25 May 2020, 04:49 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 25 May 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:

No new coronavirus infections on Saturday, one Covid-19 fatality

LJUBLJANA - None of the 341 coronavirus tests conducted on Saturday returned positive in what was a fourth day in a row without new infections. One Covid-19 patient died, raising Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll to 107, official data show. A total of 18 Covid-19 patients were in hospital, four of them in intensive care.

5G test network to be set up in port of Koper

KOPER - Telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije is to set up a test network featuring 5G technology at port operator Luka Koper to explore development options and test various logistics solutions. The project is co-financed from Horizon 2020, the EU's key 2014-2020 research and innovation multi-billion fund, and is to be completed in September 2023.

Bia Separations expanding production in Italy and Slovenia

AJDOVŠČINA - Bia Separations, a Slovenian biotechnology company, is to expand its production facilities in Ajdovščina and Italy's Gorizia due to increased demand. The company's investment plans to launch production in the US have been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, however Bia Separations will go ahead with them as soon as possible.

Archbishop congratulates Islamic community on end of Ramadan

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore, the head of the Slovenian Bishop's Conference, congratulated the Islamic community in Slovenia and its leader Mufti Nedžad Grabus on the end of the fasting month Ramadan and wished them blessings upon Eid-al-Fitr.

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

24 May 2020, 09:31 AM

#KNK2020 is Still On: Register Now to Longboard Bear's Guts - One of the Wildest Rides in the World

As the country opens up again there's obvious interest in which of the events planned for the summer are still going ahead. So we're pleased to report that the following high speed spectacular that makes use of a remarkable stretch of road by the Croatian border has confirmed that the rush is still on...

Slovenia hosts several extreme sports and competitions, but one that stays relatively under the radar, with little publicity outside the immediate scene, is Red Bull “No Paws Down", where people on longboards go down a road known as Bear’s Guts, or Medvedje črevo, shown in the following image.

bears guts, google maps.JPG

Screenshot from Google Maps

The road is hidden away by the Croatian border, near the settlement of Bezgovica, in the Municipality of Osilnica. It attracts thrill seekers because it’s a 4 km track with 18 180-degree bends, on which those who dare can reach speeds of up 80 km/h. As such it’s home to the annual KNK longboard camp each summer (official website), the highlight of which is the "Red Bull No Paws Down" event, mentioned above. In this competitors hurtle downhill, their hands, as the name suggests, never touching the ground – and if they’re lucky no other parts of their bodies either.

If you’d like to ride down Bear’s Guts then now’s your time to register for #KDNK2020, this year’s edition of the camp, to be held from 28 July to 2 August 2020, and with entry into the competition included in the price.

In slightly more detail, the camp will have 6 full days of free riding down this road, from 11:00 to 18:00, with track protection and road closure management, along with Professional Medical Assistance on the track (two fully equipped ambulance teams – two vehicles and four medics), a party every night and a lot more, with details on the official website and the related promotional text as follows:

Spend a full week skating one of the best freeride tracks in Europe and wider together with riders from all over the World. 4 kilometres, 18 hairpins, 6 days straight - upgrade your downhill and freeride skills while shredding the smoothest asphalt ever, consistent from top to bottom, swim in a beautiful river, enjoy the finest local cuisine and party with your old and newly made friends. We can’t wait to shred the Guts with you again at #KNK2020! (official website)

24 May 2020, 09:18 AM

2nd Corona Wave Possible in Autumn, Finding Ways to Maintain Public Life a Priority

STA, 23 May 2020 - A potential second wave of coronavirus infections could occur in autumn or winter, but it is not very likely in summer, Bojana Beović, the head of the Health Ministry advisory task force for coronavirus, has told the STA. All efforts should be directed at preventing another nation-wide lockdown if the second wave occurs, she said.

The country will most likely be spared the second wave in summer months "given the current epidemiologic status and the fact that people hang out outdoors in summer and there is no school", the infectious diseases expert said.

However, in autumn the situation might change with the return to school and colder weather. Respiratory viruses thrive in such environments, added Beović, who also has fears about a potential simultaneous emergence of the flu and coronavirus.

"The second wave is a realistic possibility since the virus is still circulating and a large share of population is still susceptible to it. Even for that few percent of people in Slovenia who have recovered from Covid-19, one could not yet tell whether they are immune to a new infection," she said.

Slovenia has to get ready in the meantime, conduct extensive diagnostics in the summer and test every suspected case of infection as well as trace and isolate potential cases. The second wave could be postponed and major coronavirus spikes averted if efforts are stepped up in such a way.

The country's healthcare must prepare as well, focussing on mitigating staff shortages by training additional personnel, Beović urged.

UKC Ljubljana, Slovenia's central hospital, will be the only institution admitting Covid-19 patients in the future if the epidemiologic situation remains favourable. In case there is an increase in the number of new cases, UKC Maribor, Golnik and Celje hospitals will step in as well, followed by others if need be.

