STA, 8 April 2020 - The coronavirus crisis has raised fears about a spike in domestic violence, which has been detected in many countries during the pandemic. The latest data from Slovenian police do not show a significant increase in such cases since lockdown was put in place, but activists as well as authorities warn that could be misleading.

Mounting evidence shows that the Covid-19 pandemic has been fuelling domestic abuse across the world in the wake of lockdown restrictions and heightened stress, exacerbating cases where such incidents were already common before and prompting new instances of violence against women and children in particular.

The current situation may hence cause a spike in domestic violence in Slovenia as well, an issue that may be considered a pandemic in itself due to its systemic and widespread nature, according to experts.

One in three women worldwide experience physical or sexual violence, mostly from their intimate partner, show the World Health Organization's (WHO) global estimates. "This makes it the most widespread, but among the least reported human rights abuses," the organisation has said.

Concerns have been raised by activists that measures put in place to contain the spread of the virus are leaving victims of domestic violence essentially trapped at home with abusive partners. Perpetrators of domestic violence are likely to strike more during times of crisis, said the WHO, with lockdowns cutting off escape routes and making it easier for the abusers to isolate and exert control over their victims.

Such extreme situations may also lead to never-before-seen outbursts of domestic violence, with families and couples being isolated in a time of worries and fears amid the epidemic. Emotions running high, tensions can escalate quickly.

More time would have to pass for experts to gauge the actual impact of the crisis, however domestic violence hotlines and NGOs have already detected that things have taken a turn for the worse.

The Association for Non-violent Communication has reported an increase in helpline calls since the start of the epidemic, pointing out that most of those calls are coming from abuse victims who have already sought help with the NGO before.

Numerous callers report that they are experiencing issues concerning special care arrangements in shared child custody cases.

There have been women calling in for the first time, but not as many as the association would expect during such a time. This relatively low number is a cause for concern, the NGO has said, highlighting that coexisting at close quarters often leads to a spike in conflicts, but it also makes it harder for the victims to make an emergency phone call.

"In times when there is more cohabitation, the victim is left with rare or zero moments when they could call," Tjaša Hrovat, a counsellor at the NGO, told the STA.

Some victims have confided in her that they cannot dare or even imagine to plan ahead for a safer life during such precarious and anxious times.

In 2018, Hrovat told the STA that one in four to five women in Slovenia had suffered domestic violence, a much higher figure than one would have expected.

Meanwhile, the SOS Phone for Women and Children Association is hearing from an increased number of neighbours or closed ones who are trying to help because they have noticed "something was not right". The victims would even send their neighbours a text calling for help and the latter would then seek support at relevant helplines.

Epidemic-related distress must not justify violence against loved ones, Maja Plaz of the SOS helpline highlighted for the STA, urging neighbours and relatives to be extra vigilant and report any possible cases of domestic abuse.

She also warned about violence against children and the disabled, who may also more than ever experience rapid escalations of violence due to extreme circumstances.

The police have called on persons facing abuse at home to report such incidents, regardless of the lockdown, and called for a zero-tolerance policy regarding violence.

In the first three months of 2020, the police recorded a nearly 25% surge in domestic violence reports - an increase from 333 cases in the same period last year to 415 offences against partners, family members and children; the growth rate slowed down during the last two weeks in March after anti-coronavirus restrictions were introduced.

This could imply that domestic violence has not been swelling, but the police have warned that based on their experience, it could well be that the circumstances themselves are thwarting reporting of such emergencies, with victims being less able to phone and report or even to contact a friend or relative.

Whereas domestic abuse services are mainly providing support online and via telephone, safe houses have been faced with the dire need to keep operating as they did before the crisis amid ramped up health and safety concerns.

A domestic abuse shelter for women drug users is keeping its doors open during the epidemic, with almost all of its available spots occupied.

Being a survivor or victim of any kind of abuse may correlate with using illicit drugs, Neva Faninger, a social worker working at the safe house has said, adding that women who seek help at the shelter are often stranded in a state of semi-homelessness, which only further marginalises them, particularly during the lockdown.

Since the start of the coronavirus crisis, the shelter has also seen the situation aggravated by tensions running high and such women finding it even harder to get help due to movement restrictions and the stigma revolving around addiction.

Due to the safe house's high hygienic standards and rules required in such an environment to reduce the impact of drug use, there has been little need to additionally ramp up disinfection efforts during the epidemic, added Faninger, finding a silver lining in the situation.

The shelter, a safe space for women caught in a vicious circle of drug use and violence, is the only such facility in Slovenia and one of the few in general that does not expect its residents to be completely drug-free upon entering it, said Faninger.

Instead it aims to help them without judging and mitigate damage caused by drugs gradually - a policy that got some recognition in March when Sabina Zorec, the initiative's manager, received a Women on Women award for feminist heroines.

STA, 8 April 2020 - Businesses which had to close their doors due to the coronavirus lockdown have been left without revenue. To add to their woes, many need to pay rent and running costs. Some landlords have decided to help them by deferring rent, others are still deciding what to do.

Small businesses selling non-essential goods and providing various services, as well as bars and restaurants were forced to close shop in mid-March, and many of them warn that they might not be able to re-open at all.

Many of them find it difficult to pay wages for March, let alone rent and utility costs.

Owners of shopping centres and malls have come up with different solutions for the problems of their tenants, and all of them stress that this is the first time they have encountered such a situation.

The retailer Tuš said it had not decided yet whether to lower rent, while Spar said that the "situation requires a great deal of adjustment and understanding, but we believe that we will find optimal solutions in the spirit of good cooperation."

Supernova, the Austrian-owned shopping mall operator, said it was in constant contact with tenants, making individual arrangements. "We want to balance out the consequences, as one side must not bear all the consequences, be it the tenant or the landlord."

