02 Jun 2020, 09:21 AM

Call for Stricter Alcohol Policy in Slovenia

STA, 1 June 2020 - The association of chronic non-contagious diseases urged on Monday the Health Ministry, the government and National Assembly to introduce stricter measures concerning alcohol policy and to strive for a joint systemic tackling of heavy alcohol consumption in Slovenia, most notably efforts mitigating the situation among the young.

The organisation, bringing together a number of public health NGOs, has highlighted that youths are the primary target market of the alcohol industry.

Today's appeal to the authorities coincided with the release of the Slovenian translation of Olivier van Beemen's book titled Heineken in Africa.

The Dutch investigative journalist reveals unethical strategies and practices of the alcohol industry in Africa in the book, reads the association's press release.

Such practices are not only a problem of the third world, but are also very much present in Slovenia, highlighted the NGOs.

Slovenia ranks among countries with the highest alcohol consumption rate per adult on average. The World Health Organisation has notified Slovenia on a number of occasions that the country is lagging behind most advanced countries in this area and that it is high time Slovenia stepped up its alcohol policy.

The association believes that Slovenia should raise alcohol prices and ban relevant marketing, including online advertising. Moreover, event sponsorship by the alcohol business should be banned and the sales restriction for underage or inebriated persons should be strictly implemented.

Online sales and home deliveries should be banned as well, in particular during times of epidemics or similar extreme circumstances, and zero-tolerance policy should be imposed regarding drinking and driving.

The association deems that the damage done by alcohol in society overrides any potential financial benefits of selling alcoholic beverages.

An inefficient alcohol policy increases the burden on healthcare, the police, judiciary, social work organisations and local communities, and deteriorates people's health and well-being, reads the press release.

02 Jun 2020, 09:03 AM

Slovenia Takes Presidency of Two Adriatic-Ionian Initiatives

STA, 1 June 2020 - Slovenia is assuming on 1 June the one-year chairmanship of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative and of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR). The main focus of the country's chairmanship of both platforms will be green cooperation, the Western Balkans, and EU enlargement.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar presented the priorities during last week's videoconference with the foreign ministers from all participating countries.

He said Slovenia would strive for the "recovery from Covid-19 to be a green recovery".

He finds it key that the participating EU member states insist on their commitment that joint macro-regional priorities of strategic importance for the Adriatic and Ionian region are considered when funds from the new EU financial perspective are allocated.

He also announced Slovenia would make an effort for the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, entailing its meeting the EU's decarbonisation targets, to be implemented.

A special focus will be given to continuing the EU enlargement process, so Logar said he was happy Albania and North Macedonia were starting their EU accession talks.

Logar believes that Slovenia's chairmanship of the two initiatives is an introduction to its presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021.

This is Slovenia's third stint at the helm of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative, coming after 2003-2004 and 2012-2013, and the first EUSAIR chairmanship.

The Initiative brings together nine countries, apart from Slovenia also Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

It was formed in May 2000 in Italy's Ancona, with Slovenia one of its six co-founding members.

Slovenia takes part is another two of the EU's four strategic macro-regions designed to promote cooperation between the EU and the regions, namely in the initiatives for the Alpine and Danube regions.

EUSAIR meanwhile brings together Slovenia, Italy, Croatia and Greece as EU members, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania as EU candidates or aspiring countries. Its four pillars are blue growth, environment, tourism, and transport and energy.

02 Jun 2020, 04:31 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 2 June 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:

Most lockdown measures lifted as epidemic ends

LJUBLJANA - Most lockdown measures were relaxed as the Covid-19 epidemic officially ended in Slovenia. Large accommodation facilities, spas, gyms and pools were allowed to reopen, although most large hotels will do so gradually. Public gatherings of up to 200 persons are also allowed, and all primary school pupils will be back in classrooms by Wednesday. Safety measures such as hand sanitising and wearing of face masks indoors where sufficient distance cannot be kept remain in place. Night clubs remain closed. Slovenia has not recorded any new infections for four days, but one Covid-19 patient died on Sunday, taking the death toll to 109.