Nursing homes should carry on with a balancing act of heeding anti-Covid-19 measures while enabling some kind of normality, she added.

Given that only a small share of citizens have antibodies according to a recent nation-wide study, "any kind of a new wave is possible, including a major one", the expert warned, adding that the presence of antibodies might not even protect the person against another infection.

The possibility of the coincidental emergence of the second wave and a great number of flu infections is a reason for concern, Beović highlighted, saying that the quality of treatment declined if there was a great strain on healthcare.

Partly this could be prevented by ramping up flu vaccination, she said.

If or when the second wave hits, the state should make it its key priority to make sure that public life does not grind to a halt again, she pointed out, adding that people should learn how to live with the virus until there is an effective vaccine or medication.

That could involve the virus being here to stay, either in the form of additional waves of infections or seasonal respiratory diseases.

At the end of the month, the epidemic will be effectively over, but that does not mean Covid-19 is actually behind us and things can go back to how they were before, according to Beović.

The epidemic being over, the coronavirus task force, led by her, will be dissolved, she believes.

Politicians have taken experts' opinions relatively seriously, particularly at the beginning of the epidemic when the situation was dire, she said.

The easing of lockdown restrictions saw a few negotiations with experts urging a more conservative approach. A gradual easing has been hammered out generally speaking. Beović also confirmed that she was informed about the intention to declare the epidemic over.

"With hindsight a great many things were excessive at the time. But the epidemic slowed down precisely because they were excessive."

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here

24 May 2020, 09:07 AM

Feature: Slovenia’s Coronavirus Epidemic by the Numbers

STA, 23 May 2020 - The coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia will have officially lasted 80 days, from 12 March to 31 May. It has had an unprecedented impact on society and economy, as evident from key indicators measuring the pulse of society.

The ranks of the jobless swelled from EUR 77,484 at the end of February to 88,648 by the end of April, according to Employment Service figures.

Growth slowed in May, but the jobless total has already exceeded 90,000 and many more are expected to be laid off in the coming months.

One of the measures put in place to help companies was subsidies for those temporarily laid off. The Employment Service has so far received requests for 268,348 employees, more than a quarter of the country's workforce.

Economic stimulus measures estimated at EUR 6 billion have been adopted so far, which is expected to help the economy weather the crisis but will upend public finances.

General government debt, at 66.1% of gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of 2019 after almost a decade of austerity, is projected to balloon to 82.4% of GDP by the end of this year, partially due to fresh borrowing and partially due to a sharp decline in GDP.

Instead of a general government surplus of 0.8% initially projected for the year, public finances are expected to record a 8.1% deficit, according to government projections.

Note: The data below is dynamic, and updated for the day you're reading this.

And while the Slovenian economy had projected to grow at a modest 2-2.5%, it is now expected to contract by anywhere between 5% and more than 8%.

One indication of the sharp slowdown is the amount of value added tax (VAT) the Tax Administration has collected. While the receipts dropped by 4% year-on-year in March, the decline in April was 25% as virtually the entire retail and hospitality sectors shut down.

Slovenia registered 1,478 coronavirus infections by 21 May and 106 deaths attributed to Covid-19. A total of 316 persons were hospitalised, of which 21 remained in hospital on 21 May.

Cases were confirmed in 154 of Slovenia's 212 municipalities, with major hotspots in nursing homes in Metlika, Šmarje pri Jelšah and Ljutomer. Four in five fatalities were among nursing home residents and more than a quarter of all confirmed cases were among residents or staff.

The epidemic peaked around the end of March. The highest number of new infections in a single-day came on 26 March (61), while hospitalisations peaked at 107 on 30 March.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here

24 May 2020, 08:46 AM

AI-Based Platform that Improves Writing Wins Slovene Startup of the Year Award

STA, 23 May 2020 - Instatext, the company behind the eponymous web platform for text improvement based on artificial intelligence, is the winner of this year's Startup of the Year Award conferred by the Slovenian Startup Ecosystem project on Friday.

Instatext is a web platform which uses artificial intelligence to create instant recommendations and ideas about how to improve a text content-wise and make it more readable and understandable.

The platform is able to restructure an entire sentence and put it in the context. "In three months since the team put the solution on the market alone, employees in academic circles have been sold more than EUR 30,000 in licences," the organisers said.

The platform has more than 3,000 users, and the Instatext comprises top experts in artificial intelligence, language technologies, natural language processing and software development, they added.

The award jury took into account for criteria - successful confirmation on the market; attracting investments from Slovenian and foreign investors; competences, commitment, experience and organisation of the team; and potential for fast growth on foreign markets.

The award is conferred by the Slovenian Startup Ecosystem project and the main organiser is Start:up Slovenija. It is co-funded by the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, the Economy Ministry and the European Regional Development Fund.

