STA, 22 May 2020 - The Slovenian and Croatian foreign ministers, Anže Logar and Gordan Grlić Radman, met Friday 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.

This was the ministers' first meeting in person. They met at the Dragonja border crossing police station today after having talked several times over the phone and videoconferencing.

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 told the press in a joint statement.

He also said that talks would contribute to make it easier for Croatians to cross the border into Slovenia, noting that the country was an important neighbour and partner.

He did not, however, say how this would happen. "The public will learn very fast when it is time."

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 said.

Zunanji minister ??@AnzeLog z zunanjim ministrom ??@grlicradman o čezmejnem sodelovanju in skupnih ukrepih za odpravljanje posledic epidemije #COVIDー19 ? https://t.co/La9lYX5I1H pic.twitter.com/1fjAg7zNEh

— SLOVENIAN MFA (@MZZRS) May 22, 2020

At the moment, Croatia is the only country from where passengers can enter Slovenia without restrictions. Meanwhile, Slovenians can enter Croatia if they have property in the country, a holiday reservation, business or important personal obligations in the country.

The ministers also welcomed the EU's recommendations on the easing of restrictions as regards border permeability.

Logar also commented on the opening of Slovenia's borders with Austria and Italy saying that epidemiological situations in the two countries would have to be taken into account and that Slovenia was doing everything in its power for this to happen as soon as possible.

He also underlined that this would be done in bilateral agreements, adding that Slovenian diplomacy was proactively seeking such agreements.

The ministers also talked about open issues between the two countries. Logar said that they focused above all on issues they themselves could tackle and issues in which the countries have fund a high level of agreement.

Logar also said that Croatia was in a unique position at the moment: presiding the EU Council and getting ready for a parliamentary election simultaneously. "It is a specific time that imposes relatively strong restrictions on talks," Logar said.

Grlić Radman expressed the willingness to discuss all open issues, but also added that these should not come to dominate the countries' relations.

The countries' main open issue is the implementation of the 2017 border arbitration decision which Croatia refuses to accept as binding.

STA, 22 May 2020 - 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, shows a report published on the website of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange.

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, mostly due to the balancing out of petroleum product price quotes, as diesel price quotes for the coming months at the beginning of the year were twice as high as at the end of March.

Excluding this effect, EBITDA for the period would be up just 2% to EUR 37.9 million, shows the report that was discussed by the supervisory board on Thursday.

"In March, the business environment deteriorated considerably as the pandemic began. Petrol Group companies ... have implemented the necessary measures to contain the spread of the virus and ensure uninterrupted energy-product supply," the group says, noting that no disruption in the energy-product supply had occurred though, and all points of sale had been operational.

The group generated 47% of its EBITDA through sales of petroleum products, 21% through sales of merchandise and related services, 18% through energy and environmental solutions, 12% through the sale of other energy products (natural gas, electricity, LPG), and 2% through renewable electricity production.

In the first three months of 2020, sales of petroleum products were down by 18% to 742,900 tonnes, mostly due to lower sales to the Agency for Commodity Reserves.

Some 43% of sales were generated on the Slovenian market, 24% in SE Europe, and 33% in EU markets.

At the end of March, the Petrol group's retail network consisted of 509 service stations, of which 318 were in Slovenia, 109 in Croatia, 42 in Bosnia-Herzegovina, 15 in Serbia, 15 in Montenegro and ten in Kosovo.

Sales revenue of merchandise and related services were down by 35% to EUR 127 million in the January-March period, and the sales of natural gas was up 15% to 6.4 TWh.

Because of the epidemic, the group's targets for 2020 will not be met and Petrol has prepared different scenarios for its operations until the end of the year, depending on the severity of the crisis.

If certain restrictions on transit traffic and tourism still remain in place in the next few months, it expects this to have a major impact on its operations in the summer months. The group is also preparing for the possibility of major restrictions on movement to be introduced again in the final quarter.

The group thus expects the sale of petroleum products to reach 83-86% of the 2019 figure. EBITDA for 2020 could amount to 73-79% of the 2019 figure.