SES Slovenija, which operates the shopping malls Citypark, Citycenter, Europark and Aleja, with the last one yet to be opened, has admitted that the crisis has taken them by surprise, and that many issues remain open.

The company has allowed its tenants to defer rent and operating cost for April. "By doing so we want to help entrepreneurs maintain their liquidity, even before the state adopts measures to support commerce and before this aid takes effect."

It added that additional support measures for salvaging Slovenian retail, services and hospitality companies were not excluded, but this would depend on the financial support from the state and the duration of the restrictive measures.

As for Aleja, which was supposed to open on 19 March, SES Slovenija said that individual solutions were being sought with tenants. "All partners will be able to defer payment of rent from the date of the planned opening to the date of actual opening."

The company would like to see the state come up with a plan for re-opening shops and individual branches of industry, as this would help all stakeholders organise and optimise costs.

The Slovenian Chamber of Commerce (TZS) will, according to its president Mariča Lah, publish this week an assessment of the situation in commerce, which will serve as basis for a proposal to re-open shops selling technical goods.

Rent could be tackled by the additional anti-corona legislative package, which is being drafted by the government.

The TZS has proposed a model for distributing the burden, under which the state would cover around 70% of rent, and the payment of the remaining amount would be agreed between the owner and tenant.

Under this model, landlords would not be able to terminate contracts due to the non-payment of rent, which would be applied retroactively as of the day when the epidemic was declared, 12 March.

SES Slovenija added that retail, as one of the largest employers in the country, had been severely affected and that comprehensive measures would be needed. It proposes that the state subsidises write-offs of goods which could not be sold.

The company also proposes that the state provide grants to businesses for the costs incurred during the closure and for a certain period after the closure (rent, insurance premiums, leasing instalments and utility bills).

STA, 7 April 2020 - Demand for content on Slovenian digital platforms surged to record values in the second half of March as Slovenia switched to a coronavirus lockdown mode, an analysis carried out by advertising agency Iprom shows.

The number of users of online platforms increased by 52% over February and they consumed an average of 75% more content daily.

Content for children and youth posted the biggest rises: its average daily reach was up 166% and daily visits by 213%.

Health was the second faster growing category in terms of daily reach, posting a 92% rise, followed by food (+68%) and business (+66%).

The steepest drop, although of just 16%, was recorded for tourism content.

"Interest in digital platforms rose over the past two weeks by almost as much as in the entire last decade," Iprom said in a release.

It said that an average annual rise in the past used to range between 5% and 15%.

"What we are witnessing these days is a phenomenon. I have never seen such growth in my career," said Iprom Labs boss Tomaž Tomšič.

He believes such a massive rise in interest in online content is a major challenge for all those who run and maintain digital platforms.

STA, 7 April 2020 - More than five years after deciding the state must provide equal funding for public and private primary schools, the Constitutional Court has specified that this applies only to the mandatory part of school curricula at private schools but not to non-mandatory curricula, such as morning and afternoon care, or remedial tutoring.

Announcing its decision on Tuesday, the court said that legislation stipulating that non-mandatory curricula at private schools get 85% of the funds provided for public schools was not unconstitutional.

The right to free primary education only applies to the mandatory curricula, which pupils in all primary schools must complete in order to finish school, the court said in the decision adopted on 12 March.

The state is obligated to allow a choice of different types of education, but it is not obligated to fund all the different types of education, the judges said.

They moreover said that private schools were not in the same legal position as public schools, because public schools must accept all pupils applying, while private schools do not.

The decision was the product of deliberations of several requests filed by parents of children attending private primary schools.

The decision was passed in a 6:1 vote, while two judges were recused. Judge Marijan Pavčnik meanwhile issued a dissenting opinion.

The nine-member court also criticised the National Assembly for failing to enact the court's late-2014 decision on the funding of private primary schools in a one-year period.

However, this has proven impossible, because the left-leaning parties opted to interpret the 2014 ruling in a way that could lead to a full scrapping of state funding of non-mandatory curricula, while the right-leaning ones want full state funding for private primary schools.

Although it believes parliament has violated the principles of the rule of law by failing to enact the court's decision, the court rejected the parents' request to define the manner in which the 2014 decision be implemented, meaning setting down the share of state funding for private school curricula.

Under the legislation still in place, the state provides 85% of funds for private primary school curricula, both mandatory and non-mandatory, as opposed to 100% for public schools.

Responses from political parties have been mixed. The senior coalition Democrats (SDS) believe the decision opens new questions. The party wonders why the court left out other curriculum activities, such as optional courses and activities, while expressly mentioning only morning and afternoon care, and remedial tutoring.

The Modern Centre Party (SMC) is happy with the decision, saying it reflected its position on funding, while the conservative New Slovenia (NSi) welcomed the decision for being a step closer to equal funding for all schools.

The opposition parties meanwhile welcomed the decision because they understand it as drawing a divide between public and private education. Former education minister and vice president of the Social Democrats (SD) Jernej Pikalo said the decision addressed existing unclarities and that it confirmed what the SD had been striving for all along.

The Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) is also happy with the decision, while the Left said that the court only highlighted the decision it had already made in 2014. It believes that a solution would be to amend the Constitution so as to say that the state takes care of the public service, while private initiative is a matter of one's own responsibility.

While the Education Ministry told the STA it is yet to look into the decision, the Montessori private primary school in Ljubljana and a parents' civil initiative want the decision about 100% funding for mandatory curricula to be implemented as soon as possible.

