STA, 23 April 2020 - Environment and Spatial Planning Minister Andrej Vizjak announced on Thursday a deregulation of construction legislation that he argues will substantially speed up construction in this crucial period. "Every month of delayed investment in construction is a month lost and reduces budget revenue," he told the press.

Vizjak, who explained the proposed changes have been incorporated into the amendments of the first coronavirus crisis stimulus package, pointed to the pending recession. The changes "allow immediate launch of certain investments that are on hold now", he added.

A key segment of the proposed change envisages the integration of several construction permit procedures while ridding potential investors of the obligation to first obtain claims over the land slated for construction.

While legislation was changed in 2018 due to protracted proceedings - in particular environment-related challenges - to allow a construction permit to be obtained simultaneously with the environmental permit, this "integral procedure" would now no longer require investors to first prove their claim over the land in question.

The government argues that this condition has often been impossible to meet in more complex construction projects and that it also made no sense to try to obtain such rights before the environmental review is completed.

Moreover envisaged to be running simultaneously with the "integral procedure" and not after it is the procedure needed for investors to be allowed to override the public benefit of preserving the environment with other public benefits.

Notably, the changes would also affect projects that were subject to the environmental permit phase before the 2018 changes. All these projects would be allowed to automatically enter the integral procedure.

Another major change, which Vizjak said would for instance speed up the construction of the expressway meant to connect the Koroška region in the north with Dolenjska in the south, is a provision allowing construction to start as soon as a building permit is issued and not only after the decree is final.

"Many construction projects are on hold today because of appeals, even in cases where these appeals are unfounded and only serve as extortion," he said.

Some of the appeals have been initiated by small NGOs, which would no longer be possible with the changes, as these stipulate NGOs need to have at least 50 members to be able to challenge permits.

Appeals would also need to be filed within 15 days after a permit decree is published and all challenges would be labelled as a priority.

What is more, the government wants authorities issuing opinions in permit procedures to do so in an unambiguous fashion and without ensuing contradictions. In case the opinions are negative, they would also need to include proposals on how to make an investment feasible.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

LMŠ announces motion of no-confidence in economy minister

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) plans to initiate a vote of no-confidence in Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek over his role in the purchases of protective personal equipment. "We were constructive at the beginning of this government's term, but we were played. After the latest events it is clear that we will file a motion of no-confidence," LMŠ leader Marjan Šarec announced on Twitter. However, it seems like the no-confidence vote will not get the needed support from other opposition parties. The only party to have expressed support to it is the Left. Počivalšek responded with a tweet saying he saw the upcoming debate in parliament as an opportunity to "lay out all the evidence", including about how the Šarec government had handled the crisis.

PM warns of grave political consequences of insufficient solidarity

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Janez Janša warned after the EU summit that grave political consequences may occur in the absence of sufficient solidarity. He voiced support for the EU Commission submitting a new multi-year financial framework whose structure and scope should be commensurate to the challenges of the Covid-19 crisis. Janša also endorsed a set of proposals agreed at an Eurogroup meeting on 9 April. But it remains questionable whether these proposals will suffice for the needs of those most badly hit by the pandemic. "If there is insufficient solidarity in action, grave political consequences may occur," he said.

Minister announces expansion of border fence

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia plans to intensify the construction of fencing on the border with Croatia and expand the use of other technical means to control the border and prevent illegal migrations, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told the weekly Demokracija. "The only way to seal the border is with a fence along its entire length, appropriate technical surveillance and the army or police along it. Only Israel has such a well protected border. We'll probably never have such a level [of protection], but we'll nevertheless do everything so that the border is protected as best as possible," he said.

Mayors of border municipalities urge deployment of army on border

LJUBLJANA - Mayors of 23 border municipalities have called on the National Assembly to back the activation of an emergency clause that grants soldiers limited police powers to patrol the border, citing a likely mass spread of Covid-19 among migrants as the main reason. The mayors argue the army "is the only institution left with a sufficient number of equipped and trained staff to protect the southern border". They fear a larger number of infected persons could enter Slovenia, since the virus is already present among migrants and a major spread among them will be impossible to prevent given their accommodation situation in Europe and Turkey.

Slovenian, Croatian ministers to discuss tourism next week

LJUBLJANA/ZAGREB, Croatia - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and Croatian Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli will meet next week to discuss measures to support the tourist sector in the face of the coronavirus epidemic, the Economy Ministry told the STA. Cappelli told Croatian media the pair would also discuss the potential revival of cross-border travel. Cappelli told the Croatian broadcaster N1 that he would meet Počivalšek next week on the Croatian-Slovenian border or even in Croatia. He said they would discuss technical solutions to allow tourists to cross the border.

