Keep up with the daily news in Slovenia by checking the morning headlines here. What to find out what happened last week in Slovenia? Look no further.

All our news on coronavirus and Slovenia is here

The following schedule was prepared by the STA:

MONDAY, 9 March

        LJUBLJANA - The Commission for Equal Opportunities in Science will debate overlooked gender issues in scientific research.

TUESDAY, 10 March
        STRASBOURG, France - The European Court of Human Rights will announce its judgement in the case Hudorovič and others v Slovenia, brought by 16 Roma concerning an alleged lack of access to drinking water and sanitation.
        LJUBLJANA - A coordinating body bringing together multiple doctors' organisation will present a list of priorities they think the new government must tackle in healthcare.
        LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport will speak to the press after the formal establishment of a UNESCO-sponsored international research centre for artificial intelligence at the Jožef Stefan Institute.
        LJUBLJANA - The Faculty of Social Sciences' International Relations Centre will host a debate on Slovenian-Italian relations.
        PORTOROŽ - Slovenian cooperatives will debate the future of agriculture and rural development at their annual meeting.
        LJUBLJANA - The Construction and Building Materials Chamber will be joined by several major builders to discuss the future of the Slovenian construction industry.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Labour Committee will debate amendments to pension legislation tabled by the Democrats (SDS) that would increase the pensions of some farmers and persons who purchased additional months of pension qualifying period.

WEDNESDAY, 11 March
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Parliament is expected to debate Hungarian financing of Slovenian media at the request of a group of MEPs from the ranks of Socialists and Renew Europe.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Home Policy Committee will debate government amendments to the act on the state border that would make it illegal for self-proclaimed militias to patrol the border.
        LJUBLJANA - The L'oreal-Unesco scholarships for women in science will be announced.
        CELJE - Days of comedy, a theatre festival, will get under way at the Celje Theatre; until 22 March.

THURSDAY, 12 March
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Home Policy committee will host a public presentation of opinions on amendments to legislation governing firearms use.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee will debate amendments to the act on health care and health insurance proposed by the National Council that would mandate the public health insurer to cover the cost of treatment of rare diseases even if such treatment is not yet approved.
        LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry will confer awards for outstanding business achievements.

FRIDAY, 13 March
        TUHELJ, Croatia - Slovenian Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and Croatia's Darko Horvat will attend a Slovenian-Croatian business forum.
        LJUBLJANA - Energy company Petrol will release its business report for 2019.

SATURDAY, 14 March
        KRANJSKA GORA - A giant slalom event will be held as part of the men's World Cup meet.

SUNDAY, 15 March
        KRANJSKA GORA - A slalom event will be held as part of the men's World Cup meet.

STA, 6 March 2020 - There seems to be a wide gap in how young and old generations of women in Slovenia perceive gender equality and their own position in society, a series of short interviews conducted by the STA before the International Women's Day has shown. Headlined Generation Equality, Women's Day will be observed around the globe on Sunday.

Older women believe women today have it easier, while young women feel like equality today is only skin-deep and that in reality they still face many obstacles and prejudice in their everyday lives.

"On the one hand, [we are told] to get as educated as possible and to build successful careers, but at the same time we are not supposed to neglect duties expected of us as partners, mothers and homemakers," Zala, a medical student, said.

"The attitude of men toward women is often patronising," she said, adding that this makes women more self-critical and less confident in their abilities, and it also makes them feel like they are not being heard.

The patronising and degrading attitude is so deeply ingrained in society that even women have a hard time identifying it, said Zala, adding that women are used to hearing jokes and remarks about their appearance, work and behaviour.

Meanwhile, Vikica Temnikar, a retirement home resident in Črneče near Dravograd, told the STA that she had always felt that women and girls were respected.

The plant she worked at organised a special programme for women every 8 March, they received flowers and danced, said Temnikar.

However, she believes it has always been and always will remain important how each individual woman does for herself and that they always had to endure a lot.

Temnikar believes that women have more power now and there are more jobs available for them. "Of course they have to work. It's exhausting, but at least they have a bit more power and independence."

Another retirement home resident, Monika Gornjec also believes that women have it easier today because they have more courage. She said she never felt unequal compared to men, but she said she observed inequality of women in Switzerland where she worked for 14 years.

Marina, a student at the Ljubljana Faculty of Arts, was critical of older generations who often advise young women to be patient and ignore degrading and sexist remarks. She believes that this is the wrong thing to do and that it would only ignore the problem instead of addressing it.

Ana Pavlič of the Institute for Gender Equality Studies said that women today are under pressure to be perfect mothers, partners and accommodating workers. "Under such pressures it is harder to detect attempts to undermine our rights and the emergence of new discriminatory strategies that aim to strengthen the gender-based subordination."

Attitude toward women has changed throughout history, she noted. A century ago the women's right struggle focused on suffrage and better work conditions, while "50 years later, the women's rights movement has realised that formal and legal equality does not amount to actual gender equality, and that reproductive rights and abortion, childcare and contraception must also be addressed," said Pavlič.

"The equality we have achieved so far makes it essential that we are aware of all mechanisms and practices that continue to persuade us in our inferiority and subordination," said Pavlič.

In real life, this means that women have sexual liberty but are still being sexually harassed, Pavlič said. It means that they have equal access to education but their opinions are valued less than that of their colleagues, it means that domestic violence is prohibited but still 50% of women have experienced psychological and/or physical violence by the time they are 15 years old.