Pavel Demšar, the headmaster of the Montessori school, said the decision announced today only confirmed the 2014 decision. He hopes the school's mandatory curricula will be fully funded as soon as possible, while saying that he needs more time to look into what the court said about non-mandatory curricula.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

PM says easing of lockdown could start in a week

LJUBLJANA - As Slovenia preserved a flat curve of new coronavirus cases - reports for Monday said confirmed cases were up by 35 to 1,055 and the death toll rose by 6 to 36 - PM Janez Janša announced that some of the restrictive measures could perhaps be eased as early as next Tuesday, provided that certain conditions, including the stability of the healthcare system, are met. He said the government was examining the possibility of relaunching manufacturing, part of the services sector, commerce and transport if protective measures are implemented. Janša was critical of developments in the EU, saying solidarity in the procurement of protective gear was non-existent and suggesting a failure to support corona bonds could imperil the future of the common currency and even of the bloc.

Top court: State doesn't have to fund non-mandatory curricula at private schools

LJUBLJANA - More than five years after deciding the state must provide equal funding for public and private primary schools, the Constitutional Court has specified that this applies only to the mandatory part of school curricula at private schools but not to non-mandatory curricula, such as morning and afternoon care, or remedial tutoring. The court said that legislation stipulating that non-mandatory curricula at private schools get 85% of the funds provided for public schools was not unconstitutional. Left-leaning parties, which the court criticised for keeping funding for both curricula at 85% after the 2014 ruling, welcomed the news, suggesting their interpretation had been vindicated, while the senior coalition Democrats (SDS) believe the decision opens new questions.

Debate on giving military police powers postponed

LJUBLJANA - Parliament backed a coalition proposal to postpone a debate on granting the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) limited police powers to help patrol the border to contain illegal migration while many policemen are helping in the country's anti-Covid 19 efforts. The coalition gave no formal reason for the postponement of the debate, which was meant to end without a vote, angering the opposition, which opposes giving the SAF police powers for up to three months. But the idea is to consult constitutional jurists on whether parliament can vote on giving the SAF police powers even if a government motion to do so failed to win the required two-thirds majority on the parliamentary Defence Committee last week.

Parliament embraces remote voting

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly voted with the needed two-thirds majority in favour of changes to the rules of procedure that allow it to hold sessions and vote remotely in exceptional circumstances such as the coronavirus epidemic or some other natural disaster. The amendmentsallow MPs in exceptional circumstances to debate and vote remotely with the help of information and communication technology at a plenary session, and in some cases at sessions of parliamentary working bodies. The sessions will be public. It will be possible for a remote session to be called in case of a natural or other grave accident (a state of emergency), if a session with MPs present in person is a risk to MPs' health or safety and when such a session is urgent to pass decisions that cannot be delayed.

MPs pass referendum act changes to prevent slowing of epidemic-mitigating laws

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislative changes that will shorten the period for laws, which cannot be challenged in referendi, to take effect. The changes were passed with 66 votes in favour and 8 against, are expected to speed up the implementation of laws designed to alleviate consequences of the Covid-19 epidemic by 8 days. The changes stipulate that the relevant bills would take effect immediately after the upper chamber showed no intention of vetoing them. The changes will only apply to bills that cannot be challenged with a referendum. The government may decide that a bill cannot be subjected to a referendum if its purpose is to introduce emergency measures for reasons of defence and security, and to mitigate consequences of natural disasters.

Healthcare system preparing Covid-19 exit strategy

LJUBLJANA - After focussing all resources on Covid-19 patients and emergency cases since mid-March, the Slovenian healthcare system is preparing to gradually reopen to other patients while taking stringent precautionary measures. Hospitals have already received instructions from the Ministry of Health to start accepting other patients. In the first phase of the exit strategy the country's biggest hospital, UKC Ljubljana, plans to start accepting patients with the level of urgency indicated on referrals 'fast' along with the 'urgent' and 'very fast' that it is accepting now. At UKC Maribor, medical councils are going through medical files to determine the order in which the hospital will start admitting other patients that need treatment.

State borrows another EUR 2.25 billion

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian state has borrowed another EUR 2.25 billion by carrying out a new 10-year bond issue and expanding the amounts of the previous two bond issues, the business newspaper Finance reported, referring to Bloomberg. The government has issued anew a 10-year bond worth one billion euro, increased the amount of a bond issue due in August 2045 by EUR 100 million and of a recent three-year bond issue, due in March 2023, by EUR 1.15 billion. Since the coronavirus epidemic was declared in mid-March, the state has expanded the amounts certain bond issues and also issued more than half a billion worth in treasury bonds of different maturity. It has borrowed a total of EUR 5.4 billion this year.

Stock market index surges 6%

LJUBLJANA - The SBI TOP index of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange continued to recover, surging 6.11% to 780.64 points as all blue chips recorded strong gains, the biggest gainer being the port operator Luka Koper (+10.59% to EUR 18.80). The drug maker Krka accounted for around a third of the daily turnover of some EUR 3 million. Following Luka Koper in terms of gains were the insurers Sava Re (+9.15% to EUR 15.50) and Zavarovalnica Triglav (+8.11% to EUR 28). Krka gained 6.38% to EUR 70 on deals worth EUR 1.02 million and was the most coveted item today, followed by the energy company Petrol (+4.61% to EUR 295), which accounted for EUR 584,090 in deals.

Real estate market waiting for coronavirus epidemic to end

LJUBLJANA - The real estate market has slowed down due to lockdown measures to restrict the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. But while real estate agencies have seen a significant drop in turnover, they say clients have not abandoned their intentions to buy or lease, and that the true impact of the crisis would depend on the duration of the epidemic and its effect on purchasing power. According to Boštjan Udovič, the head of the Real Estate Association at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), the number of transactions is dropping, but prices remain stable.

President says electoral law reform should return to agenda

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor thinks a reform of electoral law in accordance with a 2018 Constitutional Court decision should return to the political agenda as soon as the situation permits. "This issue affects democracy in Slovenia. Elections are not everything, but without elections there is no democracy," he told the STA. "Of course we cannot press ahead with this now, but as soon as we find the opportune time allowing us to dedicate ourselves to this matter, we have to focus on it. We cannot afford a shadow of constitutional doubt hanging over the next election," he said.

