The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 3 April 2020. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: Govt using coronavirus to push its own agenda

STA, 3 April 2020 - Commenting on the government's actions in the light of the coronavirus epidemic, the left-wing weekly Mladina argues that Prime Minister Janez Janša is capitalising on the coronavirus crisis and driving his own political agenda by proposing extreme measures that use people's fears to appear warranted.

One would hope that Janša has learned his lesson after three "thunderous falls from power", that he "finally knows he must respect democracy, the existence of different opinions, that experts' opinions are professional even if people have different political beliefs, and most notably, that in this country one cannot rule this way".

When he started showing first signs of doing just that, driving disproportionate measures to bend Slovenia's society to his will, it was first thought that the extreme times called for a bit tougher ruling methods to ensure that citizens internalise Covid-19 containment measures or it was said that the government was still finding its feet during difficult circumstances.

However, the situation has escalated quickly, says the commentary headlined Propaganda War, adding that Janša's party, the Democrats' (SDS), is truly admiring the developments in Hungary.

History teaches us that there is plenty of people who "want to have absolute power and who actually see democracy as something which limits them. And that such people are currently leading quite a few countries".

"Everything that seems like a bad version of a grotesque is true," says Mladina, listing a few examples when Janša pushed his own agenda of "transforming this nation into one great SDS party", such as convincing people that some citizens were actually flocking to tourist spots over last weekend.

Some media found families and individuals at the seaside and lakeside resorts, but they talked about "an invasion". The government knew this did not actually happen - "the police issued only some 90 warnings across Slovenia, and only a few in the Gorenjska and Primorska regions" which are deemed the most popular for weekend trips, but the situation nevertheless paved the way for a ban on movement outside municipal units.

On top of that, the government's coronavirus crisis spokesperson Jelko Kacin scolded couples and families for sitting closely to each other on benches in parks as if they were children.

The weekly wonders why such conduct is tolerated if families are after all allowed to stay together during the crisis. Moreover, it also points out that the government has made a clear distinction between couples and "couples" by laying down that only those living in shared households are allowed to be with each other during the lockdown.

After the introduction of the municipal ban, children of divorced parents are not even allowed to see the other parent if they live in another municipality.

Mladina hence argues that the government is "abusing the epidemic of a dangerous virus for its own political purposes", capitalising on our fears and distress.

Such actions should not be tolerated, particularly in such circumstances, says editor-in-chief Grega Repovž, adding that relevant data show citizens are actually respecting the restrictions and should deserve praise for that.

Demokracija: Condemns media critical of govt

STA, 2 April 2020 - The right-wing weekly Demokracija is critical in its commentary on Thursday of "leftist mainstream media attacking the centre-right government willy-nilly with heavy artillery". It says this reaction is understandable because anti-coronavirus measures have not only been well-received by the people, but also undermine the leftists' agenda.

This agenda is known as cultural Marxism and is based on the undermining of traditional values. These ideas have long been spread by a variety of NGOS, mostly founded and funded by George Soros, the weekly's editor-in-chief Jože Biščak says under the headline Resurrection.

"Now this delusional dream of Slovenia again becoming a swampy socialist community, are bursting... The hardest blow being that LGBT activists and retarded social scientists can no longer brainwash students."

Now, for at least a few months, upbringing in back in "the right hands - the hands of parents". Parents must build a mental wall in the heads of their offspring so that "no degenerate leftist idea will ever again come near the brains of our descendants".

Children must come to understand that there are only two sexes and that each has its own historical burden in preserving a nation. They must understand that "hordes of foreigners from Africa and the Mohammedan world cannot replace noble Slovenian women and courageous Slovenian men".

"These days, luckily, we are witnessing a slight turning in Slovenia back to the family, religion, patriotism, the almost forgotten principles, above all there can again be seen a return to values that allowed the Slovenian nation to survive."

Demokracija says leftist media fear that Slovenia would wake up a different nation after the coronavirus epidemic. "Not a dictatorship, a threat they have been using to scare the people, but a country of free people, who showed in isolation their true solidarity and brought back humble pray to God."

"This will be a renewed resurrection, in which progressive 'rebellion' will disappear and Slovenia will be on its way to a new future, where nothing will be out of reach of hard-working hands."

All our posts in this series are here

Do foreigners in Slovenia feel more or less safe sitting out covid-19 here than in their home country, and what are their experiences? All the stories in this series are here. If you' like to contribute, see here or at the end of the story

Rick Harsch is an American writer with a voice of his own who lives in Izola. You can learn more about his life and work, pre-coronavirus, in this previous interview.

Firstly, how are you? Tell us a little about your situation and sanity levels.

I’m lucky because I was already in relative isolation. Now I have the company of my children. They have phones to keep them in contact with the world. My wife does some editing across the apartment from me. Nobody gets on anybody’s nerves. I am a writer and editor, so the only thing that is affected is that with the suffering I am aware of, for so long in Italy, now in the US, and I fear the coming crisis in India, I can’t write as I would normally. I just understood this yesterday.

When did you realise that coronavirus was going to be a big issue?

I came to know this was dangerous sometime in February, I suppose, following a sane doctor on YouTube. It might even have been in January. The decision-makers in the US were a week ahead of me at least, but as we know they did nothing. Now the country of my origin, where my parents live, both of them 88, and my brothers, 63, 63, and 62 live, and where all the brothers and sisters I picked up along the way live, will soon have three times the number of infections as China and twice the deaths. That won’t be the end of it, either.

What is your impression of the way Slovenia is dealing with the crisis?

What the hell can I say about Slovenia, with what's happening in America? Am I happy with the response to the virus? Surely they should be testing more aggressively, but otherwise people have seemed sane and intelligent. The government is doing what it is forced by circumstance to do. Maybe Janša will try his hand at Orbanism later; for now he’s sane enough to know he has to take care of his people. I feel safe and feel that though I would have closed the schools a week earlier, the government has been doing a good job of following most of the best international protocols.

