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:

Nine new coronavirus cases confirmed in 625 tests on Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Out of 625 coronavirus tests conducted on Saturday, nine came back positive, showed government data. There were no Covid-19 fatalities. Seven persons were in hospital care, with none requiring intensive care. Milan Krek, director of the National Public Health Institute (NIJZ), said that the current epidemiologic status in Croatia was grave and that stricter measures would have to be implemented if the situation did not improve there.

Govt sets out to get Slovenia ready for second Covid-19 wave

LJUBLJANA - Due to a growing number of confirmed new coronavirus cases in Slovenia in the past few days, the government decided to discuss a bill that would implement emergency measures dealing with the potential second wave of infections. According to unofficial sources, the measures will be primarily aimed at preventing large gatherings, reported Radio Slovenija.

Launch of Slovenian satellites rescheduled again

LJUBLJANA/KOUROU, French Guiana - After being rescheduled several times, the launch of Slovenia's first satellites, Trisat and Nemo HD, was postponed again due to poor weather conditions. The next attempt will be made in the early hours of Monday Central European Time.

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

STA, 28 June 2020 - Out of 625 coronavirus tests conducted on Saturday, nine came back positive, show latest government data. There were no Covid-19 fatalities. Seven persons are in hospital care, with none requiring intensive care.

One Covid-19 patient was released from hospital yesterday. A total of 298 persons have been discharged from hospital so far.

Three new cases were recorded in the Koper municipality on Saturday (a total of eleven active coronavirus cases there), whereas Škofja Loka (6), Škofljica (5), Grosuplje, Kanal, Maribor and Ravne na Koroškem each saw one new case, according to the official data.

A total of 1,581 coronavirus infections have been confirmed so far in Slovenia. The national death toll remains at 111.

Milan Krek, director of the National Public Health Institute (NIJZ), told commercial broadcaster POP TV on Saturday evening that the recent new cases in Slovenia were dispersed across the country - a situation that is a result of most of them being imported from the Covid-19 risky countries, and has not been triggered by the in-country spread of the virus.

Krek added that the current epidemiologic status in Croatia was grave and that stricter measures would have to be implemented if the situation did not improve there.

STA, 27 June 2020 - Open-air cinema events are in the works this summer by the Slovenian Art Cinema Network (Art kino mreža Slovenije), which is to hold outdoor film screenings in 18 Slovenian cities and towns. The Ljubljana Kinodvor cinema has already opened its outdoor venue and plans to hold a number of events in July and August.

The 2020 Film Under the Stars, a series of open-air screenings in the courtyard of Ljubljana Castle, will be held as well as a three-day free-of-charge event in Congress Square.

The former saw a record number of visitors in 2019 with 16,700 film buffs climbing the Castle Hill or riding the funicular railway up to the castle to enjoy a cinema experience.

This year's event will take place between 16 July and 8 August, showing recent hits and some avant-premieres as well as special screenings. The programme will be released on 1 July when tickets pre-sale starts too.

Meanwhile, the Congress Square event will be held between 11 and 13 August.

The open-air screenings are now even more fitting in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, reads the network's press release.

Apart from the capital, film buffs could enjoy open-air screenings this summer in a number of towns across the country, including Idrija, Izola, Krško, Ptuj, Radovljica, Celje and Slovenj Gradec.

The Summer Cinema locations will include castles, parks, abandoned swimming pool complexes and other intriguing venues.

Moreover, a drive-in cinema will be held in Ptuj with a two-day event.

The summer has begun, and while travel restrictions and fear of quarantine will mean fewer foreign tourists this year, there’s still plenty for locals and visitors to enjoy in the days and weeks ahead. Two events of note are the Ljubljana Festival and Ana Desetnica.

The 68^th Ljubljana Festival starts  Monday 29 June and runs until 3 September, with the usual outstanding programme of classical music, opera, ballet, musicals, pop, theatrical performances, art events and more going on in the capital. While the home of the Festival is Plečnik’s wonderful Križanke open-air theatre, you’ll also find shows in Congress Square, Cankarjev dom and SNG Opera & Ballet, with the packed schedule and details on tickets to found here.