Fiscal Council finds government coronavirus measures justified

LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council, the body overseeing Slovenia's adherence to the fiscal rule, endorsed the measures taken by the government to contain the coronavirus epidemic and mitigate its consequences. It said the Slovenian government's measures were for the most part in agreement with recommendations by international organisations and comparable in scope to measures taken by other countries. However, in the future the measures must be more targeted, simple and limited in duration.

Postal company reports higher revenue, profit below target for 2019

MARIBOR - Pošta Slovenije, the national postal company, generated EUR 262.7 million in revenue last year, EUR 12 million more than the year before. While failing to disclose the profit figure, the company said it was substantially below projections. The main reason for the lower-than-expected profitability is mainly a pay deal the company had struck with trade unions. Director-general Boris Novak could not project yet how the coronavirus pandemic will affect the company's operations and bottom-line, noting that the effects on the economy were multi-faceted while it was yet to be seen how fast production processes and logistic chains returned to normal.

Soaring demand for digital content recorded in March

LJUBLJANA - Demand for content on Slovenian digital platforms surged to record values in the second half of March as Slovenia switched to a coronavirus lockdown mode, an analysis carried out by advertising agency Iprom shows. The number of users of online platforms increased by 52% over February and they consumed an average of 75% more content daily. Content for children and youth posted the biggest rises: its average daily reach was up 166% and daily visits by 213%.

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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 and designers. Today it’s Janja Rozman and Damjana Sušnik, from Ljubljana Castle. You can see more of this series of posters here.

Contents

Number of detected coronavirus cases up by 35 to 1,055, death toll at 36

All critical groups have enough protective gear to get by, more shipments expected

PM says easing of lockdown could start in a week

Number of detected coronavirus cases up by 35 to 1,055, death toll at 36

STA, 7 April 2020 - The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Slovenia rose by 35 to 1,055 on Monday and six more people died, bringing the death toll to 36, show the latest statistics released by the government. The number of people in hospital care was 111, 31 of which were in intensive care.

The total number of new positive cases was 23 on Sunday, but only 489 tests were conducted on Sunday compared to 1,202 on Monday.

Health authorities have so far performed 29,455 tests, usually conducting around 1,000 per day.

The number of confirmed cases among health staff is 189, while the number of infected elderly in nursing homes has risen to 219.

The number of people discharged from hospital after being treated for Covid-19 increased by 13 to 115 on Monday.

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All critical groups have enough protective gear to get by, more shipments expected

STA, 7 April 2020 - All critical groups in Slovenia currently have enough protective gear to get by, chief of the civil protection service Srečko Šestan told the STA on Tuesday. However, no accumulation of the equipment is possible yet, he added. More shipments of protective gear are expected in the coming days.

Šestan did not go into detail about the expected new shipments, but he said that the civil protection was making room for the gear in its warehouse.

"We expect quite a few big shipments shortly. When the first arrives in Slovenia, we will present the contract and all the details about it," coronavirus crisis spokesperson Jelko Kacin told the press today.

He added the government was planning to report on new purchases of protective gear on a weekly basis. "But as we all know the situation on the market - especially the Chinese - is very difficult. We can hear in the news every day how countries come, pay more for equipment that has already been paid for, and manage to redirect it.

"In such a situation it is very difficult to talk about transparency. But we will inform you on a daily basis on what has been ordered, and how much we will pay for it when it arrives."

Šestan said there was currently no vulnerable group in the country without protective gear. But he admitted that the stock was still not big enough for every citizen to get a mask as many might expect. "We might even come to that, but not in the next few days."

Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek announced on Twitter on Friday that three millions of three-pleat masks were in, and on Saturday he reported of a shipment of 336,000 three-pleat masks and 10,800 protective suits.

The Slovenian aviation portal Sierra5 meanwhile reported that a Boeing 777-300 of the Russian airline Nordwind Airlines had touched down today at the Ljubljana airport, bringing medical equipment from China.

The portal said that the passenger aircraft had brought 40 tonnes of equipment, mostly three-pleat face masks, to Slovenia.

The 24ur news portal reported that it was a private donation. This was later confirmed for the STA by the Economy Ministry, which added that the donor wished to remain anonymous.

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PM says easing of lockdown could start in a week

STA, 7 April 2020 - PM Janez Janša has announced that some of the restrictive measures related to the coronavirus epidemic could perhaps be eased as early as next Tuesday, provided that certain conditions, including the stability of the healthcare system, are met. Janša was critical of developments in the EU, including of the lack of support for corona bonds.

In a special announcement on Tuesday evening, Janša said that the government was examining the possibility of relaunching manufacturing, part of the services sector, commerce and transport if protective measures are implemented.

Provided that the epidemic eases further, that testing is expanded at critical points such as nursing homes and that infections are better controlled, some restrictions of movement could also be gradually eased, the prime minister added.

"But we must be aware of the undeniable fact that an alternative to loosing supervision of the source of the contagion can only be drastic restriction of contacts."

Janša suggested that the healthcare system was still exposed, as almost a fifth of all infested persons in Slovenia are healthcare workers. "The curve of the spreading of the virus is no longer climbing steeply, it is more horizontal, but it is still not dropping."

He added that without control of infected persons and additional testing of their contacts, it would not be possible to scale down the current movement restrictions only to a few areas.

Janša noted that people sticking to the restriction of movement to the municipal boundaries had significantly reduced the possibility of new infections and creation of new hot spots last week.

He also called for understanding of the "fact that we cannot ease certain measures as quickly as the countries which reacted to the epidemic days or even weeks ahead of us, while they were also institutionally ready, unlike us."

Meanwhile, Janša also voiced criticism of the EU, saying "European solidarity, which depends solely on the institutions of the EU, does not exist in practice when it comes to protective equipment".

