STA, 16 June 2020 - The National Assembly passed a bill on Tuesday amending the penal code by imposing harsher penalties for persons organising illegal crossings of the border and for those helping illegal migrants reside in Slovenia. The amendment, proposed by the upper chamber of parliament, was passed in a 48:35 vote.

The bill was backed by the coalition and by the opposition National Party (SNS), while the other deputy groups opposed it, arguing a more comprehensive approach would be needed to tackle illegal migrations.

The initial proposal by the National Council labelled any illegal border crossing a crime. However, the parliamentary Justice Committee then acknowledged the warnings by the parliament's legal service, state prosecution and the government that this would lead to inconsistencies since the law on foreigners defines illegally crossing the border as an offence, not a crime.

The final version of the bill hence raises the prison sentences for smugglers of migrants from a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment to between three and ten years in prison. Penalties for those helping illegal migrants reside in the country have been also made more severe.

Moreover, persons involved in both crimes who capitalise on their unlawful activities or are part of organised crime will now face three to 15 years in prison, compared to a maximum of eight years in prison as is the case now.

The coalition parties all agreed that the amendment was necessary to boost the deterrence effect and reduce the scope of illegal crossing of the border.

The SNS meanwhile added that the penal code should be further amended by introducing harsher penalties for the relevant accomplices as well.

On the other hand, the rest of the opposition disagreed, with the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) saying that the changes should be adopted with more deliberation and in cooperation with experts.

The Social Democrats (SD) believe that the punishments are now extremely disproportionate to other crimes or offences, whereas the Left pointed out that the root cause of the migrations should be addressed. The Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) meanwhile called for a more comprehensive approach.

Fewer illegal border crossing attempts detected so far this year

STA, 16 June 2020 - Nearly 3,300 people tried to enter Slovenia illegally in the first five months of the year, a drop of more than 25% over the same period last year. However, the dynamic started to pick up in the course of the past month, as the coronavirus pandemic started to ease.

The police detected 3,283 attempts at crossing the border illegally between January and May, and 1,198 expressed the intention to request asylum in Slovenia.

Most of the people apprehended were citizens of Pakistan, Morocco and Afghanistan.

The police said that more illegal crossings had been detected in January than in the same month in 2019, but then the number dropped, also because of the pandemic.

In May, the 883 attempts at illegal border crossing were detected, the highest monthly figure in 2020 so far, which is nevertheless significantly below the 1,314 fugure from May 2019.

There is another marked difference in terms of nationality of those trying to enter the country. While most of the persons were Pakistani, there has been a significant drop in the number of Algerian citizens over last year and an increase in Moroccans and Afghans.

The number of those expressing the intention to ask for asylum in Slovenia has dropped as well. Pakistanis express it far more rarely than Moroccans and Algerians, with most continuing their journey to their desired destination after being placed in an asylum facility.

The Slovenian police have returned 2,030 foreigners to other countries, most of them to Croatia - as many as 2,019.

STA, 16 June 2020 - Germany, Portugal and Slovenia presented the programme of the trio's upcoming EU presidency in a videoconference of EU ministers in charge of European affairs on Tuesday. Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan pointed to the many coronavirus-related challenges and highlighted the need for a plan B.

"The programme is a compromise reflecting the views of us all. Not all the highlighted aspects are equally important for all the countries. But in principle it is broad enough to allow for certain national specifics as part of the six-month programme," Dovžan told Slovenian Brussels-based reporters.

He noted the programme had to be reviewed in the past three months because of the corona crisis, especially because the goal was to improve the bloc's resilience to any future crises.

The top priority will be the next multi-annual budget, as no plans will be able to be implemented without adequate financial support, he said.

Dovžan noted that logistical and organisational preparations in Slovenia had been interrupted because of the coronavirus but the government endorsed a reviewed plan last week.

He stressed the need for an alternative scenario for the presidency in case of a second wave of the epidemic. Meetings could be cancelled or carried out on-line, which would mean "certain spaces" would not be able to be used, he said.

Asked whether an EU-Western Balkans summit would be held during Slovenia's presidency, Dovžan said it was not in the draft programme. But Portugal also did not plan a summit of the EU and its Eastern Neighbourhood which is being planned now, he added.