Drop in orders pushes Hisense into massive layoffs, unions up in arms

LJUBLJANA/VELENJE - Hisense Europe has confirmed it plans extensive layoffs across the group as a major drop in orders amid the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed it into the red. Trade unions and the local community are shocked that as many as 2,200 jobs will be slashed by the end of 2020, of which 1,000 in Slovenia. Around 700 production jobs will be slashed at Gorenje in Velenje and another 300 other jobs at Hisense Gorenje Europe in Ljubljana with soft methods, such as retirement as well as disinvestment.

Constitutional Court expects to deal with corona measures for years

LJUBLJANA - Constitutional Court president Rajko Knez has assessed that the country's top court will be dealing with appeals related to the anti-corona measures for years, although they are being treated as a matter of absolute priority. In an interview for the newspaper Delo, Knez noted that the court had received in recent days more than 50 appeals related to the financial and economic consequences of the first economic stimulus package, passed in early April. Earlier, the court was receiving requests for constitutional review of the measure restricting movement to the municipal borders and expansion of police powers, with their current number being more than ten.

Confirmed Covid-19 cases up by 13, no new deaths reported

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia had 1,366 confirmed Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, up by 13 on the day before, with the number of fatalities unchanged at 79, shows the latest government data. The figures indicate the coronavirus epidemic is tailing off, which is also evident from the number of people in hospital. A total of 80 persons were in hospital for Covid-19, two fewer than the day before and significantly below the end-March peak of 119. Of these, 23 were in intensive care, down from 24.

Ex-president says govt efficient in Covid-19 efforts, worried about democracy

LJUBLJANA - Former President Milan Kučan said in an interview for the weekly Nedeljski Dnevnik that the government's measures to fight the epidemic were adequate, but he is worried some of them could affect democracy. Slovenia was in a way lucky not to hold an election after the Marjan Šarec government collapsed at the end of January. He believes the Janez Janša government is "relatively efficient" in dealing with the epidemic, deeming its work responsible and measures adequate. However, he expects it to provide accurate information, speak calmly and most of all, give solid arguments to justify the harsh measures.

Pahor extends solidarity message over Covid-19 to Hungary

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor continues sending solidarity messages to other European countries in the face of the coronavirus epidemic. The latest recipient of his supportive video clips has been Hungary. He conveyed his support in the Hungarian language and expressed his admiration for the Hungarian people, who are showing determination, courage and hope in these difficult times. Meanwhile, Spanish King Felipe VI has thanked the president for his encouraging words.

Ambassadors thanking key workers in Slovenia amid epidemic

LJUBLJANA - Ambassadors to Slovenia have expressed gratitude to Slovenian healthcare workers and others fighting the Covid-19 epidemic on the front lines as well as the public for their efforts during these challenging times in a video message released online. The participating embassies included those representing Austria, Brazil, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Italy, Japan, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the US, the UK and the EU Commission.

MPs call for reorganisation in nursing homes due to Covid-19

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee concluded late on Wednesday a two-day debate on the situation in nursing homes, rejecting all recommendations from the opposition Left. Yesterday's debate revolved around the possibility of reorganising the work in nursing homes, with the coalition saying that some changes were already being made. The situation in nursing homes has become complex in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic, and the session, requested by the Left, heard on the first day demands from trade unions and care home organisations for more staff to be provided.

Ljutomer home Covid-19 patients staying put

LJUTOMER - The Covid-19 positive residents of the Ljutomer nursing home, one of the hotspots of the epidemic in Slovenia, will not be moved from the home, Health Minister Tomaž Gantar said, after abandoning a planned move to the Ptuj hospital, where the staff opposed the hospitalisation of patients who do not require hospital treatment. Gantar said it would be best for residents if a move could be avoided while the home is being cleaned, disinfected and contagion zones established. "If this can be done without the move, I will be happy and residents will be happy," he said.

Govt proposing deregulation to speed up infrastructure investment

LJUBLJANA - Environment and Spatial Planning Minister Andrej Vizjak announced a deregulation of construction legislation that he argues will substantially speed up construction in this crucial period. "Every month of delayed investment in construction is a month lost and reduces budget revenue," he told the press. Vizjak, who explained the proposed changes have been incorporated into the amendments of the first coronavirus crisis stimulus package, pointed to the pending recession. The changes "allow immediate launch of certain investments that are on hold now", he added.

Slovenia again extends passenger flight ban

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian air traffic is to remain severely restricted as the government yet again extended a ban on passenger flights that was already prolonged twice, first in late March and then early April. The previous ban suspending flights within the EU until 27 April has been extended for two weeks. The ban was first introduced on 17 March to help contain the Covid-19 spread. In line with the EU law, the government then extended it on 30 March for a period of two weeks. On 10 April, the restriction was again prolonged, with flights within the EU suspended until 27 April and the rest banned until further notice.

