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:

PM says he trusts economy minister regarding PPE procurement

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša said that Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek was still enjoying his trust in the wake of accusations of political pressure in the purchasing of personal protective equipment and ventilators. Janša added that a government report on the procurement would be sent to parliament next week. "Everything that could be received as soon as possible and that met at least basic standards was purchased. I'm not aware of a single EU country which would act differently," he wrote on Twitter.

Ventilator supplier in spotlight proposes terminating contract

LJUBLJANA - Following a series of accusations about alleged dodgy procedures in the procurement of personal protective equipment and ventilators, company Geneplanet, Slovenia's key provider of ventilators during the coronavirus epidemic, proposed to the government to mutually agree to terminate the relevant contracts. The company said it wanted to protect its reputation and suggested cancelling the delivery of the ventilators and masks which have not yet been supplied as well as repurchasing the ventilators that have already been delivered at the delivery price.

Comprehensive random sampling for SARS-CoV-2 completed

LJUBLJANA - A comprehensive random population testing for coronavirus was announced to be completed. The samples of 1,368 people, who had been picked in a representative sample and were willing to take part in the campaign, have been taken and one new case confirmed in total. The preliminary results are expected to be presented after the May Day holidays and will be key for giving the authorities a reliable estimate of the extent of the coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia and help them plan the way out of the lockdown.

One Covid-19 death, only five new infections on Friday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's official tally of coronavirus cases rose by five, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,439. The number of fatalities increased by one to 94, the latest government data showed. A total of 60 persons were reported to be in hospital, with 21 in intensive care. A total of 720 tests were performed, bringing the total number of tests conducted so far to 55,020.

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

All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook

We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Papirniški pihalni orkester Vevče.

Contents

One Covid-19 death, only five new infections on Friday

Comprehensive random sampling for SARS-CoV-2 completed

Slovenia receives Chinese donation of PPE

One Covid-19 death, only five new infections on Friday

STA, 2 May 2020 - Slovenia's official tally of coronavirus cases rose by five on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,439. The number of fatalities rose by one to 94, shows the latest government data released on Saturday.

There were a total of 60 persons in hospital yesterday, up by two compared to the day before, with 21 in intensive care, same as on Friday. One person was released from hospital.

A total of 720 tests were performed on Friday, bringing the total number of tests conducted so far to 55,020.

Among 1,439 infected with the virus, 637 are men and 802 women. A total of 298 are healthcare workers, show the National institute of Public Health (NIJZ) data. The number of Covid-19 cases in care homes currently stands at 448, including 315 elderly residents.

The highest number of the cases confirmed so far is in Slovenia's central region (412), followed by the Savinjska region (302), Pomurje (181) and the south-east (149). The least cases have been confirmed in the Goriško and Posavje regions, 22 and 13, respectively.

Twelve persons infected with coronavirus in Slovenia are foreign citizens.

The majority of Covid-19 patients are currently treated at the two largest hospitals in the country, UKC Maribor (26, nine in intensive care) and UKC Ljubljana (19, seven in intensive care).

On Saturday morning, six Covid-19 patients were hospitalised at the Celje hospital, two out of them were in intensive care, and nine at the Golnik hospital.

Meanwhile, the nationwide random testing campaign, launched on 20 April, is nearly completed - almost all of the required samples have been taken. According to the Ljubljana Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, a total of 1,368 people have been tested out of 1,371 invited to take part in the campaign.

No new infections were recorded as part of the random sampling yesterday, meaning the result so far remains one new case along with one more that was already diagnosed a month ago.

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Comprehensive random sampling for SARS-CoV-2 completed

STA, 2 May 2020 - A comprehensive random population testing for coronavirus was completed on Saturday. The samples of 1,368 people, who had been picked in a representative sample and were willing to take part in the campaign, have been taken and one new case confirmed in total. The preliminary results are expected to be presented after the May Day holidays.

The data released so far show that only one new infection was recorded as part of the random sampling along with one more that was already diagnosed a month ago.

"Some are amazed, thinking this is either too few or too many. The figure shows what is realistic, what can be detected in such a population," said Miroslav Petrovec, the head of the Institute of Microbiology and Immunology at the Ljubljana Faculty of Medicine.

The preliminary results will be key for giving the authorities a reliable estimate of the extent of the coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia and help them plan the way out of the lockdown.

The sample of survey participants was prepared by the Statistics Office (SURS) in cooperation with the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences.

A total of 3,000 Slovenian residents were randomly picked. The sample included people of all ages and is representative by age, gender and territorial breakdown of Slovenia.

Similar campaigns have been announced abroad as well. Austria has already conducted a random testing for SARS-CoV-2, however Petrovec has said that the country's survey could not compare to Slovenia's campaign since the latter would be the first such comprehensive test in Europe.

Austria's study was looking at the proportion of the acutely infected population, while Slovenia's will also show how many people have recovered from the infection based on antibodies in their blood.

Those involved in the survey have been invited to be tested again after six months.

As of Friday, Slovenia's official tally of coronavirus confirmed cases totalled 1,439, with the death toll hitting 94.