The weight of women's opinion in society is a particularly grating issue for many. High-profile events have already made gender parity official policy, but many events for professionals remain almost exclusively male. This has even led to the coining of the term manel - a debate at which panellists are exclusively male.

In response, the Institute for Gender Equality Studies, alongside the UK Embassy in Ljubljana, launched earlier this week a campaign to address another the underrepresentation of women in expert discussions.

Headlined Strokovnjakinje (women experts), the project has set out to draw up the first comprehensive list of female experts from all fields in Slovenia that event organisers will be able to draw on when they select participants for discussion.

Gender Equality Relatively High in Slovenia, But Significant Issues Remain

STA, 6 March 2020 - Slovenia ranks relatively high on the OECD gender equality scale, but the situation is far from rosy for many Slovenian women. Average monthly pay is nearly EUR 130 lower for women than men, while two thirds of pensioners below the poverty line are women.

Slovenia place eighth on the gender equality scale of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which features 120 countries. The share of discrimination in Slovenia was 12.9%, with discrimination within the family the biggest problem.

The share of women with jobs is higher than elsewhere in the EU, and the pay gap is still one of the narrowest in the bloc. What is more, Slovenia has a high share of female managers, show Statistics Office figures released ahead of International Women's Day.

Women in Slovenia made an average of EUR 1,710 gross per month in 2018, some EUR 130 less than men. Lower pay also affects women's pensions, with data from the Statistics Office showing that women account for two thirds of impoverished pensioners.

Data from the Statistics Office show that an average Slovenian woman is almost 45 years old and is better educated than the average male, but still paid less.

On average, Slovenian women live to the age of 81.6 years, 7.5 years longer than men. The most frequent cause of death is cardiovascular disease. Girls born in 2018 have a life expectancy of 84 years, 5.7 years longer than boys born the same year.

Some 75% of women over the age of 14 in Slovenia are mothers, most have two children. Some 28% of women have a university degree, while the share among men is only 20%. Most women, 50%, have secondary education.

Their education has been improving through generations. Among women who were aged between 60 and 69 on 1 January 2019, most only had primary school or lower, while in the generation of women between 30 and 39 most had higher education.

Physical characteristics data show that an average Slovenian woman is 165 centimetres tall and weighs 68 kilos. 52% are at a normal weight, 30% are overweight and 13% are obese.

Most women exercise about two hours a week and eat fruits and vegetables nearly every day, while more than 80% do not smoke, statistics show.

Moreover, women in Slovenia are generally happy with their lives. In 2018, the Statistics Office self-reported happiness index for women reached 7.3 points out of a possible 10, the highest level ever recorded.

Learn more about women in Slovenia with the follow graphics produced by the Statics Office (SURS), which runs an excellent English website with lots of data to explore.

If you're not in town for the week of this guide (9 - 15 March, 2020) then you can see all the editions here, and if there's event or activity you want to promote in a future edition of What's on in Ljubljana please get in touch with me at flanner(at)total-slovenia-news.com or try and find me on Facebook. If you want something a little different and easy to print, then a comprehensive PDF of events for the next seven days, as prepared by Ljubljana Tourism, is here. If you're in town and want to follow the news then check out our regular morning headlines for Slovenia here.

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Note that coronavirus may mean some events are cancelled this week – at the time of writing (Saturday afternoon) indoor events with 500 or more people were being postponed, and things are likely to escalate. If you want to keep up on coronavirus in Slovenia, then all our stories about that are here. If you can go out, and can afford it, then be generous with yourself in the cafés, bars, restaurants, small stores and so on. Eat, drink and go heavy on the tipping – there may be hard times ahead in the industry.

Berlin-based techno composer Pantha Du Prince (Hendrik Weber) explores the communication of trees and translates it into electronic music. In 2018, he was filling major music venues around Europe, and will be trying to do the same on Monday, 20:00, at Cankarjev dom. Support will come from a percussion ensemble consisting of Håkon Stene and Bendik Hovik Kjeldsberg, and Manuel Chittka, drummer with the German band Messer. Details here, and the trailer below.

Want to advertise in this space? Learn more here.

The next day, Tuesday 10 March, the same venue will host Jean Rondeau and his harpsichord, playing a Baroque programme that looks fantastic, with all either (JS) Bach and Scarlatti, including the piece shown above. Details, and note that he has another show, with a different programme, later in the week –  see below. Tuesday you could also head very slightly out of town, on an easy bus ride or inexpensive taxi, and a live show from Kovacs at Kino Šiška. However you get there, don’t drink and drive. Tickets here and a performance below.

Engineering Survey Shows 5 Apartment Blocks in Downtown Ljubljana Should Be Pulled Down

Jean Rondeau and his harpsichord are back at Cankarjev dom, 19:30, this time playing Chabrier, Poulenc and Debussy, including the following piece.

Belgrade-based noise-pop quartet Artan Lili will be at Kino Šiška, 20:00, Thursday. Tickets.

SNG Opera and Ballet will be playing The Magic Flute on Thursday 18:00, while on Friday, 19:30, it’ll be Verdi’s Luisa Miller. You can the trailer for the former below. Friday night is also Jazz Night at the Castle, and this week the kings of the hill are Kopač-Kostadinović-Moder-Kanamori, shown below.

Saturday Klub K4 has an all-nighter, starting 23:00, called Just A Dance w/ Dojaja, DEN7EL & Von Meister. Before that, at 20:00, there’s  a chance to see two tribute bands for the price of one at Orto bar, the home of metal in LJ, with Black Metallica and Piece of (Iron) Maiden.