More than 5,000 companies requested loan payment deferral so far

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian banks received just over 5,000 requests for deferral of loan payments from companies struggling with the consequences of the coronavirus epidemic by 10 April, data from the central bank show. Nearly 7,000 such requests have been made by individuals, Banka Slovenije told the STA. Banks said they had adopted proactive approaches to addressing clients' problems and that solutions were being sought on a case-by-case basis. They did however not reveal concrete numbers, which they are obligated to report to the Slovenian central bank Banka Slovenije.

Most players welcome draft corona legislation, but still see problems

LJUBLJANA - A number of organisations have welcomed changes to the first and the draft second stimulus package aimed to mitigate the consequences of the coronavirus epidemic. However, they also expressed criticism and made improvement recommendations. Trade unions fear a wave of layoffs is coming, but are mostly happy with the measures planned.

Slovenia experiencing extended dry spell

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has seen below average precipitation across the country this year and according to Andreja Sušnik of the Environment Agency "we can already speak of a drought meteorologically". Grassland is presently affected the worst, while the impact will also be visible in other non-irrigated cultures. Sušnik said the topsoil is dried up as a result of a lack of precipitation, while the situation has been aggravated further by the occasional above-average temperatures and frequent winds. The last major precipitation period was in December.

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 Xenia Guzej. You can see more of her work here.

Contents

Confirmed Covid-19 cases up by 13, no new deaths reported

Slovenia again extends passenger flight ban

Majority of students hurry to apply for solidarity allowance

Ex-president says govt efficient in Covid-19 efforts, worried about democracy

Ambassadors thanking key workers in Slovenia amid epidemic

Confirmed Covid-19 cases up by 13, no new deaths reported

STA, 23 April 2020 - Slovenia had 1,366 confirmed Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, up by 13 on the day before, with the number of fatalities unchanged at 79, shows the latest government data released on Thursday.

The figures indicate the coronavirus epidemic is tailing off, which is also evident from the number of people in hospital.

A total of 80 persons were in hospital for Covid-19, two fewer than the day before and significantly below the end-March peak of 119. Of these, 23 were in intensive care, down from 24.

Health authorities performed 1,268 coronavirus tests, for a total of 45,703 since the start of the crisis.

Back to the contents

Slovenia again extends passenger flight ban

STA, 23 April 2020 - Slovenian air traffic is to remain severely restricted as the government yet again extended on Thursday a ban on passenger flights that was already prolonged twice, first in late March and then early April. The previous ban suspending flights within the EU until 27 April has been extended for two weeks.

The ban was first introduced on 17 March to help contain the Covid-19 spread. In line with the EU law, the government then extended it on 30 March for a period of two weeks. On 10 April, the restriction was again prolonged, with flights within the EU suspended until 27 April and the rest banned until further notice.

The latest decree will remain valid for two more weeks, said the Government Communication Office on Thursday.

The reason why a two-week suspension applies to EU destinations is because EU rules require member states to apply such bans only for 14 days due to unforeseeable and inevitable circumstances, and then extend them if necessary.

The ban does not apply to aircraft transporting cargo or mail, aircraft conducting special transport without passengers or ferry flights, or to foreign planes or helicopters on humanitarian or health missions.

Back to the contents

Majority of students hurry to apply for solidarity allowance

STA, 23 April 2020 - Over 46,000 students have already applied for a one-off 150 euro allowance the government will pay them to help cover their costs of living amid the coronavirus epidemic. This is around 70% of a total of some 65,000 students studying this academic year in Slovenia.

Under the first stimulus package designed to mitigate the consequences of the crisis, all regular students with permanent residence in Slovenia are eligible for the allowance.

However, under the second stimulus package, which is to be passed in parliament next week, the eligibility will be expanded to non-regular students. The condition is that they are not employed, self-employed or farmers, Education Minister Simona Kustec told the press on Thursday.

The allowance, which does not cover secondary school students, will be paid out by 1 June, she announced.

Another Covid-19 measure concerning students is that their student status will be extended into the new academic year even if they fail to satisfy all criteria to advance.

Schools and kindergartens meanwhile remain closed, with a decision on whether they might reopen to be taken after in early May on the basis of an assessment by the medical profession.

Kustec reiterated this would be done only if safety could be guaranteed, or else the school year will be completed through distance learning.

"It's vital for the teaching process to be completed before the scheduled summer break. It can be completed by returning to classrooms or by continuing distance learning."

The idea is that kindergartens and schools should open parallel to the relaunch of the economy to resolve the issue of day care.