I have no idea about the economic provisions here in Slovenia. It’s difficult to get social help in the best of cases. The process is absurd: they look at your bank accounts for the previous three months and decide—they don’t interview you to find out what your true circumstances are. I was rejected once because they day they decided I received a check for 2,700€. That was from four months of work that began six months previously. I had been out of work two months and would be for another six. They gave me nothing. Will I get something now? I doubt it. What will have changed? Would it be worse in the US? Absolutely. 70,000 homeless in New York at least. And that’s a cold city.

How do you feel about the broader response in America?

I awoke too early this morning—which is relevant in that I had no control over my psychomental flux, which allowed thoughts of the prison known as Riker’s Island to stage a break into my mind. The place is a death trap and the virus is raging within. The US likes to put people in jail. The oligarchy quietly banned Foucault.

Riker’s, if you don’t know, is an island more or less in New York City. Let it be representative of all the prisons in the US, including the brains behind the bars of US propaganda, which has led prisoners of the US, from Trump to Harvey Weinstein, from yer average feller to your local hero, to believe they are a special breed of human—so in Wyoming a virus in wide open country of free men is raging against the moronism inherent in the live free and fire your rifle at anything that moves mentality.

Yes, this is the country in which just recently the ‘left’ came together in Oligarchic Panic to defeat Bernie Sanders, whose Medicare for All, would have made the US a nation of re-tooling insurance salesmen but paved the way for the wealthiest nation in the world to have the best health care system in the world.

There is nothing to say about Trump—for one thing, 40 years ago Reagan was equally buffoonish in context, paving the way for Trump, and a growing wealth gap. No, not Trump, but the array of cowards, from his fellow politicians to the media that sits dumbly as he insults them. ‘Fake News’ had falsely, insidiously, virally, insinuated itself into the global lexicon. We had a term for it already: propaganda. “Fake news” is fake news.

What's the one thing you wish you had taken with you into self-isolation?

I don’t wish for anything I don’t have in isolation except for maybe a small monkey.

One thing you have learned about yourself, and one thing you have learned about others during this crisis.

I can’t be sure I have learned anything about myself, as I have had things relatively easy compared to too many others. Regarding others? I’m 60 years old, so it would take more than hoarders and heroes to surprise me.

You can read more of Rick Harsch by getting one or more of his book, available from River Boat Books, with this link taking you to Skulls of Istria, a tavern confession novel st in front on a bottle in Piran.

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:

Highest increase in coronavirus deaths

LJUBLJANA - Four more deaths related to the new coronavirus in Slovenia were recorded on Thursday, the highest daily increase yet, and another patient died today, increasing the overall death toll to 21. The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases rose by 37 to 934 by end of Thursday with Health Ministry data showing that 177 nursing home residents were infected, 15 more than the day before. In addition, 128 health workers are infected. 112 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, 30 of them in intensive care.

Govt not giving up on plan to deploy military along the border

LJUBLJANA - The government has not given up on the plan to give the military certain police powers for deployment along the border with Croatia, government spokesman Jelko Kacin told the press. The plan was voted down on the parliamentary committee on Wednesday, but Kacin said the government would keep insisting on this since it had no other choice. Part of the reason why soldiers are needed is because some border police officers are being relocated inland to help check whether people around the country adhere to the epidemic restrictions. The National Assembly is expected to hold a discussion on extending police powers to the army next week, but will not vote on the proposal.

Relaunch of business activities conditional on protective equipment

LJUBLJANA - The government is examining how to gradually restart the economy amidst the lockdown, but in order to do so a sufficient amount of personal protective equipment must be secured, said the government's spokesman for the coronavirus epidemic, Jelko Kacin. "The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology is prioritising domestic production of protective equipment that would be available to workers," he said, adding that the business sector was behind only healthcare and nursing homes when it came to the distribution of protective equipment. The goal is to domestically produce 100,000 masks daily.

Work begins on stimulus package No. 2

LJUBLJANA - The government started discussing guidelines for a second fiscal stimulus package after its first, EUR 3 billion law was passed in parliament. The focus will be on correcting any flaws in the first package and measures to boost the economy's liquidity. The government would like to adopt the second bill in ten days. It will be helped by the advisory task force led by economist Matej Lahovnik, which also advised it on the first package.

Troop rotations on foreign missions put off by three months

LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry announced that the rotations of contingents of the Slovenian Armed Forces in international operations and missions planned in the next three months will not be carried out. The contingents which are currently abroad will need to extend their service for three months. Defence Minister Matej Tonin explained that the decision was made because of the situation and measures related to the coronavirus pandemic. Around 250 troops are deployed in Kosovo and eight in Mali.

All persons coming to Slovenia will be quarantined or isolated

LJUBLJANA - From Saturday all persons coming to Slovenia from abroad will face a 14-day quarantine, the government decided. So far, some groups of Slovenians returning from abroad were placed at hotels or other facilities, while others were not. Now, they will be quarantined at home if possible and if not, they will be placed at facilities. Healthy persons will receive an order from the Health Ministry for a 14-day quarantine at their permanent or temporary residence. Persons who fall ill will call their doctor and follow their instructions. Violations of the quarantine carry a fine of EUR 400.

Govt restricts use of certain drugs

LJUBLJANA - The government restricted the usage of drugs containing chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine or azithromycin to make sure enough of those substances are available to patients who need them. Due to the spread of coronavirus infections the prescribing of medications with the three substances, which are principally used for the treatment of other conditions but have proven to be effective in the treatment of Covid-19, has increased, so prescribing these medications for personal use and their over-the-counter sale were banned until further notice.

Florist shops and nurseries reopen

LJUBLJANA - Florist shops and nurseries reopened a day after the government decided to add them to the list of exemptions to restrictions that shut down most non-essential businesses in Slovenia. The government decided to allow florists' and nurseries to reopen because spring is a peak selling time for these businesses that invested a lot of funds and work in growing seedlings and other plants. Additionally, construction work will be allowed at construction sites that are not used as living spaces and where the workers have no contact with the clients.

