30 May 2022, 13:27 PM

Slovenia’s Next Foreign Minister Plans Return to EU Core, Move Away From Visegrad Group

STA, 30 May 2022 - Tanja Fajon, candidate for foreign minister, announced that Slovenia would return to the core EU countries as she singled out commitment to shared values and the rule of law, and a distancing from the Visegrad Group, in her presentation to the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee on Monday, which endorsed her candidacy.

The EU will remain at the core of Slovenia's foreign policy, which is particularly important in an era of growing polarisation between democratic and authoritarian regimes, she said.

"I realise that we face hard work to restore credibility and the country's unfortunately eroded reputation," she said.

She plans to intensely strengthen friendly ties and alliances with key partners in the EU, particularly Germany, France and Italy, while moving away from the Visegrad group.

Map: Wikimedia CrazyPhunk CC-by-0

Drawing on the constitutional principles of the culture of peace, non-violence and peaceful resolution of disputes, Slovenia should be recognised as "a country that respects human rights, and is committed to democracy, the rule of law, media freedom and EU values," she said, highlighting Germany and Benelux countries as role models.

EU enlargement to the Western Balkans is in Slovenia's interest and remains one of the strategic priorities, she said, announcing the appointment of a special envoy for issues related to the Western Balkans.

Fajon described migrations as an important challenge for the EU and said the EU must be capable of protecting its borders, whereby migration pressure "may no longer be a reason for destabilisation and internal divisions, or even a tool in the hands of regional powers."

"We need a comprehensive asylum, migration and integration policy that will facilitate an appropriate response to the pressure of irregular migration and make regulated immigration easier," according to her.

Turning to relations with Croatia, a major focus of the country's foreign policy, Fajon said she would consistently uphold the commitment that the border arbitration award must be respected.

This marks a break with the policy pursued by the outgoing government, which has put arbitration on the back burner in favour of reaching a diplomatic agreement that would be in the spirit of the arbitral award.

Under her watch, Slovenia will support Croatia's membership of the eurozone and OECD if it meets the membership criteria, and the expansion of the Schengen zone to Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania.

However, expansion of the Schengen zone will be "severely jeopardised" until the Schengen rules are reformed.

As for transatlantic relations, Fajon said they remained "the backbone of Europe's security architecture".

"Membership of NATO is the basis on which to upgrade relations and strategic dialogue with the United States, which are very important for us," she said, adding that the Western Balkans was an area of shared interest where Slovenia is recognised by the US as "an expert and a partner."

As for the Ukraine war and relations with Russia, Fajon condemned Russia's invasion "in the strongest terms" but said dialogue was the only way. "Permanent peace and stability in Europe, no matter how remote it may seem at this moment, cannot be achieved without dialogue and without Russia."

She said Slovenia needed to shift from support of Ukraine in name only to concrete actions by helping mitigate the humanitarian and financial crisis in Ukraine and participating in preparations for the post-conflict restoration of the country.

Fajon also mentioned relations with China when she said Slovenia's policy will abide by the one-China principle while strengthening relations with Taipei.

She said Asia held great potential for Slovenian business and relations with India should be deepened.

Fajon is in favour of the recognition of Palestine's independence, but said Slovenia needed to do this in concert with other EU countries.

She will support the formation of a coordinated foreign policy that will "take into account the right of Palestinians to their own country and Israel's right to security."

In general, Fajon praised Anže Logar, her predecessor, but said the country's foreign policy had often been overshadowed by Prime Minister Janez Janša's solo actions and the disputes he had engaged in on Twitter.

30 May 2022, 12:48 PM

Obituary: Writer Boris Pahor Dies at Home in Trieste at 108

STA, 30 May 2022 - Boris Pahor, the internationally-renowned Trieste-born Slovenian writer who wrote about his own experience of Fascism and the suffering in Nazi death camps during World War II, has died at his home in Trieste, aged 108, Radio Slovenija has reported.