You can try Intertext here

24 May 2020, 08:32 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 24 May 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:

No new coronavirus infections, Covid-19 deaths also on Friday

LJUBLJANA - No new coronavirus infections or Covid-19 deaths were recorded on Friday after another 677 tests were conducted, in what was a second day in a row without new infections or deaths, government data released on Saturday show. A total of 19 Covid-19 patients were still in hospital yesterday, four of them in intensive care. Two patients were discharged from hospital. The number of tests conducted so far stands at 74,419, while the number of persons who tested positive for Covid-19 has remained at 1,468. A total of 280 patients have so far been discharged from hospital. he death toll remains at 106.

Efforts to keep public life going during second Covid-19 wave key, says expert

LJUBLJANA - A potential second wave of coronavirus infections could occur in autumn or winter, but it is not very likely in summer, Bojana Beović, the head of the Health Ministry advisory task force for coronavirus, has told the STA. All efforts should be directed at preventing another nation-wide lockdown if the second wave occurs, she said. The country will most likely be spared the second wave in summer months "given the current epidemiologic status and the fact that people hang out outdoors in summer and there is no school", the infectious diseases expert said.

SMC president believes parliament threshold not unreachable

LJUBLJANA - Although the party is well below the parliament threshold in recent surveys, coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) president Zdravko Počivalšek believes that the threshold is reachable even if elections were held now. In an interview for the newspaper Delo on Saturday, which comes after another SMC deputy left the party, Počivalšek also said he did not know exactly how many deputies of the party had received offers to defect. He thinks that the coalition is still solid, but that it needs to be smart not to go into unnecessary politicisation. As for public finances, Počivalšek admitted that the revenue was lower than planned, so the state will borrow additional money and invest it in kick-starting the economy.

Čeferin hopes fans to return to stadiums in autumn, not interested in politics

LJUBLJANA - Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) president Aleksander Čeferin told the newspaper Dnevnik that, hopefully, football with fans in the stands could return by the autumn. In the interview, the Slovenian lawyer praised the decision to resume the German football championship, as this is a good sign. He was also questioned about the situation in Slovenia, denying speculations that he is interested in a political post in the country. Čeferin believes that Slovenia has great potential, but is currently facing the greatest deal of division since gaining independence. He sees the deteriorating culture of dialogue as a problem, and attacks on the judiciary as inadmissible.

Text improvement platform wins Startup of the Year Award

MARIBOR - Instatext, the company behind the eponymous web platform for text improvement, is the winner of this year's Startup of the Year Award conferred by the Slovenian Startup Ecosystem project on Friday. The platform which uses artificial intelligence to create instant recommendations and ideas about how to improve a text content-wise and make it more readable and understandable. It has platform has more than 3,000 users, and the Instatext comprises top experts in artificial intelligence, language technologies, natural language processing and software development, the organisers said.

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

23 May 2020, 14:25 PM

What Mladina & Demokracija Are Saying This Week: Covid Economic Policy vs Post-War Killings

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 22 May 2020. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: No one dares question govt's economic policy

STA, 22 May 2020 – The left-wing weekly Mladina says in its latest commentary that there are many questions for the government to be asked about its economic policy during the coronavirus epidemic, but the problem is that economists and executives do not dare ask them because they are afraid of being blacklisted by Prime Minister Janez Janša.

While all sorts of conflicts are being produced in Slovenia left and right, there is no serious debate about the government's economic measures. "Well, there is no debate because many do not dare utter a word," the weekly's editor-in-chief Grega Repovž says.

The business sector remembers that the current PM likes to be praised, and absolutely hates to be criticised. This is why a majority of business representatives are publicly praising him, as no one wants to be blacklisted, or put entire industries on his black list.

The questions that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is silent, should be asking are, for example, "how Slovenia can afford to lead a conservative monetary and economic policy while all others in its neighbourhood act differently?".

Another question is how Slovenian companies will compete in the common European market if their competitors will have huge liquidity funds at their disposal, and Slovenia's will not, the commentary adds.

Repovž argues that Slovenia has never had such a weak government when it comes to economy - the finance minister is extremely weak, but he is a good friend of prime minister's, while the economy minister has no breadth and is politically weak.

"But we have the same problem the Americans have: we have no time for these actual problems. Because while others are salvaging the future of their countries, we need to defend the foundations of democracy. We need to deal with freedom of the press. With corruption. Forceful replacements."

There is new madness every week - this week it is paramilitary units, private guards which intimidate police officers, while the government takes no measures.

"We all know that these paramilitary phenomena are actually encouraged by the main party in the coalition, and that they are something most dangerous for society. Such units were deniers of the bloody Balkan wars and heralds of Nazi terror."

What is interesting is the delusion of the coalition partners, who are convincing themselves that these dangerous incidents by the Democrats (SDS) will somehow be overshadowed what they believe are good economic measures, concludes the commentary headlined Economy and Guardsmen.