Some of the evenings on offer at the Ljubljana Festival

Ana Desetnica, the international festival of street theatre, has an even fuller (albeit shorter) schedule of theatre, music, comedy, circus-style acts and so on – all free to view – and takes place in various towns and cities across the country, with the programme split into two halves.

Part one sees the fun come to Kamnik (27 & 28 June), Ljubljana (1-4 July), Nova Gorica (30 June - 4 July), Sežana (3 July), Ilirska Bistrica (4 July), Gornja Radgona (3 & 4 July), Celje (4 July), and Krško (4 July). Part two comes in September, and we’ll remind you then.

In Ljubljana, much of the action takes place on Slovenska cesta. Photo: Fickr - Luka Dakskobler

The festival was split in two because of the uncertainty raised by Covid-19. As such the first section will feature Slovenian artists and artists living in Slovenia, while those from abroad are expected to appear in the second half, planned between 17 and 20 September with performances in Ljubljana, Novo Mesto, Šoštanj and Nova Gorica. Moreover, artists associated with Ana Desetnica will also be bringing joy to the streets and squares of Maribor, Ankaran and Vrhnika, with all performances will be free of charge. You can see the full schedule – divided by town or city – here.

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:

Commissioner praises force on Police Day

LJUBLJANA - Talking to the STA on the occasion of Police Day, observed on Saturday, Police Commissioner Anton Travner praised the force for its work in weekly anti-government protests and its response to the challenges of the coronavirus. He would, however, like to see more staff hired and better equipment. Listing the challenges ahead, Travner mentioned prevention of illegal migrations, implementation of restrictive measures to prevent coronavirus from spreading and the weekly anti-government protests.

14 new coronavirus cases confirmed in 878 tests on Friday

LJUBLJANA - 14 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in 878 tests in Slovenia on Friday, the government tweeted. Eight people are in hospital care, with one requiring intensive care. The total number of confirmed cases has thus climbed to 1,569 nationwide. Two cases each were detected in Ljubljana, Koper, Pivka and Straža. Meanwhile, the government's Covid-19 spokesperson Jelko Kacin tweeted that the number of tests that came back positive yesterday showed that people were failing to keep the prescribed safety distance of 1.5 metres.

Defence minister apologises to Independence War veterans for ceremony exclusion

LENART - Defence Minister Matej Tonin apologised to Independence War veterans that their flag bearers had not been able to take part in the national ceremony to mark Statehood Day earlier this week, as he attended the association's assembly. The Wednesday ceremony was capped at 500 people due to a ban restricting the gathering of more than 500 people because of coronavirus contagion risk. This meant that none of the veteran associations' flag carriers took part in the ceremony.

Another attempt by Adris to get approval for Sava Re takeover fails in court

LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that the Croatian group Adris and its subsidiary, insurance company Croatia Osiguranje, had failed once again in getting approval to increase their share in Sava Re, Slovenia's second biggest insurer to just below takeover threshold of 33%. After failing in administrative disputes with the Slovenian Agency for Insurance Supervision, Adris and its subsidiary turned to the Supreme Court, which upheld the Administrative Court rulings. Adris Grupa and Croatia Osiguranje currently hold 19% in Sava Re. Adris is the second biggest shareholder, just behind the state of Slovenia, which holds 38%.

Fmr Statistics Office head to challenge dismissal in court

LJUBLJANA - Former head of the national Statistics Office, Bojan Nastav, who was dismissed by the government in late May, will be challenging the dismissal in Administrative Court, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. He was dismissed based on the act on public sector employees, while some legal experts believe that the national statistics act applies in this case. The dismissal was followed by a letter from Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni asking Prime Minister Janez Janša to clarify the move. Janša, in response, accused Gentiloni of playing political games for the Slovenian left.