Border policing stepped up over surge on Balkan migration route

LJUBLJANA - Due to an increased number of migrants heading west on the Balkan migration route, Slovenia's Police Commissioner Anton Travner ordered stepping up surveillance of the border with Croatia. The beefed up border policing will be in force between Tuesday and Friday, involving a larger number of police units. The move is meant as a signal to illegal migrants and smugglers that Slovenian border is not crossable, the police said.

Venezuelan Slovenians get repatriate status extended

LJUBLJANA - The government extended by three months the 15-month period in which persons of Slovenian descent brought from Venezuela have the status of a repatriated person. The extension, which is part of the latest legislative package to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, applies to those Venezuelan Slovenians who arrived in Slovenia between 13 November 2019 and 12 March this year. Before the pandemic severed air links, 23 Slovenians had been repatriated from Venezuela.

Slovenia takes presidency of two Adriatic-Ionian initiatives

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia assumed the one-year chairmanship of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative and of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region. The main focus of the country's chairmanship of both forums will be green cooperation, the Western Balkans, and EU enlargement. Foreign Minister Anže Logar presented the priorities during last week's videoconference with the foreign ministers of participating countries, saying Slovenia would strive for the "recovery from Covid-19 to be a green recovery".

Fighter jets fly past as thank you to emergency workers

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian frontline staff got an unprecedented thank you for their work during the coronavirus epidemic as military planes and US fighter jets conducted a flypast of the entire country, the first day after the formal end of the epidemic. Three Slovenian Pilatus PC-9 were joined by the six American F-16 fighters, that took off from Aviano air base in Italy. The flyover coincided with a ceremony at Golnik hospital which was also addressed by US Ambassador Lynda C. Blanchard.

Minister promises additional health facilities

LJUBLJANA - Health Minister Tomaž Gantar told reporters that with the epidemic over the ministry would strive to improve the conditions at care homes and set up more health facilities to provide for patients in case of a second wave of infections or to cope with an increased number of patients in general. Gantar pledged to do everything in his power to set up at least a few nursing hospitals, which Slovenia would needed regardless of the virus.

Long-serving sports official Kocijančič dies

LJUBLJANA - Janez Kocijančič, the long-serving Slovenian sports official who was also active in politics and business, died at the age of 78. Kocijančič had headed the European Olympic Committees since 2017, served as the head of the Slovenian Olympic Committee between 1991 and 2014 and as vice-chairman of the International Ski Federation since 2010. In the 1990s he headed the precursor to the Social Democrats. He was the chief executive of the flag carrier Adria Airways between 1982 and 1993.

Slovenian athletes in US join calls against racism

LOS ANGELES/DALLAS/MIAMI, US - Slovenia's NBA stars Luka Dončić and Goran Dragić as well as NHL player Anže Kopitar joined calls against racism as protests spread across the US against police brutality against African Americans. Dončić shared on twitter a post made by his team, the Dallas Mavericks, declaring they would "NOT stand for injustice, inequality and disparity". Dragić shared a video on twitter featuring Udonis Haslem, a fellow player at the Miami Heat, who says justice will have to be done for George Floyd, whose death during a police arrest last week sparked the protests.

Chamber of Commerce pushing for reopening of stores Sundays

LJUBLJANA - While a legislative procedure is under way for a permanent closure of shops on Sundays, the Chamber of Commerce (TZS) called on the government to end the Sunday ban that was introduced during the epidemic. Since most lockdown restrictions have been lifted, the chamber said there was no more reason to keep shops closed on Sundays. The chamber said many jobs in retail were in peril, with 3,000 newly registered unemployed persons in March and April coming from the sector.