Foreign policy committee chair notes Slovenia's new orientation

LJUBLJANA - The chair of the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee, Matjaž Nemec, expressed surprise because Slovenia failed to join a group of EU countries that have expressed concern about the risk of violations of the rule of law by measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. Nemec, the vice-charman of the opposition Social Democrats, said this was a shift in Slovenia's foreign policy that could damage the country's reputation in the EU. A statement by 17 countries indirectly addressed the controversial provisions of Hungary's new law. Meanwhile, Slovenian members of the European People's Party (EPP) rejected calls for expelling Hungarian Fidesz from the EPP by saying now was the time to focus on curbing the coronavirus pandemic.

Slovenia donates protective equipment to North Macedonia

SKOPJE, Macedonia - Slovenia donated to North Macedonia protective equipment worth EUR 110,000 to help the country fight the new coronavirus. The Slovenian Defence Ministry said that the donation for the Macedonian Interior Ministry includes 100,000 protective masks and 100,000 protective gloves. "The donation comes at a crucial moment. I'd like to thank Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša and our Slovenian friends," Interior Minister Nakje Chulev was quoted by the Macedonian press agency MIA.

Almost EUR 59,000 raised in donations for Covid-19 relief

LJUBLJANA - Individuals and businesses have donated over 58,800 euro as they responded to the Finance Ministry's call to raise funds for Covid-19 relief. The donations go into the "budgetary reserve" and the government will report to parliament on the use on a monthly basis. The ministry said the money was raised between 27 March and 2 April. Donations are also being made directly, from protective equipment donated to hospitals to food to those in need.

Government approval rating at 57.8% in Nova24TV poll

LJUBLJANA - The government has an approval rating of 57.8% in an public opinion poll carried out by the pollster Parsifal for Nova24TV. More than 85% support the government's measures to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, while 11.3% believe that they are inappropriate. The EUR 3 billion legislative package to stimulate the economy and mitigate the impact of the epidemic enjoys almost the same support (85.7%), while 8.9% did not express support and 5.4% were undecided.

Slovenia's jobless total up 0.5% in March

LJUBLJANA - The coronavirus crisis has started to take a toll on the unemployment situation in Slovenia and what had been a favourable trend until recently has reversed. The number of people registered as unemployed grew by 0.5% to 77,855 in March compared to February, a 1.7% increase year-on-year. The service recorded 7,848 new recipients of unemployment benefits in March, up almost 52% on February and 56% more than in March 2019. Among those, the bulk were between jobs due to termination of their fixed-term employment contracts (3,320), while 2,440 were made redundant.

TEŠ needs environmental permit for co-incineration

LJUBLJANA - The Environment Agency (ARSO) ordered TEŠ, a coal-fired power station from Šoštanj, to carry out environmental impact assessment and obtain a changed environmental permit if it wants to introduce co-incineration of non-hazardous waste. ARSO said in its 27 March decision the changes planned by TEŠ are so extensive that they warrant environment impact assessment and changes to TEŠ's environmental permit. Opposing the co-incineration project, environmentalists urged suspending the incineration and co-incineration regulation and all procedures related to co-incineration.

Writers call on authorities to respect human rights during corona crisis

LJUBLJANA - Thirty members of the Slovenian chapter of PEN International called on the Slovenian authorities to respect all citizens' rights guaranteed by law and constitution as measures to contain the coronavirus epidemic are being introduced. The writers are "aware of the need for restrictions at individual and collective levels intended for containing the epidemic," but expect that parliament will not restrict rights or introduce new or broader powers of law enforcement.

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

Highest increase in coronavirus deaths recorded yesterday

Govt restricts use of certain drugs, calls for donations

SDS MEPs donating share of pay for Covid-19 relief, PM urges others to follow suit

Slovenia donates protective equipment to North Macedonia

Highest increase in coronavirus deaths recorded yesterday

STA, 3 April 2020 - Four more deaths related to the new coronavirus in Slovenia were recorded on Thursday, the highest daily increase so far, and another patient died on Friday, increasing the overall death toll to 21. The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases rose by 37 to 934, the government has announced.

The Maribor UKC hospital reported its first Covid-19 deaths today, saying that a patient from a nursing home died at the hospital on Thursday and another patient on Friday. Both were elderly.

"Sadly, I must report the first two fatalities. One is a person who had been in our intensive care unit for a while, and another was moved here yesterday from an old-age home outside our region," UKC Maribor medical director Matjaž Vogrin said.

Details about other fatalities are not available, but the first reported fatalities were residents of nursing homes, which have become the coronavirus hotspot in the country.

Data released by the Health Ministry show that a total of 177 nursing home residents were infected as of Thursday, 15 more than the day before.

Health Ministry data also show that 128 health workers are infected.

As of Thursday, 112 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, 30 of them in intensive treatment units, five were discharged from hospital, the government said on Twitter earlier.

A total of 1,064 tests were performed yesterday to put the overall number at 25,921.

As many as 135 of Slovenia's 212 municipalities have recorded at least one confirmed infection and 85 recorded two or more cases.

While the capital Ljubljana still has the highest number of cases, at 158, up three in a day, the outbreaks elsewhere are centred around care homes.

The biggest jump in new cases was recorded in Ljutomer in the north-east of the country, by eight to 46. All eight new cases were at the old-age facility there where now 41 are infected.

To contain the spread, fifteen healthy residents of the facility who are able to look after themselves have been moved to be quarantined at the apartments of the tourist complex Bioterme Mala.

The biggest hot spot is at the care home at Šmarje pri Jelšah, where 60 residents and 15 staff were infected according to data as of Wednesday.

Only data for the whole Šmarje pri Jelšah community are available for Thursday showing that the number of infections there rose by four to 116.

Another hot spot is a nursing home in Horjul, a community just west of Ljubljana that saw its tally of cases rise by two to 26 on Thursday.

As of Wednesday 19 of the infected were residents at the nursing home and four were staff, who have been quarantined at home.

Out of seven residents tested on Thursday, two were positive, the Horjul facility manager said on Friday, which would put the total number of the infected there to 21, plus four staff.

The Horjul facility manager said that four of the residents who fell ill with Covid-19 were being treated at hospital.

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Govt restricts use of certain drugs, calls for donations

STA, 3 April 2020 - The government has restricted the usage of drugs containing chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine or azithromycin to make sure enough of those substances are available to patients who need them. It has also tasked the Agency for Medicines to call on companies to donate to the public health system drugs used to treat Covid-19 patients.