Should this not be feasible, Kustec will propose day care for certain groups of children and giving parents the option of staying at home in agreement with their employer.

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Ex-president says govt efficient in Covid-19 efforts, worried about democracy

STA, 23 April 2020 - Thirty years after its first election, Slovenia still lacks a strategic orientation, former Slovenian President Milan Kučan said in an interview for the weekly Nedeljski Dnevnik. He deems the government's measures to fight the epidemic adequate, but is worried some of them could affect democracy.

Slovenia was in a way lucky not to hold an election after the Marjan Šarec government collapsed at the end of January, "but to get a new coalition, whatever it may be", Kučan said.

He believes the Janez Janša government is "relatively efficient" in dealing with the epidemic, deeming its work responsible and measures adequate.

However, he expects it to provide accurate information, speak calmly and most of all, give solid arguments to justify the harsh measures.

"I'm worried whether democracy, human rights and freedom of the press will be sacrificed in the name of the fight against the virus."

Kučan told the weekly that he fears "we are becoming a different society under the guise of the fight against coronavirus".

He is also critical of President Borut Pahor for failing to express his view on some issues, most notably the government's controversial letter to the Council of Europe about the state of the media in Slovenia.

Speaking for the weekly upon the 30th anniversary of the 1990 elections, when he was elected Slovenia's president, he also said the country had missed a lot since gaining independence in 1991. "We haven't tried hard enough to establish the country's strategic orientation."

He believes that Slovenia has not managed to preserve, let alone strengthen, the reputation it gained with the manner in which it gained independence, nor has it preserved the production potential of some companies which used to be appreciated abroad.

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Our message to front-line workers in Slovenia ??... A huge thank you for your dedication and care ??????????? pic.twitter.com/aXkfWvt1Fw

— Sophie Honey (@HMASophieHoney) April 23, 2020

Ambassadors thanking key workers in Slovenia amid epidemic

STA, 23 April 2020 - Ambassadors to Slovenia have expressed gratitude to Slovenian healthcare workers and others fighting the Covid-19 epidemic on the front lines as well as the public for their efforts during these challenging times in a video message released online on Thursday.

"Thank you for looking after our nationals who live here. For looking after us and our staff when we need you. For looking after the people of Slovenia so well," said a total of 16 ambassadors in the clip.

"In each of our countries, Slovenian citizens play an active role. They're a great part of the community. We want to take the best care we can of them, too."

The video has been filmed by ambassadors themselves in their residences and without the usual technical support, said the British Embassy, which coordinated the project and edited the content.

The participating embassies included those representing Austria, Brazil, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Georgia, Italy, Japan, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the US, the UK and the EU Commission.

Back to the contents

Where are you from, and how did you come to be in Slovenia?

I am from Uganda and I moved to Slovenia at the end of 2014 to join my boyfriend, who’s now become my husband.

How do you keep yourself busy here?

I travel a bit and I hold meetings and am passionate about talking about Uganda and some of the countries I have been to, to students or a group of people ready to travel to Uganda.

How is your Slovenian, and how well integrated do you feel with Slovenians?

It has taken time but I am improving each day with the language. I have a couple of Slovenian friends and so far I have got all my educational documents evaluated in Slovenia. I was worried that my education wouldn’t be recognised, but it was and my MBA still stands.

What has been your experience of culture shock?

Ah, this has been asked of me many times, and I have to think about it now since I’ve have spent some time here and travel a lot, things which shocked me are not issues anymore.

But I have to say that it was shocking at first when people seemed to either fear sitting near me or kept a distance. I kept on thinking what had I done or how I looked to be intimidating?. I came right from Africa to Slovenia and I didn’t know anyone or anybody except my husband, who is not very outgoing. I feared people more than they feared me. Someone even shouted at me at Zvezda Park ... if I was looking for ships. Now I laugh at all this because I don’t have time for such kind of people.

And of course I can’t forget the winter and summer. So hot and so cold for someone who is from Uganda, with an average temperature of 28 degrees. I come from central Uganda. The equator line is literally five minutes’ walk away from my home.

Also, although I’m not very social I came from an environment where I knew my neighbours and they knew me even when we lived in different houses. Now I live in a block but it took me time to know the people next door. Still, I feel accepted here.

Among other projects, Catherine also runs an Etsy store selling handmade African inspired products

Is there an organized African community in Slovenia?

Now this is a very interesting question. There quite a number of people who have opened up organisations relating to African communities and so on. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also organises an African Days event every year to try to introduce the African countries to Slovenia in business perspective.

There’s nothing else that puts Africans together as a group for now, but I created a Facebook group for African Women in Slovenia where we help each other with information and we are few so we kind of know ourselves in a way. But as Ugandans living in Slovenia, we have a WhatsApp group and we meet every year for lunch to welcome anyone new and also to catch up.