Pahor spent his life raising awareness of the dangers of totalitarian regimes the kind of which he had been a victim of himself. He described his experience of being interned in Nazi concentration camps in Necropolis, the award-winning novel that brought him fame across Europe.

Born into a Slovenian family in the multicultural city of Trieste in the Austro-Hungarian Empire on 26 August 1913, a year before the outbreak of World War I, Pahor witnessed the rise of Fascism in Italy as a child.

In 1920 he saw how the Fascists burnt down Narodni Dom (National Hall), the hub of the Slovenian community in the city, which the community would not get back until a hundred years later.

As a young intellectual, he associated with Slovenian anti-Fascist intellectuals and activists in Trieste. In 1940, he was drafted into the Italian army and sent to fight in Libya and was then transferred to Lombardy, where he worked as a military translator in a camp for Yugoslav POWs.

After Italy's capitulation in 1943, he joined the Slovenian resistance movement. However, in January 1944 he was captured by the Domobranci, a Slovenian pro-Nazi militia, and handed over to Germans, who sent him to several different concentration camps.

In Necropolis he revisits the Natzweiler-Struthof camp twenty years after his relocation to Dachau. Following Dachau, he was relocated three more times: to Mittelbau-Dora, Harzungen and finally to Bergen-Belsen, which was liberated in April 1945.

The novel would not bring him international acclaim until after it was translated into Italian as late as 2007, 40 years after it first came out in Slovenian in Italy. It was translated into French as early as 1990.

A committed democrat, Pahor in 1966 founded Zaliv (The Bay), a magazine in which he advocated democratic values against the Yugoslav communist regime.

In 1975 he published an interview with Edvard Kocbek (1904-1981) in which the Slovenian dissident condemned the summary killing of 11,000 Slovenian Domobranci by the Yugoslav authorities immediately after World War II.

Bringing up a taboo topic, the interview earned him a four-year ban to enter Yugoslavia, and it took until after Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia that his homeland's relationship with him eased.

As a result, his work was honoured with the country's top accolade for artistic achievement, the Prešeren Prize, in 1992, after which he would turn into a moral authority who Slovenians looked up to.

His books, which deal mostly with the Slovenian minority in Italy and his experience of Fascism and war, won him many accolades, including the French Legion of Honour, Austria's Cross of Honour for Science and Art and several nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

He was decorated by Slovenia's president of the time, Milan Kučan, in 2000 and had been a full member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts since 2009. On turning 102 he was named Slovenia's cultural ambassador.

A committed fighter for the rights of endangered languages and cultures, Pahor always argued that national awareness was vital to the survival of Slovenians in Italy and the survival of the world's humanity.

When National Hall was returned to the Slovenian community in Trieste in 2020, the presidents of Slovenia and Italy, Borut Pahor and Sergio Mattarella, honoured the writer with the highest state decorations.

Talking with the STA at the time, he called on the Italian authorities to publish a report compiled by historians from both countries on the period between 1880 and 1956, which he believed should found its way into textbooks. He was concerned about a return of Fascism.

In 2009 Pahor declined to accept the Trieste award for his role in culture, suffering under the Nazi occupation and opposition to the Yugoslav communist regime, saying the justification of the award failed to mention his opposition to Italian Fascism.

A year later he also declined the honorary title of a Freeman of Ljubljana, arguing the Slovenian capital had behaved as a stepmother to the western region of Primorska after World War I.

He has been immortalised in several documentaries, including the BBC's 2019 documentary The Man Who Saw Too Much, which portrayed him as the oldest still living survivor of a Nazi concentration camp. Along with Kocbek, Pahor has a life-size monument in Ljubljana's Tivoli Park.

Even in his final years, his main mission was to share his memories, of how as a young boy he was robbed of his mother tongue, of his experience of Nazism and other totalitarian regimes of the 20th century, with young people, seeing a hope for a better future in them.

At the time of refugee crisis and a series of terrorist attacks in Europe, he called for dialogue guided by reason as a way to a solution, arguing the only hope for the world was to resist wars, barbarism and desire for dominance and to respect diversity.