Ana Desetnica raising street theatre curtain in Kamnik tonight

KAMNIK - The annual Ana Desetnica festival of street theatre will kick off in the town of Kamnik this evening with environmentally-themed interactive play The Last Catch. This year, the festival which stages events in towns across the country is divided into two segments, with the first running until 4 July, and the second in September. The first part of the festival will bring street theatre not only to Kamnik, but also to Ljubljana, Nova Gorica, Sežana, Ilirska Bistrica, Gornja Radgona, Celje and Krško.

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

In 1945 the RTV Slovenia Big Band (Big Band RTV Slovenija) performed for the first time during the reopening ceremony of Postojna Cave at the end of the war.

Immediately after liberation, the conductor and composer Bojan Adamič, who had his own orchestra during the Second World War, began to gather musicians for his new band called the Dance Orchestra of Radio Ljubljana. Their first public performance happened on June 27, 1945 at the reopening of Postojna Cave. The Dance Orchestra of Radio Ljubljana, officially became part of Radio Ljubljana in the autumn of that year. In the period that was not in favor of "American imperialist" music, Adamič skillfully introduced jazz elements into the otherwise rather "socialist" repertoire and successfully conducted the orchestra for sixteen years.

In 1961, Adamič was succeeded by Jože Privšek, who managed to raise the Big Band to the top of European entertaining and serious music standards. Over the decades of its operation, the Big Band of RTV Slovenija has also organized a number of concerts and successful tours around Europe, recorded many albums, and above all made a decisive contribution to the development of jazz, instrumental and vocal pop music. You can follow them on Facebook here.

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, 19 June
        BRUSSELS, Belgium/LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša underlined that the EU must come to an agreement on the coronavirus recovery plan before the summer break, as he addressed his counterparts in a video-conferenced summit. Delays would have detrimental effects on financial markets, he said, adding a week "may mean billions".
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission approved Slovenia's plan to redistribute EUR 275 million in cohesion funds to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus epidemic in the country. The funds will be spent in healthcare, programmes for SMEs, job preservation, protection of vulnerable groups and digitalisation of education.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar agreed with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba over the phone that bilateral cooperation should be strengthened. Apart from discussing preparations for a potential second wave of the pandemic, the pair also touched on the security and humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
        CERKLJE OB KRKI - A ceremony was held at the army airport Cerklje ob Krki to mark the conclusion of Leap 2020, the biggest military exercise this year. According to Defence Minister Matej Tonin, the exercise showed the Slovenian army is alive and well, and at the country's disposal.
        LJUBLJANA - Anti-government protesters again took to the streets across Slovenia. In Ljubljana, some of the protesters entered the square outside the Parliament House, which had been fenced off completely, to read the Constitution. They were physically removed by riot police. Police, who estimated the number of protesters in Ljubljana at around 7,000, fined 27 attendants and 30 more were ID-ed.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian employers submitted requests for short-time work subsidies for 20,556 employees just a week after the scheme designed to help businesses weather the crisis came into effect, showed data by the Employment Service.
        LJUBLJANA - After a sharp drop in April amid the coronavirus lockdown, Slovenia's consumer confidence improved in June for the second month, rising by 9 percentage points compared to May, but still remaining 16 points below the long-term average. The indicator is now 29 points lower than in June 2019 and 26 points lower than last year's average.
        LJUBLJANA - The general meeting of Russian-owned steel maker SIJ unanimously decided to leave the entire least year's distributable profit of EUR 108.6 million undistributed.

SATURDAY, 20 June
        LJUBLJANA - Arguing "security situations are multiplying", Police Commissioner Anton Travner told the newspaper Dnevnik he saw no reason why the military would not operate in the country's interior, not just along the border. A day later, Chief of the General Staff, Brigadier-General Robert Glavaš argued for TV Slovenija not only against the use of the army inland but also against extending the army's powers on the border. He said the army had sufficient powers to help police on the border under existing legislation.
        LJUBLJANA - In his first longer comment on the new Janez Janša government, former President Milan Kučan told the newspaper Delo that some Slovenian politicians thought Slovenia should be turned into a "second republic" and that some elements of it could already be seen. Reversing Janša's use of the boiling frog fable, he said Slovenians could suddenly "wake up in boiling water, in a different country and a different system".
        LJUBLJANA - After the Slovenian Competition Protection Agency extended a Mercator shares confiscation to enforce a EUR 53.9 million anti-trust fine on Agrokor, the Ljubljana Local Court reduced the fine to EUR 1 million, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. The seizure of 70% of the Slovenian retailer's shares from the Croatian group has been among the obstacles preventing Mercator's transfer to Agrokor's successor Fortenova.