"Since the start of the epidemic we've not received a single mask, a single piece of protective equipment, not a single ventilator from the EU. Not a single so called joint European procurement procedure has been completed with even one supply case," he said.

Janša commended the ECB and European commission on easing aid rules, but added: "However, the key instrument, so called corona bonds...still do not have sufficient support from the wealthiest EU members. This is the point where the future of our joint currency is weighed today, as well as the future of the EU."

Meanwhile, the opposition Left and Social Democrats (SD) again called on the government to lift the ban on non-essential travel between municipalities, arguing that a vast majority of people are sticking to the lockdown measures.

The SD said that citizens were disciplined and protected their own health and health of their families, adding that the ban on travel outside the municipality of the permanent or temporary residence was "nonsensical and excessive."

Left MP Matej T. Vatovec said that "we see that the things are moving slightly forward, and we hope that the government will also realise that certain measures were premature and that it will start taking steps back."

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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

Healthcare system preparing Covid-19 exit strategy

Covid-19 hotline becomes barometer of public atmosphere

Fiscal Council finds government coronavirus measures justified

Do Foreigners Feel Safer in Slovenia?

Healthcare system preparing Covid-19 exit strategy

STA, 7 April 2020 - After focussing all resources on Covid-19 patients and emergency cases since mid-March, the Slovenian healthcare system is preparing to gradually reopen to other patients while taking stringent precautionary measures. Hospitals have already received instructions from the Ministry of Health to start accepting other patients.

Because of the coronavirus epidemic, hospitals and other health institutions around the country have limited their services to treating emergency cases, cancer patients, child deliveries and paediatric cases.

But medical experts have been issuing increasingly dire warnings that such a regime must not last too long. Tit Albreht from the Public Health Institute has said a plan should be made before the summer on how to reactivate the healthcare system so as to prevent long-term detrimental effects on the population.

If patients with chronic diseases do not receive proper treatment this will become a big problem, he told the STA.

"You cannot freeze healthcare for 18 months or a year, because you run the risk of losing more patients to various other problems and chronic disease than to the epidemic," said Albreht, who is in charge of the Health Security Centre at the institute.

"A person who needs an operation, which may not be urgently needed right now, will have to be operated in a few months because by then it may become urgent."

In the first phase of the exit strategy, the country's biggest hospital, UKC Ljubljana, plans to start accepting patients with the level of urgency (which is indicated on referrals) 'fast', next to the 'urgent' and 'very fast' that it is accepting now.

UKC Ljubljana kept its hospital activity at 80% throughout the epidemic, according to Zlatko Fras, medical director of the internal clinic at UKC.

Doctors are dealing with some urgent cases alongside emergency cases via telephone or e-mail and the two channels will be used in the future as well.

"The backlog of a month or a month and a half will not be easy to make up but we'll do our best," Fras said. Specialist appointments and diagnostics will be increased gradually, he said.

According to the head of the gastroenterological unit at UKC, Borut Štabuc, endoscopic procedures will be launched again soon, and all patients with the level of urgency 'fast' and 'very fast' should be able to get treatment by the end of the month.

In order for all these patients to receive treatment, afternoon appointments will be introduced just like for cancer patients and patients with inflammatory bowel disease who are receiving biological drugs. The clinic also plans to work on Saturdays.

The head of the nephrology unit at UKC Ljubljana, Miha Arnol, said the epidemic had not changed much for dialyse patients, so 260-270 of them had been receiving regular treatment despite the epidemic. All patients are being tested for coronavirus and three cases of infections have been confirmed so far.

Patients with transplants are a very sensitive group as well. The condition of those in early stages after transplantation is being monitored using telemedicine, while transplant activity for non-urgent cases has been suspended. "We are conducting about 1,500 check-ups a day, which is about a third of all check-ups conducted before the epidemic," Arnol said.

UKC Ljubljana is now taking in the most demanding cases from all over the country, especially in cases requiring specialists in ophthalmology, neurology, dental medicine and otorhinolaryngology. The paediatric clinic is working with the most vulnerable children.

Annually about a million people are examined at UKC Ljubljana and some 100,000 people are hospitalised. UKC Ljubljana has about a third of all hospital capabilities in the country and during the epidemic, about 1,000 patients are at the hospital on a daily basis, about 50 of whom are Covid-19 patients.

Meanwhile, at UKC Maribor, 512 patients with conditions other than Covid-19 are hospitalised at the moment, and the hospital is treating all patients with the level of urgency 'urgent' and 'very fast'.

Several hundred such patients are treated daily, which is three times less than in the same period last year, Matjaž Vogrin, the hospital's medical director, told public broadcaster RTV Slovenija late last night. The number of hospitalised patients is 40% lower than in the same period last year.

Vogrin stressed in the Odmevi late news show that no member of the medical staff had gotten infected with coronavirus at the hospital so far, which showed that protective measures were working.

Currently, special medical councils are going through medical files to determine the order in which the hospital will start admitting other patients that need treatment.

Dušan Deisinger, medical director of the Izola hospital, told Odmevi they had no Covid-19 patients at the moment and were accepting only urgent cases and patients who need treatment very fast. The number of hospitalised patients is about a third of what the hospital had before the epidemic.

The hospital will now start accepting more patients in line with the ministry's recommendation.

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Covid-19 hotline becomes barometer of public atmosphere

STA, 7 April 2020 - The UKC Ljubljana hospital launched a coronavirus crisis hotline four weeks ago, as Covid-19 contagion started taking hold in Slovenia. The call centre, manned by a crew of senior medical students guided by mentors, has since become much more than a hotline, growing into what is seen as a barometer of public atmosphere.

The centre is doing a very important job, government speaker Jelko Kacin said on Monday. It takes hundreds of calls a day and is in direct contact with the people, allowing an insight into which measures need to be clarified and what the people are worried about, as well as what they are happy with.