Slovenia will have to be flexible and potentially organise any other summits as well, he said, adding it was too early to talk about such plans.

In a joint press statement issued after today's videoconference, Dovžan also called for a sustainable and inclusive growth in combination with a green transition and digital transformation. He also called for plans to help the EU tackle crises such as pandemics, global cyber attacks, and migration pressure, and for an ambitious policy towards the EU's neighbourhoods in the east and south.

The programme of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia will be officially endorsed in a correspondence session in the coming days in line with the new coronavirus rules.

Germany will take over the six-month presidency in July, followed by Portugal in the first half of 2021, and Slovenia in the second half. The trio was also the first trio to hold the presidency in 2007 and 2008. Slovenia was at the helm of the bloc in the first half of 2008 as the first newcomer to hold the presidency.

STA, 15 June 2020 - Slovenia has co-launched the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) initiative, which strives to promote and guide the responsible use and development of AI. The initiative encourages investments and economic growth while respecting human rights and diversity. Nine Slovenian experts will take part in the project.

The international initiative will aim at closing the gap between theory and practice by supporting state-of-the-art research, pilot projects and top-priority AI efforts, said the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport on Monday.

The initiative will bring together experts from various fields in cooperation with international organisations and partners. The task forces will focus on four subjects; responsible AI, data management, the future of work, and innovations and commercialisation.

In the short run, the experts will try to come up with ways how to respond more effectively to the Covid-19 epidemic using AI and accelerate recovery. Nine Slovenian AI experts will participate in the efforts.

Being part of the project means that Slovenia will be able to present its know-how and AI research spanning 40 years, Foreign Minister Anže Logar commented on the developments today.

The partnership's secretariat will be hosted at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) headquarters in Paris, whereas two research centres will be seated in Montreal and Paris.

The centres will support relevant projects and map out annual plenaries of the multi-stakeholder experts group - the first such meeting is to be held in Canada in December 2020.

Apart from Slovenia, the founding members are Australia, France, India, Italy, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Germany, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, the UK, the US and the EU. They have committed themselves to the responsible and human-centric development and use of AI.

STA, 16 June 2020 - The National Assembly failed to appoint President Borut Pahor's nominee for a Constitutional Court judge in an unprecedented move on Tuesday. Falling four votes short in the secret ballot, Andraž Teršek was rejected in a 42:38 vote. Opposition parties, which mostly backed Teršek, say this shows how strong the coalition is.

Although initially the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), the Left, National Party (SNS), Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) and minority MP Felice Žiža all announced their support for Teršek, it turned out today that he only enjoyed the support of the LMŠ, SD, SAB, SMC and the Left.

SMC deputy head Janja Sluga said the party had voted in favour of Teršek as agreed despite pressure from Prime Minister Janez Janša.

The coalition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) have been against Teršek since the start, while the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) decided to vote freely. DeSUS deputy group head Franc Jurša would not reveal how he voted or say whether DeSUS had been influenced by Janša but he did stress that the coalition remained solid all along.

This was also the point made by the opposition, with the leader of SocDem MPs, Matjaž Han, noting that if all deputy groups had voted as they announced during talks with President Pahor, Teršek would have been elected.

Matej T. Vatovec of the Left said that "Janša has obviously succeeded with his pressure and showed that he has the first and last word in this coalition".

The head of the opposition LMŠ deputy group, Brane Golubović, said that a word given publicly used to matter but this was not the case any longer.

MP Andrej Rajh of the SAB said he was sad that deputy groups had not voted as they said they would.

He said the Constitutional Court had been more or less balanced so far. "I don't know which way it will lean in the future but there are some indications that it could lean to the right. In the face of the economic crisis, this could mean more aspirations for privatisation of healthcare, education, and this makes me concerned."

One issue that seems to have averted MPs from supporting Teršek was a statement he made at a round table debate in 2011, which recently appeared on Twitter.

Teršek said at the time that the influence of the civil society needed to be enhanced and that this would only be possible if representatives of the political elite left politics.