SUNDAY, 21 June
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry said Slovenia had had four diplomats vying for EU delegation heads around the world within the bloc's diplomatic service, but none managed to get nominated. The diplomats had applied for the posts of EU delegation head in Egypt, Iceland, Malaysia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Kosovo, the Foreign Ministry said, but did not name them. The ministry blames the failure to secure a high-level post on the failure of the ministry's previous leadership to lobby for the candidates.

MONDAY, 22 June
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw a surge in coronavirus cases as 13 out of 984 tests came back positive, the highest number of daily infections since 24 April. Six out of the 13 infections were imported and a further five were related to the imported cases. Mario Fafangel, the chief epidemiologist at the National Institute of Public Health, said Slovenia's epidemiological situation remained good. While the numbers were lower in the following days, the government reintroduced compulsory mask wearing in public indoor places and on public transport from 25 June.
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The grand chamber of the European Court of Justice held a hearing in a suit the European Commission had brought against Slovenia for accessing ECB documents as part of a police investigation at Slovenia's central bank regarding Slovenia's 2013 bank bailout. Slovenia's agent labelled the hearing "very positive" for the country.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg said after meeting in Ljubljana that they would do everything in their power so that the shared border was not closed again due to Covid-19.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša received Apostolic Nuncio Jean-Marie Speich. The pair confirmed the importance of ties between Slovenia and the Holy See. The confirmation of good relations came in the light of two approaching anniversaries: 30 years since the Holy See became the first country to recognise Slovenia's independence and 30 years since Slovenia and the Vatican signed a bilateral agreement on legal issues.
        LJUBLJANA - Companies in Slovenia generated EUR 4.625 billion in net profit last year, a 10% increase on 2018. Revenue was up 4% to EUR 103.892 billion, the Agency for Legal Records reported, assessing the economy was better prepared better for the crisis than for the crisis slightly over 10 years ago.

TUESDAY, 23 June
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Portuguese PM Antonio Costa agreed in a videoconference the EU and its member states must find solutions to the social crisis brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. They also confirmed the priorities for the trio's upcoming EU presidency, their main goal being Europe's quick economic and social recovery.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor's office announced that Pahor and Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella would attend the 13 July return of National Hall in Trieste back to the Slovenian minority 100 years after being burnt down by Fascists. The pair will also lay wreaths at two memorials, one commemorating the Slovenian anti-fascists executed by Fascists in 1930 and the other the Italian victims of post-WWII killings by Partisans.
        ROME, Italy - In what was their second meeting in less than three weeks, Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio called for continued close bilateral cooperation in the tackling of the pandemic. After restrictions on the Slovenian-Italian border were lifted on 15 June for the citizens of both countries, the pair agreed that epidemiological trends at home as well as in other countries needed to be monitored closely.
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced Tiffany Sadler had been appointed the new UK ambassador to Slovenia to succeed Sophie Honey in September. Sadler has worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1994 and was director for Tech Overhaul Programme three until 2019.
        LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak praised the planned European Climate Law as a key step in creating a stable investment environment in the EU, as he took part in a video-conferenced ministerial.
        LJUBLJANA - Veronika Simoniti, 52, won the 30th Kresnik Prize for best novel of the year for Ivana Before the Sea (Ivana pred Morjem). She became only the fourth woman to win the prestigious award, given out by publisher Delo. The novel tells multiple parallel stories happening in different periods to different generations in one family.