Other things to mention are the Inštitut za afriške študije, the Afro Studio Black Diamond hair salon in Ljubljana, along with the Afriška Trgovina Petit Afrique store, and of course the restaurant Skhuna, on Trubarjeva cesta and the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce.

Why did you start your YouTube channel?

I realised that people know so little about Africa as a continent but they seem to talk about it in general. I want to show that there is more to Africa than the wars, hunger and diseases.

Some people know me as a person who talks about the effect of voluntourism. I am vocal about it because a big number of people don’t have any idea that charity and volunteering is more beneficial to the person doing it than the person they think they are helping.

If anyone is interested in learning more about Africa, then I recommend they subscribe and follow it, here.

If you'd like to share your Slovenian story with our readers, please get in touch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or find me on Facebook

One of the advantages to living in a small and diverse country such as Slovenia is that beautiful landscapes are never far away. As a photographer, I’m always shooting off to capture a beautiful scene. As everything is so close, it often means just a short drive somewhere. 15-30 minutes will easily put me in front of some mountainous scene to capture.

Enter the coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown. As a landscape photographer being confined to his own area, this is very frustrating. I can see the mountains from my home, even from the window and balcony, but cannot go to them.

However, thanks to the telephoto lens and Slovenia’s compact size, while I cannot go to the mountains I can bring the mountains to me.  As we are also allowed to go out in our immediate area, as long as we avoid gatherings of more than 5 people, it also means I can go out to a nearby field where I can also see the mountains. Slovenia’s small population helps ensure I can easily find a spot well away from any crowds.

The trick, as always in landscape photography, is finding the perfect viewpoint that will give me a clear composition where I can cut out any rooftops, electricity cables and trees from the picture and isolate the mountain or hill I’m trying to capture.

There’s always an upside to having your hands tied like this, it forces you to think harder. At times like this you tend to take a closer look at what is around you. We often look to the horizon for new things and ignore what is close to us. Due to these restrictions I was forced to explore this field in more depth looking for the perfect viewpoint. And I found it.

In this video, I show you how I utilize a telephoto lens with the perfect place to stand to get past all the distracting objects and zoom right up to Smarna Gora and Storzic Mountain and capture their beauty at sunset.

In part one of my video series, seen below, I show you some tips and techniques. In part two, coming soon, the skies cleared and I got some beautiful shots of the Kamnik Alps at sunset, right from this field.

If you’d like a more comprehensive look at Ian’s work check out his free e-book here, or purchase a revised version here. You can also see many images in higher resolution, find other photo posts, sign up for a workshop, and subscribe to his newsletter here, or follow his work on Facebook. If you’d like to see him in action then you can watch his series of videos showing you some tips and tricks to producing better photos, and these can be found on YouTube. More of Ian's work can also be found on TSN, here.

STA, 23 April 2020 - Mayors of 23 border municipalities have called on the National Assembly to back the activation of an emergency clause that grants soldiers limited police powers to patrol the border, citing a likely mass spread of Covid-19 among migrants as the main reason.

While the government has been unable to secure the two-thirds majority in parliament to activate Article 37.a of the defence act, the mayors argue the army "is the only institution left with a sufficient number of equipped and trained staff to protect the southern border".

The mayors, whose petition is dated 20 April but was published by Defence Minister Matej Tonin on Wednesday, are surprised by the reservations concerning an expanded use of the army on the border in a time when Slovenia is trying to contain the coronavirus epidemic.

They fear a larger number of infected persons could enter Slovenia, since the virus is already present among migrants and a major spread among them will be impossible to prevent given their accommodation situation in Europe and Turkey.

The mayors are aware of proposals to activate backup police and retired officers and "do not oppose them, but it has been shown in the past that such measures do not enable the activation of several thousand additional people",

While soldiers are already assisting the police on the border, the mayors believe that not being able to restrict the movement of persons and take part in crowd control along the border - the powers granted by Article 37.a - renders the soldiers meaningless.

The mayors moreover argue that the likelihood of a certain number of police officers falling ill also needed to be taken into account in a situation where there are not enough officers on the border to protect it effectively as it is.

It was Emil Rojc, the mayor Ilirska Bistrica which borders on Croatia, that handed the petition to Tonin. According to the minister, the mayors "claim the people are not afraid of the Slovenian army and want greater security".

The coalition has failed to the get the opposition on board for the temporary activation of the additional army powers. The parties mostly claim there has been no significant uptick in migrant numbers that would warrant this, while some have unsuccessfully proposed restrictions to the extra powers.