Back to the contents

Slovenia receives Chinese donation of PPE

STA, 1 May 2020 - Slovenia has received 12 tonnes of protective personal equipment, an official donation from China, the Foreign Ministry said after the airplane touched down at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport on Friday.

The airplane carried 899 boxes with 30,000 N95 masks, 700,000 surgical masks, 20,000 protective overalls, 10,000 goggles and 30,000 gloves.

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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.

Here's some music made under lockdown conditions to soundtrack this post:

FRIDAY, 24 April
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian President Borut Pahor and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier noted the importance of solidarity and cooperation between EU countries during the coronavirus pandemic as they talked on the telephone, calling for faster and more efficient action on the part of EU institutions. Pahor's office said the presidents spoke mostly about the situation and relationships within the EU.
        LJUBLJANA - The head of the deputy group of the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Brane Golubović, said a vote of no-confidence in the entire government was in the cards after a whistleblower from the Commodities Reserves Agency came out with accusations of widespread political pressure in the purchasing of protective and other medical equipment to tackle the Covid-19 epidemic.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Commission vice-president and Commissioner for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova announced she had contacted Slovenian authorities over the media freedom situation in the country. "No hate, no threats, no personal attacks," reads part of Jourova's message to the government.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary foreign policy and culture committees called on the Foreign Ministry to withdraw the government's controversial letter to the Council of Europe about the state of the media in Slovenia which says that the majority of the media in Slovenia stem from the Communist regime. The committee also proposed public office holders refrain from restricting journalist work and editorial independence.
        LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 crisis severely affected March figures for tourism and retail business. Accommodation facilities recorded a 75% drop in arrivals and 67% fewer night stays over March 2019, while retail revenue fell by 15.1% year on year, the latest Statistics Office figures showed.

SATURDAY, 25 April
        LJUBLJANA - Embracing a dissenting opinion in a recent Constitutional Court ruling, which tasked the government with examining each week whether its lockdown restrictions remain justified, Prime Minister Janez Janša tweeted that "Slovenia unfortunately has the most politically biased Constitutional Court so far". "Double standards mean the death of any institution, especially judicial," he said.
        LJUBLJANA - The overhauled council of the Public Health Institute (NIJZ) selected Milan Krek, the head of the NIJZ's Koper unit, as the institute's new director before he was also cleared by the government a few days later. Krek appeared at government coronavirus briefings following the new government's clash with the institute's previous leadership.
        LJUBLJANA - Retailer Mercator reported its sales revenue increasing by 1.8% to EUR 2.14 billion in 2019 as net profit nearly tripled to EUR 4.7 million from EUR 1.6 million in 2018. Revenue from retail sales, Mercator's core business, increased by 2.2% to EUR 1.7 billion.
        AJDOVŠČINA - A paraglider was killed in a crash with an ultralight airplane that occurred near Ajdovščina. The paraglider and the airplane both crashed to the ground after the impact, but the pilot and passenger of the airplane survived, albeit with serious injuries.

SUNDAY, 26 April
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor told a national television talk show that he regretted the allegations of extensive political interference in the procurement of personal protective equipment reported in the media, as this had cast a shadow on what he assessed as otherwise excellent work of the government and parliament in the coronavirus crisis.
        LJUBLJANA - Three Slovenian solders who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 returned to Slovenia from the NATO-led mission in Kosovo. The Slovenian Armed Forces said a military medical team had taken the infected soldiers to the Clinic for Infectious Disease in Ljubljana.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia had a population of 2,095,861 on 1 January 2020, up 0.7% from a year earlier. The number of Slovenian citizens dropped in 2019 as the multi-year downward trend continued, with the number of immigrants increasing again, Statistics Office figures showed.

MONDAY, 27 April
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek expressed moderate optimism about the prospects of securing good and coordinated anti-coronavirus measures in tourism. Speaking after at a videoconference of the EU ministers in charge of tourism, the minister rejected concerns about possible discrimination based on passport.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor addressed citizens on Resistance Day calling for cooperation and mutual aid in crisis. Pahor said that "we are remembering the most difficult times and the bravest of people." The head of the WWII Veterans' Association, Marijan Križman, added that the Liberation Front was the foundation of Slovenia's independence.
        LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - Despite a ban on public gatherings, small anti-government protests were held in Ljubljana, Maribor and several other cities. The protests were initiated by a Facebook group called Resistance against the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and saw police officers handing out fines for violation of quarantine rules.

TUESDAY, 28 April
        LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed the second coronavirus stimulus package, which mainly consists of a EUR 2 billion guarantee scheme for loans to provide liquidity for companies. It also raises state funding for municipalities by around 6%. The original EUR 3 billion legislative package was amended to expand eligibility for benefits recipients by 190,000 to 1.2 million people.
        LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed over the phone bilateral relations and the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The pair called for strengthening the friendly relations and the alliance between the two countries, and highlighted the importance of a close transatlantic partnership in facing the pandemic.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Following a videoconference with EU counterparts, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs announced that Slovenia would accept four unaccompanied minors from migration centres on Greek islands, under the condition they are younger than ten years.
        LJUBLJANA - A day after anti-government rallies were held across the country, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs expressed the expectation the police would follow his "guidelines" about tracking down the protesters through social media. The police meanwhile highlighted their autonomy, noting that they do not rely on public opinion or possible opinions of persons from the public and political arenas.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Transition to a low-carbon society could be a key part of growth strategy in the face of the coronavirus crisis, Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec told his counterparts from the other EU members in an online informal ministerial meeting. He said green investments had the potential to substantially boost economic activity.
        NOVO MESTO - Revoz, the Renault-owned car assembly plant and by far Slovenia's largest exporter, relaunched production after shutting down due to the coronavirus epidemic on 17 March. The resumption of operations will be gradual.