"If they themselves do not recognise this, and of course they will not recognise this as ethical and give up power themselves, then they need to be replaced by force, if necessary. This can also be done by coming into their offices, their chambers and carrying them to the street," Teršek said at the round table.

Today, he told the press that his statement had been taken out of the context and that it was an "extremely cynical metaphor without any kind of direct message".

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:

Chef Ana Roš awarded two Michelin stars, five restaurants get one each

LJUBLJANA - Chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko has been awarded two Michelin stars, becoming the first chef in the region to win the accolade. Five other restaurants got one star each: Vila Podvin near Radovljica, Hiša Denk near Maribor, Atelje in Ljubljana, Pri Lojzetu in Vipava and Dam in Nova Gorica, as restaurant guide Michelin launched its first guide to Slovenian restaurants. A celebrity chef, Roš was named the World's Best Female Chef by the World's 50 Best Restaurants culinary portal in 2017 and was featured in the Netflix series Chef's Table.

PM Janša sees lawsuit over ECB archives as obstacle to investigation

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša indicated that an European Commission lawsuit against Slovenia over European Central Bank (ECB) documents was hampering an ongoing police investigation in Slovenia, hence his query with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about whether the Commission might drop the lawsuit. "I want to learn whether the lawsuit against Slovenia might be dropped and whether the ECB would act the same way as in other cases when ECB data was excluded from investigations. That way, the Slovenian investigation about bank crime could continue," Janša told Nova24TV on Monday evening.

Hojs, Johansson discuss EU's new pact on migration and asylum

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson that Slovenia had high expectations from the EU's new migration and asylum pact, which the European Commission is expected to present at the end of July. He also reiterated in a video call Slovenia's position against migrant quotas, as the commissioner is holding another round of talks with EU interior ministers on the expectations about the new pact. Hojs urged a prompt reform of the common asylum system, which he believes should be supplemented with a separate mechanism for action in cases of disproportionate pressure from migrants.

Germany, Portugal, Slovenia present their EU presidency

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Germany, Portugal and Slovenia presented the programme of the trio's upcoming EU presidency in a videoconference of EU ministers in charge of European affairs. Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan pointed to the many coronavirus-related challenges and highlighted the need for a plan B. "The programme is a compromise reflecting the views of us all. Not all the highlighted aspects are equally important for all the countries. But in principle it is broad enough to allow for certain national specifics as part of the six-month programme," he told Slovenian Brussels-based reporters. The top priority will be the next multi-annual budget, as no plans will be able to be implemented without adequate financial support, he said. The programme for the period between 1 July 2002 and the end of 2021 will be officially endorsed in a correspondence session in the coming days in line with the new coronavirus rules.

FMs from Central Europe happy with coronacrisis cooperation

VIENNA, Austria - The foreign ministers of Slovenia, Austria, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia agreed that the countries had cooperated very well during the coronavirus pandemic and also urged continuing such cooperation after the pandemic, as they met in Austria's Vienna. "Although we protected our citizens and closed borders, were we still able to cooperate," Slovenia's Anže Logar told the press before the meeting, highlighting daily phone calls and attempts to find solutions to the problems in dialogue. He believes such cooperation has resulted in a new protocol among neighbours, which he considers a major achievement and an important European message.

Slovenia urges prompt agreement on EU recovery plans

BRUSSELS - Slovenia would like the EU to promptly agree on its recovery deal for the economy after the coronavirus pandemic. It hopes that given the gravity of the situation, EU countries will realise that speed is vital, Foreign Ministry State Secretary in charge of EU affairs Gašper Dovžan said after a videocall of ministers in charge of EU affairs. He believes this would send out an important message showing the EU works normally also in these difficult times. At the end of May, the European Commission proposed a package of measures featuring an adjusted 2021-2017 budget proposal worth EUR 1.1 trillion and a EUR 750 billion Next Generation EU recovery plan.

Slovenia climbs two spots to 35th in world competitiveness ranking

LAUSANNE, Switzerland - Slovenia has risen two rungs in the latest IMD World Competitiveness Ranking to 35th among 63 countries, due to improvements in business and government efficiency, while sliding back in terms of economic performance over 2019. Slovenia lost three spots to 36th in terms of economic performance, but gained one spot to 38th in government efficiency and one spot to 39th in business efficiency, while losing two spots to 29th in terms of infrastructure.