The government has however remained determined to push ahead with the plan, also getting the backing of President Borut Pahor, the commander-in-chief of the Slovenian Armed Forces, who visited the southern border area along the Kolpa river in the company of the interior and defence minister last Wednesday.

Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told the press last Thursday that the government plans to nevertheless deploy soldiers if needed, using a different legislative provision that allows a more limited form of deployment.

Article 37.a was adopted at the peak of the migration crisis, in October 2015, and invoked in February 2016 to help police patrol the border. Over 442,000 migrants had entered the country between 16 October 2015 and 1 February 2016.

Police recorded 1,835 illegal crossings of the border in the first three months of 2020, which is 6.5% more than in the same period last year.

However, according to Monday's report by TV Slovenija, the number of illegal crossing recorded halved after the coronavirus epidemic was declared in Slovenia. The total figures for 1 January to 20 April were 2,396 in 2019 and 2,038 in 2020.

STA, 23 April 2020 - The opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) plans to initiate a vote of no-confidence in Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek over his role in the purchases of protective personal equipment.

"We were constructive at the beginning of this government's term, but we were played. After the latest events it is clear that we will file a motion of no-confidence," LMŠ leader Marjan Šarec announced on Twitter on Thursday.

He said a letter by the now former head of the Agency for Commodity Reserves, Anton Zakrajšek, had been "the final straw".

Počivalšek responded on Twitter saying he saw the motion as "an opportunity to debate the epidemic comprehensively and lay out all the evidence", including "the (lack of) responsiveness" by the previous, Marjan Šarec government.

Počivalšek, was economy minister also in the previous government, also said it was interesting that the motion came from Šarec, who "invited me to a coalition two months ago".

The announcement comes after Zakrajšek was replaced as director amid mounting criticism over faulty supplies of personal protective equipment.

The Government Communication Office said Zakrajšek had asked to be relieved of his duties on Monday, citing health reasons and the wish that the agency got an operational head in these critical times.

Počivalšek said that despite contracting Covid-19, Zakrajšek had still been working from home a lot and participated in all of the agency's deals, having been "warned by the ministry that due diligence had not been exercised in some of them".

In a letter following the move, Zakrajšek protested against the reasons cited for his replacement and said him and the agency refused to serve as scapegoats.

Zakrajšek said that he had worked from home but was "definitely not the one picking the suppliers". He said the person who controlled the procurement was Mitja Terče, who served for a while as the head of an advisory group for protective personal equipment procurement appointed by Počivalšek.

STA, 22 April 2020 - The Chinese-owned group Hisense Europe is planning to close 2,200 jobs by the end of the year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, including as many as 1,000 in Slovenia, TV Slovenija reported, citing a trade unionist.

According to the report, the management of household appliances maker Hisense Gorenje set its plans at a meeting featuring Chao Liu, one of the executive directors, production manager Tomaž Korošec, staffing officials and representatives of the works council, trade union and the employees' representative on the board Drago Bahun.

The management presented data on the situation resulting from the pandemic. Production in Velenje has not yet returned to full capacity after being completely suspended for three weeks.

The head of the in-house trade union Žan Zeba told the public broadcaster that Hisense was to make 1,000 people redundant in Slovenia, including 700 at the production facility in Velenje and 300 in the Ljubljana-headquartered company Hisense Europe.

Zeba said the staff were shocked by the extent of planned layoffs, noting that the company had received state aid "probably also in order not to make redundancies".

The first meeting with employees on layoffs are to be held after May day holidays.

Gorenje is to set out detailed plans about job cutbacks on Thursday.

STA, 22 April 2020 - Slovenia's leading insurance group, Triglav, expects the coronavirus pandemic to slash its profit by at least 10% and premiums by 5% this year. It says though its business is sound enough to cope with the situation successfully.

Triglav Group had initially projected a pre-tax profit of between EUR 95 million and EUR 105 million for this year, however, new calculations show the figure could be 10-25% lower.

The insurance premiums collected, initially projected at around EUR 1.2 billion, were to be 3-5% lower as a result of the pandemic and its impact on the economy and international financial markets.

The company made the impact assessment based on the projected contraction in GDP and various scenarios of how long the stall in economic activity may last and how quick recovery once pandemic measures are relaxed. It expects gradual easing of the situation by the end of 2020.

The projected deterioration of the economic situation and the suspended activity in the manufacturing and service sectors in Slovenia and the region will impact the group's underwriting activities.

In its release with the Ljubljana Stock Exchange on Wednesday, the company estimates that primarily the written premium and claims result of the non-life insurance segment will be affected.

Motor vehicle insurance premiums are also expected to be affected by lower sales of new vehicles, deregistration of existing vehicles and lower coverage.

Slowed economic activity is to suppress life insurance premium and premium written in real property insurance, credit insurance and general liability insurance; lower demand is expected for travel insurance.