Before the pandemic, Petrol's plans for this year included sales revenue of EUR 6.4 billion, EBITDA of EUR 214.8 million and EUR 109.8 million in net profit. It also planned to sell 3.4 million tonnes of petroleum products.

Investments will be limited to the most essential this year and the management will make decisions on this based on the pandemic-related developments.

The group will focus on cost optimisation and streamlining of operations until the end of the year, while securing uninterrupted energy-product supply.

The supervisory board assessed that the management had responded to the pandemic appropriately and has the situation under control.

An AGM has been scheduled for 23 July.

STA, 22 May 2020 - Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, Prime Minister Janez Janša pointed out that tourism was the mainstay of Slovenia's economy and announced that the season would kick off on 1 June. He assured that holidaying in Slovenia would be safe in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, adding the country strived for lifting border restrictions.

The BBC News show highlighted that Slovenia was the first country in Europe to declare the end of the coronavirus epidemic.

Slovenija je varna država in naredili bomo vse, da bodo tudi počitnice v Sloveniji popolnoma varne.@BBCWorld pic.twitter.com/l4FUyku79H

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) May 22, 2020

Janša told the 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.

To make sure that the country is a safe holiday destination, the coronavirus will have to be eradicated, he said, highlighting that in the past two weeks Slovenia recorded only one or zero cases of infection with coronavirus on a daily basis. The confirmed cases can be isolated, he added.

"The epidemic in Slovenia is now under total control," Janša said in a conversation which he shared on his Twitter on Friday.

"Slovenia will do everything that holidays in Slovenia will be totally safe," he highlighted, adding that safety measures will have to be heeded.

Almost 90% of tourism facilities which are available during normal times will be welcoming guests during the so-called new normality as well, he said, pointing out that nightclubs were still off-limits.

The prime minister confirmed that Slovenia was discussing with its neighbouring countries to lift the border restrictions on its internal EU borders in mid-June after deciding to lift almost all restrictions on the border with Croatia.

Slovenia is also closely monitoring the epidemiological status in the neighbouring countries; Italy could represent a risk, however the situation in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, the Italian region closest to the border with Slovenia, has been promising, according to Janša.

"I think that our region will be the first to lift the border restrictions which will especially help the touristic season to be safe as much as possible," he said and invited people to visit Slovenia. "Welcome to Slovenia, it's a safe country."

Slovenia has declared the covid-19 epidemic over, and the country is re-opening for business, but it will be some time before things get back to normal, and certain parts of the economy, culture and society may never return.

While the focus of many has been on tourism, the most high profile industry in the country, along with the restaurants, cafés and bars that provide venues for much of Slovenia’s social life, less attention has been paid to culture – one of the reasons why people enjoy visiting the country, and the expression of those who live here – and how this will continue to be impacted by the crisis. Although some venues, such as Kinodvor, are planning to reopen 1 June, social distancing is likely to continue to make things difficult for the foreseeable future, leading to a fall in ticket sales, loss of revenue, and thus fall in income for those who work in the sector. Not just performers, writers and artists, but all those whose work supports their endeavours.

Moreover, the continued support that’s being offered to some sectors, such as tourism, is being withheld from culture.

It’s in this context that representatives of the industry recently sent an the following open letter to Dr Vasko Simoniti, the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia (somewhat freely translated, with the original here):

We invite you to make clear to the Slovenian cultural public the key things to which you are obliged to explain due to your the ministerial position.

State the arguments or reasons why at the government session on 19 May 2020, during the adoption of the "third stimulus package" for resolving the (post-) corona crisis you did not protect the sector for which you are responsible and about which we have regularly informed you of the problems and sent you in-depth appeals for help.

Please reveal your plan for how you plan to take care of the sector, which is entering a "dead season" and will be much more malnourished by the autumn than it was during the epidemic, when you allocated at least some funds to it – albeit with restrictions.