Three more people test positive for coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - Three people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Slovenia out of 567 tests for Sars-CoV-2 carried out on Monday. Seven patients remain hospitalised with Covid-19, one of them in intensive care, fresh information from the government shows. The tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org shows the latest cases were confirmed in Krško in the east, Piran on the coast, and Postojna in the south-west of the country. This is the first ever case in Krško.

Police: No signs found border incident with army was orchestrated

LJUBLJANA - Following a similar response by the Supreme State Prosecution, the General Police Department categorically rejected allegations about police involvement in a border incident with Italy in which two alleged Slovenian soldiers stopped a civilian at gunpoint in May. It also said in response to an STA query that the "information collected so far do not indicate the event was orchestrated". The response comes after PM Janez Janša's echoed last week allegations that the incident had been orchestrated by members of "the deep state", including in the prosecution and police, to discredit the Slovenian Armed Forces.

Pahor says tangible progress made in reconciliation efforts

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor attended on Monday a ceremony at the Linden Tree of Reconciliation at Ljubljana's Žale ceremony dedicated to victims of post-war executions. Pahor laid a wreath and delivered an address in which he said that recent times had seen some tangible results of the symbolic and material efforts for national reconciliation. Pahor said that in the last five or six years there had been less hate speech related to 20th century history, especially to the period during and after WWII.

Parliament endorses harsher sentences for smugglers of migrants

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a bill amending the penal code by imposing harsher penalties for persons organising illegal crossings of the border and for those helping illegal migrants reside in Slovenia. The amendment, proposed by the upper chamber of parliament, was passed in a 48:35 vote, backed by the coalition and by the opposition National Party (SNS). The other deputy groups argued a more comprehensive approach would be needed to tackle illegal migration.

MPs pass new rules on money laundering prevention

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly unanimously passed the governments-sponsored changes to the law on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing that transpose EU law. The government rushed the changes since Slovenia had already been reprimanded by the European Commission for failing to transpose the 2018 EU directive on money laundering prevention. In line with the changes, a central bank account registry of owners of crypto assets will be set up at Banka Slovenije.

Fewer illegal border crossing attempts detected so far this year

LJUBLJANA - Over 3,280 people tried to enter Slovenia illegally in the first five months of the year, down more than 25% over the same period last year, with almost 2,000 expressing the intention to request asylum in Slovenia. Most of the people apprehended were citizens of Pakistan, Morocco and Afghanistan. The police said that more illegal crossings had been detected in January than in the same month in 2019, but then the number dropped, also because of the pandemic. However, the dynamic started to pick up in the course of the past month, as the coronavirus pandemic started to ease.

Lufthansa and Wizzair return to Ljubljana airport

BRNIK - German flag carrier Lufthansa and Hungarian low-cost airline Wizzair have returned to Ljubljana airport after several months of suspended passenger air travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Lufthansa resumed flights on Monday, whereas Wizzair went back to business as usual on Tuesday. Lufthansa is hence again operating the Ljubljana-Frankfurt route. Wizzair resumed the Ljubljana-Brussels service.

Best human rights documentary award goes to Romanian film Collective

LJUBLJANA - Collective (Colectiv), a film by Romanian director Alexander Nanau, won the Amnesty International Slovenije award as the curtain fell on the 22nd Documentary Film Festival in Ljubljana. The documentary, one of five competing for best film dealing with human rights, draws the viewer into the turmoil of fearless investigative journalism targeting systemic corruption in Romania.

Ljubljana and Maribor Pride parades postponed to autumn

LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - Due to coronavirus concerns, this year's Ljubljana and Maribor Pride parades have been postponed to September. Ljubljana Pride will be held on 26 September, whereas the date of the Maribor event is still uncertain. Both cities will hold a number of events in June though to celebrate Pride Month.

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

According to a report by the Slovenian Traffic Safety Agency, drunk drivers have caused 507 traffic accidents so far this year, which is 16% less than in the same period last year. However, it should be noted that in the period from 15 March to 15 May, when measures were in place to contain the coronavirus epidemic, there was significantly less traffic than usual. In this period 1,454 traffic accidents were recorded this year compared to 2,949 accidents in the same period last year.