He said that the government looked into all the proposals forwarded to the call centre with care, one of them being the recent reopening of florists' shops and nurseries.

The hotline is available every day of the week at 080 1404 between 8am and 8pm, with callers having to wait for a response no longer than 30 seconds on average, said Mojca Matičič of the Ljubljana Infectious Diseases Clinic, which launched the hotline.

In total, the hotline was called more than 21,000 times, with the highest numbers, about 1,200 a day, reached after the government announced the closure of schools and presented the crisis stimulus package.

Matičič praised the team working in the centre, saying they were not only very knowledgeable but also showed a lot of empathy, commitment and dedication, and were very good in appeasing some callers, while warning others.

She said the basic purpose of the call centre to provide reliable information to the public has long since been surpassed, adding that the subject of the calls varied from one week to another, depending on the developments in the country.

In the first two weeks, people were calling in to ask about Covid-19 testing and the closure of borders and schools. Then they were calling about the use of protective gear, social distancing and movement restrictions, whereas most recently they are more worried about care provided by retirement homes and the functioning of the healthcare system.

Some callers also phone in to report people breaking quarantine and self-isolation and are steered to the relevant inspection services.

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Fiscal Council finds government coronavirus measures justified

STA, 7 April 2020 - The body overseeing Slovenia's adherence to the fiscal rule has endorsed the measures taken by the government to contain the coronavirus epidemic and mitigate its consequences, finding that extensive and multi-layered effective action by the government has been warranted.

The Fiscal Council, in a release issued on Tuesday, ascertained that the Slovenian government's measures were for the most part in agreement with recommendations by international organisations and by scope comparable to measures taken by other countries.

"Despite the temporary departure from fiscal sustainability over the mid-term being justified and taking into account the discussions upon the passage of the [EUR 3 billion stimulus] law, we are calling on all stakeholders that in taking further measures they follow even more than in the process so far the principles of the targeted nature of the measures addressing the consequences of the epidemic, their simplicity and time limitations," reads the release.

Considering the increased social and economic uncertainty and the substantial cost to public finances, the Fiscal Council recommends a more careful consideration as to when or in which phase of the battle against the epidemic certain measures would be the most effective and when potential stimulus measures would be needed to restart the economy.

The council says that it will crucially depend on the combination of the measures taken and their implementation whether the Slovenian economy will await the end of the epidemic in a shape that will allow it to exit the crisis as fast as possible.

A fast exit from the crisis and restoration of trust is one of the urgent conditions required to ensure social security and economic prosperity as well as to maintain fiscal sustainability in the long term.

International organisations recommend taking measures in a sequence that best addresses individual fields affected. "On those recommendations it is first necessary to ensure suitable means meet the health system's needs. In the next phase it is necessary to see to preserving jobs and allowing the economy to function as normally as possible."

Back in March, the Fiscal Council said that declaring an epidemic allowed temporary deviation from the mid-term structural budget balance. Given the projections of a substantial economic contraction, the measures taken will result in a high general government deficit and will push up government debt.

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STA, 7 April 2020 - The real estate market has slowed down as measures to restrict the spread of the coronavirus epidemic have been introduced, with deals concluded only retroactively and property inspected only on-line. Real estate agencies have seen a significant drop in turnover, which they hope will be compensated after the epidemic ends.

Agencies say that clients have not abandoned their intentions to buy or lease real estate, and that the true impact of the crisis would depend on the duration of the epidemic and the purchasing power after it.

Boštjan Udovič, the head of the Real Estate Association at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), has told the STA that real estate agencies are currently only providing services which could be provided without physical contact with clients.

Some real estate agencies have completely suspended their work, and "turnover has dropped significantly", he said. It will be possible to compensate for this after the epidemic ends, but this will depend on the general economic situation and purchasing power.

The real estate agency Stoja Trade is concluding contracts retroactively for deals agreed on before the measures were introduced. "Instead of inspections in person, we send interactive video clips of real estate to our clients," director Zoran Đukić has told the STA.

Zoran Veleski of Mreža Nepremičnin added that the number of calls from potential clients and demand in general had dropped in comparison with recent months, "which is understandable, as people are dealing with other priorities".

While the number of transactions is dropping, prices remain stable. "Everybody is waiting for quarantine to end, and prices will depend on the duration of quarantine," he assessed.

The short-term lease market is practically dead, as tourist visits have ground to a halt. "Many real estate units, which had been intended for temporary lease to tourists, are now empty. Some of them have already been placed on the market," Udovič said.

He believes that this, if the state fails to take quick measures, will not result in growth of the long-term lease market, as owners still almost exclusively decide to rent their real estate for less than 12 months for one reason or another.

Đukić expects a slight market correction when it comes to rental real estate because of the apartments which used to be leased via Airbnb. "There will be no major changes in the prices of rents, but the crunch will ease."

According to Udovič, the key will be the developments in the first months after the end of the epidemic, as turnover on the real estate market largely depends on the economic and financial state of the country and consumer confidence.

"If they reduce their consumption out of caution, the real estate market will suffer a huge blow," he said, adding that the state had taken measures aimed at preventing such consequences relatively quickly.

Stoja Trade has established that clients have only postponed the planned transactions, as a majority of clients are waiting for quarantine to end, and "if this does not take too long, major changes are not expected due to the specifics and small size of the market".

Đukić also expects that, considering the situation on stock markets and financial markets, people will continue to opt for safer investments, including real estate, which keeps its value in the long run.

Veleski agreed that real estate is one of the safest investments, but he also assessed that the situation on the market will depend on the duration of the lockdown measures and the drop in GDP.

"We can only hope that the government will support the economy with measures similar to those in other EU member states and that it would not leave the construction sector high and dry again," he added.

The experts have assessed that the measures from the EUR 3 billion legislative package to aid the economy and individuals will be useful, adding that it is understandable that it was not able to tackle all issues.