WEDNESDAY, 24 June
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor addressed the state ceremony on the eve of Statehood Day in Ljubljana's Congress Square, urging acknowledging the role of democracy and dialogue in Slovenia's further development. The evening saw political divisions rise again with some boycotting the official ceremony and several thousand turning up for an alternative event in the nearby Prešeren Square shortly before the official festivity.
        LJUBLJANA - The government removed Montenegro and Luxembourg from the green list of Covid-19-safe countries from which arrivals face no restrictions, while adding Albania and Portugal to the list of red countries from where entry into Slovenia entails a mandatory two-week quarantine. New restrictions for all four countries apply from 25 June.
        LJUBLJANA - The government proposed extending the furlough scheme by at least a month until the end of July in amendments to the third stimulus package. Moreover, the changes provide the legal basis for a contact tracing app and for the government to assume the cost of quarantine again instead of companies. The government also further detailed the loan guarantee scheme to make it workable and tackle company liquidity problems.
        LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed and submitted to parliament a bill that would provide EUR 780 million for investment in the Slovenian Armed Forces between 2021 in 2026, the bulk for the acquisition of armoured personnel vehicles to set up a battalion battlegroup, plus an aircraft and two helicopters.
        LJUBLJANA - Members of the Slovenian Armed Forces serving in international operations and missions reported via video link to PM Janez Janša, who commended the commanders of contingents ahead of Statehood Day on keeping Slovenian soldiers safe and healthy at the time of increased risk due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
        LJUBLJANA - The Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development slightly upgraded its forecasts for Slovenia's economy for this year, now projecting a contraction of 7.6%, down from 8.1% forecast in May, to be followed by a 4.5% growth in 2021.
        LJUBLJANA - Addressing a Slovenian Bank Association conference on the impact of Covid-19 on the economy, Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj said banks should presently focus not so much on their profitability but on helping preserve jobs and companies in general. "A long-term perspective is needed," he said.
        LJUBLJANA - About a month after Slovenia emerged from coronavirus lockdown, data released by the Statistics Office showed tourism suffered a severe blow during the epidemic. The number of overnight stays in the first five months was 58.8% lower than in the same period last year, while in May, there was a 96.5% drop in guests over May 2019.
        LJUBLJANA - Restrictions in place to fight the coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia in April caused the biggest drop in revenue generated in the services sector since January 2000, when the Statistics Office first started recording service revenue data. Compared to March, revenue dropped by 19.5%, while year-on-year, it was down as much as 30.3%.
        LJUBLJANA - Business sentiment in Slovenia has grown for the second consecutive time in June, data released by the Statistics Office showed. The index increased by 8.7 percentage points (pp) to -24.0pp between May and June. Nevertheless, it was still 29.3pp lower than in June 2019 and 24.1pp lower than a years long average.
        LJUBLJANA - The prices of homes in Slovenia rose by 1.1% in the first quarter of the year over the previous one and by 5.5% year on year, but the number of transactions was lower and the number of used apartments sold was the lowest in the last five years, the Statistics Office said.

THURSDAY, 25 June
        LJUBLJANA, KAMNIK - Several events featuring state officials were held to mark Statehood Day, a public holiday. President Borut Pahor laid a wreath at the Monument to the Victims of All Wars in Congress Square and Defence Minister Matej Tonin attended a ceremony in Kamink.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The number of asylum requests filed in Slovenia increased by 33% to 3,820 last year, while the total increase in the EU was 11% to 738,425, showed an annual report published by the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). There were 530 unresolved applications in Slovenia at the end of last year, a 30% increase on 2018.

All our posts in this series are here

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 26 June 2020. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: DeSUS aiding far-right

STA, 26 June 2020 - The latest editorial of  the left-wing weeklyMladina takes issue with the leader of junior coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) Aleksandra Pivec, arguing she lacks insight into the workings of politics and above all into Slovenian political history and the methods of Prime Minister and Democrats (SDS) leader Janez Janša.

The weekly paper's editor-in-chief Grega Repovž points to Pivec lashing out this week against a satirical paper that wrote she would be conferred the diamond order of the SDS, the party's alleged highest order of merit, at Wednesday's Statehood Day ceremony.