Demokracija: Govt bearing cross, rift with communists persists

STA, 21 May 2020 – The right-wing weekly Demokracija's Jože Biščak expresses in the weekly's latest editorial joy for "the determination of the new government" and gratitude the epidemic has been weathered. He also remembers the 1945 communist reprisal killings in Kočevski Rog, speaking of "probably the biggest massacre on the old continent in the 20th century".

"We are joining in prayer those who are raising their humble hands to God in gratitude that the crisis turned the way it did and we are happy for the determination of the new government, even though the cross it has to bare because of far-fetched 'scandals' involving PPE purchases and invented accusations about some kind of dictatorship will leave it with bloody shoulders," Biščak says.

He then turns to the Kočevski Rog summary killings, in which historians assess up to 30,000 people were killed, saying that "even though some of those with blood on their hands (were) are still alive and could have been easily identified and sentenced, all of them remained completely untouched".

Biščak says the blame for this also lies with the judicial authorities that continued to serve after independence and enjoyed "the unconditional support of [former President] Milan Kučan and the left".

Much was lost in those years and never made up for and the "traces of the tragedy never really found their way to a public cleansing", Biščak says in Death Becomes Nobody.

He then expresses disappointment with the "postmodern world, which is reminiscent of the last days of the retarded Western Roman Empire, and is far from the heritage of the spirit and honour of the time in-between".

"Also belonging to this spirit are those Slovenians who managed to resist the devastations of communism. Communism - an evil that is recognised today in cultural Marxism - continues to rip out the guts and all that used be the heart and that our forbearers cared about. This is the life that mothers carry in them and bring to the world."

"Crimes happened and bad things happened (and continue to happen). Many of them, too many. We are being pushed into them time and time again from the left, which is trying to convince us that we on the right are bad. Ignore these accusations. Be happy to be subjected to them. Be grateful you have experienced this. Sometimes bad things need to happen to make room for good ones. This provides reason for hope."

All our posts in this series are here

23 May 2020, 08:25 AM

Last Week in Slovenia: 15 - 21 May, 2020

What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.

FRIDAY, 15 May
        LJUBLJANA - A decree entered into force that allowed EU residents to cross into Slovenia from Austria, Italy and Hungary at pre-determined checkpoints without restrictions. The decree was subsequently amended so that only citizens of EU and Schengen zone countries with which bilateral technical agreements are reached will be allowed to cross without restriction. Meanwhile, Slovenians who own real estate in Croatia queued for hours to cross the border as quarantine upon return to Slovenia was abolished.
        PTUJ - Meeting for talks, President Borut Pahor and his Croatian counterpart Zoran Milanović praised what they labelled as excellent cooperation between the two countries in their response to the coronavirus pandemic and easing of travel restrictions.
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition heaped criticism on the government over its decision to declare the end of the coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia as of 31 May, saying that the move had been motivated by financial reasons. Similar concern was expressed by trade unions, while employers welcomed the decision but warned the measures to help businesses should be expanded.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and his Greek counterpart Katerina Sakellaropoulou underscored the importance of the EU's unity as they discussed the response to the coronavirus pandemic and its fallout in a videoconference. The Greek president congratulated Slovenia on declaring an end of the epidemic.
        LJUBLJANA - Marking Slovenian Army Day in memory of the 29th anniversary since training of first Slovenian soldiers started, President Borut Pahor as the supreme commander stressed the importance of the Slovenian Armed Forces, in particular in the face of a changing world. Defence Minster Matej Tonin announced efforts to secure more funding, while the army launched a media campaign in en effort have more people enlist. In a written address on the occasion, PM Janez Janša blamed former governments for the army's problems.
        LJUBLJANA - Supporting a revival of the Middle East peace process as EU foreign ministers discussed the issue, Slovenia's Anže Logar called for strengthening the EU's dialogue with all key players, Israel, Palestine, the US and relevant Arab countries, to implement the common interest of lasting peace and stability in the region.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar held a meeting with his Danish counterpart Jeppe Kofod by videolink for talks on bilateral relations, response to the crisis provoked by the coronavirus pandemic and EU affairs. The pair called for enhancing bilateral cooperation further.
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry marked the 65th anniversary of the Austrian State Treaty by underscoring that Slovenia is an indisputable signatory to the treaty as a successor to the former Yugoslavia, one of the original signatories. In a letter to his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg, FM Anže Logar called for full implementation of Article 7, which deals with the rights of the Slovenian minority.
        LJUBLJANA - The government opted to close an agreement with the UN Office for Project Services on the delivery of the Japanese anti-influenza medicine called favipiravir for clinical trials in treatment of Covid-19 patients. Slovenia is one of the first countries worldwide to get the medicine, known commercially as Avigan, which is not available on the market yet.
        KRANJ - Telecoms equipment maker Iskratel launched a test network featuring 5G technology at its production facility in cooperation with Telekom Slovenije to explore new business models.
        LJUBLJANA - Despite the ban on public gatherings, several thousand took part in anti-government bicycle protests in Slovenian cities for the fourth week running. The biggest protest was held in Ljubljana.