If you continue to remain silent, we will interpret this as meaning do not intend to deal with the majority of the cultural sector, especially the weakest and most endangered parts, and you will narrow the culture to a system of public institutions and heritage.  

Once again, we suggest that the Ministry take more account of the workers for which it is responsible and, in order to plan further assistance to the self-employed after the end of the epidemic, form a special working group in which they can participate.

The letter was sent out on Wednesday, 20 May, under the name of the Group for Assistance to the Self-Employed in Culture during Kovid 19 (Skupine za Pomoč samozaposlenim v kulturi v času Kovid 19), with the signatories being Miha Zadnikar, Urška Jurman, Andrej Srakar, Petja Grafenauer and Beti Žerovc.

The next day the Minister responded to inquiries by Dnevnik, once again freely translated:

They got everything they asked for. In preparing the second stimulus package the Ministry listened to all the comments of the self-employed in culture. The first package was accused of forgetting the majority of the self-employed, noting that they were not guaranteed regular pay for their work and that the criterion for proving loss of income in relation to that earned in February 2020 [was inappropriate for this group]. We found a solution to this problem, which was also adopted by the government. In the second package the loss of income could be proven based on the average monthly income last year, thus providing more support for such workers.

Moreover, cultural NGOs were able send their workers on furlough, with the state covering the payment of salaries and welfare contributions, while the Slovenian Film Center (Slovenski filmski center) and the Public Book Agency (Javna agencija za knjigo) were able to pay salaries and bills without interruption.

It would thus be extremely dishonest to say that the Ministry is unresponsive to the initiatives of the cultural sector, especially the self-employed, who got everything they asked for in the second package.

However, Dnevnik went on to ask about the future, and whether any further assistance would be provided to cultural sector in the coming months, but no response was given.

As the weather improves and people start going out again, albeit without any foreign tourists on the streets and in seats, the question of how Slovenian culture will continue to thrive at the grass roots level remains an open one, as do the long-term effects of the coronavirus crisis – round 1 – on so many parts of life that make the country such an appealing one to live in, and to visit.

The photo at the top of this story is by Igor Andjelić. You can see more of his work here

STA, 21 May 2020 - 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 has rejected Janša's appeal in a separate case filed against him by the other journalist mentioned in the controversial tweet.

The Celje Court has rejected Janša's appeal in the defamation case brought against him by RTV Slovenija journalist Evgenija Carl in which he was ordered to pay EUR 6,000 in damages for calling her a "washed-up prostitute" on Twitter.

The court thus upheld a previous ruling by the Velenje Local Court, and ordered Janša to also pay for the legal costs in the amount of EUR 513.

Carl brought the defamation suit over Janša's Twitter post in March 2016 reading "the FB page of the public house is offering cheap services by washed up prostitutes Evgenija C. and Mojca P.Š. One for 30 euros, the other for 35. #PimpMilan".

Na neki FB strani javne hiše ponujajo poceni usluge odsluženih prostitutk Evgenije C im Mojce PŠ. Eno za 30€, drugo za 35€. #ZvodnikMilan.

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) March 21, 2016

The Celje Higher Court said that Carl was not a prostitute but a respectable and professional journalist with a long career in journalism. The tweet affected her very much and caused her emotional pain.

It added that Carl was well known for her moral traits and professionalism and therefore a respectable person, which was why the EUR 6,000 in damages was an appropriate financial compensation for her emotional pain.

The other journalist mentioned in the tweet, Mojca Šetinc Pašek, a journalist and editor with TV Slovenija, also sued Janša and both journalists brought criminal charges against him.

But at the beginning of the month, the Supreme Court quashed a ruling that ordered Janša to pay EUR 6,000 to Šetinc Pašek, arguing that like Janša, she was a public figure, for whom "the boundaries of permissible criticism are broader than with private persons".

Šetinc Pašek described the judgement as "outright scandalous", and announced she would take her case to the Constitutional Court.

In the criminal procedure Janša was sentenced to a three-month suspended sentence by the Celje District Court in November 2018, but the Celje Higher Court ordered a retrial last year.