While Pivec accused the paper of propagating fake news and "humour that only they understand", Repovž says the reaction underlined that some of the highest positions in Slovenian politics are occupied by political amateurs without any knowledge of satire or of political history, meaning they also do not understand the weight and responsibility their office carries.

This fact is exposed time and again in Pivec, who Repovž says is not a person with bad intentions but is somebody who for instance does not understand that people do not oppose Janša today because of him allegedly being a right-leaning or conservative politician.

"She does not understand that the key problem is that Janša is neither a right-leaning or conservative politician but a man whose clique has in fact hijacked the Slovenian right or conservative politics", or that a major part of right-leaning intellectuals, still thriving in the 1990s, withdrew of their own accord, seeing that any steering away from Janša meant instant onslaught.

"The situation is even worse in the political arena itself. The only conservative party that managed to preserve itself - the reason being the wisdom of its former head Ljudmila Novak - is New Slovenia (NSi), a remnant of the Christian democrats."

Repovž says he is focusing on this aspect of Slovenia's political reality because it seems that Pivec is perceiving the current developments as opposition to a conservative government. Believing Pivec to be under the spell of Janša's charisma and fake mask, Repovž suggests she is failing to see "this not a conservative government, but the far-right posing as one".

While arguing Janša's misleading of exhausted and frightened people within a neoliberal system is only a response to the demands of the market that can also be seen in the US, Russia or Turkey, Repovž says this does not absolve Pivec of her responsibility.

It is also "in her name that people are being ID-ed on streets today, that fences are being erected, that people are being illegally filmed and subjected to face recognition software, that university professors are being removed from the central square while they are reading the Constitution".

This is the point the satirical paper was trying to make, Repovž concludes the commentary entitled Ignorance as a Political Concept.

Demokracija: Janša rejects claims he has authoritarian tendencies, says govt working hard

STA, 24 June 2020 - Prime Minister Janez Janša has rejected in an interview for the right-wing weekly paper Demokracija accusations about authoritarian tendencies, saying the reproaches "are coming from those who left the country naked and barefoot before one of the hardest tests in this nation's history".

Arguing that unlike its predecessors the government is not only engaging in empty talk but is cooperating, Janša said all coronavirus crisis stimulus packages had been coordinated with stakeholders across the board and that the opposition had been invited to cooperate as well.

This is why "claims about plans for an authoritarian regime do not pass the test of rational thought", the prime minister and head of the Democrats (SDS) said.

Commenting on claims by former PM and LMŠ head Marjan Šarec that the government was left without legitimacy, Janša said it was sad that "even in such fateful times some cannot overcome their grudges, prejudice and anger".

"Instead of contributing according to their best abilities, they use the shield of cynicism and sow discontent, restlessness and divisions among people in a time, when they would mostly need hope and encouragement."

Also commenting on the SocDems' list of 10 + 100 mistakes committed by the Janša government, a major one among them being the methods of government and communication used by the PM and other cabinet members, Janša said it would be hard to find 100 mistakes with governments that involved the SD.

"They did not even adopt that many measures in three terms. 100 and more lost of wasted opportunities sounds more like it," Janša said.

As for the priorities of the current government, Janša said that although the term would regrettably be significantly shorter "because of Marjan Šarec's failed experiment, the government will try to overhaul social support systems, prepare the basis for long-term care, form the demographic fund, speed up zoning, simplify tax procedures and secure an effective protection of the state border.

Janša sees the ageing population as a key challenge, which is why he feels that it necessary to set up the demographic fund - which is expected to bring all state assets under one roof - as soon as possible. He said a draft bill was already on the table.

Turning to the Slovenian EU presidency priorities, he listed the need to improve the concrete capabilities of the EU and member sates to deal with global crises, such as a pandemic or an extensive cyber attack. Special attention will moreover be given to the situation in the Western Balkans, the European Neighbourhood Policy and enlargement.

All our posts in this series are here

STA, 26 June 2020 - Anti-government protesters took to the streets of Ljubljana on Friday evening in what have become traditional Friday rallies. They packed Prešeren Square where they protested over police erecting fences and put chains around the monument of Slovenian leading poet France Prešeren in a symbolic move to warn about the cultural crisis.