WEDNESDAY, 29 April
        LJUBLJANA - The government lifted a ban on non-essential travel outside the municipality of residence starting on 30 April as Prime Minister Janez Janša announced Slovenia had achieved a turnaround in the fight against coronavirus that allowed it to gradually ease restrictions. It was also announced that schools would start reopening on 18 May.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces' readiness for peacetime action improved from last year, while there has been no progress in its capacity for wartime action, which thus remains unsatisfactory for the sixth straight year, shows a report on the army's readiness presented to President Borut Pahor. The key reasons for the negative assessment are staff and funding shortages as well as outdated equipment.
        LJUBLJANA/BERLIN, Germany - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his German counterpart Heiko Maas called for a common European solution to travel during the coronavirus pandemic after holding talks via video link. The opening of borders depends on how the pandemic develops in individual countries, and there is also a risk of a second wave. This is why Logar stressed that "one should be aware that opening up borders also has an impact on other countries".
        ZAGREB, Croatia - The Slovenian and Croatian ministers in charge of tourism, Zdravko Počivalšek and Gari Cappelli, met to discuss the possibilities for relaunching the sector. They agreed that a solution should at least be found for Slovenian owners of real estate in Croatia.
        LJUBLJANA - Libraries, galleries and museums were allowed to reopen under a government decree, but the vast majority remained closed. The institutions said they needed more time to prepare. They expect to be able to welcome the first visitors in early May.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislative changes that facilitate the completion of the planned power stations on the lower Sava river, including the last link in the chain, the Mokrice plant. The amendments relax conditions under which investors may apply for a construction permit and an environmental assessment.
        
THURSDAY, 30 April
        LJUBLJANA - Nursing homes, hotspots of the coronavirus epidemic, received permission from the government to open to visitors again subject to strict protective measures. Janez Cigler Kralj, the minister in charge of social affairs, said the government was guided by good epidemic figures and the stress the elderly are subjected to without visitors. Nursing homes said they would start admitting visitors next week.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor discussed Slovenia's cooperation with the group, the Covid-19 pandemic and the EU's future as he received the ambassadors of the Visegrad Group accredited to Slovenia. Pahor described Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland as Slovenia's "natural allies" but stressed Slovenia was part of the core EU countries.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič rejected criticism from Slovenia that he failed to provide protective equipment to his home country. "The European Commission doesn't have masks or any other protective equipment. We don't have a secret storage in the basement of Berlaymont to keep a stockpile of protective masks, gloves or suits," Lenarčič said in an interview with Brussels correspondents.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and UK Ambassador to Slovenia Sophie Honey pointed to the role of cooperation in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic as they marked Slovenia-UK Friendship Day. Pahor stressed that Slovenian-UK friendship is based on courage and humanity, which enables the two countries to build confident and multi-faceted relations.
        LJUBLJANA - Ivan Kopina was appointed the acting director of the Office for the Prevention of Money Laundering. He will take over on 1 May from Branka Glojnarič, whom the government relieved of her duties.
        LJUBLJANA - The government issued several decrees to help agriculture cope with the loss of income resulting from the coronavirus epidemic. Over EUR 5 million was allocated for wine producers, EUR 3.3 million for cattle farmers, EUR 2.2 for homestays and EUR 1.4 million for the forestry sector.
        LJUBLJANA - The Employment Service reported having received almost 36,550 applications for more than 321,000 workers under the legislation providing state aid for wages and social security contributions for idled or quarantined workers amid the coronavirus epidemic. The first payments will be made on 11 May.
        LJUBLJANA - Consumer prices in Slovenia dropped by 1.2% in April compared to April 2019 and by 0.9% over March. Both the annual and monthly deflation rates mostly resulted from plummeting prices of petroleum products.

All our posts in this series are here

STA, 1 May 2020 - Several thousand cyclists took to the streets of Ljubljana on Friday evening accusing the government of curtailing civil liberties in what was the latest in a series of protests targeting the government's anti-coronavirus policies.

Cyclists rode past Parliament House and adjacent streets, a form of protest that they see as in compliance with quarantine measures mandating a safe distance between individuals and allowing sports activities such as cycling while banning the gathering of people.

Related: New Details in Slovenia’s Coronavirus Equipment Scandal

Police said an estimated 3,500 people protested, adding that they had not taken any measures but would take action in the event any violations of the law is detected. Aleksandra Golec, spokeswoman for the Ljubljana police, told the STA several streets had been closed for traffic to ensure safety.