SATURDAY, 16 May
        ORMOŽ - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and Croatian counterpart Davor Božinović met for talks on the easing of restrictions on travel across the border, on illegal migration and Croatia's bid to join the Schengen zone.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and Lojze Peterle, prime minister of the DEMOS government (1990-92), urged cooperation and putting divisions aside as they marked the 30th anniversary since the government which led Slovenia to independence was endorsed in parliament.
        LJUBLJANA - In an interview with the newspaper Dnevnik, Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec revealed that an infrastructure fund was in the making to finance investments into railways and roads, which would bring some EUR 180 million a year.
        LJUBLJANA - Data from the Financial Administration showed that Slovenia's revenue from VAT in March, when most shops closed as Slovenia went into lockdown on 16 March, dropped to EUR 187 million, down nearly 30% over February and 19% over March 2019. Overall tax revenue collected in April dropped by a quarter to EUR 1.2 billion.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and his counterparts from eleven other EU countries signed an appeal to the EU stating their joint interest in introducing a plan to revive the car industry, one of the EU sectors that has been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

SUNDAY, 17 May
        LJUBLJANA - The Association of Veterans of the War for Slovenia marked the 30th anniversary of the rejection of an order to disarm Slovenian military units during independence efforts and the formation of the Tactical Line.
        SLOVENSKA BISTRICA - Some 50 members of the self-styled home guard calling themselves Štajerska Guard made a visit to the local police station demanding explanations why the police made a call to the owner of a plot where the militia held its camp. In response to calls for action from the opposition, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs asked the police commissioner to compile a report on the incident.
        LJUBLJANA - A poll by Mediana showed 38% of respondents saying Slovenia should have waited for developments in other countries before declaring the end of the coronavirus epidemic, against 27% who thought the reverse.

MONDAY, 18 May
        LJUBLJANA - The bulk of lockdown restrictions were lifted as children up to the age nine returned to schools and kindergartens, along with final-year secondary school students. All shops were allowed to reopen, including shopping malls, and bars and eateries were allowed to serve their patrons indoor as well. The ban on gatherings of up to 50 persons was also lifted. Social distancing still needs to be observed.
        LJUBLJANA - Croatia became the first country Slovenia put on a list of countries whose nationals may cross the border without limitations after the National Institute of Public Health assessed the coronavirus situation was similar in both countries. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek discussed border reopening with the corresponding Hungarian and Austrian ministers, saying the goal was to reopen borders with neighbouring countries in early June. In a videoconference with EU counterparts, Foreign Minister Anže Logar said Slovenia was ready to welcome EU tourists in the coming weeks.
        LJUBLJANA - In an interview broadcast by Nova24TV, Prime Minister Janez Janša projected that Slovenia's economy would rebound to the pre-crisis level within a year provided his government stayed in office and correct measures were taken.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian automotive industry said it was seeing its worst crisis yet due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a 60% drop in production in April and a 50% fall in May. It urged a follow-up on stimulus measures to prevent job losses and bankruptcies.
        LJUBLJANA - The ruling coalition's majority in parliament was reduced to 46 out of 90 seats after MP Gregor Židan defected from the Modern Centre Party (SMC) to join the opposition Social Democrats (SD). This was three days after Jani Möderndorfer left the SMC for the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ).
        LJUBLJANA - The Vox Populi poll for the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer had the senior coalition Democratic Party (SDS) firmly in the lead at 22.1%, compared to 22.5% in April, as the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) in second gained 2.4 percentage points to 12.2%. The approval rating for the government fell to 47.3% from 65%.
        LJUBLJANA - The Interior Ministry reported having received 563 applications for asylum from January to the end of April, which compares to 1,111 at the same period last year.
        LJUBLJANA - Marko Elsner, one of the greatest Slovenian football players of all time, died at the age of 60 after battling a severe illness for several years.

