Noč Sem Jo Videl; 2010) has been translated into at least ten languages.
He is the only Slovenian writer to have won the prestigious Slovenian Kresnik Prize for the best novel of the year four times, most recently with And Love Itself in 2018.
The Austrian State Prize for European Literature is handed out annually for the oeuvre of a European author that has won international acclaim and has been translated into German.
Some of the previous winners include French writer Michel Houellebecq (2019), English novelist Zadie Smith (2018) and Nobel laureate Patrick Modiano (2012).
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This summary is provided by the STA:
Slovenia records nine new coronavirus infections, one death
LJUBLJANA - Nine of the 374 coronavirus tests performed in Slovenia on Saturday have come back positive, the latest government data show. One Covid-19 fatality was reported for a death toll of 120. There were 22 persons in hospital, the same as the day before, while only two required intensive care, down from five. The number of active cases rose slightly, to 234 from 231 the day before, according to data collected by Covid-19.sledilnik.org, a tracking website.
Bojan Kontič, prominent SocDem politician, dead at 59
VELENJE - Social democratic politician Bojan Kontič, who spent nearly a decade as mayor of Velenje and served as member both of the lower and upper chamber of parliament, died on Sunday aged 59. Kontič served three stints as MP between 1996 and 2008, during which time he was also deputy mayor of Velenje. Since 2010 he served as the mayor.
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STA, 2 August 2020 - Growing interest in wine tourism in the south-eastern Dolenjska region among Slovenians, sparked by introduction of holiday vouchers, will help improve the tourist season in the region, Dolenjska tourism providers who base their services on vineyard cottages known as zidanice have said.
The zidanice, regionally well-known simple houses with wine cellars surrounded by rolling hills and vineyards, have been the mainstay of the region's tourism for years, apart from spa resorts.
The increased interest, brought about by the vouchers, the government measure designed to boost Slovenian tourism in the wake of the Covid-19 epidemic, will have a long-term positive effect in terms of promoting these rural retreats.
Petra Štukelj, a representative of the Zidanice Tourism Consortium Association, told the STA that at the beginning of the epidemic, up to 90% of zidanice bookings were cancelled, mostly by foreign tourists, who had accounted for the majority of guests in previous years.
Launching the vouchers has mitigated the situation, with Slovenians opting for discovering their own country amid coronavirus concerns and travel restrictions, she said.
In April, vineyard cottages were virtually empty, whereas in May, the situation started turning for the better. June compared to the same period last year and in July, the occupancy rate increased by as much as some 40% on July 2019.
The providers expect to see the upward trend carry on into the following months.
The share of domestic guests was less than 25% last year, whereas this year it has climbed to 75%. Summer months and September are the busiest, with the zidanice being perfect for smaller groups of visitors.
Apart from Dolenjska, the consortium also provides accommodation services in wine-growing regions of Posavje, Bela Krajina and Obsotelje in south-eastern and eastern Slovenia.
Holidaying zidanice-style comes with wine-tasting and culinary experiences, countryside hospitality, gorgeous views of rural landscape and a plethora of sports activity options, the association said.g
STA, 2 August 2020 - Sunday shopping will again resemble the pre-corona times as all major retailers in Slovenia are to be open this Sunday. After Mercator, Tuš, Hofer and Eurospin decided to reopen last Sunday, today shoppers can also flock to Spar, Lidl, Leclerc and Jager.
Shopping centres operated by SES will also reopen today, including the Ljubljana Citypark, Aleja and Vič shopping centres, Celje Citycenter and Maribor Europark.
Sunday shopping returns after the government revoked a temporary ban on Sunday shopping last week, a measure that was put in place in the earliest stages of the coronavirus epidemic.
The Sunday shopping ban was reversed effective last Friday, with the decision coming just a week after legislation that would permanently close shops on Sunday stalled in parliament.
The government has withheld its support for the bill, which remains in parliamentary procedure, and suggested retailers and trade unions try and reach an agreement.
STA, 31 July 2020 - On 1 April, Slovenia had a total of 2,097,195 residents, which is 12,894 or 0.6% more than on the same date last year, show data from the Statistics Office (SURS). In the first quarter of the year, the number of Slovenian citizens fell, while the number of foreigners residing in Slovenia increased.
In the first quarter, the number of residents was up by 1,334 year-on-year, but the number of Slovenian citizens decreased by 1,900 or 0.1%.
On the other hand, the number of foreign citizens residing in Slovenia was up by 3,200 or 2.1% to 159,582, which represented 7.6% of Slovenia's total population.
At the beginning of April, there were 1,052,649 men and 1,044,546 women residing in Slovenia, but the share of women among Slovenian citizens alone was 51.2%. The SURS has noted that this share has been slowly declining for years.
Among the foreign citizens residing in Slovenia, women represented only 33.4%. After growing for several years, this share has been down since the beginning of 2018 by 1.9 percentage points.
In the first quarter of 2020, immigration to Slovenia was down by 2% compared to the same period last year.
While 7,622 persons moved to Slovenia in the first quarter, 4,941 moved out of Slovenia, which is 66% more than in the same period in 2019.
Slovenian citizens who moved out of the country (1,599) represented around 50% of the number of foreign citizens who left Slovenia in this period (3,342).
According to SURS, a total of 4,364 births were recorded in Slovenia in the first quarter, while 5,711 residents died, which is 201 and 269 fewer compared to the same period last year, respectively.
In the last year, the rate of natural increase, the difference between the number of births and deaths per 1,000 residents, changed from -2.8 to -2.6.
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