Trg republike v Ljubljani je poln in se še polni s sodelujočimi na protestni akciji #zbalkonovnakolesa pic.twitter.com/VZfBA1pzhV

— Večer (@vecer) May 1, 2020

Živel 1. maj! Dovolj ustrahovanja, sovraštva, laži in KRAJE! ✊ pic.twitter.com/4ifDktz3Qa

— Brez strahu (@BrezStrahu) May 1, 2020

The rally was organised by twenty-odd self-organised groups and civil society organisations on Facebook as the latest incarnation of a protest series that started with protests at home and on balconies. They dubbed the protest "from balconies to bicycles" [#zbalkonovnakolesa].

"This year's Labour Day marks the start of a new wave of economic and social crisis that is the consequence of the fight against the global coronavirus pandemic.

"The response of this government, as well as all previous and future governments, consists of predictable budget cuts, belt-tightening, plundering of people so that banks may survive, destruction of the environment for the benefit of the few, repression, populism," their Facebook post reads.

Similar although smaller protests were held in several other cities. In Maribor, the second largest city in the country, there were up to 200 cyclists, according the Maribor-based daily Večer.

A much smaller rally was organised earlier in the day by a Facebook group that promotes 5G and coronavirus conspiracy theories. The protest was not permitted and the organiser, Ladislav Troha, was apprehended and several participants will be fined.

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:

PM expects profound societal change as result of pandemic

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša made the case for unorthodox policies to battle the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic as he sent out a message on Labour Day. He said "far-reaching change in our thinking" will be required and only countries capable of thinking outside the box will be successful. He suggested tax and social systems will have to be reformed, which would include consideration of universal basic income.

In Labour Day message, president highlights role of state

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor emphasised the important role of the state as evident in the ongoing response to the coronavirus epidemic, as he delivered a Labour Day address. The state "does not exist merely to have an army or police. It is also a welfare state, a state governed by the rule of law. All these foundations are important to preserving elements of justice, the sense of equality," he said. Pahor also said social dialogue was important in these times.

Opening of border with Italy to proceed cautiously

TRIESTE, Italy - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said the relaxation of controls on the Slovenian-Italian border would be gradual as Slovenia keeps a close eye on how the coronavirus epidemic unfolds in Italy. "Controls remain, and they are in no way directed against Italy and against Italian nationals. But we have to be very careful and take account of the difficult situation in Italy and at the same time the situation [in Slovenia]," he told Primorski Dnevnik.

Lenarčič sees need for greater EU role in health, civil protection

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Janez Lenarčič, the Slovenian EU commissioner in charge of crisis management, believes the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for the EU to play a greater role in health and civil protection. He plans to propose that the Commission directly order equipment for the strategic European stockpile, even as he acknowledges that he does not know whether the proposal will be accepted.

Hundreds turn out for bicycle protest against government

LJUBLJANA - Hundreds of cyclists took to the streets of Ljubljana accusing the government of curtailing civil liberties in what was the latest in a series of protests targeting the government's anti-coronavirus policies. The rally was organised by twenty-odd self-organised groups and civil society organisations on Facebook as the latest incarnation of a protest series that started with protests at home and on balconies.

LGBT+ community losing safe spaces due to coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - LGBT+ rights NGOs acknowledge that preventive measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 are necessary but also warn that lockdown restrictions have resulted in the loss of safe spaces. "The closure of physical social spaces is definitely restricting safe spaces available to LGBTI persons. Most notably that affects those who have had to return to homophobic, biphobic and transphobic environments, Lana Gobec, the head of the Legebitra NGO, told the STA.

Slovenia receives Chinese donation of PPE

BRNIK - Slovenia received 12 tonnes of protective personal equipment, an official donation from China, the Foreign Ministry said. The shipment contained 30,000 N95 masks, 700,000 surgical masks, 20,000 protective overalls, 10,000 goggles and 30,000 gloves.

Slovenian priest names apostolic nuncio to Iraq

VATICAN CITY - Mitja Leskovar, a Slovenian priest who has been with the Vatican's diplomatic service for nearly two decades, has been appointed the apostolic nuncio to Iraq. At the same time, Pope Francis raised Leskovar to the titular See of Beneventum, conferring upon him the dignity of archbishop, Vatican News reported on Friday.

Commissioner, minister discuss safety of journalists

LJUBLJANA - EU Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova talked about the safety of journalists with Slovenian Interior Minister Aleš Hojs on Friday, after Jourova had contacted Slovenian authorities over media freedom situation in the country. Hojs assured Jourova that "concern for safety, for journalists and all other citizens, is our priority." Jourova tweeted that "We will continue dialogue, and I will continue to follow situation very closely."

Coronavirus death toll hits 93, just five new infections

LJUBLJANA - The coronavirus death toll in Slovenia hit 93 on as two more persons died. The number of new infections rose by just five, the lowest daily gain since 19 April, for a total of 1,434, the latest government data showed.

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

STA, 1 May 2020 - A week after a whistleblower at the Commodities Reserves Agency came out with accusations of political pressure in the purchasing of personal protective equipment, new questions have been raised about the procurement, most notably of the suitability of purchased ventilators.