If you like collecting stamps, coins/notes, postcards, vinyl and some other things, then head to the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre on Saturday, 09:00 and 19:00, as it’s there you’ll find the International Collectors Fair Collecta. Details.

Saturday and Sunday Nataraja Studio – the yoga place on Dragon Bridge that I used to go to before leaving town is having two days of free classes. It’s a nice place, in a great location, with a good annual deal if you can get there often. Read more about the place here, and see the free classes here.

New, new-ish and notable movies in town this week include the following.

A new book came out recently that tells some of the stories of Trubarjeva cesta – you can learn more about it here. If you want to buy a copy, look / ask around on your next visit to the street.

Ljubljana is forecast to be the fastest-warming city in the world over the next few decades.

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 How much do tourists spend in Slovenia? Find out here

You may have heard about Free Tour Ljubljana, the tour company that’s #1 on TripAdvisor for the city and gives away its main product. What’s the deal with that? Find out here.

While the Old Town is quaint, and full of music, where does Ljubljana really shop? One popular answer is BTC City, a vast complex of malls, entertainment facilities and more, including more than 70 different food vendors, offering everything from Slovenian to Thai, Indian to Italian, Mexican to Chinese. Check out a visit before the recent renovation was finished for some idea of what's on offer here.

You're in the town of Slavoj Žižek, but do you find yourself lost when conversation turns to the philosopher? If so, check out our collection of quotes and clips to learn more.

Contents

• Cinemas and films
• Clubbing
• Live music
• Theatre and dance
• Harm reduction and drug testing
• Things to do with children
• LGBT+ Ljubljana
• Ljubljana Castle
• Museums and galleries
• Other things to do in Ljubljana
• Daytrips
• Getting around
• Emergencies

Cinemas and films

You can read about all the cinemas in town here, while a selection of what’s playing this week is below, and note that kids' movies tend to be shown in dubbed versions, while non-English language movies for older viewers will have Slovenian subtitles.Parents should also pay attention to Kinobalon, which is Kinodvor's regular weekend series of film screenings and events for children, from babies on up, with special parent/child events, "first time in a cinema" screenings, and babysitting. Learn more about it here, and see the current schedule here.

Note - most children's films will be dubbed (sinhronizirano) - for subtitles look for 'podnapisi'.

Kinodvor –This is an arts cinema, not far from the train station, that shows new features as well as hosting the occassional festival.

Kinoteka – And not far from Kinodvor you can find this revival cinema, which shows art house classics along with some deep dives in the archives.

Kino Bežigrad - A relatively small theatre, but one which usually has the biggest of the new releases.

Kolosej -The multiplex out at BTC City Mall shows all the big movies, with well over a dozen titles on the schedule, although note that there are far more movies than screens, so some of the older ones mayonly be playing once or twice a week.

Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store shows two or three different features a week, usually including the biggest titles.

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In town and looking for a gift or souvenir? Take a look at Cook Eat Slovenia - the book.

Know that big triangular building behind the train station? Learn what's inside here.

Photo: Genius loci d.o.o.

Clubbing

Compared to some European capitals it can seem that nightlife in Ljubljana ends rather early, especially along the river, but there are still bars that stay open late and clubs were you can dance until dawn, and perhaps the best place to stumble across something interesting is the legendary Metelkova. Be aware it's a grungy kind of place and not for all tastes, but also that there's considerable variety to found within the various clubs there, from death metal to electropop, gay cabaret to art noise. You can read "the rules" of the place here. And if you're curious about how the place started then read our story, and look at some pictures, about last year's 25th anniversary.

Božidar - DJ events aren't too common here, but when they happen they often have a big name.

Channel Zero – DJs shows here include regular dub nights as well as electronic music.

Gala Hala – Another Metelkova venue, you can sometimes hear bhangra and Bollywood here, but more often funk, hip hop, breakbeat and so on.

Klub Cirkus – The more commercial end of clubland, and a venue that aims to serve the student party scene. Expect house, anthems, and bangers.

Klub K4 – The home of techno, old and new, along with various other electronic genres,

Koncertna Dvorana Rog– There are irregular DJ sets at this underground (not literally) venue at the far end of Trubarjeva cesta, and they range from techno to goa to drum'n'bass.

Orto Bar– 80s and 90s throwback nights can often be found here, along with rock-based DJ sets.

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Live music

Balassi Institute – Free Hungarian music, when available, from the Hungarian cultural institute just a short walk downriver from Dragon Bridge.

Cankerjev dom – The main arts venue in the country hosts classical, opera jazz, folk and occassinally pop.

Cvetličarna – Regional pop and rock concerts can be found here.

Channel Zero – This Metelkova venue sees live shows from punk and rock bands, as well as others.

Gala Hala – Another Metelkova venue with indie bands of various styles.

Kino Šiška – One of the top live venues in the city, with a varied programme that include indie, rock, pop, experimental, hip hop, and so on.

Klub Gromka – Live music is often metal, from sludge to stoner, death to thrash, while punk bands also appear, as do others.

Križanke – The venue that hosts the Ljubljana Festival often has classical music, and some rock, in the open air.

Orto Bar– The home of live rock, metal, punk and other guitar-based genres.

Pinelina dnevna soba – LIve music is rare here, but it does happen.

Slovenska filharmonija– Classical music in the centre of town.

SNG Opera and Ballet - As the name suggests, here you'll find the best of opera and ballet in the country.

Španski borci - While dance is more common here, they also have some contemporary and experimental music shows.

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 Slovenska cesta, 1968. Wikimedia. See more pictures of Old Ljubljana here

Theatre and dance

Cankerjev dom- The main arts venue in the country always has something of interest going on.