The government said on Friday that due to the spreading of coronavirus infections the prescribing of medications with the three substances, which are principally used for the treatment of other conditions but have proven to be effective in the treatment of Covid-19, has increased.

Until further notice, prescribing these medications for personal use and their over-the-counter sale will be banned.

Thus, the government wants to make sure that sufficient amounts of drugs containing chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine are available to patients with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus erythematosus, who urgently need them.

The government also wants to prevent the overuse of azithromycin, which could potentially lead to bacteria developing resistance to the drug, and deficiency of the drug on the market.

The relevant decree adopted today will enter into force after it is published in the Official Gazette.

The cabinet also tasked the Agency for Medicines last night to call on companies to donate to the public health system drugs that have proven effective in the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

According to the Government Communication Office, the UKC Ljubljana hospital will collect data on the drugs needed at hospitals around the country at least once a month and forward them to the agency to enable optimal distribution, including of donations.

UKC will be collecting data on drugs containing hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, remdesivir, favipiravir, umipiravir, tocilizumab, systemic interferons/IFN beta-1-alpha, siltuksimab and sarilumab.

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SDS MEPs donating share of pay for Covid-19 relief, PM urges others to follow suit

STA, 3 April 2020 - MEPs Milan Zver and Romana Tomc of the senior coalition Democrats (SDS) announced on Friday they would donate 30% of their pay to fight the Covid-19 disease. Prime Minister Janez Janša responded by praising the move and calling on other Slovenian top officials in EU institutions and around the world to follow their example.

Zver and Tomc (SDS/EPP) decided to give up a share of their pay even though the umbrella anti-crisis law, endorsed on Thursday, does not envisage such pay cuts for MEPs.

"I expect a similar gesture from the rest of Slovenian (and foreign) officials holding well-paid jobs in the EU and around the world," said Janša, who also expects a similar gesture of judges and the editors of major media not affected by the 30% pay cut imposed by the law.

Tomc urged her colleagues and other appointees to EU institutions to join her in this step as well.

Zver explicitly stated on his Twitter account that he would be donating the share as of April and until the end of the epidemic is declared.

Meanwhile, MEP Tanja Fajon (SD/S&D) as well as MEPs Irena Joveva and Klemen Grošelj (RENEW/LMŠ) responded by saying they had not been sharing their donations for coronavirus relief publicly.

Franc Bogovič (SLS/EPP) tweeted that he had made his contribution three weeks ago to a special account of the Red Cross.

"In the meantime I've helped those affected directly. I make monthly transfers (youth charity, UNICEF), I also respond to many charity campaigns. I'll also donate into the budget," tweeted Bogovič, adding that he was not in the habit of making his donations public each time.

Joveva said that she did not need any calls for her previous donations nor would she need them in the future, while Grošelj pointed out that he did not want publicity at the expense of others' distress.

In a Facebook post Joveva said that she and Bogovič had already stated in a web discussion yesterday that they would not have a problem taking a 30% pay cut and were making donations.

Similarly, Milan Brglez (SD/S&D) said that he did not publicly communicate about his donations or charitable activities.

Fajon exchanged a few words with Tomc on Twitter, reminding the SDS MEP that she recently said charity was not charity if it meant publicity. Tomc replied that this was something else because it showed solidarity and highlighted that everybody was in the same boat.

Under the coronavirus umbrella law a 30% pay cut awaits holders of public office in Slovenia, but not mayors and judges.

The Slovenian Association of Judges said earlier this week that it had opened a special account for judges to donate a share of their pay to fight the epidemic.

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Slovenia donates protective equipment to North Macedonia

STA, 3 April 2020 - Slovenia has donated to North Macedonia protective equipment worth EUR 110,000 to help the country fight the new coronavirus, the Slovenian Defence Ministry said on Friday. The package for the Macedonian Interior Ministry includes 100,000 protective masks and 100,000 protective gloves, the Macedonian press agency MIA reported.

"The donation comes at a crucial moment. I'd like to thank Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša and our Slovenian friends. Every donation counts and will help our daily efforts to protect police officers working round the clock who are exposed to the risk of infection with the new coronavirus," said Interior Minister Nakje Chulev, who accepted the shipment at Skopje airport today.

Slovenian Ambassador to North Macedonia Milan Jazbec was also present. "I am honoured that we are the first EU and NATO member to have made a bilateral donation to the police force," he was quoted as saying by MIA.

According to the Slovenian Defence Ministry, Slovenia has responded to a request for aid that North Macedonia addressed through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Chulev said that his ministry was currently focusing on exercising oversight of the implementation of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country, and on providing enough protective gear for its staff.

According to data by the Macedonian Health Ministry, 430 coronavirus infections have so far been recorded in the country, while 13 people have died.

Back to the contents

Do foreigners in Slovenia feel more or less safe sitting out covid-19 here than in their home country, and what are their experiences? All the stories in this series are here. If you' like to contribute, see here or at the end of the story

Who are you, and how did you come to be here?

Ciao, I am Luke, or better known as Šepetalec Pašte. I’m a chef and my home country is Australia. I came to be here in Slovenia through a mate I work with in London. To be honest, I had to check the map to see where Slovenia actually was. After few messages back and forth I decided to take the gamble and come to Slovenia. I have been traveling around Europe for last four years, and have based myself in London for 3 years.

I am now working at Bungalow Portorož on the coast.

Tell us a little about your situation and sanity levels.

How am I? It’s a good question. My partner lives in Italy, which been hard because we can’t see each and offer support to other. I live alone and has been a tough not to have a pet or someone else to be with you in these times. It’s very challenging mentally, trying to stay positive and the fact is it’s still the unknown what is going to happen in the coming weeks. I’ve been trying to stay busy with cooking and exercise. I also have a good network of friends that checks up on me to see how I’m doing, and they been offering support. Even with this I still have my ups and downs every day, but we are all going to get through this!

When did you realise that coronavirus was going to be a big issue?

I started to realise that this was going to be a big issue when Italy started to have a lot of cases and the death count start to climb. As my partner lives in Verona I was more informed about what was happening, then they started to close down areas and regions. In the restaurant we noticed a big impact on the number of people coming to Portorož, as the coast is supported a lot by the Italian tourist and other nearby countries.