30 May 2022, 12:14 PM

Canoeing: Savšek Wins 4th European Championship Title

STA, 29 May 2022 - Canoeist Benjamin Savšek, Slovenia's reigning Olympic champion, won his fourth title as European champion at the Canoe Slalom European Championships in Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia, on Sunday, for what is Slovenia's 15th gold at European championships.

"The feeling is great, being champion for the fourth time. I pulled off an excellent run on the hard route, which will make me even more motivated going forward," the 35-year-old Ljubljana athlete said after the feat.

This is Savšek's fifth medal at European championships, which matches the tally of Peter Kauzer, another Slovenian C-1 white water specialist. Savšek also has gold from the 2017 World Championship in France's Pau.

In the semis today, Savšek was still cautions, coming in 6th without touching a pole. He made up for the lag in the final heat, improving his time by more than three seconds.

He had previously already won European championships in 2015, 2019 and 2020.

30 May 2022, 04:51 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 30 May 2022

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:

29 May 2022, 08:02 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 29 May 2022

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:

First three candidates for ministers pass first hurdle in parliament

LJUBLJANA - As hearings of ministerial candidates began before parliamentary bodies on Saturday, the first three candidacies were endorsed before the National Assembly meets on 1 June to take a vote on the entire ministerial team of new PM Robert Golob. Matjaž Han, the Social Democrats' (SD) candidate for economy minister, announced there will be no cap on social contributions under the new government but businesses could be helped in other ways, for instance with funds for development-oriented jobs. Matej Arčon, the the Freedom Movement's candidate for minister without portfolio for Slovenians abroad, said a priority will be to get personally acquainted with the situation on the ground to prepare an action plan that will be put in place in collaboration with other ministries. Aleksander Jevšek, a mayor from the SD biding to become minister without portfolio for development and European cohesion policy, meanwhile said Slovenia will have to use all EU funds available to achieve balanced regional development.

Retrial ordered in Mariposa botnet case after coder serves prison sentence

LJUBLJANA - Coder Matjaž Škorjanc, who has already served his almost five-year prison sentence for masterminding the Mariposa botnet in the late 2000s, will go on trial again after the Constitutional Court annulled on 5 May the 2013 guilty ruling and two higher-instance court rulings, returning the case to the Maribor District Court for retrial, Večer newspaper reported. The top court agreed with Škorjanc's argument that the first-instance court had initially denied him access to his court file.

Musicologist Primož Kuret dies

LJUBLJANA - Musicologist Primož Kuret, a professor emeritus at the Academy of Music, died aged 86. He was one of the most prominent Slovenian intellectuals whose research and expertise have significantly contributed to the reputation of the Music Academy at home and abroad. Kuret (1935-2022) co-founded more than 35 years ago the Slovenian Music Days festival, led a number of research projects and wrote numerous monographs, with his body of work numbering more than 1,000 units. His research focussed on Ljubljana's cultural history, and he received a number of awards for his work.

No. of new coronavirus cases keeps dropping

LJUBLJANA - A total of 260 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Slovenia on Friday, almost 50% fewer than a week ago. The National Institute of Public Health estimates that there are now 4,974 active cases in the country, a daily drop of 297. Both the 7-day average of new cases and the 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 people dropped, to 298 and 235, respectively. Health authorities have meanwhile not provided the latest hospitalisation and death numbers.

28 May 2022, 14:44 PM

Slovenia’s Taxes on Wages 6th Highest in OECD

STA, 28 May 2022 - As economies recover post-Covid, taxes on wages went up last year in two-thirds of countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), including Slovenia.

In Slovenia, the tax rate on a monthly wage of an individual without children reached 43.6%, while the EU average is 34.6%. Slovenia thus ranked sixth among 38 countries, up two spots from the year before. The list is topped by Belgium with a 52.6% share, while Columbia had zero rate.

The share of taxes and contributions in monthly wages of citizens without children went up in 24 of 38 countries, decreased in 12 countries and was flat in two. In Slovenia, it went up by 0.5 percentage points.