Gledališče IGLU - IGLU Theatre – Saturday night this group is usually putting on an English improv show somewhere in town, but it’s generally promoted after this is written, so check the Facebook before putting on your shoes.

Kino Šiška – One of the top live venues in the city also hosts some dance performance, often of the more experimental variety.

Mini Teater Ljubljana –The English schedule of varied performances, for adults and children, for the month is here.

Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - Puppetry has a long and noble tradition in Slovenia, and you can see performances for children and adults (including non-puppet shows) drawing from the Theatre's rich repetoire as well as new productons.

SNG Opera and Ballet - As the name suggests, here you'll find the best of opera and ballet in the country.

Španski borci - The home ofcontemporary dance(and the EnKnapGroup) in Slovenia.

Pocket Teater Studio– There are regular flamenco evenings at perhaps the smallest venue town, but note that the number of seats is very limited, and thus you should make a reservation via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 070 325 522.

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Harm reduction and drug testing

Alcoholics Anonymous has an English language meeting every Tuesday, 19:00 in Poljane – email for more details: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Drogart is an organization that aims to minimise harm on the party scene, and offers drug-testing services and reports on their webpage. It’s in Slovene, but you can Google translate it or work things out yourself, and our story on the group is here.You can find the latest warnings on fake drugs and high strength pills and powders (in Slovene) here. However, be aware that all the usual drugs are illegal in Slovenia.

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Photo: Igor Andjelič. See more of his work here

Looking for something different to eat? Trubajeva cesta, running right by Dragon Bridge, has the greatest concentration of "ethnic food" places in Ljubljana, and thus perhaps the country. Check out our walk through guide as of June 2019.

In warmer days than you'll see this week. Photo: JL Flanner

Things to do with children

You can find our Top 12 list of things to do with kids in Ljubljana here. If want to read more about the philosophy behind the wonderful House of Experiments look here, while our trip to the Museum of Illusions is documented here, and there’s always riverside walks, pizza and ice cream. With regard to the latter, take a look at our guide to six places that serve good ice cream in winter, and thus are serious about the dessert.

Mini Teater Ljubljana – The season sees a lot of puppet performances for children, in Slovene, at this theatre not far from Križanke. The English schedule for the month is here.

Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - The puppet theatre near the Central Market and next to the Castle funicular has a full programme or shows, for children and adults, with the schedule here.

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LGBT+ Ljubljana

If you're looking for more general links on "gay Slovenia", including a history of the scene and various projects, then you can find that here, while our stories about the community can be found here.

Klub Monokel – This lesbian bar in Metelkova is open every Friday, although sometimes there are other events

Klub Tiffany –And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays. Other things coulds also be planned, so click on the name to find out.

Pritličje – This seems to be the only "always open" LGBT-friendly cafe / bar / events space in town, and perhaps the country, so it's a good thing it's such a good one, open from morning to night, and with fliers and posters letting you know what's happening outside the narrow confines of, say, a general interest online what's on... guide.

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Screenshot from Google Maps, showing the location of the Castle vineyard

Ljubljana Castle

The city’s main attraction is said to be the top tourist draw in the country overall, and to my mind it earns a spot near the top just for the history and views. But beyond that the current owners, the City of Ljubljana, have laid out a varied, interesting and enjoyable programme of events, one that rewards regular revisits.

On all 2020 is an Exhibition of Slovenian History, included in the price of a Castle ticket, that takes you through prehistory and the Romans, the Middle and early Modern Ages, the 19th century and WWI, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and WWII, Yugoslavia, independence and after. On until 22 March 2020 you can enjoy an inflatable spatial installation from Nina Koželj (free to enter).

At one of Castle hill there's a many walking and jogging paths, with good views of the city. At the other end, where the Castle sits, there’s a lot more than fresh air on offer. There are guided tours, restaurants, a café, Castle museum, puppet museum, a Watchtower you can climb to the highest point in the city, art shows, dances, live music, movies under the stars, festival days and more – enough to reward multiple trips up the hill through the year. All of these activities and events can be found on the Castle website, while on TSN you can see “25 things to know about Ljubljana Castle” here, and “Ten Ways to Enjoy Ljubljana Castle” here.

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Museums and galleries

Most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum.

Aksioma – On from 19 February 9 March is The Abstraction of Nature by Anna Ridler – “Anna Ridler’s work stands out for her effort to establish a feedback loop between herself and the machine, producing work that displays and thematises the amount of human labour involved in the process, from coding, to producing a dataset, to educating the machine.”

Bežigrajska galerija 2 – Take a trip to Vodovodna cesta 3 and you'll find nothing this week, according to the schedule, as the place will be between exhibitions.

Plečnik's desk. Photo: JL Flanner

Plečnik’s House is worth a visit if you want to learn more about the architect who gave Ljubljana much of its character, and it's also in a really nice part of town, Trnovo, just a short walk or cycle upriver. Read about our guided tour here. Until 10 May you can see History of the Future. Archetypes of Plečnik's architecture – summarising the ideas of selected Plečnik works.

Balassi Institute – The Hungarian culture centre is next to a Spar and Hofer, and not far from Dragon Bridge, and always has something interesting going on. Learn more here.

City Gallery – On until 5 April there’s a show from Vlado Martek, called Exhibition with Many Titles, the second part of a retrospective exhibition by the Croatian conceptual artist.