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:

Emergency bill to help kick-start investment

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted late on Wednesday an emergency bill to facilitate investment seen key to kick-start the economy after the Covid-19 epidemic. 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.

Talks on border crossing deals with neighbouring countries under way

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and Croatia are expected to initial a bilateral agreement regulating the crossing of their border by the end of this week, government spokesperson Jelko Kacin announced. While Croatia is the first country Slovenia put on a list of countries whose nationals may enter without limitations and a formal agreement is in the making, Kacin said Hungary and Austria were expected to follow soon.

FM Logar discusses concerted response to coronavirus with Canadian counterpart

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. They also voiced support for an independent and comprehensive estimate of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) response to the pandemic.

Logar meets ambassadors to discuss pandemic

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar attended a meeting of ambassadors from EU countries accredited to Slovenia which was hosted by Croatian Ambassador to Slovenia Boris Grigić, whose country presides over the Council of the EU in the first half of the year. Logar urged close cooperation among EU members as they relax lockdown measures and welcomed the European Commission's recommendations for a coordinated approach to re-establishing the freedom of movement.

Parliament to debate EU General Court judge nominees next week

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Privileges and Credentials Commission debated three candidate judges for Slovenia's two spots at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg, approving Klemen Podobnik, while a vote will be taken by the plenary next week to decide whether Jure Vidmar or Nina Savin Bossière will take the second spot. The three candidates had been put forward by President Borut Pahor after consulting the government, the Judiciary Council and parliamentary groups.

Motion to replace two members to RTVS supervisory board withdrawn

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Privileges and Credentials Commission withdrew a proposal from the ruling Democrats (SDS) to dismiss two members of the supervisory board at public broadcaster RTV Slovenija and appoint two that would better reflect the current balance of power in parliament. The move comes after the parliament's legal service said that the replacement may be made only under the conditions determined by the law, of which the balance of power is not one.

Care homes to start readmitting residents

LJUBLJANA - Care homes, which have accounted for the vast majority of Covid-19-related deaths in the country, will start receiving residents who were moved into home care during the epidemic as well as new residents on Monday under a government decision. The move marks a major milestone in the gradual restoration of pre-coronavirus reality, since a handful of over 100 care homes in the country had developed into major Covid-19 hotspots.

Public administration and court services to resume on 1 June

LJUBLJANA - The government decided to fully restore public administration and court services as of 1 June, a day after the epidemic is formally over. The protective measures in place for more than two months had suspended procedural deadlines and restricted in-person submitting of requests as well as court hearings and personal deliveries of documents.

Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll rises to 105

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Covid-19 deaths toll has increased to 105 after one more patient died yesterday, while the case count remains at 1,468 with none of the 909 tests conducted yesterday returning positive, data from the government show. Only 21 Covid-19 patients remain hospitalised, three of them in intensive care. Slovenia has not seen more than one new daily case for a week now.

Health insurance fund expects EUR 129m loss due to Covid-19

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. The fund expects its revenue to drop by EUR 205 million this year, with a current deficit projected at EUR 215 million, EUR 86 million of which ZZZS is to cover from reserves.

Report to be compiled on militia police station visit

LJUBLJANA - Government spokesman Jelko Kacin told reporters that Interior Minister Aleš Hojs had asked the police commissioner to file a report on the visit by the self-styled uniformed village guard called Štajerska Guard to the Slovenjska Bistrica police station on Sunday. This was after the left-leaning opposition parties condemned the incident, urging Hojs and Defence Minister Matej Tonin to take action in response to the incident, or else the Left threatened to seek a vote of no confidence in them. Tonin as well as the coalition Modern Centre Party called the incident inadmissible.

Janša's appeal in defamation case rejected

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 has rejected Janša's appeal in a separate case filed against him by the other journalist mentioned in the controversial tweet. The Celje Court has rejected Janša's appeal in the defamation case brought against him by RTV Slovenija journalist Evgenija Carl in which he was ordered to pay EUR 6,000 in damages for calling her a "washed-up prostitute" on Twitter.