Subsidies for social charges top EUR 380m in March, April

LJUBLJANA - In March and April, two two peak months of the coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia, the state provided over EUR 79 million to cover social security contributions for idled workers as well as EUR 302 million to cover employers' pension contributions for those working through the epidemic, Financial Administration data show. The subsidies were introduced with the first stimulus package, which also provided full state coverage of unemployment allowances, equal to 80% of the usual wage.

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01 Jun 2020, 17:28 PM

All Hotels, Spas, Fitness Centres Can Now Reopen in Slovenia

STA, 1 June 2020 - Large hotels and spas in Slovenia have been given the green light to reopen on Monday after being closed for almost three months due to the coronavirus epidemic, however the majority remain closed. Some will start welcoming guests at the end of the week, others later on. Border reopening will be a key factor, say hotels.

After allowing accommodation facilities with up to 30 rooms to reopen on 18 May, the government has now given the go-ahead to all hotels regardless of their size, as well as spas, health and fitness centres, and swimming pools.

A number of hotel managers have pointed out though that lifting border restrictions will be a key factor for resuming services since hotels could not be filled to sufficient capacity to guarantee profit without foreign guests.

The border situation is currently uncertain and many believe that reopening in the current circumstances could only aggravate their financial situation.

Hotels in the northern Gorenjska region have not yet reopened. The Bled Sava hotels network, comprised of six hotels, will reopen only one of them this year. The renovated Hotel Park will again welcome guests on 25 June.

Meanwhile, the Triglav Hotel in Bled reopened today. The facility with 22 rooms could have done that sooner but it had opted to wait a bit. There have been some bookings for the end of this week made by Slovenian guests, said the hotel.

Hotels in Kranjska Gora, another popular destination in the north, also remain closed for now. The HIT Alpinea group, the main hotel operator there, plans to start reopening its accommodation facilities gradually, one at a time and depending on occupancy rates.

The Bohinj Eco Hotel will start welcoming guests again in late June or when the restrictions on the border with Austria are lifted.

The casino business in the western Goriška region has not yet resumed - Slovenia's leading gaming company HIT could have already reopened its casinos and hotels, but has instead decided to wait for the reopening of the Slovenian-Italian border since a vast majority of its guests (95%) come from Italy.

Hotels in the coastal town of Piran are gradually going back to normal as well - Hotel Piran will reopen in two phases, starting between 5 and 7 June and wrapping up the transition period between 11 and 14 June.

Phones were ringing off the hook this week with people showing great interest in holidaying at Piran, said the hotel, pointing out that callers were mostly asking about the current situation and border crossing options.

When it comes to spas, Terme Olimia is resuming business as usual on Friday. The Aqualuna waterpark will meanwhile reopen on 12 June.

The spa in eastern Slovenia expects quite a lot of guests mostly due to a promotional offer launched in early May.

Sava Hotels, the country's largest hotel operator, will reopen its hotels across the country gradually from the end of this week, while the campsite Kamp Lucija in Portorož opened on Saturday.

The Zdravilišče Laško spa hotel will also reopen on Friday, mostly welcoming guests seeking rehabilitation treatments, followed by reopening the swimming pool complex on 15 June and the Thermana Park on 19 June.

The latter capitalised on business and sports events in the pre-corona times, but will now have to deal with a lot of those events being cancelled. The hotel is hosting smaller, one-day events this week though, the first after the epidemic.

The Terme Ptuj in north-east also plans to reopen most of its facilities on 15 June, except for indoor swimming pools and saunas, which are to stay closed until further notice.

Hotels in Rogaška Slatina, another famous spa resort in the country, will go back to normal a bit later, starting with Grand Hotel Rogaška on 24 June.

The Terme Zreče spa, near Maribor, will see the reopening of accommodation facilities as early as Wednesday. Cafes and restaurants will be reopened gradually, while saunas will remain closed until health authorities release relevant guidelines, presumably in mid-June.

The Maribor Terme spa plans to reopen only one of its hotels for now - Mercure City Center will welcome guests again on 15 June. Visitors to Slovenia's second largest city could also spend the night at Hotel City, which reopens today.