City Museum – The Museum in French Revolution Square an interesting permanent exhibition on the history of Ljubljana, from prehistoric times to the present day, with many artefacts, models and so on that bring the story alive.You can read about my visit here. On until August 2020 there’s Book. Reason. Knowledge. From Protestantism to Enlightenment (1500–1800), which presents the processes and events that encouraged and fostered the cultural and spiritual development in Ljubljana from the end of the 15th to the beginning of the 19th century – from humanism and Protestantism to the Enlightenment. More on that here.

The Faces of Ljubljana in the City Museum. Photo: JL Flanner

Drink like a pro - find gallery openings. Photo: JL Flanner

Galerija Kapelica –Eirik Brandal: Electonic sculpture is on until 17 March, with the promotional image shown below.

Galerija Vžigalica – Until 15 March you can enjoy Counter:Movement / Gegen:Bewegung, an exhibition of contemporary artistic positions in Carinthia, selected by the Klagenfurt University Cultural Centre – the Universitätskulturzentrum UNIKUM.

International Centre of Graphic Arts – A show of works by Helena Tahir.

MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe. On until 31 January 2021 is An Object and a Collection, showing part of the museum’s valuable and extensive collection of objects related to architecture, design, and photography of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Moderna galerija – The main branch of this gallery, to be found near the entrance to Tivoli Park, has a good collection of modern art, as well a nice café in the basement.

Alan Ford was recently at the National Gallery - read more about this comic book here.

National Gallery – The country’s main gallery has “the best” of what’s on offer from the Middle Ages to non-contemporary modern visual arts, and is in a great location for exploring other areas, just by Tivoli Park and opposite the main branch of the Moderna galerija. You can read about our visit to the room containing sacred art from the Middle Ages

The real Robba Fountain can be found in the entrance to the National Gallery - the one you see in the Old Town is a genuine fake, as seen below and reported here.

Photo: JL Flanner

National Museum of Slovenia – There’s plenty to see in the permanent collection here, from Roman times, Egypt and more. Meanwhile, the museum's Metelkova branch, located between one branch of the Moderna galerija and the Ethnographic Museum has some rooms on Church art, furniture and weapons, with the latter including more guns than you'll see anywhere else in town, and quite a thrill if coming from a nation where such objects are not household items. A Millennia of Metallurgy in Slovenia is on until 3 May 2020.

A fragment of a Coptic textile; 5th–6th cent.: Upper Egypt; linen, wool; National Museum of Slovenia. Photo: Tomaž Lauko

Until 24 May 2020 you can see Coptic Textiles from the Collection of the National Museum of Slovenia at the branch in the Metelkova museum quarter, by the Ethnographic Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Details.

Natural History Museum – Until 18 June 2020 there’s Enlightened Natural Sciences: Scopoli and Zois, looking at the lives and legacies of two pioneering naturalists, on the both Slovene and global scales, Sigismondo (Žiga) Zois and Giovanni Antonio Scopoli.

National Museum of Contemporary History - Tucked away in park Tivoli, you can see a permanent exhibition on Slovenians in the 20th century.

Slovene Ethnographic Museum – The museum has two permanent exhibitions. One of these is called Between Nature and Culture, and has a great collection of objects from Slovenia and around the world, well worth the trip up to the third floor to see it (as recounted hereUnion Experience – The Ljubljana-based brewer has a museum showing the history of the company, with the ticket also including access to part of the factory and a few samples of the product. You can read about our visit here.

It's not a formal museum, but if you're interested in "Yugo-stalgia" then you'll enjoy a trip to Verba, a small, privately run space that's crammed with objects and pop culture items from the era, and is conveniently located at the start of one of the short walks to the castle. It's also a great place to take pictures, if you leave a donation, and you can read more about it here.

Verba. Photo: JL Flanner

Alternative Ljubljana isn't a museum or gallery, as such, but instead turns the city streets into a museum and gallery. Learn more about their tours of street art, history and LGBT Ljubljana here.

Photo: JL Flanner

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Other things to do in Ljubljana

Learn more about Ljubljana with "25 things to know about Slovenia's green city of dragons", or take a look at our guide to spending from four to 48 hours here.

If you like the city's architecture then check out this great book, Let’s See the City - Ljubljana: Architectural Walks & Tours, with our review here and a page from the book shown above. We took a walk with one of the authors who showed us how much there is to learn and enjoy if you slow down and pay attention - read about that here.

Ljubljana has some beautiful buildings from the early 20^th century, in the Secessionist style, like the one below. Learn where to find them here.

Photo: Neža Loštrek

For something a little more brual, check out Republika trg / Republic Square, in the heart of the political quarter.

Photo: JL Flanner

Photo: JL Flanner

Some view of the city you can only get from the river. If you'd like to take a boat ride then read about my experience here. If you'd like to spend an evening painting with others, then take a look at Design with Wine, which organises painting parties on Trubarjeva cesta,

If you want to see some antiques, then check out the wonderful Antika Carniola, as discussed here. The man behind it, Jaka Prijatelj, has a fine eye for life on this street, as you can see on his Facebook account.

Photo: JL Flanner

If you’re in town and want to go jogging or walking in nature, why not take another look at the Castle, with a brief guide to the trails here. If you want something bigger, head to Tivoli Park.

And if you're bored with the Old Town, why not take a walk, cycle or boat ride to nearby Špica and enjoy the riverside life. Learn more about that here.

visitljubjana.si

Why would anyone want to eat Dinner in the Dark? Learn more about this unique experience in Ljubljana here.

Nataraja Studio

Want to stretch and breath? Then check out our list of drop-in yoga classes for tourists, visitors and the uncommitted. We go to Nataraja Studio, by Dragon Bridge, and here's a story about it.