I think restaurants have suffered the biggest impact because they work on smaller margins with a high turnover, and the future of the industry is very uncertain. 

What is your impression of the way Slovenia is dealing with the crisis? How safe do you feel?

I think that Slovenian is doing the best it can. On the government side I’m not well informed, to inform but this is a great opportunity for it to show some support for the people of Slovenia. I’m very lucky to have a great boss that is doing the best he can to support his workers and make sure they can survive through this period, and I think he’s setting an example for other employers to take the lead in this way. 

How are things compared to Australia?

Coming from Australia I can say that I’m proud of how the Australian people are handling it, offering the jobseeker allowance to people that are now employed. However, many people in Australia have not really taken this so seriously, and as a result it’s going to take longer to recover.

I think Slovenians have done an amazing job to really stick to the rules and show respect for one another, so the country can recover a lot quicker and hopefully been back on track as soon as possible. As an outsider I am impressed on the way Slovenian people have handled this.

What about official communications from the authorities, compared to your home country?

As my Slovenian is not the best I do count on a mate of mine, Tim, and Total Slovenian News to keep up to date, but I don’t reply on direct contact with the authorities.

What's the one thing you wish you had taken with you into self-isolation.

Just one thing? I would have like to take a lot more with me, but I would have to say I would love to have my partner with me in these times, just to have her with me and to have someone else to talk to, to watch movies and someone to cook for, and the bonus is I’d have someone to wash the dishes. But other than having someone else with me I have mostly what I need here.

What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself, and one thing you’ve learned about others during this crisis?

As I am alone through this period I have a lot time to think, and you really get to have a look at yourself and the person you are in how you handle such difficult times , I have learned that I am definitely stronger mentally then I realised. I’ve also realised where I want to be and that Slovenian is an amazing country. The people here should be proud of themselves as a nation, and they have always been very welcoming to me.

Books have always had the power to transport us to a different time and place. Now, more than ever, stories can offer an important escape route for us all. But stories also have the power to teach us more about the world we do inhabit. Now that we're all spending time at home, we have an opportunity to learn more about Slovenia through some of the country's best authors and literature. While many of us are also using this time to work on our language skills, the thought of picking up some Prešeren can still be daunting. Fortunately, there are some great contemporary Slovenian novels available in English translation. Istros Books is a UK-based publisher who specialises in publishing and promoting the best literature from South East Europe. Here are their suggestions for a lockdown reading list that offers both escapsim and insight:

Check into Billiards at the Hotel Dobray by Dušan Šarotar

Set in March 1945, during the uncertain end of the Second World War, Billiards at the Hotel Dobray follows the lives of several disparate characters: a Hungarian soldier preparing for his final battle; a factory owner unsure what the future holds; a prostitute, confronting her divided loyalties and a father, returning to his hometown from the horrors of internment.

The minutae of people's characters, actions and motivations is set against the enormity of their consequences in this absorbing and challenging novel, beautifully translated by Rawley Grau, an American living in Ljubljana who has brought so many great literary voices into English. The vivid and lyrical descriptions of the once elegant Hotel Dobray will also satisfy any isolation yearnings for a weekend away.

To Maribor and Beyond! Absolution by Aleš Šteger

 A humourous mix of fantasy and political satire, Absolution firmly references the real world, with just enough sci-fi to offer an alternative reality. It's Carnival time 2012, and the Slovenian city of Maribor is European Capital of Culture. In an attempt to maximize profit, local politicians and showman peddle every possible art form. Amidst the hype, dramatist Adam Bely and Cuban-Austrian journalist Rosa Portero pursue a secret mission: to track down and overthrow the sinister octopus of thirteen selected persons that seems to be in control of the city. On the way, they encounter a variety of important citizens, all entangled in a web of corruption and lies. Compelling, poetic and funny, Šteger’s novel also ends with a lesson for us all “The lesson of this story is not how to behave better when something happens again. The question is how to put an end to repetition itself.” Translated by Noah and Urška Charney.

Wander the Corridors of Memory and Nostalgia - Yugoslavia, My Fatherland by Goran Vojnović and The End. And Again by Dino Bauk

 Lose yourself in a dark family secret: the story that unfolds in Vojnović's hugely popular Slovenian novel is so gripping, that it is quite easy to forget your surroundings. A Google search takes Vladan Borojević back to the catastrophic events of 1991, when he first heard the military term 'deployment', and his idyllic childhood came to a sudden end. Seventeen years later, Vladan’s discovery that he is the son of a fugitive war criminal sets him on a journey to find his elusive father. On the way, he begins to understand how the falling apart of his family is mirrored in the larger tragedy of the disintegration of the world they used to live in. Vojnović's cinematic prose conjures a sense of bleakness, intrigue and tragic destiny as well as any scandi-noir boxset and the story of the Borojević family will engross you until the very last page. Translated by Noah Charney.

The inspirationally named The End. And Again also opens in the early 1990s, but instead offers an imaginative reworking of the history of the independence of Slovenia through the eyes of its four teenage characters. Partly set in a still-recognisable Ljubljana, Bauk's narrative lets us time-travel through familiar streets. Read this beguiling story in an armchair by a window in the capital and you will almost be able to look out on the action. Maybe we can also learn something from the book's youthful characters, whose interests throughout the novel continue to revolve around music and love, rather than the turbulent political situation that derails their lives. Translated by Timothy Pogaćar.

If you want your reading to take you further afield, Istros also publishes titles set everywhere from the sun-drenched coastline of Montenegro, to the mountains of Romania. Visit www.istrosbooks.com for the full list.

 Kindle versions of all Istros titles are also currently available at the special lockdown price of £2.50.

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 Lara Orel Pogačar, a student at ALUO - Akademija za likovno umetnost in oblikovanje. You can see more of this series of posters here.

Contents

Highest increase in coronavirus deaths recorded yesterday

Relaunch of business activities conditional on protective equipment

Police to oversee adherence to epidemic restrictions at weekend

Florist shops and nurseries to reopen today

Govt already working on stimulus package No. 2

Highest increase in coronavirus deaths recorded yesterday

STA, 3 April 2020 - Four more deaths related to the new coronavirus in Slovenia were recorded on Thursday, the highest daily increase so far, putting the death toll at 20. The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases rose by 37 to 934, the government has announced.