Several thousand then toured the capital, but kept away from Republic Square even though the venue, otherwise a popular place for assemblies and rallies, was not fenced off this evening as it was previous Friday, a government decision that has raised a lot of dust.

Protestniški sprevod ob vzklikanju lopovi nadaljuje po Cankarjevi cesti. #ljubljana #protest @rtvslo pic.twitter.com/IqCWMCZFnQ

— jasa.rajsek (@JRajsek) June 26, 2020

They protested over the police putting up fences in the capital, a city that has a collective memory of the Fascists fencing it off entirely with a barbed wire to suppress any resistance movement during the Second World War.

On Wednesday, on the eve of Statehood Day, fences were erected across the centre of Ljubljana to fence off the official state ceremony.

Moreover, apart from last Friday when Republic Square was completely fenced off, during a few previous Friday anti-government rallies, the square was partly closed off.

The protesters see all that as the police encroaching upon their right to assembly. Their posters and banners as well as speeches said that no fence would stop them.

On their route, they passed the Presidential Palace, most on foot, some also on bicycles, with many voicing their disapproval of President Borut Pahor.

They walked around an occupied Ljubljana, as they said, and wrapped up the rally in Congress Square where the state ceremony was held and in nearby Zvezda Park, holding up posters proclaiming it Republic Square.

"Every Friday when thousands of people take to the streets, peacefully, in a dignified manner, we win. They tried to fence us off and restrict assembling. They failed and they will fail," said theatre director Jaša Jenull, one of the informal organisers of the Friday rallies.

Putting Prešeren symbolically in chains was a warning about the cultural crisis in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, but also a protest gesture over restricting assembling.

YELLOW VESTS

Furthermore, the spot around the monument was the place where pro-government protesters in yellow vests gathered to oppose the Statehood Day alternative ceremony on Wednesday evening. There was some tension and banners saying Anarchists are Left-Wing Fascists were displayed by a few dozens in yellow vests.

Some 7,000 people gathered in the heart of Ljubljana to protest against the government on that day, according to police estimates.

Today, prior to the rally, a group of protesters also stopped by the opposition Social Democrats (SD) headquarters where they expressed their opposition to the entire political aisle, saying they had enough of "the left, the right and the quasi-centre politicians who are not working for the good of the nation", read social media posts.

Meanwhile, the number of police officers monitoring the protest seemed to be lower this Friday. The Ljubljana Police Administration told the STA that it could not disclose the exact figure, citing tactical reasons.

The police warned the protesters about anti-Covid-19 restrictions and notified the relevant authorities of any violations today as it had been doing during the previous Friday rallies, it added.

Apart from Ljubljana, anti-government protests were also held in a number of other Slovenian cities, including Maribor and Celje.

In Maribor, Ivan Gale, the whistleblower from the Agency for Commodity Reserves who alleged wrongdoing in the purchases of masks and further sparked the rallies, addressed the protesters.

Žalosten trg. #ljubljana pic.twitter.com/q2rpNMA2fE

— Pia Lešnik (@Plesni1) June 26, 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:

Interior Ministry draws up bill to reform asylum system

LJUBLJANA - The Interior Ministry announced it had drafted changes to the international protection act envisaging solutions for a more effective strategy to tackle a growing number of asylum seekers and prevent any abuse of the system. The proposal re-introduces a possibility of bringing an appeal before the Supreme Court, the ministry said, highlighting that instances of such an abuse were on the rise as well. Slovenia saw some 3,820 requests for international protection in 2019, more than 30% up on 2018. The bill has entered public consultation and could be debated until 22 July.

Eleven new Covid-19 cases confirmed out of 843 tests on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - In a total of 843 tests performed in Slovenia, 11 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed, while no deaths were recorded, according to the most recent data from the government. This brings the total tally to 1,558, while the death toll remains at 111. Eight patients required hospital treatment, two were in intensive care. Four cases were confirmed in Škofljica, three in Škofja Loka and one each in Ljubljana, Prebold, Kobarid and Ljutomer.