Families with two children and only one employed person in 27 countries saw the tax rate increase. In ten countries, the tax rate deceased and was level in one. In Slovenia, it was at 29.5%, while the OECD average was 24.6%.

See more on this data

28 May 2022, 10:28 AM

Last Week in Slovenia: 20 - 26 May, 2022

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, 20 May
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a bill to regulate the situation of displaced Ukrainians and to help Slovenian business cope with the consequences of the war in Ukraine with favourable loans. It is designed to intensify the existing mechanisms of temporary protection and disburden state institutions overwhelmed by displaced Ukrainians.
        TURIN, Italy - FM Anže Logar attended a session of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, expressing solidarity with Ukraine in a debate on the CoE's response to the Russian aggression. He stressed that Slovenia condemned the aggression in the strongest terms.
        LJUBLJANA - It was reported that Slovenian gas distributor Geoplin has been left empty handed in an open call to apply for an increased capacity of liquefied natural gas terminal on the Croatian island Krk. Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec downplayed the gravity of the development, saying one Slovenian distributor was now in talks with the company that won the deal.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided the public interest of producing renewable energy overrides the public interest of nature conservation in the planned Mokrice hydro power station on the river Sava, after its first motion from December 2020 was defeated in court in late 2021. The government said its decision is in line with the court's guidance.
        LJUBLJANA - The European Commission approved an additional EUR 277 million in React-EU funds for Slovenia, money that will be used for a number of investments in aged care, healthcare, tourism and education.
        CELJE - Srebrna Nit, an association campaigning for dignified old age, presented a bill on voluntary assisted dying, saying it would ensure that no one would have to fear suffering before death. They plan to submit it to parliament with the requisite 5,000 voter signatures to initiate legislative proceedings.
        LJUBLJANA - Energy group Petrol reported that its sales revenue in the first quarter of the year more than doubled year-on-year to EUR 1.94 billion, while net profit was up by 17% to EUR 32.4 million. The rise is largely attributed to the incorporation of the Croatian fuel retailer Crodux into the group.
        LJUBLJANA - Matej Kavčič, a reporter for the Slovenian independent Radio Student station who was arrested and imprisoned in Iraq a month ago, was released. Kavčič went to Iraq as a freelancer in January to report on the minority group Yezidis.
        NOVA GORICA - The foundation stone for a new outdoor, 500-seat amphitheatre was laid in Nova Gorica, aiming to be ready for the city's stint as the European Culture Capital in 2025. The first stage of the project, backed by EUR 2.5 million in state funds, is expected to be finished by next year.
        LJUBLJANA - Beekeeper Boštjan Noč, head of the Slovenian Beekeeping Association, was honoured with the Golden Bee, an international prize for efforts to protect bees that Slovenia gave out for the second time on this year's World Bee Day.
        LJUBLJANA - Comic book artist Izar Lunaček was conferred the French Order of Arts and Letters, receiving the honour for his contribution to the promotion of comic books, popularisation of French culture in Slovenia and strengthening of ties between France and Slovenia this field.

SATURDAY, 21 May
        LJUBLJANA - Rating agency Fitch affirmed Slovenia's credit rating at A with a stable outlook, the move being based on a number of Slovenia's advantages, including EU and euro area membership, robust economic growth and strong fiscal support during the Covid pandemic.
        OSWIECIM, Poland - On the last day of his visit to Poland, President Borut Pahor visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum to get acquainted with the state of play regarding the renovation of Block 17, where a permanent exhibition on Slovenian internees will be set up.

SUNDAY, 22 May
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted a ceremony to confer state decorations on five deserving individuals to mark 30 years since Slovenia became a member of the UN. Pahor said it was astonishing how quickly Slovenia had managed to carry out democratisation, declare independence, defend its territory and become internationally recognised.
        MURSKA SOBOTA - Maribor beat the defending champions Mura 3:1 to claim their 16th national football championship title. They turned things around in the last round and leapfrogged Koper, who played a goalless draw with Bravo. Maribor will now play in the first round of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.
        RAČICE, Czechia - Slovenian kayaker Anja Osterman won a flatwater 200-metre sprint World Cup event after finishing second in the 500-metre event yesterday. Another Slovenian, Špela Ponomarenko Janić, finished third. Slovenia's success was rounded off with kayaker Jošt Zakrajšek's bronze at a 5-kilometre event.