TUESDAY, 19 May
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša welcomed a German-French proposal for the EU to set up a EUR 500 billion fund to restart the economy after the Covid-19 pandemic, but said an even more ambitious approach would be needed given the extent of the crisis. Janša also discussed the issue with his Italian and Austrians counterparts.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar spoke about cooperation in the efforts to deal with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic in a videoconference with counterparts from Western Balkan countries, their neighbours in the EU and high EU representatives. He noted the importance of European solidarity, cooperation in the region and its close cooperation with the EU.
        TRIESTE, Italy - The Trieste-based newspaper Il Piccolo reported that the National Hall, which used to be the hub of Slovenian cultural life in the town, would be symbolically returned to the Slovenian community there at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the building's arson before its ownership was formally transferred to the community, a process that could take several years.
        NOVO MESTO - Revoz, the Slovenian subsidiary of the French car maker Renault, confirmed it was scrapping the plans to resume night shift due to a fall in global demand provoked by the coronavirus pandemic as a result of which over 400 jobs will be lost, mostly agency workers.
        HRASTNIK - Glass maker Steklarna Hrastnik announced plans to reduce its 700-strong workforce by almost a tenth by September, having recorded a severe contraction of demand.
        LJUBLJANA - Insurance group Sava posted a first-quarter net profit of EUR 10.3 million, down 5.6% year-on-year, as higher reinsurance claims and lower investment returns affected the bottom line despite a 17.3% increase in gross written premiums.
        LJUBLJANA - The energy group Gen-I reported record sales of 83.4 terawatt-hours of electricity for 2019 as revenue topped EUR 2.2 billion for a third year in a row. Net profit rose by 16% to exceed EUR 15 million for the first time ever.

WEDNESDAY, 20 May
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a new economic stimulus package, which includes a subsidised short-time work scheme, vouchers for all citizens to be spent in tourism facilities in the country, and favourable liquidity loans. The package is worth around EUR 1 billion. To subsidise short-time work, Slovenia is to tap into the European Commission's SURE mechanism for EUR 900 million.
        LJUBLJANA - In reference to the new stimulus package, Prime Minister Janez Janša said in a video address to the nation that Slovenia's reputation as a safe and orderly country capable of protecting its citizens' health was the best recommendation both for tourism and investment.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted an emergency bill to facilitate investment seen as key to kick-start the economy. Investments worth EUR 500 million in total will get priority treatment in all procedures, including administrative and judicial procedures. As eligible investments Economy Minister Andrej Vizjak listed major roads and railway tracks, including Koper-Divača track, hydro power plants and the Ljubljana passenger terminal.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - In a new set of recommendations issued to Slovenia as part of the European semester the European Commission called on the country to take all needed economic measures to support the recovery after the coronavirus epidemic, provide social protection, as well as resilient systems of healthcare and long-term care.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar told the Foreign Policy Committee that the reopening of borders with the neighbouring countries would depend on the epidemiological situation but that Slovenia would do all in its power to normalise the regime on its borders by 1 June.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar talked with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov about the Covid-19 pandemic and its fallout on the telephone. The pair also affirmed good bilateral relations.
        LJUBLJANA - Presenting the annual report on the judiciary, Supreme Court president Damijan Florjančič was upbeat, as the backlog of pending cases was reduced to 133,000. The courts received 839,000 cases and resolved roughly 850,000. Resultion time is also getting shorter. To tackle the backlog formed during the lockdown, court summer recess will be halved to two weeks.
        LJUBLJANA - Almost a decade after police opened their first inquiries into the case, the prosecution filed an indictment over the controversial EUR 1 billion-plus generator project at the Šoštanj coal-fired power plant at the Celje District Court. Unofficially, French company Alstom and the former TEŠ boss Uroš Rotnik are among those indicted.

THURSDAY, 21 May
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll rose to 105 by 20 May as daily number of new cases stayed had not increased by more than one for a week despite round 1,000 tests performed each day. The total by 20 May is 1,468 but only roughly 20 cases are estimated to remain active.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar urged close cooperation among EU members as they relax lockdown measures as he attended a meeting of ambassadors from EU countries accredited to Slovenia which was hosted by Croatian Ambassador to Slovenia Boris Grigić from the EU presiding country.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar held a phone conversation with his Canadian counterpart Francois-Philippe Champagne focusing on national measures to combat the coronavirus epidemic. The ministers emphasised the importance of cohesion and concerted action in transatlantic relations and in the international community in general.
        CELJE - After the Supreme Court quashed a guilty ruling in a defamation case brought against PM Janez Janša by a journalist over an insulting tweet, the Celje Higher Court rejected Janša's appeal in a separate case filed against him by the other journalist mentioned in the controversial tweet. The claim is for damages worth EUR 6,000.
        LJUBLJANA - The ZZZS, the fund collecting and managing mandatory health insurance, expects a shortfall of EUR 129 million by the end of the year due to the Covid-19 epidemic. The fund would like the loss to be offset by the national budget, or else healthcare funding could be suspended in December.
        NOVO MESTO - Pharma group Krka Group saw its net sales revenue increase by 22% year-on-year to EUR 462.9 million in the first quarter as the coronavirus pandemic pushed up the demand for its products. Net profit was up 21% to EUR 85.2 million.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's consumer confidence somewhat improved in May, with the relevant index going up by five percentage points compared to April. It was however still 25 percentage points below the long-term average.

All our posts in this series are here

23 May 2020, 08:08 AM

Fifth Week of Anti-Govt Cycling Protests in Ljubljana, Focus on Corruption, Attacks on Civil Society (Videos)

STA, 22 May 2020 - The cycling protests against the government's actions and policies continued for the fifth Friday running, with several thousand protesters reported again in Ljubljana. Signatures for the resignation of the government started to get collected, while one group also expressed support to the government.