Udovič expects additional measures in the coming weeks, which would be focused on keeping the economic activity running. "From the aspect of real estate, care for an investment momentum after the end of the epidemic will be of particular importance."

He also expects that if the situation permits, the government will start easing up on the restrictions related to certain services, including real estate agencies.

Veleski noted that in addition to wages and social security contributions, companies have many other costs which they are not able to cover for months if their turnover is zero.

"The passed legislation is certainly beneficial also for our activity. I have concluded based on talks with agents and many others who are not part of our team, that they will be able to survive these few months," he added.

STA, 6 April 2020 - The government-sponsored amendments that would set down the National Assembly's course of action in case of a referendum initiative challenging a law that cannot be challenged under the constitution is likely to garner the needed two-thirds majority in parliament to pass, judging by parties' indications.

The Public Administration Ministry told the STA on Monday that the coalition had pledged its full support for the amendments to the referendum law, while the only opposition faction to voice its vocal dissent was the Left.

Speaking to the STA, the head of the Left's deputy faction, Matej T. Vatovec confirmed their opposition but said that they were yet to decide whether they would vote against the proposal or abstain.

Noting that the same solutions had been under discussion in the previous term, Vatovec said the Left was against restrictions to the referendum initiative in principle. The party has also voted against the constitutional amendment that sets forth when a referendum cannot be called.

The constitutional amendments passed in 2013 ban referendums on laws deemed vital for the country's defence and security or tackling the consequences of natural disasters, along with laws dealing with taxes, budget implementation, ratification of international treaties, and laws correcting existing unconstitutional provisions.

Vatovec believes the motive behind the latest change to the referendum law is the government's desire to enforce laws as fast as possible, which he finds contentious because it means all laws could presume retroactivity and because he believes referendum is not a mechanism whereby constitutionality or technical issues are established, but rather an expression of people's disagreement with a political course taken.

Information available to the STA indicates that the opposition Social Democrats (SD) have no major misgivings about the government proposal, whereas the former prime minister's Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) has some, so it plans to table amendments and then decide on how to vote depending on the discussion and amendments passed.

The deputy groups of the opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) and National Party (SNS) told the STA the government could count on their support, with SNS leader Zmago Jelinčič adding that he hoped the new provisions would not be abused.

Under the new amendments, the laws that cannot be challenged in a referendum could be promulgated as soon as the upper chamber's potential reservations ceased.

Under exiting law, the speaker of the lower chamber sends laws to the head of state to promulgate them on the eighth day after adoption, except when a referendum initiative or a veto by the upper chamber has been submitted in the meantime.

President Borut Pahor, who promulgates laws, expressed support for the amendments, saying that they would allow greater efficiency in a democratic way and within the "framework of the constitution and law".

"The proposal is strong proof that both the executive and legislative branches want to act in line with the constitution in these extraordinary circumstances. This is also my wish as president," he added.

Noting that a two-thirds majority in parliament was needed, Pahor said that it was "right that a broad discussion is held, that possible reservations are expressed, but that the amendments are eventually passed".

The president assessed the safeguards as sufficient, as "the right to referendum is not being taken away, but the implementation of a low is only being sped up", adding that only measures which were really necessary should be adopted this way.

The amendments to the referendum law would cut short procedures to enact measures to fight the coronavirus epidemic and mitigate its consequences.

The National Council, the upper chamber of parliament, has already expressed its plan to actively avoid vetoing emergency laws in order to accelerate their implementation, and has already demonstrated its commitment by waiving its right to veto the EUR 3 billion stimulus package.

The government has proposed for the referendum reform bill to be passed by emergency procedure, which the college of deputy groups endorsed today.

The bill will be first read by the parliamentary Interior Affairs and Local Government Committee on Tuesday morning and then at the plenary in the afternoon.

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:

Coronavirus death toll in Slovenia rises to 30 as infections top 1,000

LJUBLJANA - Two persons infected with Covid-19 died in Slovenia on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 30. The number of confirmed infections rose by 24 in a day to 1,021, showed the latest statistics released on Monday by the government. The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital rose by six to 114 but was still below the end of March peak of 120. Of those, 30 were in intensive care, one fewer than on Saturday. The head of the Koper unit of the the Institute of Public Health Milan Krek said the current measures had helped turn the curve of new daily cases. He however urged caution, saying future behaviour will determine whether the epidemic calms or cases rise from 1,000 to 10,000.

Some industries could be restarted after Easter holidays

LJUBLJANA - The government is preparing measures to enable some industries to relaunch operations immediately after the Easter holidays if the current trend in the number of persons diagnosed with Covid-19 continues, government spokesman Jelko Kacin announced. "The government could examine as early as this week measures which would enable the re-start of certain braches of industry already after the Easter holidays, if this positive tend continues." Similarly, the Chamber of Commerce (TZS) hopes the first stores which have been subject to closure since 16 March will reopen after Easter. It thus plans to make an assessment of the situation this week and draft a proposal for their reopening.

Slovenia planning to issue three different bonds in near future

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is planning to issue 10-year and 3-year bonds and will look into the possibility of issuing 30-year bonds, with the Finance Ministry giving the mandate to organise the deals to Barclays, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan. Considering previous experience, the sales may take place soon. Slovenia needs the funds so as to be able to cope with the coronavirus epidemic. The first stimulus package, passed last week, is worth EUR 3 billion and a new one is already in the works. However, the ministry did not specify how much money the government would raise this time.

Slovenia to ask for aid from EU Civil Protection Mechanism

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia is planning to ask for aid in the form of protective gear as part of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, and is also examining a possibility of asking NATO to help with air transport, Defence Minister Matej Tonin told Slovenian reporters in Brussels after a teleconference with EU defence ministers. The government could discuss the request for EU aid in the coming days. He also highlighted an agreement reached at international level not to send any new soldiers to missions and operations in the next three months, which will affect the Slovenian mission in Kosovo, where a new contingent was to be sent this month.