A total of 1,064 tests were performed yesterday to put the overall number at 25,921. The number of hospitalised persons is at 112, 30 of whom are in intensive care, five have been discharged from hospital, the government said on Twitter.

As many as 135 of Slovenia's 212 municipalities have recorded at least one confirmed infection and 85 recorded two or more cases.

While the capital Ljubljana still has the highest number of cases, at 158, up three in a day, the outbreaks elsewhere are centred around care homes.

The biggest jump in new cases was recorded in Ljutomer in the north-east of the country, by eight to 46. All eight new cases were at the old-age facility there where now 41 are infected.

To contain the spread, fifteen healthy residents of the facility who are able to look after themselves have been moved to be quarantined at the apartments of the tourist complex Bioterme Mala.

The biggest hot spot is at the care home at Šmarje pri Jelšah, where 60 residents and 15 staff were infected according to data as of Wednesday.

Only data for the whole Šmarje pri Jelšah community are available for Thursday showing that the number of infections there rose by four to 116.

Another hot spot is a nursing home in Horjul, a community just west of Ljubljana that saw its tally of cases rise by two to 26 on Thursday.

As of Wednesday 19 of the infected were residents at the nursing home and four were staff, who have been quarantined at home.

Out of seven residents tested on Thursday, two were positive, the Horjul facility manager said on Friday, which would put the total number of the infected there to 21, plus four staff.

The Horjul facility manager said that four of the residents who fell ill with Covid-19 were being treated at hospital.

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Relaunch of business activities conditional on protective equipment

STA, 3 April 2020 - The government is examining how to gradually restart the economy amidst the lockdown, but in order to do so a sufficient amount of personal protective equipment must be secured, the government's spokesman for the coronavirus epidemic, Jelko Kacin, told the press on Friday. The goal is to domestically produce 100,000 masks daily.

"The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology is prioritising domestic production of protective equipment that would be available to workers," he said, adding that the business sector was behind only healthcare and nursing homes when it came to the distribution of protective equipment.

Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek yesterday visited several companies that produce protective gear. "Our intention is to secure at least 100,000 face masks daily from local production." The number has already been achieved, Kacin said, but added that "demand will be high".

Počivalšek yesterday visited Prevent&Deloza, a maker of protective equipment that he said is already producing 10,000 washable face masks daily according to a design approved by UKC Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest hospital.

Several other companies that do not specialise in protective equipment have started producing masks in recent weeks, including car upholstery maker Boxmark in Kidričevo, which produces over 6,000 face masks daily for the national stockpile, and several other major textile companies which have not disclosed their output.

Dozens of small sewing businesses around the country have joined the effort as well and many municipalities have already started distributing face masks to residents, usually of the washable variety.

At the same time, efforts continue on an ongoing basis to secure enough protective equipment for the hospital setting.

Počivalšek said on Twitter today that a million three-layer masks had just been delivered to the Commodity Reserves Institute's main warehouse in Ljubljana. Earlier this week a million surgical masks and 200,000 of the higher-grade FFP2 masks had been delivered from Czechia.

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Police to oversee adherence to epidemic restrictions at weekend

STA, 3 April 2020 - Starting today and all through Sunday, the police will be preventing people from gathering in public places and controlling whether they leave their place of residence. This comes after tourist destinations were overflowing last weekend and the government decided to restrict movement to place of residence in an effort to rein in Covid-19 contagion.

The police said on its website last night that adhering to the restrictions in place is of utmost importance for the benefit of everybody.

The oversight will be conducted on motorways and other roads, as well as in other locations, especially near popular destinations.

The police has also set up a hotline to help those with questions about the restrictions. The hotline is available every day of the week between 7am and 7pm at 01 514 70 01. Questions can also be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Florist shops and nurseries to reopen on Friday

STA, 3 April 2020 - Florist shops and nurseries will reopen on Friday, a day after the government decided to add them to the list of exemptions to restrictions that shut down most non-essential businesses in Slovenia in the face of the coronavirus epidemic. Moreover, construction work where there is no contact to the client will also be allowed from Friday.

The government decided to allow florists' and nurseries to reopen because spring is a peak selling time for these businesses that invested a lot of funds and work in growing seedlings and other plants, which would go to waste unless they are sold, the government Communications Office said after a correspondence session on Thursday.

Moreover, construction work will be allowed at construction sites that are not used as living spaces and where the workers have no contact with the clients.

Nevertheless, those involved will be obligated to use face masks and gloves and to keep a safe distance from others.

Consumers can only go to the nearest florist or nursery. If there is no such business in the municipality of their residence, they may cross into another municipality.

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Govt already working on stimulus package No. 2

STA, 3 April 2020 - The government will discuss on Friday guidelines for a second fiscal stimulus package after its first, EUR 3 billion bill was passed in parliament on Thursday. The new measures will bring some corrections to the law passed yesterday and new measures to address liquidity, investment and employment legislation.

Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj announced at the start of the week that the government was already working on additional measures to mitigate the coronavirus crisis.

"Once we have mitigated the negative consequences of the epidemic, we will encourage the economy, liquidity and investment, with new measures," he said.

The government is examining the proposals put forward by deputy groups to improve the first law, which was adopted in a hurry so it has some flaws, coronavirus crisis spokesperson Jelko Kacin told the press on Friday. "We want to examine, harmonise and prepare these things for the second package."

At the same time the government is examining possible measures to boost the economy's liquidity, he said, noting these two groups of measures will be "the core of the second package".

The government would like to adopt the second bill in ten days, and then immediately send it to parliament, he explained at today's first government media briefing.

The government will be helped by the advisory task force led by economist Matej Lahovnik, which also advised it on the first package, according to economist Marko Jaklič, a member of the task force.

He said the task force had split into three groups - one focusing on liquidity, another on labour market and flexicurity and the third one on investment.

The liquidity group has already embarked on work so the set of measure to boost liquidity of Slovenian companies should be ready shortly, he told the Odmevi news show on public broadcaster TV Slovenija last evening.