Before the evening protest in parliament square - whose police-controlled section got a large 'our property' sign in the afternoon - a stream of cyclists occupied the streets around Parliament House, while the protesters also ventured to Ljubljana's main thoroughfare, Dunajska street, and the Environment Ministry located there.

The government's clampdown on environmental NGOs has been among the protesters' main grievances in recent weeks, after the protests were initially galvanised by revelations of alleged heavy political meddling in the purchases of PPE and ventilators during the coronavirus epidemic and PM Janez Janša's clash with the media.

Massive anti-government protest in Ljubljana, Slovenia, today, for the fifth straight Friday. pic.twitter.com/213XPqrBwy
— Bob Ramsak (@BobRamsak) May 22, 2020

The Ljubljana Anarchist Initiative, one of the unofficial organisers, wrote that millions of euros from the public budget continued to be appropriated by political and economic elites under the guise of a state of emergency.

"We've broken the curse of the epidemic, now we need to be break the virus of the holders of power," they wrote, while rejecting any kind of political meddling in the protests.

A novelty this week was the collecting of signatures for the government's resignation, while some of the participating groups also specified their demands.

The list by one of the more prominent groups includes the "end of corruption, of disrespectful public speech, fomenting of divisions, of hate and fear...end of attacks on civil society ...on independent media...the end of putting the interests of capital before the benefits of people and the environment".

Another new development was a group of a dozen men, allegedly motor-bikers, who formed a line in front of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija wearing yellow vests that spelled out "thank you government!"

PM Janša meanwhile lashed out against the protesters by comparing them to the self-styled paramilitary units or nationalist home guards that recently made headlines, arguing both were extremely offensive to the police.

The comment by Janša, who has also labelled the protesters as 'caviar socialists', came after 50 home guards in uniform visited a local police station last Sunday in protest over a police inquiry into a training camp they had held nearby.

Smaller cycling protests were again also held in some other cities. Several hundred protesters reportedly gathered in Maribor.

23 May 2020, 07:39 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, May 23 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:

Slovenian, Croatian FMs discuss border reopening, offer no details yet

PIRAN - The Slovenian and Croatian foreign ministers, Anže Logar and Gordan Grlić Radman, met to discuss the opening of the countries' shared border which has been closed, with some exceptions, as the countries are battling the coronavirus pandemic. They could however not yet provide an answer to when the border would reopen for everybody. In what was the ministers' first meeting in person, they expressed satisfaction that the epidemiological situation in the two countries is very similar. "This will undoubtedly contribute to an agreement on easier crossing of the border," Grlić Radman said. Logar said that Slovenia was "playing with an open hand" in talks about border opening. However, the health of Slovenians must be protected and unnecessary risks avoided, he added.

FM official: Austria rather inflexible about reopening border

LJUBLJANA - Austria remains rather inflexible about reopening its border with Slovenia, although Slovenia's epidemiological situation is the same or even better than Austria's, Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksander Geržina told the STA. "Apparently the wish to keep tourists in Austria is so strong that we are unable to move in a positive direction," said Geržina. The countries are in contact about this issue and Slovenia expects Austria to change its position soon. Meanwhile, PM Janez Janša tweeted: "With two doors at the border crossing, the crossing can be closed with one while it can only be open with both doors."

Pahor and Nauseda agree that French-German recovery plan is good development

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda highlighted the role of a joint European response to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic in the EU. The French-German proposal to relaunch the economy is a step in the right direction, said the pair. The presidents also exchanged views on the Western Balkans situation and the Eastern Partnership, highlighting that the EU should devote enough attention to the bloc's enlargement.

Cycling protests continue, signatures collected for govt resignation

LJUBLJANA - The cycling protests against the government's actions and policies continued for the fifth Friday running, with several thousands protesters reported again in Ljubljana. Signatures for the resignation of the government started to get collected, while one group also expressed support to the government. PM Janša meanwhile lashed out against the protesters by comparing them to the self-styled paramilitary units or nationalist home guards that recently made headlines, arguing both were extremely offensive to the police.

Official says gatherings of up to 500 people might be reality in mid-June

LJUBLJANA - In mid-June a decree on public gatherings could be amended to allow gatherings of up to 500 people, the head of the Health Ministry advisory task force for coronavirus Bojana Beović told the STA. The likelihood of any bigger gatherings is currently hard to forecast, she added. In the past weeks a number of lockdown restrictions have been lifted, however any gatherings involving more than 50 people are still banned.