Prefer to have someone else stretch you? The check out the totally legit massages you can get from Sense Wellness - either in one of their spas or in you home, office or hotel. (And - to repeat - these are legit and non-sexual in nature)

There are some golf courses near Ljubljana, but even ones further away are not far, as seen in our list of all the golf courses in Slovenia, which usually run until the first snow.

Photo: maxpixel.net, public domain

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Daytrips

Most of Slovenia is only a few hours from Ljubljana, and you can easily visit Lake Bled, Lipica Stud Farm, Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, the coast and other locations, while if you'd like to take a photo of from that bench in Bled, then you can learn how to get there here. If you’re looking for something more ambitious, then check out our recent guide to the 17 members of the Association of Historical Towns of Slovenia. We've also written guides on spending from four to 48 hours in Bled and Piran.

Photo: Google Image Search

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Getting around

If you want to get a Ljubljana Tourist Card, which gives you travel on the city buses and entry to a lot of attractions, then you can read more about that here, and if you want to use the bike share system, as useful for visitors as it is for residents, then you can learn more by clicking this. Visitors with reduced mobility will be pleased to find that downtown Ljubljana is generally rated as good with regard to accessibility, and that there’s a free, city-sponsored app called Ljubljana by Wheelchair highlighting cafés, attractions and so on with ramps, disabled bathrooms and Eurokey facilities, which you can read about and download here. Manual wheelchair users can also borrow, for free, an attachment that will motorise their equipment, as reported here.

Screenshot from a Twitter video

If you’re driving into town and don’t know where to park, our guide to how to park in Ljubljana is here.

Emergencies

Ljubljana is a small and relatively safe city, but if need to contact the police then there’s a special number for foreigners, and that’s 113.

Photo: JL Flanner

There aren't many places to eat after midnight, and most of them are by the train station, as reported here.

Want / need cigarettes but the stores have closed? Here's an incomplete list of bars downtown that will satisfy your craving for the demon weed. While if you’re having trouble with the ATMs then here’s a guide to the Slovene you’ll see on screen. If you get a hangover then find out where to get paracetamol (and prescription drugs) in Ljubljana here, while details on emergency birth control can be found here.

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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.

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

Ban on large indoor public events put in force as number of confirmed coronavirus cases rises to 12

LJUBLJANA - Health Minister Aleš Šabeder issued a decree banning all public indoor events for 500-plus participants as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased by four to 12. The ban entered into force at 7pm and is accompanied by a recommendation to organisers of smaller events to reconsider too. Schools will remain open for now. A session of the National Security Council has been called by Prime Minister Marjan Šarec for Monday. Additional measures have been announced for the Metlika area in the east of the country, where an infected doctor had contact with a large number of people, including at the elderly home. Meanwhile, Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina warned against fear caused by the coronavirus epidemic leading to stigmatisation and exclusion.

Perception of business opportunities improving in Slovenia

MARIBOR - Detection of business opportunities by individuals in Slovenia has been improving in recent years, shows the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) survey. More than half of Slovenians perceived business opportunities last year, which compares to 38% in 2016, the Maribor Faculty of Economics and Business has announced. Miroslav Rebernik, the head of the GEM survey team in Slovenia, said that the results showed that creating more profit was by no means the only driver of entrepreneurial activity of the new generations and a "conscious shift towards more sustainable entrepreneurship is getting stronger".

Slovenian ski jumpers with another podium finish in team event

HOLMKOLLEN, Norway - Slovenia's ski jumpers (954.2 points) grabbed third place at the Ski Jumping World Cup team event in Oslo, finishing behind the victories home team (997.4) and Germany (960.9). This is already the third consecutive podium finish for the Slovenian team, which finished second in Lahti and third in Zakopane.

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

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

STA, 7 March 2020 - Health Minister Aleš Šabeder has issued a decree banning all public indoor events for 500-plus visitors as the number of confirmed coronavirus case increased by four to 12. The ban enters into force at 7pm tonight. A session of the National Security Council has been called by Prime Minister Marjan Šarec for Monday.

National Public Health Institute director Nina Pirnat told the press that the transmission risk was increasing, which is why the institute proposed limitations to public events.

Along with the ban on large indoor events, the Health Ministry is proposing that organisers of smaller events also reconsider.

Asked about events like movie screenings or prom dances, Minister Šabeder told POP TV's evening news show that organisers should consider whether it is urgent that their event be held and consider cancelling it if this is not the case.

He is aware that economic and financial damage is occurring, "but right now it is people's health that matters the most". Šabeder said experts were united in their view on the matter and that Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek also understood the situation.

The Health Ministry told the STA that schools would remain open, but that the situation was being monitored closely. Šabeder argued that classrooms were smaller after all and that Education Minister Jernej Pikalo confirmed closing school was not warranted for now. However, "let us wait until Monday", Šabeder added.

The concert of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli scheduled today at Ljubljana's Stožice Arena has been postponed. Cankarjev dom, Slovenia's largest cultural and congress centre, also cancelled today's events and while it initially announced it would postpone all events with 100-plus participants, it later said it would wait for detailed instructions from the Health Ministry.

It is not yet clear what will happen to the Ski Flying World Championships scheduled in Planica from 19 to 22 March, but it is possible the events will take place without spectators.

Meanwhile, additional measures have been announced for the Metlika area in the east of the country, where an infected doctor had contact with a large number of people, including at the elderly home, which has been closed. People in Metlika have been advised to avoid any kind of gatherings, including private ones.