Lower net claims incurred are anticipated for some insurance classes due to reduced economic activity and movement restrictions.

Financial market shocks, particularly changes in credit spreads on government and corporate bonds, will affect not only the return on investment but also the market value of Triglav assets and liabilities and thus the capital adequacy ratio.

The decrease in the market value and thus the amount of financial assets under management will also be reflected in lower income from the management of clients' assets.

However, the insurer assesses that its insurance and investment portfolios are sufficiently resilient and that its capital position appropriate to effectively cope with increased risks arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The company expects it will be able to assess the impact on this year's operations with a higher degree of certainty at the end of the second quarter, on which basis it will revise the annual business plan for 2020.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

State to guarantee up to 80% for loans to SMEs, 70% for large companies

LJUBLJANA - As part of the second stimulus package to help the Slovenian economy cope with the coronavirus crisis, the state will provide quick liquidity aid to companies to the tune of EUR 2 billion. Loans to micro companies and SMEs will be guaranteed for up to 80% of the principal, and up to 70% for large companies. The package will be debated by parliament next Tuesday and Wednesday, along with corrections to the first package, including relaxed conditions for companies to apply for wage subsidies, and expansion in the number of people eligible for benefits under the first package.

Minister says third stimulus package to be development-oriented

LJUBLJANA - By adopting the second coronavirus crisis stimulus package, the government has completed a set of bills to mitigate the consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic and restart the economy, Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj told the press. He moreover announced a third legislative package, which the government will start to work on in May and will be development-oriented.

Nine new coronavirus infections, two new deaths bring death toll to 79

LJUBLJANA - Nine new coronavirus infections were recorded in Slovenia on Tuesday, as many as the day before, with the number of tests the highest so far, at 1,459. So far 1,353 infections have been confirmed. The number of hospitalised patients has been decreasing for a week and now stands at 82, while 24 patients are in intensive care. Eight were discharged on Tuesday. The authorities also reported that about 200 tests had so far been conducted as part of comprehensive population testing launched on Monday, all of them turning negative. More than 1,000 of the 3,000 people picked have so far agreed to be included in the study.

Govt decrees exchange of data between health authority and police

LJUBLJANA - The government decreed that the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) share with the police information about individuals who have been ordered to go into self-isolation, quarantine or undergo treatment for Covid-19. The decree lays down the manner of data exchange under Article 103 of the first mega coronavirus crisis and stimulus act, which gives the police special powers for the purposes of epidemic control. The Health Ministry said about 2,900 quarantine orders had been issued to date. Some 1,500 are currently in effect.

Over EUR 39m available for monthly crisis bonus in public sector

LJUBLJANA - The government set the criteria to distribute EUR 39.2 million a month for a coronavirus crisis bonus for public sector employees in high-risk jobs during the epidemic under emergency legislation. Within the EUR 39.2 million ceiling, heads of hospitals and other public sector organisations will be in charge of distributing the funds. Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik said the government would fully cover another crisis bonus - the one envisaged in the collective bargaining agreement for the public sector.

Two suspected of stealing protective equipment from Ljubljana hospital

LJUBLJANA - The police are investigating a suspected theft of protective equipment in the UKC Ljubljana hospital. The police identified the suspects as a 31-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman, both from Ljubljana. The Ljubljana Police Department said the inquiries so far indicated the suspects made 40,000 euro by selling the stolen equipment online. UKC Ljubljana general manager Janez Poklukar has condemned the incident. Unofficially, the suspects were UKC Ljubljana employees.

Replaced head says Commodity Reserves Agency being scapegoated over PPE

LJUBLJANA - Providing another twist in the outrage over the procurement of faulty protective equipment for SARS-COV-2, the now former head of Agency for Commodity Reserves Anton Zakrajšek protested against the reasons cited for his replacement by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek. Zakrajšek said him and the agency refused to serve as scapegoats. Zakrajšek asked to be relieved of his duties on Monday after spending several weeks on sick leave due to Covid-19. He denied being the one picking the suppliers.

FM says epidemic measures must not be abused for geopolitical pressure

BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU foreign ministers discussed in a videoconference the bloc's approach to its neighbours to the east and expressed expectations that Ukraine would continue with reforms. Foreign Minister Anže Logar expressed support for the reform processes underway in Ukraine. He said measures to fight the pandemic should not be abused for the purposes of geopolitical pressure, spread of misinformation or failure to implement agreements.

US donates five military ambulances to Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces received five new military ambulances donated by the US. Defence Minister Matej Tonin and US Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard were present as the shipment arrived at Koper, praising the Slovenia-US partnership. Slovenia received the MEDIC HMMWV M1152 Ambulance vehicles, made by US producer AM General, under the European Security Assistance Fund.