During the epidemic containment period (from March 16 to May 31), however, the share of traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers rose to 14%, up from 9.5% in the same period last year.

Of all those who died in traffic accidents this year (32 people), 13 lost their lives due to a drunk driver. Nine of the drunk drivers died in the accident they caused.

In most cases, the cause of the drunk driving accidents was driving in the wrong direction or on the wrong side of the road (7 accidents with 7 fatalities) and at an inappropriate speed (3 accidents with 3 fatalities).

Among all drunk drivers who caused traffic accidents this year (26 people), whose blood alcohol content was measured above 2 promille (blood alcohol concentration per thousand, with 1 promille meaning 1 gram of alcohol per kilo of blood) , 18 of them went drunk driving during the epidemic lockdown, or almost 70%. The highest measured level of alcohol in blood of the perpetrator of the traffic accident was 3.13 promille, which also ended with loss of life. The average level of alcohol in the blood of the perpetrators of fatal traffic accidents was 1.21 promille (down from 1.58 promille in the same period last year).

As part of stricter controls the police will conduct monitoring of the psychophysical condition of drivers on June 20, 2020, from 6 pm that day until 6 am the next day. The purpose of tighter controls is in spreading awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Slovenia is one of the countries where alcohol consumption per capita is among the highest in Europe. According to the World Health Organization, this amounts to 12.6 liters of pure alcohol per capita in the population over the age of 15. The risks of driving under the influence of alcohol and other illicit substances are very high, as they reduce the psychophysical ability to participate safely in traffic.

Everyone over 18 (including those currently 17 who’ll be 18 later this year) with permanent residency in Slovenia will soon be able to claim their €200 tourist voucher (turistični boni), while minors will get €50. These can be used to pay for accommodation, and will be claimed by giving your Slovenian tax number to the provider (at least for the adults – it’s unclear, as yet, how the children will get theirs).

The money can be used any time until the end of the year and at any businesses registered under the following categories:

- 55.100 - Hotels and other similar accommodation

- 55.201 - Holiday homes and resorts

- 55.202 - Tourist farms with rooms

- 55.203 - Renting private rooms to guests

- 55.204 - Mountain lodges and youth hostels

- 55.209 - Other short-term accommodation

- 55.300 - Camping activities

I’m going to the coast, to rent a small apartment with a balcony and short walk to the water, where I intend to do nothing, but what follows are five rental properties from Think Slovenia further inland to consider. Note that there are multiweek discounts on most properties, and corona-friendly booking conditions on most, too (15% payable to book, 85% 1 week before arrival). Take a look at the pictures below, click through if interested, or explore all the properties for rent and sale at Think Slovenia.

Villa Del Mare, Piran & Adriatic: Sleeps 10

Welcome to Villa Del Mare, a high quality modern semi-detached villa in the charming, peaceful, hilltop Mediterranean village of Hrvatini. Offering three bedrooms, three bathrooms, pool, garden and spectacular coastal views located just 4km to the attractive seaside towns of Ankaran (Slovenia) or Muggia (Italy) and with the attractions of the Gulf of Trieste, the Slovenian Adriatic & Croatian Istria all in very easy day trip reach. Well-equipped and extremely spacious, Villa Del Mare is an excellent villa for a family seaside holiday.

See more of this property here

Cherry Orchard House, Karst & Goriska Brda: Sleeps 9

Cherry Orchard is an immaculately renovated, spacious, comfortable three-bedroom house with garden and wonderful views over vineyards, orchards and rolling hills, topped with charming old stone villages. The house is located in the heart of Slovenia's Tuscany - the stunning Goriska Brda wine region, a little known gem between Nova Gorica and the Soča Valley on the border with the Italian Friuli region. The house is in walking distance to Smartno (St Martin) one of the region's most appealing historic small towns. The area is a treasure trove for culinary and wine enthusiasts, as well as offering wonderful walking, beautiful nature and a huge range of daytrips within easy reach.