PM speaks to BBC about Slovenia's efforts to be safe holiday destination

LJUBLJANA/LONDON, UK - Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, Slovenian PM Janez Janša pointed out that tourism was the mainstay of Slovenia's economy and announced that the season would kick off on 1 June, and assured that holidaying in Slovenia would be safe in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, adding the country strived for lifting border restrictions. Janša told the BBC News show that Slovenia was striving to ensure all the tourism facilities would be safe. He pointed out that all the guests would be treated in line with public health guidelines. "The epidemic in Slovenia is now under total control," he said in a conversation shared on Twitter on Friday.

Petrol group's revenue down 15%, net profit up 20% in Q1

LJUBLJANA - The energy group Petrol saw its sales revenue drop by 15% year on year to EUR 916 million in the first quarter, due to lower prices and a drop in the sale of petroleum products. Still, net profit of the group was up 20% to EUR 21.8 million. The report also shows that gross profit stood at EUR 105.3 million, which is on a par with the first three months of 2019. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were up 26% to EUR 46.5 million. Because of the epidemic, the group's targets for 2020 will not be met and Petrol has prepared different scenarios for until the end of the year, depending on its severity.

Infrastructure minister says decision on new N-reactor by 2027

KRŠKO - Visiting Slovenia's only nuclear power plant on Friday, Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec announced that a decision about whether to build a second nuclear generator in Krško would be made by 2027 at the latest. But first economic and expert studies must be performed to help Slovenia make this decision. Vrtovec said that he was in favour of nuclear energy, also adding that any bias could be dangerous and irresponsible before all issues are addressed and safety is guaranteed.

No new coronavirus infections, Covid-19 deaths on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - No new coronavirus infections or Covid-19 deaths were recorded in Slovenia on Thursday after another 882 tests were conducted. A total of 21 Covid-19 patients were still in hospital, four of them in intensive care, government data show. So far, 1,468 people have tested positive for the virus, 648 men and 820 women, while the death toll remains at 106. A total of 278 patients have been discharged from hospital. The number of tests conducted so far stands at 73,742.

Prisoners returning to their cells after epidemic

LJUBLJANA - As Slovenia has managed to flatten the curve of new coronavirus infections and declared the epidemic over, prisoners whose sentences were temporarily suspended are returning to their cells. A total of 214 prisoners have been urged to return to prison, and so far 22 have done so, Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič told the press. As of this Monday, visits are allowed again in prisons but they are limited to one person. Prisoners have also already been called back to work after 79 persons were granted leave during the epidemic. Kozlovič also announced that courts will start processing all cases again as of June.

Banks to consider corona crisis in loan procedures

LJUBLJANA - The central bank has amended the rules for calculating creditworthiness, allowing banks to exclude the months with temporary lower income of their clients from creditworthiness calculations. The new rules will allow banks to exclude the months of epidemic from the annual income calculations of clients if they were lower than before the epidemic. Banks can use this option when they have at least one document on the client's income showing that the impact of the epidemic on their income has ceased. The new rules will step into force in June, Banka Slovenije said.

Commerce Chamber expects third package to include rent subsidies

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Chamber of Commerce (TZS) urged the government to grant rent subsidies in the third stimulus package for businesses which had to restrict their services or close shop due to the coronavirus lockdown. The organisation estimates that EUR 6 million would have to be set aside for the measure. The sum of individual subsidies would be calculated based on the loss of income incurred during the Covid-19 epidemic, said the TZS, adding that the boost would help preserve jobs.

Culture workers feel left out from latest stimulus package

LJUBLJANA - Representatives of employees in culture have been warning that the government's third stimulus package, adopted on Wednesday, brought no concrete measures or encouragements for culture, which is one of the most affected sectors. The association therefore wants the state to make decisive steps to "protect the essence of what we really are". It has prepared some suggestions, such as vouchers for culture like the ones introduced in tourism, and incentives for creativity.

Ministry highlights epidemic achievements on Diplomacy Day

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry marked Slovenian Diplomacy Day by pointing to the many achievements of diplomacy during the epidemic, from easing of cross-border transport to the organising repatriation of Slovenian citizens. Currently, the country's diplomatic efforts are focused on reopening of borders for tourists. "Today, Slovenia sits at all important multilateral tables, is a responsible ally and a constructive partner" the ministry wrote on its website. Slovenia observes Diplomacy Day on 22 May to commemorate the day when the country joined the UN in 1992, thus entering the global diplomatic arena. This was soon upgraded with EU and NATO accessions.

Poll shows Slovenians against contact-tracing apps

LJUBLJANA - As many as 66% of those polled by market research agency Aragon are against coronavirus contact-tracing apps, labelling them a harsh encroachment on privacy and a violation of human rights. Some 31% meanwhile consider them a necessary measure to contain the spread of the virus. The Covid-19 Insight survey also shows that 64% of those polled would not want to install such an app on their mobile phone, whereas 30% would be willing to do so. As for various types of such apps, the respondents are more in favour of their features which only enable providing information rather than tracing, said Aragon, which polled 1,023 persons between 15 and 18 May.

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