President carries on with messages of solidarity amid pandemic

LJUBLJANA - In the face of the novel coronavirus pandemic President Borut Pahor expressed solidarity with Austria and Poland in a video message after sending supportive messages to a number of countries, including France. French President Emmanuel Macron thanked Pahor and returned the gesture. Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen also expressed gratitude for the gesture, saying he appreciated Pahor's words of encouragement and was looking forward to their future cooperation.

Cabinet replaces Infrastructure Agency boss

LJUBLJANA - The government dismissed Monika Pintar Mesarič as the acting director of the Infrastructure Agency, appointing Liljana Herga in her place for up to six months. Herga has so far headed the agency's road maintenance and traffic safety department. A possible change of the agency's director was hinted at last week by the commercial broadcaster Planet TV when reporting about an allegedly contentious tender to set up a SCADA system for the railway infrastructure.

Recently appointed govt official faces judicial inquiry

LJUBLJANA - Miha Pogačnik, who was last week appointed acting head of the Government Office for Legislation, is the subject of a judicial inquiry over business his private institute did with the UKC Maribor hospital in 2016, the commercial broadcaster POP TV reported on Tuesday evening. The Specialised State Prosecution confirmed that an inquiry had been launched in late January against three persons, including Pogačnik, over the hiring of Croatian anaesthesiologists in Maribor.

TV Slovenija: Hisense to cut 1,000 jobs in Slovenia

VELENJE - TV Slovenija reported that the Chinese-owned group Hisense Europe was planning to close 2,200 jobs by the end of the year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, including 1,000 in Slovenia. The head of the in-house trade union Žan Zeba told the public broadcaster that Hisense was to make 1,000 people redundant in Slovenia, including 700 at the production facility in Velenje and 300 in the Ljubljana-headquartered company Hisense Europe. Gorenje is to present details on Thursday.

Pandemic to slash Triglav profit by at least 10%

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's leading insurance group, Triglav, expects the coronavirus pandemic to slash its profit by at least 10% and premiums by 5% this year. But the insurer says its business is sound enough to cope with the situation successfully. Triglav Group initially projected a pre-tax profit of between EUR 95 million and EUR 105 million for this year, however, new calculations show the figure could be 10-25% lower. The insurance premium, initially projected at EUR 1.2 billion, is to be 3-5% lower.

Construction sector calls for long-term infrastructural projects

LJUBLJANA - As construction work is slowing down in Slovenia due to the coronavirus epidemic, representatives of the construction sector have called on the government to launch long-term infrastructural projects to revitalise the sector, which would otherwise face a bleak future. The Chamber of Construction and Building Materials Industry said today that if major infrastructural projects were not implemented, the construction sector would be in a "vegetative state for a long time". Government advisor Matej Lahovnik said EU-funded projects should definitely be implemented, especially infrastructural projects.

Covid-19 pushes consumer sentiment lowest on record

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded the biggest drop in consumer sentiment in April since March 1996, when the statisticians started keeping record. The Statistics Office said the index dropped by 30 percentage points in monthly comparison and by 41 points year on year, which statisticians attribute to the coronavirus epidemic.

Large companies largely opting for Covid-19 crisis bonus

LJUBLJANA - Some large companies have already paid their employees a bonus for working during the coronavirus crisis, while others are yet to do so. Some will pay the bonus as set down by the government emergency law, others their own bonuses, while some companies have opted for both. Those which have not suspended their operations because of the epidemic, such as pharmaceutical companies Krka and Novartis, do not plan any pay cuts, while those who will cut wages will start with managers.

Genomic studies show SARS-COV-2 entered Slovenia via multiple sources

MARIBOR - The first genomic studies conducted for SARS-COV-2 in Slovenia have shown Slovenian patients are infected with both the Asian and the more European strains of the novel coronavirus, meaning the virus entered the country through more than one source. The strain that has more resemblance to the Asian strains than the majority of the types discovered in Europe was discovered in the last of three genomic tests conducted for Slovenian patients so far by the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, the Maribor Medical Faculty and the Maribor Community Health Centre.

Ombudsman says virus revealing how much damage humans inflict on Earth

LJUBLJANA - Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina noted on Earth Day that pollution was decreasing significantly in many parts of the world because of the coronavirus pandemic, wondering whether the spread of the virus was necessary for humans to realise what damage is being done to Earth. "We must be aware that the right to a healthy and clean environment is one of our fundamental rights. But it is also our duty, because unless we all take action it will be even more difficult to implement," Svetina wrote in his Earth Day message. A call on the government to prepare concrete measures to switch to sustainable development was also made by a climate panel advising President Borut Pahor.

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