MONDAY, 23 May
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor announced he would nominate Robert Golob, the head of the election-winning Freedom Movement party, for prime minister-elect after holding consultations with deputy groups.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission recommended Slovenia and all the other EU countries to diversify their imports of fossil fuels and reduce their dependency by increasing the use of renewable sources of energy and strengthening distribution networks.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian corporate sector recorded a strong rebound in 2021, with overall revenue increasing by 24% to EUR 120.3 billion and net profit totalling EUR 5.7 billion, almost double the figure over the year before. The overall net profit reached 4.7%, its highest level since these records began in 2008 measured as a share of overall revenue, data by AJPES showed.
        LJUBLJANA - RTV Slovenija staff went on an hour-long strike to reiterate their demands for journalistic and editorial autonomy and an end to politicisation of the public broadcaster. They also demanded decent working conditions, a clear staffing policy and democratic social dialogue.
        LJUBLJANA - The Programme Council of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija did not back the proposal to appoint Natalija Gorščak director of TV Slovenija, the broadcaster's TV arm, after she was nominated by director general Andrej Grah Whatmough, who had dismissed Gorščak her from the job in August last year.
        LJUBLJANA - Historian Peter Vodopivec received Austria's Grand Decoration for Services for his contribution to the strengthening of the Slovenian-Austrian relations and cooperation between Slovenian and Austrian historians. In 2010, he received the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class.
        CANNES, France - Love In Plane Sight, a short film by Slovenian arts student Matej Rimanić, won one of the two main prizes of the Tik Tok competition organised at the Cannes Film Festival for the first time this year.
        VALENCIA, Spain - Cukrarna, a new gallery in Ljubljana transformed from a dilapidated 19th century sugar factory, won the Baumit company's Life Challenge international architectural competition. The project was selected as the best architectural solution and facade for 2022.

TUESDAY, 24 May
        LJUBLJANA - The leaders of the Freedom Movement, Social Democrats and Left signed the coalition agreement, exactly a month since the general election.
        LJUBLJANA - The first case of monkeypox was confirmed in Slovenia in a man who arrived from the Canary Islands. A second case was confirmed on the following day. LJUBLJANA - The Celje Higher Court upheld a three-month suspended prison sentence with one year probation against outgoing PM Janez Janša for calling two journalists "washed up prostitutes" in a 2016 tweet.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor signed off on the recalls of five ambassadors and the appointment of three new ambassadors under a proposal made by the government right before the end of its term.
        MARIBOR - Police charged Maribor Mayor Saša Arsenovič with inflicting slight bodily injury on a 13-year-old boy over alleged vandalism, an incident over which the mayor does not plan to resign. Before deciding whether to take up the case, the prosecution will most likely wait for an expert opinion.
        MARIBOR - Zdravko Kačič was re-elected rector of the University of Maribor for a second four-year term, having been the only candidate for the post.

WEDNESDAY, 25 May
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly elected Robert Golob prime minister in a 54:30 vote, just over a month after his Freedom Movement won the general election in a landslide on a pledge to thoroughly reform the way politics is done. After being sworn in, Golob submitted his cabinet line-up to parliament, the goal being to have the government in office by early June.
        MOSCOW, Russia - The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment about "unjustified unfriendly steps taken in recent months by the Slovenian government" as it issued a statement on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. These steps are aimed at "destroying bilateral ties contrary to the historical logic of their development," it said.
        STRASBOURG, France - Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović urged ending all proceedings against civil society activists who had engaged in peaceful protests in Slovenia, and called for cancelling the penalties involved.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to include several projects into the existing 2022-2025 plan of development programmes of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) in order to make units more operative. Several new training aircraft and a simulator to train pilots in drone technology will be purchased to replace outdated equipment.
        LJUBLJANA - The outgoing government adopted a decree determining a methodology for calculating prices of medical devices and equipment which stipulates that the relevant government office captures data on purchase prices from healthcare providers from at least three EU member states.