The second group will draft measures that are to address the challenges on the labour market after 1 June, according to Jaklič.

The measures featured in the EUR 3 billion coronavirus law passed yesterday are valid from mid-March when the epidemic was declared until end-May, possibly a month longer.

Trade unions are however upset that the government continues to ignore social dialogue.

The ZSSS association thus urged Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj today to involve the Economic and Social Council, the country's main industrial relations forum, in drafting the new measures, at least those related to the labour market.

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What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.

All our posts in this series are here

Do foreigners in Slovenia feel more or less safe sitting out covid-19 here than in their home country, and what are their experiences? All the stories in this series are here. If you' like to contribute, see here or at the end of the story

Who are you, and how did you come to be here?

I’m Adam E., and American expat from Houston, TX.  I’ve been living in Slovenia since Christmas Day, 2018, but didn’t move here directly from the USA.  I’ve been bouncing around Europe for the past 10 years or so, teaching English, working in tourism, and getting my Master’s Degree in Anglophone Literature and Literary Theory.  I currently work for a children’s book publishing company based in Ljubljana.

Tell us a little about your situation and sanity levels.

I feel very, very fortunate with how I’m currently doing.  I know things could be a lot worse.  I’ve been sheltering in place since March 13^th (incidentally Friday the 13th).  I’m in my apartment with my girlfriend and our kitten, so thankfully I’m not alone.  But that doesn’t mean that it’s been smooth sailing the whole time.  To be perfectly frank, we’re both getting a little stir-crazy, but we also understand that we all need to sacrifice something for the greater good.  So, if that means staying at home and taking the necessary measures to protect the most vulnerable, so be it.

When did you realise that coronavirus was going to be a big issue?

I spent the month of January and most of February in the United States finalizing my Slovenian visa.  I could tell then that COVID-19 was going to be a global issue, not just one affecting China.  My return flight was through Charles de Gaulle in late February, and, by this time, there had already been a few reported cases in France, so I wanted to take every precaution I could.  I had two N95 masks at my house in Houston from a painting project my family had done awhile back, so I wore one of those and washed my hands every chance I could.

What is your impression of the way Slovenia is dealing with the crisis? How safe do you feel?

Now I’m no political commentator, but, from what I’ve been reading about some of the measures the Slovenian government has been taking, it seems like they’re doing a great job of turning extraordinary circumstances into a great opportunity to enrich themselves and enact quasi-draconian measures that would never have been able to get passed otherwise.  I remember when 9/11 happened in the USA, and the Bush administration enacted the Patriot Act, one of the grossest breaches of civil liberties and the right to privacy ever in the history of the USA, to resounding applause from most (but not all) of the general public.  I’m afraid the same thing might be happening here under our very noses, and I’m also afraid I’m showing my hand in terms of which way I lean politically.

With that being said, there has been far more transparency and coherence regarding the government’s response to the virus directly.  It’s been clear which steps are being debated, and the results of those debates are released to the public both in Slovenian and in English.  These measures seem to be slowing the spread of the virus, which can only be a good thing.  They took quick, decisive action, and it’s saving lives.  However, there is one caveat.  It’s been reported that there has been far more clarity in the messages written in Slovenian compared to English.  And while I’m a very happy guest in this country, my Slovenian is not good at all, which has led to some slight confusion on my part about what I should be doing.  Other than that, and the aforementioned political scheming, I’ve felt safe and like there are grown-ups in charge.

How does that compare with America?

The response in Slovenia is diametrically opposed to what I’ve been seeing coming out of the USA, which, pardon my language, has been a shit-show at the best of times.  It really never was going to be anything but that if you see it as part of a nearly 4-year continuum, but I sincerely hoped that it wouldn’t be as bad as it is.  The steps taken here in Slovenia were decisive, the word of experts was heeded, and there has been a modicum of transparency about what has been happening.  America?  How much time do y’all have?  It’s a prime example of a failure of leadership from the highest people in power.  Luckily we have a more federalized system of government, and states’ governors have stepped in to fill the leadership void left by the blowhole-in-chief, but without that, COVID-19 could (and still can be) an absolute disaster in the USA in terms of loss of life. 

There has been no sense of what we as a nation should be doing.  Furthermore, everything has become so politicized in the United States that if it’s the right thing to do but delivered on the wrong channel depending on how you sway politically, it’s dead wrong.  At the very beginning, in early January, Fox News was claiming that COVID-19 was a leftist scare tactic.  I truly hope things will get better, but I highly doubt it, and that is incredibly depressing and disheartening.

What's the one thing you wish you had taken with you into self-isolation?

There isn’t much we’re lacking for here where I live in Ljubljana, but there’s one thing I do wish I had during self-isolation, and that is a yard.  I live in an apartment, so to have some grass, a bit of space outside, that would be fantastic.  The weather is getting nicer, so to be able to go outside and garden or kick a soccer ball around, that would be most welcome.  Other than that, I feel very fortunate to have so many local delivery services around to get fresh, local produce, a meal every once in a while, and some really nice local wines as well.

One thing you have learned about yourself, and one thing you have learned about others during this crisis?

What I’ve learned about myself is that, when it comes to self-isolation, I’m pretty good at keeping away from others.  I’m a social person, so I thought it would be very difficult to not see friends, but I’ve had some amazing conversations with my cat, and she’s now bilingual in English and Slovene, so apparently I’m a good teacher as well.  I’ve also been impressed with how the vast majority of Slovenians are doing their part to take care of each other.  Sure, there have been some exceptions to the rules, but for the most part, it appears that they’re all taking this very seriously and pitching in whenever or however they’re needed.  Maybe it’s culturally significant that this is Ex-Yugoslavia and collective action might be part of their social DNA, or maybe it’s just because they’re a more neighbourly people, I don’t know, but I’ve learned a lot about solidarity, and I must say that I’m very grateful to be here during these difficult and uncertain times.