The Tarča current affairs show, which broke the story with the deputy head of the Commodities Reserves Agency Ivan Gale last week, said on Thursday a major contract involving ventilators had been botched since the ventilators are unsuitable for Covid-19 patients.

The company that supplied the ventilators, Geneplanet, had been in the spotlight before as one of only two providers to receive 100% advance payment. It offered the most expensive ventilators and only had a bank guarantee covering 50% of the transaction, while several other providers had 100% bank guarantees, Tarča reporters said.

Geneplanet has so far delivered 110 of the 220 ordered ventilators from a Chinese supplier and must deliver the remainder by 15 May according to the contract signed with the Commodities Reserves Agency.

One of the three members of an informal medical group that had evaluated offers for ventilators, internal medicine specialist Rihard Knafelj, told Tarča his group had assessed 90 offers and the one offered by Geneplanet had been assessed as the least appropriate of the 13 that were deemed acceptable. The government was acquainted with the assessment.

Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who was recorded prodding the agency into signing the contract with Geneplanet as soon as possible, said the ventilators had previously been bought by UKC Ljubljana and had also been used by the Celje hospital. UKC Ljubljana denied having bought the exactly same type of ventilator.

Acknowledging that the ordered ventilators might be "Golfs, not Mercedeses," Počivalšek also showed a second medical opinion showing the ventilators are suitable, noting that "a single doctor does not constitute the medical profession".

Počivalšek also noted that Knafelj had been an advisor to the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) prior to the 2018 election. Knafelj denied any political motives to him speaking up.

Geneplanet director Marko Bitenc likewise argued the ventilators were suitable for Covid-19 patients and said they had been supplied to other countries. In response to Knafelj's argument that they needed additional components to be suitable for Covid-19 patients, Bitenc said this could be arranged, though it would raise the price slightly.

The report also claimed the ventilators ordered by Geneplanet had been the most expensive devices of the ventilators on offer, but Počivalšek repeatedly stressed that some others were not available and some had longer delivery times.

He also reiterated that the situation at the time was chaotic and changing by the hour, while the government was faced with the urgent task of securing emergency equipment so as to save doctors from having to ration ventilator treatment.

Once again denying having preferred particular suppliers, he said it was necessary to accelerate things at the agency, which is used to working in a "peacetime pace" that if not sped up would mean ventilators would not be delivered before Christmas.

Jelka Godec, a state secretary at the prime minister's office who was involved in helping the Commodities Reserves Agency secure the equipment, defended the government's decision to get the equipment through intermediaries.

She said China had centralised procurement on 16 March and no single official had been able to directly arrange the purchase of protective masks.

Tarča further reported being contacted with multiple suppliers of protective masks who sent offers at lower prices than those offered by selected providers. Some never even heard back.

Defence Minister Matej Tonin said the government task force that reviewed these offers had gone through 80 offers per day, anything more than that was not physically possible. Quizzed about the assessment criteria, he said bids with the shortest delivery times were prioritised.

Tonin also challenged Gale the whistleblower to say whether he or his mother had intervened in any way for the selection of Acron, a company in which Tonin mother works and which won several contracts for the supply of masks. Gale said there had been no pressure from them.

Gale has become a tentpole of anti-government sentiment since he came out with his accusations last week and he told Tarča yesterday he stood by his decision to go public and with his claim that certain providers had been favoured.

Počivalšek however wondered by Gale, standing in for director Anton Zakrajšek, had signed all those contracts if he thought they were not alright. Gale retorted that all contracts had been equipped with the ministry's approval and most had anyway been signed by Zakrajšek.

Overall, Gale said his motivation to go public was not to put anyone in jail, it was to "put an end to this kind of politics".

Related: Slovenian Govt Engulfed in PPE Procurement Scandal

Today is the 1 May national holiday for Labour Day, which as - as you might imagine - quite a big deal in Yugslavia. Yo ucan get some idea of this in the fascinating pictures of the Labour Day Parade in Ljubljana, 1961, going along today's Slovenska cesta, and taken by Jože Gal.

Other "old photos" stories are here

STA, 30 April 2020 - For the first time after World War II, Labour Day in Slovenia will pass without traditional bonfires, gatherings and reveille. Trade unions have called on people to hang out red flags, shirts and flowers from their balconies instead, declaring they will not let workers shoulder the burden of the coronavirus crisis alone.

Noting the 130th anniversary of the first Labour Day celebration, the ZSSS, Slovenia's largest association of trade unions, said that "everyone deserves workers' rights, decent pay and decent work", no matter what their job, where or in what form they perform it.

The union said that the current crisis laid bare further the problem of precarious forms of employment that did not afford a decent life, and it demonstrated how important quality public services such as healthcare, self-sufficiency, protection of privacy, personal data and human rights are.

The ZSSS also notes new issues raised by the Covid-19 emergency, such as reconciling work from home with family life and the "right to disconnect", while wondering whether it will act as a catalyst for a breakthrough in automation, digitalisation and robotisation.