The institute also proposed a meeting of the National Security Council and outgoing PM Šarec has already announced it will be held on Monday.

A total of 785 people have been tested for the coronavirus in Slovenia so far. According to epidemiologists, all 12 positive cases established by 2pm today were "imported" into the country, meaning the individuals contracted the virus abroad or were in close contact with somebody who had been abroad, in most cases in Italy.

All of the affected individuals who have been hospitalised are in a stable condition and none of them has been diagnosed with pneumonia, Health Ministry State Secretary Simona Repar Bornšek explained.

All out stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 6 March 2020

Mladina: Šarec, Mesec not to blame for Janša's rise to power

STA, 6 March 2020 - The left-wing weekly Mladina says in its latest editorial that blaming the Left and the Marjan Šarec List for Janez Janša's rise to power would be easiest. But the fact is that the two parties acted exactly as they were expected.

Luka Mesec of the Left and Marjan Šarec could have kept the outgoing coalition alive for a while longer to prevent the forming of the Janša government by making constant concessions to capital, but in the end, they would undoubtedly be the losers.

What happened now would happen at the next election at the latest, says editor-in-chief Grega Repovž under the headline Šarec and Mesec Are Right.

What caused the collapse of the outgoing coalition was the August 2019 proposal to abolish top-up health insurance. "The minute the Left proposed the law that would actually implement what was written in the coalition agreement, the entire coalition was up in arms.

"That was when not only the coalition but also the LMŠ fell apart, as both most important ministers from Šarec's party (finance minister and health minister) opposed the law. Because they deemed it ideologically unacceptable."

The neo-liberal parties in government immediately voiced opposition to the proposal: the SMC, SAB, even the SD complained, but hopefully only because the Left tabled the proposal, Repovž says.

Parties started calculating and MPs realised they might lose their jobs. The government did not collapse because of stubbornness of Mesec or Šarec's incompetence but because of clear ideological differences within the coalition and the LMŠ, Repovž claims.

It was a typical clash between the left and right, those who favour public health and those who want to privatise healthcare.

Parties picked sides very clearly: the SDS, NSi, SAB, SMC, DeSUS and the SNS stood to defend capital and the wealthy. "Yes, the SAB is on the list too and is not in the SDS-led coalition today only because Janša will never forget that he had to hand over the PM post to Alenka Bratušek in 2013."

The LMŠ closely escaped being put on this list as well, mainly thanks to its deputy group. People such as outgoing Finance Minister Andrej Betroncelj could have easily prevailed in the party but when they did not, departures started and Šarec was left in a position when all he could do was to resign.

"It is without a doubt terrible that Slovenia got a government led by a far-right politician. The price will be high. But in the last election we simply elected mostly the parties and MPs that see politics merely as a means to satisfy their own interests and the interests of the capital ... But at least now they are together and are no longer hiding behind the Left and the LMŠ."

Demokracija: Centre-right alliance will last for years

STA, 5 March 2020 - The right-wing weekly Demokracija is confident in its latest editorial about the firmness of the new centre-right coalition, saying cooperation between centrist and right-wing parties is "much more natural than an alliance between far-left radicals, socialists (masked as socdems), and alleged liberals".

Demokracija's editor-in-chief Jože Biščak says coalition infighting had indeed been among the reasons for the resignation of outgoing PM Marjan Šarec, but the changes at the helm of the Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) were crucial for what followed.

Biščak says their former Presidents Miro Cerar and Karl Erjavec "were increasingly openly flirting with socialists ideology, while Zdravko Počivalšek and Aleksandra Pivec immediately started moving their parties back to the centre and liberal values".

Thus Biščak believes Počivalšek and Pivec's claims "that the time lost with an election would have had disastrous consequences for Slovenia over media assertions that they are saving their parties from being erased from the political arena in a snap election".

While criticising last Friday's rally organised against the new coalition as a sign "we are sinking back into a totalitarian world", Biščak is confident that the new coalition is ideologically firm, up to the task, and has a good chance of making it until the end of the term.

"Even more. There are signs emerging on the horizon of a firm coalition between liberal and right-wing parties after the 2022 election," Biščak says in the commentary entitled Sorry for Even Existing.

All our posts in this series are here

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

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

FRIDAY, 28 February
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's GDP expanded by 2.4% in 2019 after growing by 1.7% in the final quarter year-on-year, showed the first estimate released by the Statistics Office. The annual increase is slightly below what had been announced in projections.
        LJUBLJANA - A group of NGOs staged a rally against the emerging centre-right coalition, with protesters urging the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and Modern Centre Party (SMC) in particular to reconsider their decisions to join the "coalition of hate" led the Democrats (SDS). More than
thousand people - 3,000, according to the organisers - gathered. The organisers later filed two criminal complaints, one against an unidentified person who shouted "Kill [SDS leader] Janša" in the crowd and the other against SDS MP Zvonko Černač, who reposted a Twitter post that announced violence against he protesters before the rally.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian web portal Oštro along with two more investigative journalism groups in the region run a report alleging that a Slovenia-based company owned by a Hungarian entrepreneur with ties to Hungarian PM Viktor Orban was used to launder illegal Hungarian government money and finance media propaganda in North Macedonia.
        LJUBLJANA - Consumer prices in Slovenia were up by 2% on average in February over the same month in 2019, mostly due to higher prices of food and housing. More expensive holiday packages were the main factor in the monthly inflation, which stood at 0.7%.
        LJUBLJANA - Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's sole maritime port, reported its group net profit plunge by 32% to EUR 40.4 million in 2019 due to a slowdown of global trade.
        LJUBLJANA - The insurance group Sava reported collecting EUR 599.3 million in gross premiums last year, 9.7% more than in 2018, as its net profit rose 16.7% to EUR 50.2 million.
        KIDRIČEVO - The foreign-owned car upholstery maker Boxmark Leather announced it would lay off a total of 288 workers at its sole remaining Slovenian location, in Kidričevo, by the end of April.