THURSDAY, 26 May
        LJUBLJANA - Ivo Barišič, a member of the SNG Nova Gorica theatre who retired in 2014, is the recipient of this year's Borštnik Ring, the highest accolade for theatre actors in Slovenia. "Utter dedication to acting" is how the Maribor Theatre Festival described Barišič's career.
        LJUBLJANA - Author Mateja Gomboc was awarded the Desetnica Prize for best children's or young adult novel by the Slovenian Writers' Association (DSP) for her novel Balada o Drevesu (The Ballad about a Tree), "a moving story about love and loss".
        LJUBLJANA - In its report for 2021, Slovenia's anti-graft watchdog identified issues of integrity, conflict of interest and incompatibility of dual offices as the most problematic, and finds that officials often act against the law or deliberately ignore it.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian police briefly detained a Turkmenistan activist travelling with the Russian feminist protest punk rock band Pussy Riot ahead of the group's concert in Ljubljana, before releasing her. Lead singer Maria Alyokhina said her friend had been apprehended based on a 20-year-old Interpol arrest warrant based on false accusations.

28 May 2022, 06:02 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 28 May 2022

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:

German turnaround fund signs deal to acquire Cimos

KOPER - The German turnaround fund Mutares signed a deal with Italy's TCH Cogeme to acquire the Slovenian car parts manufacturer Cimos and its subsidiaries for an undisclosed sum. The takeover is expected to be finalised in the third quarter of 2022. The Koper-based company said it would act as a key Eastern European platform for the fund's automotive and mobility segment. Cimos, formerly a state-owned company, was sold to TCH Cogeme, owned by the Italian fund Palladio Finanziaria, in mid-2017.

Businessman Petrič acquitted of charges over 2010 acquisition

NOVA GORICA - Stojan Petrič, one of Slovenia's most prominent businessmen, and all four co-defendants were acquitted of abuse of office charges in the 2010 takeover of transformer manufacturer Etra 33 by Petrič's industrial conglomerate Kolektor. As the Nova Gorica District Court proclaimed the not guilty verdict, the prosecution, having sought a 30-month prison sentence for Petrič and sentences between 12 and 24 months for the co-defendants, announced it will appeal at a higher court.

Some names of incoming PM Golob's office staff revealed

LJUBLJANA - As the new government is being formed, some names of the staff at the office of new PM Robert Golob have surfaced in the media. Unofficial information shows the office will be led by Petra Škofic, Golob's current PR adviser. Igor Mally is expected to be appointed state secretary for EU affairs, Ambassador Vojko Volk could become state secretary for foreign affairs, and strategic communication would be in the domain of ex-MP and a public relations expert Melita Župevc. Ex-Defence Minister Anton Grizold is being mentioned as state secretary for military affairs. The Government Communication Office will be led by Dragan Barbutovski, now director of the British Council in Slovenia.

More than half of respondents expect new govt to be successful

LJUBLJANA - Almost two-thirds of respondents in a Mediana poll think that the new government will serve the whole four-year term and more than half think it will be successful. About 46% of the respondents moreover welcomed the idea to have in the government ministers from the SAB and LMŠ, two centre-left parties that did not make it to parliament in the 24 April election. A total of 440 adults participated in the online poll between 17 and 18 May.

Equality ombudsman upbeat about future cooperation with MPs, govt

LJUBLJANA - Equality Ombudsman Miha Lobnik was upbeat about cooperation with the legislative and executive branches of power as he handed the 2021 annual report to parliamentary Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič. He said a new era of intensive cooperation was coming, while the speaker said a big step would be taken towards equality. Most complaints concerning discrimination as featured in the report come from labour and employment, with questions about social security and healthcare being also frequent, Lobnik told the press.