Info commissioner cautions about use of thermal imaging

LJUBLJANA - After Slovenia started to emerge from a two-month coronavirus lockdown, the Information Commissioner's Office called for caution in the possible use of thermal cameras as tools to prevent Covid-19 contagion. Businesses considering body temperature screenings should first consult medical experts. The purpose of thermal imaging is to identify individuals with elevated body temperatures so as to take timely action, however, the office said this in itself is personal data processing.

US donates protective equipment to Slovenian care homes

LJUBLJANA - US Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda C. Blanchard handed a US donation of 1,660 protective face shields to the Labour Ministry. The protective equipment, sponsored by the United States European Command as part of its international humanitarian aid programme, is intended for care home staff. The US Embassy described the donation as "a symbol of the longstanding partnership". The visors had been made by the small Ajdovščina-based company 3D Solutions.

Krka reports over 20% rise in Q1 profit, revenue

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. Operating profit rose by as much as of 85% year-on-year to EUR 133.9 million, and net profit was up 21% to EUR 85.2 million. The group generated 95% of sales outside Slovenia, with East Europe, its biggest market, accounting for 33.2% of overall sales.

Minister to propose furlough scheme extension for car industry

LJUBLJANA - Coming out of a meeting with representatives of the automotive industry, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said he would propose that the latest stimulus legislative package included a one-month extension of subsidies for furloughed workers also for that sector. As the measure would not solve all the sector's problems, a task force is to be established to see "how to address the challenges ahead of the automotive cluster with investments in research, development and innovation."

Gorenje reduces planned lay-offs from 830 to 560

VELENJE - Hisense, the owner of Velenje-based household appliances maker Gorenje, announced it would lay off fewer people than initially planned. Citing the coronavirus crisis, the group said in April it would fire nearly 830 people in Slovenia, but the statement today suggests the number will be at about 560. The in-house trade union agreed with the management that the company must not make redundant both spouses or partners and no single parents.

Consumer confidence improves in May, but still low

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, the Statistics Office reported. The slight improvement comes after the consumer confidence index plummeted 30 percentage points on the monthly level in April to the lowest point on record, or since March 1996.

Covid-19 measures drag down March salary statistics

LJUBLJANA - Gross average pay in Slovenia was 2.3% lower in nominal terms in March compared to February. The Statistics Office attributed the drop to the fact that the state covered salaries of furloughed workers. The drop was biggest in the hospitality sector, while there was a substantial increase in the banking and insurance sectors. Average net pay in March was at EUR 1146.11, 2% lower in nominal terms and 1.2% in real terms.

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

STA, 21 May - The third emergency law designed to mitigate the consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic is worth approximately EUR 1 billion and the government would like it to take effect on 1 June. Most of the funds will subsidise short-time work and roughly a third of the money is for tourist vouchers. Below is a short review of the measures it brings.

SHORT-WORK SUBSIDIES SCHEME

If an employee's work week (the standard is 40 hours) is shortened, the government will provide funds to pay them a wage compensation for the partial idling, but only from five to 20 hours per week.

Firms set up before 13 March 2020 (first day of epidemic) that will are unable to provide at least 90% of the workload for at least 10% of their workers are eligible.

Firms which receive more than 50% of funds directly or indirectly from the state or municipal budgets cannot apply.

The employer taking part in the scheme is obliged not to lay off the workers partly idled or a lager number of other workers while taking part in the scheme and also a month after it.

The measure will be in place from 1 June to 31 December.

PARTIAL WAGE COMPENSATION FOR IDLED WORKERS

For idled workers, companies will get funds for 80% of the unemployment benefit they would be entitled to if jobless, but not more than the highest possible unemployment benefit.

The measure will apply only to employers whose main line of business is tourism or hospitality and to farms which are also engaged in activities beyond pure farming, for example tourism farms.

The measure also covers venues for cultural events, gaming, as well as inter-city and other road transport.

To be eligible, a company's revenue in 2020 must be by more than 10% lower due to the epidemic than it was in 2019.