Accommodation facilities across the country may rely on additional revenue in a form of holiday vouchers which are to be given to all Slovenian citizens. The measure, intended to boost tourism, is part of the third stimulus package, adopted on Friday, however it has not yet entered into effect.

Slovenians will be able to start spending the vouchers (worth EUR 200 for adults and EUR 50 for minors) at the facilities of their choice by 15 June at the latest, said government spokesman Jelko Kacin at today's briefing.

The vouchers could be used until the end of the year. The government is finalising relevant details.

In the wake of the Covid-19 epidemic being effectively over today, most fitness centres across Slovenia reopened as well. Individual and group workouts are allowed, with users required to heed preventive measures.

The Ljubljana GYM24 fitness centre, the only gym in the capital that is open 24/7, reopened when the clock struck midnight.

Among the first gyms to resume services were also Bodifit (BeFit) centres in Ljubljana, Maribor, Celje, Kamnik and Domžale. The centres call on their visitors to enter the facilities one by one, use hand sanitisers as well as face masks whenever they are surrounded by a greater number of people.

Showers are still off-limits so gym users are urged to bring extra clothes with them. They will also be required to sign a statement on their medical status.

Gyms have adapted to the new post-corona reality, including by setting workout equipment at least 2 metres apart from others. The Celje Top Fit gym has meanwhile amended its opening hours, introducing a break between the morning and afternoon shifts to disinfect all the equipment and air the rooms.

01 Jun 2020, 13:59 PM

Open Kitchen Returns with a Double Portion, Starting June 11 & 12

Open Kitchen culinary market (Odprta kuhna), an indispensable part of Ljubljana city life in the warmer months, is finally returning to Pogačarjev trg, by the central marketplace, in Ljubljana.

Due to the prolonged hibernation that was caused by the new coronavirus and related lockdown, Open Kitchen is coming back twice a week: food stalls accompanied by excellent wines, beer, cocktails and other beverages will be available every Thursday from 10 am to 8 pm and Friday from 10 am to 10 pm.

odprta kuhna 4.jpg

The decision to expand the event to Thursdays is not just to make up for lost time, but is also a safety measure, avoiding too many people visiting on a single day.

odprta kuhna 5.jpg

Open Kitchen founders Alma and Lior Kochavy believe that because of the event’s tradition of good vibes on the part of caterers and visitors alike, there should be no problems with regard to the observation of the new rules of distancing and hygiene, adding that they remain committed to sustainability. All disposable utensils (plates, cutlery, napkins, straws) will be made of biodegradable materials.

odprta kuhna 6.jpg

The most obvious changes will be a greater distance between the stands and tables, which will also be regularly disinfected. Hand sanitizer will be available at all stalls, and for the first time the possibility of card payment will be introduced. As this is an open-air market, the use of masks for visitors is not mandatory.

003 Odprta kuhna.jpg

01 Jun 2020, 12:07 PM

Slovenian Military Planes & US Jets to Stage Whole Country Flyby, Starting 1pm, to Thank Medical Staff

STA, 1 June 2020 - Slovenian frontline staff will get an unprecedented thank you for their work during the coronavirus epidemic as military planes and US fighter jets conduct a flypast of the entire country on Monday, the first day after the formal end of the epidemic.

Three Slovenian Pilatus PC-9 will be joined by for the six American F-16 fighters, taking off from Aviano air base in Italy, will join up around Jesenice in the west just after 1pm and then fly a loop over the entire country east and then back west.

15. PVL in 31. lovski polk @US_EUCOM iz @AirAviano 1. junija med 13.10 in 14.25 na preletu nad RS za zdravstveno osebje, CZ, @sos112, prostovoljce, vse v boju proti #COVID19. V imenu MO, @Slovenskavojska, @URS_ZR, @Policija in @USEmbassySLO, #AlliesPartnersFriends – iskrena hvala pic.twitter.com/IPAl1zNkiA
— MO RS (@MO_RS) June 1, 2020

The flight path

The flypast will be in two echelons a mile apart at an altitude of about 1,200 metres and a speed of 425 km/h.