"We cannot prevent change, but we can shape and direct it. The key role here is informing and educating about the new circumstances, about rights and potential solutions," ZSSS head Lidija Jerkič said.

In a separate message ahead of Labour Day, her counterpart from the Pergam association Jakob Počivavšek said that the coronavirus crisis shed light on the many systemic shortcomings that the unions had so far been warning of in vain.

As one such he cited neglect of social dialogue, "which should be absolutely necessary in these times when key decisions and measures are being taken that will affect the future as well".

He said that history had shown that social dialogue had been decisive for progress, development and preservation of the welfare state. "Despite the criticism of trade unionism, which is often unjustified and based on prejudice and ideology, fact is that without trade unions' efforts workers would be much worse off now and our society poorer and more stratified."

After the crisis caused by the pandemic, Počivavšek expects solidarity put to test. "We learnt a lot about that during the financial crisis. This time we will demand the solidarity of capital, of employers with workers, with the society they operate in and benefit from."

He said that businesses were getting a lot from the stimulus package, so they should take their share of the burden of fiscal consolidation once the epidemic is over.

"This time around it cannot be done on the shoulders of workers, social transfers, social insurance rights and the wages of public and private sector employees. The experience of the financial crisis has taught us this is a wrong path that impoverishes people and stifles economic growth."

Meanwhile, the KS 90 trade union organisation from the coastal region called for an epidemic of change "as a result of which work will have its honour and power restored, while the system that is based on exploitation, deepening of social differences, corruption and systemic creation of the poor will be banished to the past".

Indicating that he is well aware of the concerns amid the uncertainty about jobs that accompanies this year's Labour Day, Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj told employees they were not alone in this crisis, promising the government is doing all in its power to protect jobs.

"Many are working from home, may be furloughed, while there is a great deal of uncertainty at any rate. Thus it is the more important for you to know that you are not alone in crisis," the minister said in his message, thanking all workers and volunteers.

"The anti-crisis measures that we have prepared and will still are aimed at preserving as many jobs as possible. It is owning to all those measures taken in particular that the labour market has not been hit as hard as it would have been had the state not intervened."

Apart from the need for suitable pay and proper balance between rights and obligations, the minister also noted the importance of safety for dignified work. "During the epidemic in particular, it has been shown how important it is to ensure safety and health at work and monitor and manage the many psychosocial risks."

He appealed on companies to remember the situation before the pandemic and bear in mind how hard it is to find and keep good workers. He also hailed work from home as an efficient solution to prevent the spread of the virus and reconcile professional and family life.

On the eve of Labour Day, representatives of trade unions from Slovenia and Italy gathered for their traditional get-together at the Škofije border crossing, albeit in a much scaled-down format due to the coronavirus emergency.

The unions called on the authorities in both countries to enter into talks to regulate the status of an estimated 15,000 workers who migrate daily to work in the other country, and give them the same level of rights as the workers in their home countries enjoy.

STA, 1 May 2020 - LGBT+ rights NGOs have had to adapt their services to the current extreme circumstances to help contain the Covid-19 spread. Activists are aware that preventive measures are key but also warn that lockdown restrictions have resulted in the loss of safe spaces and aggravated the community's situation.

"The closure of physical social spaces is definitely restricting safe spaces available to LGBTI persons. Most notably that affects those who have had to return to homophobic, biphobic and transphobic environments; unfortunately a lot of parents or guardians are still not accepting of LGBTI persons, even when those persons are their family members," Lana Gobec, the head of the Legebitra NGO, has told the STA.

Quite a few youths have turned to the organisation for support after university dorms were shut down, for they were unable to return to their primary environments either because they had strained relations with their parents or guardians or because they were not allowed to return due to their sexual orientation and/or identity.

"Following the intervention by student organisations, university dorms were then reopened for those who have no other accommodation options," added Gobec, highlighting that this was not the case for persons residing in secondary school dormitories, who are hence often left with only an option of going back to discriminatory and potentially violent environments.

Legebitra can assist in such cases by helping the person seek shelter in a safe house.

The results of the 2019 Eurobarometer on the social acceptance of LGBT+ people in the EU show that 32% of Slovenians would feel totally uncomfortable if one of their potential children was in a romantic relationship with a person of the same sex as the offspring.

In the case of them being in a relationship with a transgender person or intersex person that figure dominates at 39% or 37%, respectively.

Crisis amplifies social inequalities and mental health problems

Institute TransAkcija, the first Slovenian trans-specific NGO, has warned that the Covid-19 crisis has been highlighting and deepening the gap between the privileged centre and marginalised minorities.

"First and foremost, I believe that the anti-crisis measures have been drawn up in such a way that most of them require a certain privilege from the get-go, so that a conscientious citizen could heed them.

"#StayHome, for example, sure, naturally, but what if one does not have a home? Or one does have a bed, but in an extremely toxic environment? The measures are primarily drawn up for persons whose circumstances stem from a number of normative groups, while minorities are, as always, faced with situations that require self-organisation," Linn Julian Koletnik, the founder and head of TransAkcija, has told the STA.

They have also pointed out that only a handful of spaces in Ljubljana are available to the LGBT+ community and almost zero elsewhere. The current circumstances have only aggravated the situation.