Slovenia welcomes EU Commission's efforts to aid members overcome crisis

LJUBLJANA - Cohesion ministry representatives of the Visegrad Group and Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Croatia and Slovenia shared in a video conference on Thursday, expressing the view that EU cohesion funds would play a key role in overcoming the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences. Representing Slovenia, Monika Kirbiš Rojs, state secretary at the Government Office for Development and Cohesion Policy, welcomed EU's crisis recovery plan.

Mladina's editorial board files criminal complaint against Počivalšek

LJUBLJANA - The editorial board of the weekly paper Mladina has filed a criminal complaint against Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, suspecting him of abuse of office in the procurement of protective and medicinal equipment during the coronavirus epidemic. The magazine reported the complaint had been filed with the state prosecution on Wednesday and that Počivalšek is suspected of enabling illegal gains to certain private companies by abusing his office and overstepping his powers.

Officials praise police on Police Day, promise full support

TACEN - Addressing the main ceremony ahead of Police Day, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and Police Commissioner Anton Travner thanked members of the police force for their professional work and sacrifice. Hojs promised stepped up action against paramilitary groups if needed and support in the protection of the border. The event at the Police Academy was tied to the day in 1991 when police clashed with the Yugoslav People's Army at a border crossing with Austria on the first day of the 10-day Independence War, Hojs and Travner also commented on some of the recent developments involving the police force.

Left wants 80% compensation for all workers sent into quarantine

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left submitted to parliament a proposal to reinstate 80% pay compensation for workers ordered in quarantine irrespective of the circumstances. Workers are presently only entitled to 50% after coronavirus stimulus measures regulating this were lifted on 31 May. The party argues that 80% is required because of the need for basic justice and social protection as well as to prevent people choosing not to report contacts with infected individuals.

Brdo-Brijuni summit postponed

LJUBLJANA - The summit of the Brdo-Brijuni Process of cooperation in the Western Balkans that President Borut Pahor was scheduled to host next Monday at Brdo pri Kranju has been cancelled due to the deteriorated epidemiological situation in Balkan countries. Pahor's office said that upon being briefed on the latest situation in the initiative's participating countries, the president had to inform his counterparts that he needed to postpone the meeting. A new date has not yet been set. Participation had been confirmed by the presidents of all participating countries, and the interest expressed is one of the reasons why Pahor hopes the epidemiological situation will improve and allow the meeting to take place soon.

SAF rotation in Kosovo executed after two-month delay

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) executed a new rotation of a part of their contingent in NATO's KFOR mission in Kosovo, the first after the eruption of the coronavirus pandemic. All the rotated members tested negative before being sent home, but they will still be subjected to 14-day self-isolation in Slovenia. A part of the next rotation, the 41st, is taking over, while the remaining members of the 40th contingent are expected to return at the start of July, the Defence Ministry said. The rotation was delayed in line with a decision taken by Defence Minister Matej Tonin at the start of April.

Protesters voice opposition to govt and fences, put poet in chains

LJUBLJANA - Anti-government protesters took to the streets of Ljubljana in what have become traditional Friday rallies. They packed Prešeren Square where they protested over police erecting fences and put chains around the monument of Slovenian leading poet France Prešeren in a symbolic move to warn about the cultural crisis. Several thousand then toured the capital, but kept away from Republic Square even though the venue, otherwise a popular place for assemblies and rallies, was not fenced off this evening as it was previous Friday, a government decision that has raised a lot of dust.

Cannabis use among Slovenian youngsters above intl. average

LJUBLJANA - The National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) highlighted on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse the problem of widespread cannabis use among Slovenian adolescents. An international study places Slovenia among the countries with the highest shares of 15-year-olds using cannabis. The institute pointed to the 2018 HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children WHO collaborative cross-national survey) report that showed an average of 13% of 15-year-olds in the 45 participating countries have already used cannabis. The share for Slovenia is 21%, which ranks the country 7th.

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