Slovenia supports joint statement on coronavirus measures

LJUBLJANA - Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič expressed support for the recent statement by a group of EU member states saying that the emergency measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic must be proportionate, in line with the constitution and implemented for a limited period of time. Slovenia's support in principle was announced after a video-conference of EU justice ministers. Slovenia has so far not joined the statement, which does not explicitly mention any country, but it is belives to target Hungary. The decision about joining it is in the domain of the Foreign Ministry, which said Slovenia does not have any problem with it, but would like it to be adopted by all 27 members as a sign of unity.

Support for referendum law reform appears sufficient

LJUBLJANA - Government-sponsored amendments transposing changes to the constitution into a law and setting down the National Assembly's course of action in case of a referendum initiative challenging a law that cannot be challenged under the constitution, are likely to garner the needed two-thirds majority on Tuesday. The Public Administration Ministry said the coalition had pledged its full support for the amendments to the referendum law, with only the opposition Left against. Under the amendments, the laws that cannot be challenged in a referendum could be promulgated as soon as the upper chamber's potential reservations ceased. Support for them was also expressed by President Borut Pahor, who promulgates laws. He said they would allow for greater efficiency in a democratic way.

Hospitals in Slovenia got nearly 70 new ventilators last week

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has been acquiring medical and protective equipment to better face the coronavirus epidemic for weeks. Last week, the Agency for Commodity Reserves delivered 66 mechanical ventilators to hospitals, as well as 1.83 million three-layer face masks and over 401,000 FFP2 masks. Economic Development and Technology Minister Zdravko Počivalšek wrote on Twitter that other institutions had also received masks. He is also very excited about the launch of mask production in Slovenia, saying that half a million masks would be produced this week alone.

President and ambassador mark Slovenian-American Friendship Day

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and US Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard met to mark the Slovenian-American Friendship and Alliance Day, with Pahor calling for the end of hostility among nations and for cooperation among nations against the Covid-19 pandemic. Blanchard, as quoted as saying by Pahor's office, said challenges ahead will be faced in cooperation, a tradition celebrated by the Slovenian-American Friendship and Alliance Day. The day has been celebrated for seven years, however this was the first time a ceremony was not held in the village of Andraž nad Polzelo, where a US aircraft was shot down in 1944 by the Nazis.

Bishops see civic maturity tested again like 30 years ago

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for Justice and Peace of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference recalled the first free multi-party elections in Slovenia 30 years ago likening the situation at the time to the coronavirus crisis in which the bishops see "our civic duty, responsibility" put to test again. The epidemic has brought down the "self-deception that nothing really bad can happen to us", Anton Stres, the conference's head and former Ljubljana archbishop, wrote in the message. The commission said the current developments were yet another warning of how decisive each election is "because through it we appoint authorities that in moments of crisis (...) almost everything depends on".

Several companies resuming production

NOVO MESTO/BEGUNJE/ŽIRI - Several Slovenian companies announced they would shortly relauch production after suspending or scaling it down amind the coronavirus epidemic. Caravan maker Adria Mobil will restart it on Tuesday after it temporarily suspended it in mid-March, with support services and management resuming their operations already today. Footwear manufacturer Alpina relaunched production to a certain extent after a ten-day shutdown due to demand, hoping the situation could soon go back to normal. Sports goods maker Elan's production meanwhile remains suspended. It said production could presumably be resumed after Easter, depending on the development of the epidemic.

Farm organisations urge measures to mitigate damage to sector

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian agriculture organisations raised concern about "huge" damage to business due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, urging the government to take a series of measures, including curbs on meat imports and increased purchase of produce for national commodity reserves. Farm organisations from the north-east of the country, the centre of Slovenia's farming sector, reported serious disruption in sales of meat, dairy and wine and the damage suffered by complementary activities such as farmsteads. They said many farms were unable to sell livestock and pigs due to a lack of interest by the purchasers at home and closure of foreign markets.

UEFA boss wants to see govt express a more optimistic view

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian lawyer and UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin believes Slovenian authorities should express a bit more optimistic view of the situation as the country is fighting the coronavirus epidemic. In an interview for sport newspaper EkipaSN, the head of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) said he was sick of "everyday pessimism and apocalypticism" in public appearances of Slovenian politicians. Asked whether he was thinking about entering Slovenian politics, he said the job of UEFA president was where his mind was all the time, but confirmed he had been receiving such propositions lately.

OECD finds Slovenia a leader in public procurement transparency

LJUBLJANA - An OECD report has found Slovenia to be one of the most transparent OECD countries in the field of public procurement, yet it recommended it to open up its public procurement procedures to more experimentation and innovative methods. Slovenia was the fist public procurement case study for a group of experts from the OECD and the European Commission focusing on structural change to public polices in a project that saw the OECD partner up with the EU and the Slovenian government, the Public Administration Ministry said.

Fuel prices drop to one euro

LJUBLJANA - Administered fuel prices in Slovenia will further drop to eleven-year lows on Tuesday despite the government increasing excise duties today. Regular and diesel sold at service stations outside the motorway network will cost one euro per litre, the Government Communication Office said. The last time regular cost less than a euro was in April 2009 and diesel in May 2009 during the last financial crisis. The two fuels are now sold at EUR 1.029 and EUR 1.017 per litre, respectively.

Dystopian play about warehouse workers wins Grum Prize

KRANJ - A dystopian play by Tjaša Mislej about four workers working and living in a giant warehouse won this year's Slavko Grum Prize for best new Slovenian play. Four women are doing their monotonous job where no buyer or anyone else can see them. Their work in isolation is tedious and endless, reminiscent of work in a labour camp. Mislej will receive the award at the end of the 50th Slovenian Drama Week, which was postponed until further notice due to the coronavirus epidemic.

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