See more of this property here

Villa Belica, Lake Bled & Bohinj: Sleeps 6

Villa Belica is a 3-bedroom Bohinj chalet sleeping up to 6 people just a few minutes’ drive from Lake Bohinj one of Slovenia's most stunning natural treasures and in close proximity to quality skiing at Vogel and a huge range of river, lake & mountain activities in summer. Located on the edge of a quiet village of weekend chalets, on one side of the chalet is a beautiful secluded garden enclosed by forest, on the other side a panoramic view of the Julian Alps. The Villa has three bedrooms (one twin, two doubles - one with ensuite, one with balcony), large living / dining room leading out to the terrace, fully equipped kitchen, two bathrooms and additional WC, plus second living room / games room in the basement. Very nicely fitted and equipped to the highest standards throughout including a lovely garden with lounge seating, outside dining and barbecue area. A fantastic base from which to explore Slovenia’s enchanting Lakes Region. The villa is in same village as the lovely Chalet Savica, Chalet Planina & Villa Frida giving an excellent option for groups of up to 28 when rented together.

See more of this property here

Villa Planina, Kranjska Gora: Sleeps 2 to 20 in 4 apartments

Villa Planina offers spacious self-catering accommodation for groups of 2-20 in four apartments in an alpine chalet with wonderful uninterrupted views of the Julian Alps. Villa Planina is located in a quiet spot on the edge of the charming authentic alpine village of Ratece just a few kilometres out of Slovenia’s most famous mountain resort - Kranjska Gora and within walking distance of several excellent local restaurants and amenities with fantastic walking and mountain biking right from the doorstep of the villa and a wide range of winter sports in very easy reach, including skiing at Kranjska Gora Ski Resort (5 minutes’ drive) and Tarvisio Monte Lussari (15 minutes’ drive). The four apartments each offer extremely spacious, comfortable and well equipped accommodation, each with large balcony with fantastic views and a communal games room and kid's soft play room in the basement.

See more of this property here

Villa Recica, Lake Bled & Bohinj: Sleeps 9 to 19 in 2 houses

Villa Recica is a spacious, contemporary house, with stunning high specification interior design, in a beautiful position just a few hundred metres from the shoreline of world famous Lake Bled. The house is in a tranquil setting with a wonderful view over Lake Bled with the rugged Karavanke Mountains in the background, with a fantastic lakeside beach area 20 mins walk away.

The North house at Villa Recica sleeps nine people, offering three double bedrooms, two with their own balcony (one overlooking Lake Bled) and a mezzanine 4th bedroom / study and a sofabed in the living room. It is luxuriously fitted out with designer furnishings and high quality fixtures, with two bathrooms (one en suite), a relaxing sauna, an open plan modern kitchen / dining / living room, covered parking for two cars and magnificent private lake view terrace.

The South house at Villa Recica sleeps 10 people, offering three double bedrooms two with their own balcony (one overlooking Lake Bled), a mezzanine 4th bedroom / study and sofa-bed in the living room. It is beautifully fitted out with designer furnishings and high quality fixtures, with 2 bathrooms (one en suite), a relaxing sauna, an open plan modern kitchen / dining room / living room, covered parking for two cars and magnificent private lake view terrace.

See more of this property here

Elipa House, Lower Gorenjska: Sleeps 5

Elipa house is a lovingly renovated and comfortable two-bedroom cottage with great facilities, plenty of space and fabulous 180 degree views from the 3 sided deck. Located in a fantastic secluded position surrounded by unspoilt nature on the edge of a charming authentic alpine village with an abundance of beautiful walking and biking trails locally, 10 mins drive to Krvavec mountain & ski resort, 15 minutes to Ljubljana airport and the beautiful medieval town of Kamnik and just half an hour to Ljubljana and Lake Bled, A fantastic place to relax and recharge your batteries in nature or to explore the Bled, Ljubljana & Krvavec areas from one convenient base.

See more of this property here

STA, 15 June 2020 - A Vox Populi poll commissioned by newspapers Dnevnik and Večer shows that as many as 87% respondents support a ban on Sunday shopping, including those who frequent shops at the end of the week. The main reason for their support is that they believe other days in the week provide enough opportunities for shopping.