The commander of the Slovenian air force, Lt-Col Janez Gaube, said on Friday that the flypast was "a clear, loud and visible thank you to all the people who gave it their all in the fight against Covid-19."

Lt-Col Ben Shaha, the US military attaché to Slovenia, added that the virus may have slowed down cooperation a bit but could not defeat the alliance.

01 Jun 2020, 10:18 AM

US Special Operations Buys Pipistrel Aircraft as Low-Cost, High-Endurance Surveillance Drones

STA, 31 May 2020 - Ultralight aircraft made by the Ajdovščina-based Pipistrel have joined the US Special Operations Command's (SOCOM) fleet as low-cost, high-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles, in what is seen as a major step for the Slovenian company.

The news was revealed by SOCOM last week after seven years of classified collaboration and confirmed by Pipistrel, which said its specially prepared airframes are being used with "sensors to collect full-motion video and signals intelligence".

The company said its surveillance platform can be fitted with a multitude of sensors, with endurance ranging from 8 to more than 30 hours at low, medium and high altitudes, all at a fraction of the cost of conventional solutions.

"It is interesting that the American army and the military aviation industry are the largest exporters of aircraft in the world, but then they come to the small Slovenia and even smaller Ajdovščina for such special aircraft because they cannot make such good ones at such a price themselves," Pipistrel founded and CEO Ivo Boscarol told the STA.

Boscarol acknowledges that the deliveries are part of large, multi-million deals, but said the amounts were subject to trade secrecy.

He expects that interest in this segment of the company's production will grow now that the deliveries have been confirmed.

"In recent days we've received concrete inquiries from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for similar aircraft. Working for the US military means working to the highest standards and if they accept you, the product is good and recognized anywhere in the world, be it a friend or foe of the US."

Read more about Pipistrel electric aircraft

01 Jun 2020, 06:03 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 1 June 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:

STA, 30 May 2020 - The Foreign Ministry has amended somewhat a decree on quarantine requirement for people coming to Slovenia from third countries by adding new exemptions. One of them are people with a permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia.

The decree adopted on Tuesday was amended after the ministry received numerous requests and calls regarding the obligatory quarantine.

Together with the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) and the Health Ministry, the Foreign Ministry again looked into the possibility of someone bringing in the virus from third countries and established that some third countries in the region have favourable epidemiologic situation at the moment, so the decree was amended on Friday.

Under the new rules, Slovenian citizens and foreigners with a permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia will not have to go into quarantine. Also exempted from the 14-day quarantine requirement are persons attending a funeral of a relative in Slovenia and those coming for a medical examination or procedure.

Those merely transiting Slovenia in a day, and those who attend kindergarten or school in Slovenia as well as those doing scientific and research work will not be quarantined either if they present a document showing that they tested negative for the virus in the last three days.

People who transport cargo from or into Slovenia from third countries, those transiting the country transporting cargo, and those who work in international transport are also on the list. So are diplomatic personal and members of the civil protection.

This means that a Slovenian citizen returning from a several-day business trip to Serbia will not have to go into quarantine, and neither will foreigners coming to Slovenia on business from EU or Schengen countries.

However, if they will want to spend a few days in the country, they will have to submit a certificate of a negative coronavirus test and give their address in Slovenia.

Citizens of third countries who want to come to Slovenia on business will not be quarantined if they present a statement by the Economy Ministry that the quarantine would cause a major social or economic damage.

The first plane to touch down at Ljubljana airport after two months and a half of severe air traffic restrictions was Air Serbia's on Friday. Half of the 24 passengers were ordered a 14-day quarantine based on the previous decree.

The Interior Ministry said the quarantine orders for those persons remain in place but if there were any changes to the situation, the Health Ministry should be notified.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia

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31 May 2020, 20:33 PM

Slovenia Eases Entry for 3rd Country Nationals