Electricity, utility bills going up

LJUBLJANA - Electricity bills for May, due for payment in June, are set to be significantly higher after the government freeze on network charges expired at the end of April. As a result of the freeze, electricity bills had been reduced by 50% or more. This means the prices will now rise even with the providers that keep them unchanged. Of the top six that sell on the retail market, three providers will raise them by between 25% and 100%, data from the Consumer Association shows. Utility bills will go up as well.

Slovenia down three spots in tourism competitiveness ranking

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is down three spots in the latest biannual global Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, standing in 39th place among the 117 countries surveyed by the World Economic Forum. The country ranks best in socio-economic resilience and conditions, and in the importance of tourism and security. In terms of categories, Slovenia ranked the highest in the 2021 ranking in tourism policy and conditions for development (17th), the Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) announced.

Slovenia's first children's house officially opens

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's first Barnahus, a facility providing a safe space for comprehensive treatment of children victims of sexual violence and other criminal acts, was inaugurated in Ljubljana. Deputy Human Rights Ombudsman Jože Ruparčič said courts must now start issuing decisions that interviews with a child who is a victim or witness of a criminal act must be conducted by using the Barnahus principle.

Medical Chamber honoured with Order of Merit

LJUBLJANA - The Medical Chamber marked its 30th anniversary, and the 130th anniversary of its precursor, the first medical organisation in Slovenia, with a ceremony at Cankarjev Dom in Ljubljana. On this occasion, President Borut Pahor presented it with the Order of Merit for its efforts in bringing doctors and dentists together to uphold the integrity of medical profession and efforts to fulfil the mission of medical ethics.

Luka Koper's net profit nearly doubles in Q1 to over EUR 16m

KOPER - Port operator Luka Koper posted a net profit of EUR 16.5 million for the first quarter of the year, up 91% over the same period in 2021. Sales revenue rose by 23% to EUR 70.9 million, and transshipped goods were up 18% to nearly 5.9 million tonnes, according to unaudited results. EBITDA rose by 61% to EUR 27.4 million, and pre-tax profit (EBIT) was up 101% to EUR 19.7 million. Transshipment growth was achieved in all groups of cargo; a total of 268,100 container units were transshipped, up 4%, and 176,900 vehicles, up 5%.

Unior reports higher quarterly revenue and profit

ZREČE - State-owned tool maker and automotive supplier Unior saw its first-quarter net sales revenue rise by 16% year-on-year to EUR 73.2 million with net profit going up by 85% to EUR 7.2 million. In a regulatory filing with the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, the Zreče-based company said the first quarter revenue was up by 7.4% and profit by 5.8% compared with the figures posted in the first quarter of pre-pandemic 2019.

Pussy Riot call for embargo on Russian oil

LJUBLJANA - The Russian feminist protest punk rock band Pussy Riot gave a concert in Ljubljana on Thursday evening as part of their European tour, which is aimed primarily at expressing solidarity with Ukraine and communicating anti-war views. Prior to the concert, the band called on European countries to impose an embargo on Russian oil. "It's Putin who is a Nazi," lead singer Maria Alyokhina said about Russia's official position that the invasion of Ukraine was about saving the country from Nazism.

Thursday's coronavirus case count below 300

LJUBLJANA - A total of 294 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Thursday, a drop of 29% from the figure reported a week ago. There were no fatalities, according to the Health Ministry. 33 patients remain hospitalised for Covid-19 as their main condition, including two in intensive care. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 of the population has fallen to 249.

Science festival occupying Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - The House of Experiments is hosting its 13th Znanstival, a festival promoting science, education and critical thinking. A number of science shows and workshops are taking place in Ljubljana's streets, squares and bridges until Sunday, turning the capital in "one of the largest science centres in the world". Featuring participants from all over the world, the festival is also being held in several nearby towns.

Ljubljana celebrating contemporary art this weekend

LJUBLJANA - More than a hundred exhibitions, guided tours, workshops, round table debates and performances are being held at various locations around the capital for what is the first Ljubljana Art Weekend festival. Connecting the most important venues of contemporary art in the city, the festival features more than 300 artists. Most of today's events are taking place at the Cukrarna arts centre, including an event offering guidance to beginner collectors and two group exhibitions.