Some 8% are not in favour of closure of stores on Sundays, whereas almost 5% did not weigh in on the issue. Almost 20% shop on Sundays.

Asked why they support the ban, the most common response was that there was enough opportunities for shopping on other days (nearly 38%).

The respondents also said that those working in stores would thus have more free time (some 35%), that the Sunday ban would have a positive impact on family life (23%) and that the closure would boost socialising outside shopping centres (4%).

On the other hand, those not in favour of the ban said that the Sunday closure would jeopardise people's social security (35%), highlighted the importance of being able to chose when to shop (21%), said that the ban would restrict the freedom of enterprise (18%) or that they did not have time for shopping during the rest of the week (18%).

The survey was conducted by pollster Ninamedia between 9 and 11 June among 700 respondents.

With coronavirus restrictions being lifted at an uneven rate across Europe, international travel can be confusing and intimidating. Can you cross the border for any reason? Is quarantine needed? What papers, if any, do you need? And can you go to a bar?

Luckily the EU has put together Re-open Europe, a clear, regularly updated site (and app) that gives the facts for all 27 Member States. In addition to basic travel information, there are also details on services like hotels, restaurants, museums, stores and so on, along with details of any health and safety measures to observe, such as wearing masks, physical distancing and large gatherings. So if you're planning on crossing the border, check out the site and avoid any unpleasant surprises.

STA, 16 June 2020 - Chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko was awarded two stars as Michelin presented its first ever rating for Slovenia on Tuesday. Five other restaurants got a star each: Vila Podvin (Uroš Štefelin, Mošnje), Hiša Denk (Gregor Vračko, Zgornja Kungota), Atelje (Jorg Zupan, Ljubljana), Pri Lojzetu (Tomaž Kavčič, Vipava) and Dam (Uroš Fakuč, Nova Gorica).

Roš, a self-taught cook who took over the restaurant from her parents-in-law, became the first chef with two Michelin stars in the region.

"Michelin has arrived in Slovenia at a key moment, just at the right time," she told the press. "It's not easy for tourism and the restaurant business right now. We have not laid off people and don't want to. We need each and every guest willing to get in the car and drive to Kobarid," she said.

She believes the rating proves that Slovenia is an excellent culinary destination. "Six restaurants received their stars in the first rating ... Moreover, I know that there are many candidates shortlisted for the stars and there will be great surprises coming up next year."

Roš has been celebrated for years, having been named the World's Best Female Chef by the World's 50 Best Restaurants culinary portal in 2017 and a year later made the Best Chef Awards list of 300 top chefs in the world alongside Kavčič.

She became even more widely know outside Slovenia after being featured in the Chef's Table series streamed on Netflix.

Michelin also launched its first guide to Slovenian restaurants at the ratings presentation that took place via videolink today.

A total of 52 restaurants have been awarded, however Gwendal Poullennec, Michelin Guides international director would not say how many had been reviewed in total.

He did say, however, that many, above all the starred ones, had been tested several times to make sure the experience was consistent. He also said that Michelin inspectors were excited over Slovenia's versatility and potential.

The Bib Gourmand designation for exceptionally good food at modest prices went to nine restaurants: Etna of Igor Peresson in Divača, Ruj of Peter Patajac near Divača, Gostišče Grič of Luka Košir near Horjul, Jožef of Sadmir Talić in Idrija, Na Gradu of Damjan Fink in Ljubljana, Rajh of Leon Pintarič near Murska Sobota, Mahorčič of Ksenija Krajšek Mahorčič near Kozina, Gostilna Repovž of Meta Repovž near Sevnica and Evergreen of Mojmir Marko Šiftar in Smlednik.

Six restaurants were noted for sustainability: Gostišče Grič, Monstera Bistro with chef Bine Volčič in Ljubljana, Hiša Franko, Gostilna za Gradom with chef Davide Crisci in Koper, Gostilna Krištof of chef Uroš Gorjanc near Brdo pri Kranju, and Mahorčič.

The Plate Michelin, a designation for fresh ingredients and carefully prepared meals, went to as many as 37 restaurants.