"Community spaces mean safer spaces where people can relax and express themselves the way they are; so many are struggling now because those spaces are missing. But there are online efforts aiming to maintain the sense of community, which is great."

Various factors, including a temporary loss of physical safe spaces and rejections experienced in primary environments, have exacerbated mental health problems for some, with LGBT+ persons being more likely to struggle with mental health in general, according to numerous international studies.

Individuals who seek help via Legebitra support and counselling programmes and were residing in dormitories prior to the introduction of the measures have been reporting intensified feelings of anxiety, gender dysphoria and depressive moods.

Such reports have been coming mostly from younger members of the community who are not enjoying the support of their families, since their parents are not accepting their sexual identities, Gobec has highlighted. Legebitra believes that many more LGBT+ persons face similar difficulties.

The organisation has not detected any increase in various types of violence against LGBT+ persons so far, however it has warned that the lack of such information could be misleading, since not only risk factors are multiplied during times of crisis but also it is more difficult to access mental health services.

Moreover, the community has been facing prejudices and stigmatisation regardless of the crisis, which may also result in suffering abuse and violence. Experts have been pointing out that if reported, which is quite rarely the case, such incidents are not recorded separately as hate crimes against the LGBT+ community and are thus not reflected in statistical data.

The 2019 Universal Periodic Review report on the situation of LGBT+ persons in Slovenia, which was sent to the United Nations by several organisations, including Legebitra and TransAkcija, shows that in the five years leading up to 2019, 60% of LGBT+ survey respondents were victims of harassment.

Almost a third did not report the worst incident to the police since they believed that nothing would change because of that. More than 20% experienced physical and/or sexual violence and those were even less likely to report the crimes.

Many users of TransAkcija counselling and support services also report about amplified struggles during the epidemic in the wake of their environments rejecting them. Some trans or non-binary persons are not out in their primary environments or they are not accepted and are hence not able to safely use their actual names or pronouns and express themselves in line with their identities, explained Koletnik.

Moreover, LGBT+ persons struggle more with unemployment compared to the general population, which may lead to some doing sex work, said Koletnik. Sex workers are currently faced with even more serious troubles.

If they are forced to continue working amid the epidemic due to their socio-economic situation, "they are considerably exposing themselves to the risk of getting infected with the novel coronavirus. Also, they have zero workers' rights," added Koletnik.

Accessing support and online safe spaces

Both organisations have restricted their services to non-personal forms of communication due to the epidemic. TransAkcija continues to provide support online, using Jitsi for video-counselling, a platform that is, according to the organisation, safe and easy to use - features that are essential but not ubiquitous in helping vulnerable social groups, Koletnik said.

The institute has mainly strived for transforming its programmes in such a way so as to acknowledge the trans-specific needs.

"Transgender persons who wanted to or were in line to initiate the medical transitioning process have now had to postpone that for an indefinite time, which certainly extremely negatively affects their mental health since the process duration has been found to be the primary cause for mental health issues among trans persons, according to a study," said Koletnik.

Meanwhile, Legebitra has launched an online youth centre after closing the only such facility in the physical world, mainly intended for LGBT+ persons. Using digital technologies, the organisation carries on with all of its support and educational services, including supporting individuals living with HIV and providing legal counsel.

Gobec has pointed out that many members of the community were seeking support already prior to the crisis, with Legebitra detecting a considerable increase in counselling requests in the LGBT+ community in the past few years.

Links:

Legebitra

Transakcija

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Ban on travel outside of home municipality lifted

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian residents were again free to travel to places other than their own municipality of residence after the government lifted a ban put in place a month ago to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The restriction confining people to their home municipality except to go to work, seek emergency services or offer assistance to relatives was introduced a month ago to stop the spread of coronavirus epidemic around the country and has been one of the most unpopular government measures. It was relaxed once already to allow people to do seasonal and maintenance work on property outside their home municipality, and now it has been removed from the general lockdown decree issued by the government. Opposition parties welcomed the easing but at the same time expressed doubt as to whether it was based on expert advice and data.

Nursing homes open to visitors again

LJUBLJANA - Nursing homes, hotspots of the coronavirus epidemic, received permission from the government to open to visitors again subject to strict protective measures. Janez Cigler Kralj, the minister in charge of social affairs, said the government was guided by good epidemic figures and the stress the elderly are subjected to without visitors. Nursing homes said they would start admitting visitors next week. visitors will have to make an appointment in advance, and upon entering the retirement home, give a statement that they have been in good health over the past two weeks and that they have not been in contact with an infected person.

Lenarčič: Commission does not have masks stashed away in basement

BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarčič rejected criticism from Slovenia that he failed to provide protective equipment to his home country. "The European Commission doesn't have masks or any other protective equipment. We don't have a secret storage in the basement of Berlaymont to keep a stockpile of protective masks, gloves or suits," Lenarčič said in an interview with Brussels correspondents. The situation is changing somewhat with the establishment of European strategic stockpiles, but only based on the experience that the civil protection mechanism has not been enough in the coronavirus crisis, something that no one knew in advance.