The measure will be in place until the end of June.

TOURIST VOUCHERS

Those who had permanent residence in Slovenia on 13 March 2020 will get a tourist voucher to spend on accommodation in Slovenia.

Those born in 2002 at the latest will receive a EUR 200 voucher, minors will get EUR 50 vouchers.

Companies providing accommodation such as hotels and other holiday facilities, including camping sites, will be eligible to accept the vouchers, which will be valid until the end of 2020.

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

Financial incentives in the form of grants and loans to co-finance the loss of income in tourism and hospitality, provide support for manufacturing in the affected border areas, encourage digitalisation of companies and to invest in development projects.

Micro, small and medium-sized companies which are entitled to state aid, and large companies affected by the pandemic will be eligible.

RELAXED CONDITIONS FOR INVESTMENT INCENTIVES

In line with the law on the promotion of investments, the value of the investment for which a state incentive can be granted remains EUR 1 million for manufacturing and EUR 500,000 for services and R&D, but the number of jobs the investment has to bring three years after completion will be lowered.

Investors investing in Slovenia will be eligible.

The measure will be in place until 30 June 2021.

VARIOUS OTHER MEASURES

1. Financial engineering measures to finance companies in the road transport industry for which the state will allocate EUR 10 million in 2020 and the state-owned SID Bank EUR 25 million.
2. Financial aid for managers of ski lifts, ranging from EUR 1,000 to EUR 12,200 per lift.
3. Valid contracts and agreements on coach transport that could not be partially or fully provided during the epidemic can be extended until September 2021 without a public tender.
4. The Farmland and Forest Fund may write off or reduce the compensation for building title, and reduce the prices of farmland it has leased out, until the end of 2020. The fund can gratuitously lease out farmland at risk of spontaneous afforestation for 10 years.
5. Relaxation of requirements for building greenhouses on lower-value farmland, priority treatment of requests for the exploitation of geothermal energy in greenhouses.
6. Permits for seasonal work in agriculture may be extended to 150 days.
7. A wage compensation for disabled workers will rise by 10% of the minimum wage.
8. Organisers of sport events will receive a voucher corresponding to the price of a ticket for an event they could not carry out due to the pandemic.
9. Members of Civil Protection and others helping in the anti-coronavirus efforts will get a EUR 30 daily allowance for working in hazardous conditions.

STA, 20 May 2020 - Slovenian speleologists have discovered several new passageways in the cave below the famed Predjama Castle in western Slovenia indicating that the cave, already among Slovenia's longest, is much bigger than thought.

Until last year the cave system was known to be almost 14 kilometres long, but in the last few months nearly 1.6 kilometres of new passageways have been discovered by members of speleological societies from Ajdovščina, Borovnica and Postojna.

Ljubljana Day Trips: Predjama, the World’s Largest Cave Castle

Spelunkers have spent three decades exploring possible extensions of the known cave system. The most likely direction was west of the known cave, where several small waterways were known to lead towards the Vipava river.

The exploration was stepped up towards the end of 2019 and by February two new segments with a total length of 154 metres had been discovered.

In early March, two more passageways, one 251 metres long and the other 1,189 metres, were discovered before exploration was suspended due to the coronavirus epidemic.

The 1,189-metre passageway, named after the recently deceased speleologist Marjan Vilhar, had been carved out by an underground river millions of years ago before it retreated to deeper reaches of the cave.

Multiple smaller tunnels jut out from the main passageway and they are yet to be fully explored. One of them comes to within a few dozen metres of a known smaller cave. If they are found to be connected, the confirmed length of Predjama Cave would increase by almost a kilometre.

Predjama Cave is among the top five longest caves in Slovenia. It is also the second longest show cave behind Postojna Cave.

STA, 20 May 2020 - The government adopted on Wednesday a new economic stimulus package, featuring subsidies for shortened working time, vouchers for citizens to be spent in tourism facilities around the country, and favourable liquidity loans. The package is worth around one billion euros.