Outdoor library festival turns 18

LJUBLJANA - A number of cities, towns and villages have joined this year's annual outdoor readings in parks, squares and along rivers as part of what is the 18th iteration of the Library under the Treetops festival. Eight locations in Ljubljana and 13 other Slovenian towns and one in Austria are taking part. The project's coordinator Gaja Naja Rojec said that outdoor reading is designed to create community areas and bring good books to urban and rural areas.

27 May 2022, 13:44 PM

2021 Saw Fewest Crimes Reported, Highest Case Clearance Rate for 10 Years

STA, 26 May 2022 - The police dealt with the fewest criminal offences in the last ten years in 2021, while at the same time recording the highest clearance rate in the last decade, shows the 2021 report on police work that the outgoing government debated on Wednesday.

The police processed some 44,260 offences for which a criminal complaint or report to supplement a criminal complaint was filed in what is the lowest number in the last ten years. The ten-year average is 67,490, more than 50% above the 2021 total.

The clearance rate stood at almost 55%, the highest in the last decade. The average clearance rate over the last ten years is just over 49%.

The police dealt with nearly 6,700 white-collar crimes, a figure that is below the ten-year average. The share of economic damage in total criminal damage was 81%, which compares to a ten-year average of 83%.

The trend of financial investigations conducted pursuant to the criminal procedure act remains positive, with 454 financial investigations carried out last year.

The police processed 62,300 violations of public order regulations, down by 2,000 on the year before, of which the largest number, slightly over 28,400, were violations of the infectious diseases act in what was a year marked by Covid restrictions, same as 2020 was when more than 30,400 such breaches were recorded.

There were nearly 430 public gatherings last year, and 67% of them were unregistered, reads the report.

27 May 2022, 12:27 PM

First Ljubljana Art Weekend Opens, 27-29 May

STA, 27 May 2022 - Contemporary art lovers can look forward to an eventful three days in the capital, as the first Ljubljana Art Weekend festival kicks off today. Connecting the most important venues of contemporary art in the city, the festival will bring more than a hundred exhibitions, guided tours, workshops, round table debates, and performances.

More than 300 artists will be presented at various locations around the capital, with most of today's events taking place at the Cukrarna art centre.

This afternoon an event called Young Collectors: Speed dating will be held there to help beginners embarking on the path of collecting. Young collectors will seek advice and guidance on how to build their own art collections from seven representatives of the professional community.

Two group exhibitions will open at Cukrarna - Created in Slovenia and Marcin Rusak Studio: DNA of Things - and a round table debate will be held on collecting art, featuring experts from Vienna, discussing the connections within the art community, the specifics of contemporary art collecting and the role of galleries, art experts and art fairs in encouraging a new generation of art lovers and collectors.

A performance by Mateja Bučar dubbed I would've been a palm tree will also take place at Cukrarna tonight. The performance, which can also function as an installation, shows movement (dance) that is connected to a single point in space, but is constantly engaging with the space around it.

In the Ajdovščina underpass, a guided tour of an exhibition by Janja Kosi and Tytus Szabelski Significantly Local will be held, while a commercial pop-up exhibition by the Študio photographic studio and creative space will present their existing and latest zines, artist books, photographs and prints.

Another guided tour will be organised at the City Art Gallery, presenting group exhibition Artist - Collector - Public. The Hilger Collection, while at the Photon Gallery visitors will receive a tour of the group exhibition Back to Black. Contemporary Analogue and Hybrid Photography.

It will also be eventful at the Alkatraz Gallery, P74 Gallery and Pešak Gallery where guided tours and exhibition openings will take place.

Several events were held on Thursday and many more are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. During the festival, entrance to the galleries is admission free between noon and 6pm. The whole programme is available here.

The festival is organised by the Ravnikar Gallery Space in cooperation with Cukrarna/Muzej and Ljubljana city galleries and the municipality.

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