Pahor meets Visegrad Group ambassadors

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor discussed Slovenia's cooperation with the group, the Covid-19 pandemic and the EU's future as he received the ambassadors of the Visegrad Group accredited to Slovenia. Pahor, who described Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland as Slovenia's "natural allies", stressed Slovenia was part of the core EU countries but would in these times like to see more French-German cooperation. As for Visegrad, he said "the fact that we do not see eye to eye on everything does not mean we do not advocate the same goal - a stronger and more closely united EU which should not witness new divisions between its west and east."

Pahor and Honey mark Slovenia-UK Friendship Day

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and UK Ambassador to Slovenia Sophie Honey pointed to the role of cooperation in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic as they marked Slovenia-UK Friendship Day. Pahor stressed that Slovenian-UK friendship is based on courage and humanity, which enables the two countries to build confident and multi-faceted relations, as he hosted the ambassador for a special ceremony at the Presidential Palace. He said the relations had been developing all along, but particularly intensively after Slovenia gained independence and joined the EU and NATO.

Path cleared for immediate promulgation of stimulus laws

LJUBLJANA - Economic stimulus measures that the National Assembly passed earlier this week may be promulgated immediately after MPs on Thursday confirmed a government motion shielding the laws from referendum. The move is in line with amendments to the act governing referenda that were passed in a cross-partisan vote on 7 April and effectively prevent referendums on emergency measures adopted for reasons of defence and security, and to mitigate consequences of natural disasters. This means that such laws no longer have to be on hold for seven days before they may be promulgated by the president of the republic, a window in which legislation is normally open to potential referendum challenges.

Wednesday's tests confirm 11 new Covid-19 cases, death toll up by two to 91

LJUBLJANA - The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Slovenia increased to 1,429 on Wednesday, as 11 more people tested positive. Two persons died, bringing the total death toll in the country to 91, the government said. The number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals decreased by 12 more to 63, of whom 22 were in intensive care, three fewer than on Tuesday. More than 52,000 tests have been performed in Slovenia so far. The testing also included 1,291 samples taken in the random testing campaign which was launched on 20 April and whose results are to be presented after the holiday.

Slovenia's debt to rise above 80% of GDP this year

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's general government debt is estimated to rise to 82.4% by the end of the year from 66.1% in 2019, according to reports that the government will submit to the EU. The figure was revealed as the government adopted on Thursday the Stability Programme and the National Reform Programme, annual documents that eurozone members are required to present under a set of rules known as the European Semester. The government says that both documents focus on action that Slovenia is taking to combat the coronavirus epidemic and have been prepared in a period of great uncertainty.

Calls for keeping stores closed Sundays backed by PM

LJUBLJANA - It seems increasingly likely that the closure of stores, including groceries, on Sundays as a result of the coronavirus epidemic will become a permanent arrangement after the crisis. A legislative initiative to this effect, announced by the opposition Left, was backed by PM Janez Janša. In announcing the legislative proposal, the Left joined the Trade Union of Retail, which argued ahead of Labour Day in favour of keeping stores closed on Sundays and bank holidays also after the epidemic. The Left pointed out that voters had already decided in a referendum in 2003 that stores should be closed on Sundays but were ignored later under pressure from retailers.

Employers seek state aid for more than 321,000 workers

LJUBLJANA - The Employment Service received until yesterday almost 36,550 applications for more than 321,000 workers under the legislation providing state aid for wages and social security contributions for idled or quarantined workers amid the coronavirus epidemic. As many as 31,000 applications have already been resolved and decisions on state aid sent to over 25,600 employers. The first payments will be made on 11 May and then on 10 June.

Government members of Economic and Social Council appointed

LJUBLJANA - The government appointed its members of the Economic and Social Council (ESS), a forum on which the government, trade unions and employers discuss labour legislation. It also decided the ESS will be headed by Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj. Apart from Cigler Kralj, the government's ESS members are Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik, Education Minister Simona Kustec and their state secretaries.

Anti-money laundering office gets new boss

LJUBLJANA - Ivan Kopina has been appointed the acting director of the Office for the Prevention of Money Laundering. He will take over on 1 May from Branka Glojnarič, whom the government relieved of her duties. Kopina was appointed at today's correspondence session until a new director is appointed, but for no more than six months, the Government Communication Office said.

Athletes returning to training, competition ban to be lifted for non-contact sports

LJUBLJANA - Education and Sports Minister Simona Kustec has announced Slovenian athletes will be able to start training again next week, while the government is also lifting most of the restrictions pertaining to competitions in non-contact sports. "Competitions in individual sports will be allowed, but without spectators," the minister said on Wednesday. Government representatives suggested practice sessions in groups sports would only be allowed in individual format or in a group manner if teams secluded themselves.

Emergency aid approved for agriculture

LJUBLJANA - The government issued several decree to help agriculture cope with the loss of income resulting from the coronavirus epidemic, allocating around EUR 12 million in emergency aid to various farming sectors. Over EUR 5 million was allocated for wine producers, EUR 3.3 million for cattle farmers, EUR 2.2 million for tourist farms and EUR 1.4 million for the forestry sector.

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