Subsidies will be available to employers who cannot secure at least 90% of the usual workload for at least 10% of their employees and that the state would subsidise up to 20 hours weekly.

For workers on 20-hour weeks, the subsidy will amount to EUR 449, for 15 hours EUR 336, for ten EUR 224 and for five EUR 112.

Workers on the minimum wage will not receive the full minimum wage if they do not work full time, Kralj said, arguing a distinction needed to be preserved among those working full- and short-time.

The measure will be in place until 31 December and will be financed from the European Social Fund and the European Commission's SURE mechanism.

The stimulus package also includes an estimated EUR 345 million worth of vouchers to be spent in Slovenian tourism facilities. All Slovenian citizens will be eligible for vouchers, which will be available as of 1 June.

Related: Slovenia to Spend €345m on Tourism Vouchers for All

Minors will get EUR 50 vouchers and adults EUR 200 vouchers in electronic form, which may be used to pay for accommodation and breakfast in hotels, apartment complexes, camps, agritourism farms and other similar facilities.

The measure, valid until 31 December, will cost the state EUR 345 million, but visitors who cash in their vouchers are expected to spend an additional EUR 172 million for services they will not be able to cover with vouchers.

Also adopted is an extension of subsidies for temporary lay-offs only for certain industries. Companies in the tourism and hospitality industries whose estimated drop in revenue is more than 10% compared to 2019 will be eligible.

The new package also serves as legal basis for notification of state aid under the EU rules, based on which the Economy Ministry will draft a financial incentive programme intended for tourism and border problem areas.

In order to boost liquidity of companies, state-owned funds will provide EUR 40 million-worth of favourable liquidity loans for around 900 micro and small companies.

STA, 19 May 2020 - The Trieste National Hall, which used to be the centrepiece of Slovenian cultural life in the town, will be symbolically returned to the Slovenian community there at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the building's arson, Il Piccolo reported on Tuesday.

Related: Slovenian History: Trieste National Hall Arson, the Start of Fascism in Europe (Feature)

The University of Trieste, which currently owns the building in the city's centre, will get the building of the former military hospital in Trieste in return.

According to the Trieste-based newspaper, the Italian Interior Ministry has already sent a letter of intent to all the stakeholders.

The takeover ceremony will be held on 13 July, with the presidents of Slovenia and Italy in attendance, and it will be a symbolic gesture as the official procedure to transfer the ownership will take a few years, the paper added.

As the building currently houses the university's translation department, Italian Interior Ministry representative Michele di Bari said the university had to be compensated for the building whose value was estimated at EUR 9.5 million.

"We are coordinating the efforts that the Slovenian minority is fully returned the building ... which until the tragic events in July 1920 was the seat of Slovenian culture," the ministry said.

This is a reference to the National Hall or the Slovenian Cultural Centre being burned on 13 July 2020 by Italian Fascists after a number of rallies had been held in the city.

Under the plan, the ownership of the building will first be transferred to the Italian state, while the university will get the former military hospital, where a student dormitory is housed, free of charge.

Furthermore, the Municipality of Trieste will transfer the ownership of a building in Trieste to the university, where the translation department will be relocated.

The Italian agency for state assets will then put the premises in the building at the disposal of the Slovenian Cultural and Economic Association (SKGZ) and the Council of Slovenian Organisations (SSO).

Even before the translation department gets fully relocated, the Slovenian minority organisations will be able to use a few rooms on the ground floor for their activities.

The procedure is expected to take a few years and all stakeholders will have to hold their part of the bargain, including the Municipality of Trieste, whose council "poses a risk that things could fall through," Il Piccolo said.

Built in 1904, the National Hall was commissioned by a Slovenian cultural centre, and was home to a theatre, hotel, savings bank, a ballroom and a print shop and housed gatherings of most Slovenian associations in the city.

The project was a thorn in the side of those Italians in Trieste who looked down on Slovenians, and its arson marked the start of a painful period for the Slovenian community that ended up on the Italian side of the border.

The building was restored between 1988 and 1990.