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:

Parliament passes EUR 3 billion stimulus package

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed by 53 votes to one a EUR 3 billion stimulus package aiming to cushion the impact of coronavirus on Slovenia's economy and society. The umbrella law brings financial assistance for companies and workers affected by the epidemic as well as for the self-employed, pensioners, students, large families and welfare recipients. To the dismay of the opposition, the law also includes an expansion of police powers to issue fines for violations of lockdown rules, erect road blocks, temporary limit people's freedom of movement and access sensitive personal data. PM Janez Janša announced a second package which will address businesses' liquidity problems and include corrections to the first law, while a third one would set out an "exit strategy after the government takes a decision on the end of the epidemic."

Motion to give army police powers voted down

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Defence Committee rejected Wednesday night a motion to give the Slovenian Armed Forces limited police powers to control the border that the government said was essential to help relieve the burden on police officers so they could better be deployed to help keep the coronavirus epidemic in check. The proposal to activate Article 37.a of the defence act was endorsed by the coalition and the opposition National Party (SNS), but this was not enough to secure the required two-thirds majority. The opposition said the measure was unnecessary in the current situation.

Number of coronavirus cases rises by 56 to 897, 16 deaths confirmed

LJUBLJANA - The number of coronavirus cases in Slovenia rose by 56 in a day to 897 by Wednesday midnight. The death toll increased by one to 16. A total of 112 patents were hospitalised, 29 of them in intensive care. Four were discharged from hospital. As many as 162 of those infected are care home residents and 32 are care home staff, the numbers going up by 25 and 2, respectively. To contain the spread, the Labour Ministry instructed the facilities to create separate zones for healthy residents, those suspected of having the virus and those who tested positive, but care homes said this would not be feasible everywhere.

PM says common debt instrument would send strong message of unity

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša called for a determined and coordinated action in the face of the coronavirus epidemic not only on national but on the European levels as well in an interview with the European Post. "In normal circumstances, and in principle, I am strongly against that those who perform better automatically support all others. But for this pandemic circumstances, issuing a common debt instrument would send out a strong signal of unity and solidarity," he said.

FM regrets Slovenia's low defence spending in past

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar expressed regret that Slovenia is lagging behind in NATO defence goals after taking part in a teleconferenced ministerial of the alliance, which focused on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Talking over the phone to Slovenian reporters, he said that past governments should have given more funds to the military and regretted they had not carried out the planned military equipment acquisitions. He said the current would now have to meet the commitment.

Minister Hojs discusses border measures with Johansson

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs talked with European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johannson on the telephone, briefing her on measures taken at the border to contain the coronavirus epidemic. He noted good cooperation with the neighbouring countries, in particular Austria and Hungary, on the coordination of transit of cargo vehicles. He told the commissioner that Slovenia would not allow a hold-up of a large number of lorries on its territory.

Group of Slovenians return from US

NEW YORK, US - A group of Slovenians from the US boarded a special Hungarian plane in New York on Wednesday. After landing in Budapest, they were to be transported to the Hungarian-Slovenian border, where they were to be tested before going into a 14-day isolation or quarantine in Slovenia. The flight was organised by Hungary for Hungarians in the US, while the Slovenian Foreign Ministry and Slovenian diplomatic representatives in the US negotiated for Slovenians to join them.

Proposal in works to allow remote parliament sessions

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly may start holding online sessions, under a proposal sent to deputy groups by Speaker Igor Zorčič. Changes to the rules and procedures are planned to allow MPs to participate in sessions remotely, while the speaker, at least, would be at the Parliament House. Only this way will the National Assembly be able to carry on in circumstances such as the coronavirus epidemic, Zorčič tweeted.

Telekom sees 2019 profit eroded by buyout of media arm

LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije posted a group net profit of EUR 1.2 million for 2019, a fraction of the EUR 33.3 million it recorded a year before, largely due to a one-off payment over a now dissolved media joint venture. The company said that without the one-off charge for the media venture Antenna TV SL and the associated events it would have posted a 13% increase in like-for-like profit over the year before. Group net sales stood at EUR 675.4 million, which is 6% below the 2018 level.

NLB proposing no dividend payout for the time being

LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of NLB okayed the proposal of the management board to convene a shareholders meeting for 15 June. The country's leading bank, which was privatised last year, announced shareholders would vote on a proposal that the entire EUR 228.04 million in distributable profit remain undistributed for the time being. "Depending on future developments, a partial payout of the profit could potentially still follow at the end of 2020 or later," the bank said.

Newspaper Delo and Siol news portal getting new chief editors

LJUBLJANA - Bojan Budja will take over as acting editor-in-chief of the daily Delo from Uroš Urbas on Friday. The publisher said he would also be acting editor-in-chief of the delo.si web portal and the weekly Nedelo, in addition to keeping his current job as the content boss of the tabloid Slovenske Novice. Meanwhile, Peter Jančič is to assume next week the post of editor-in-chief of the Siol.net news portal. Jančič was editor-in-chief at Delo in 2006-2007.

Hospital director resigns after contentious tweets

LJUBLJANA - Slovenj Gradec hospital director Janez Lavre resigned after finding himself in the limelight over a series of tweets which included threats to withhold coronavirus ventilator treatment to critics of the government. He said he was aware that the statements were inappropriate, offensive and unethical, and blamed them on the workload and mental stress in the face of events related to the handling of the Covid-19 epidemic. Health Minister Tomaž Gantar accepted the resignation.

High-school leaving exams not to delayed yet

LJUBLJANA - More than two weeks after schools in Slovenia switched to remote learning due to the Covid-19 epidemic, Education Minister Simona Kustec announced secondary school-leaving exams could not be carried out as scheduled. However, the National Exam Centre said that only the Slovenian language essay be moved from early May to 1 June, while the rest of matura exams would go ahead with the English exam on 30 May. It is not clear yet what happens with national exams at primary schools.

Poll shows increase in those deeming latest measures too strict

LJUBLJANA - The latest poll by Valicon suggests an increasing number of Slovenians deem the latest government measures to contain the coronavirus epidemic too rigid, with the proportion of those who think so increasing to more than 20% from 7% a week ago. Moreover, the share of those saying that the measures are not strict enough dropped from 40% to 27%. Most respondents (53%) still believe that the measures are appropriate. One out of seven believe the Covid-19 situation is improving.

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