SATURDAY, 29 February
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry welcomed the landmark peace agreement between the US and Afghanistan's Taliban, saying that only bilateral and inclusive dialogue striving for compromise solutions could ensure a successful agreement leading to sustainable peace and stability for all citizens of Afghanistan.
        LAHTI, Finland - The Slovenian men's ski jumping team placed second in the Ski Jumping World Cup event in Finland's Lahti, finishing behind Germany.

MONDAY, 2 March
        LJUBLJANA - Miro Cerar, the outgoing foreign minister, quit the party he founded, saying the Modern Centre Party (SMC) lost its face after joining the new coalition led by Janez Janša of the right-wing Democrats (SDS). His successor at the head of the SMC Zdravko Počivalšek said he had withdrawn an offer to Cerar to become parliamentary speaker before Cerar made the announcement.
        LJUBLJANA - Outgoing PM Marjan Šarec announced in the face of a potential new migration wave that legislative changes granting additional powers to the army were ready and may be confirmed by parliament as needed.
        LJUBLJANA - The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the Slovenian Association of Journalists in condemning the "intensive attacks" on journalists reporting about alleged funding from Hungary of media close to the Democrats (SDS).
        NOVO MESTO - Revoz, the Slovenian subsidiary of the French car maker Renault, suspended production for three days due to irregular supply of car parts from Turkey blamed partly on the coronavirus outbreak in China. Revoz also confirmed that it would produce the new electric version of the Renault Twingo, to be rolled out at the end of the year.
        LJUBLJANA - Triglav, Slovenia's leading insurance group, saw net profit increase 4% to almost EUR 84 million in 2019 on the back of an 11% increase in gross written premiums, which totalled EUR 1.18 billion, show unaudited results.
        LJUBLJANA - Ulay, a major contemporary visual artist best known as a pioneer of body art and collaborator of performance artist Marina Abramović, died aged 76.

TUESDAY, 3 March
        LJUBLJANA - Democrats (SDS) leader Janez Janša was appointed PM-designate, receiving the mandate to form his third government. Having forged a centre-right coalition with three more parties - the NSi, SMC and DeSUS -after Marjan Šarec resigned as PM, Janša won 52 votes in the 90-member legislature. The priorities listed by Janša include cutting red tape, launching a fund in which state assets would be pooled to help finance public pensions, liberalisation of the economy and more competition in education and healthcare.
        LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar hosted his new North Macedonian counterpart Nakje Chulev for a meeting that focused on illegal migration, including the situation on the Turkish-Greek border. The pair agreed that the situation on the Greek-Turkish border required close monitoring and united response, with regular exchange of information being of essence.
        LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković and six co-defendants pleaded not guilty in a case focussing on EU funds abuse and bank fraud in the construction of the Stožice sports park as they faced the Ljubljana District Court. A total of nine defendants are indicted of abuse of office, fraud of EU funds, fraud to acquire a loan and forgery of documents in the multi-million euro project.
        LJUBLJANA - Bojan Požar, the editor of news portal Požareport received a judicial admonition for writing in 2016 that Viktor Knavs, the father of US First Lady Melania Trump, had been in prison for tax evasion. This comes after Požar was ordered to pay damages to Knavs in a related defamation lawsuit last year.
        LJUBLJANA - Actor Bojan Emeršič won the Silver Thistle for the most sexist statement of 2019. "I don't like the excessive emancipation of the last 15 years ... This affects erotics, which is not right, because men and women are different. Man has always been a hunter but is now losing his primary role," he said in an interview with Delo.

WEDNESDAY, 4 March
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded the first infection with the novel coronavirus. The infected person, aged about 60, had been on a trip to Morocco and returned home via Venice airport. Four more cases were confirmed a day later, including two persons who had been in contact with the first individual.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar announced Slovenia was deploying 35 police officers as part of a Frontex rapid border intervention team sent to Greece to help the country deal with an increased influx of migrants after Turkey decided to open its border with Greece.
        DOBOVA - Thirty citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran and Afghanistan were found by Slovenian border police hiding in sealed wagons of a train carrying clay. The foreigners, including 12 children aged between five and fourteen as well as a woman in a late stage of pregnancy, were literally buried in clay.
        LJUBLJANA - The Employment Service said it had registered 77,484 unemployed people in February, 3% fewer than the month before and 4.1% fewer than in February 2019.
        LJUBLJANA - Lotrič Meroslovje, a meteorology company, was declared the winner of this year's Business Excellence Award conferred by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and the SPIRIT agency.
        MARIBOR - Hydro power plant operator Dravske elektrarne Maribor (DEM) is claiming EUR 6.5 million in damages from the state after the government suspended the construction of a hydroelectric power plant on the river Mura in the east in the face strong opposition by locals and environmentalists.
        VRHNIKA - Kemis, one of the two biggest hazardous waste management companies in Slovenia, was cut off power supply after building authorities found that much of the facility near Vrhnika had been rebuilt illegally following a May 2017 fire.

THURSDAY, 5 March
        LJUBLJANA - A bipartisan bill designed to reform electoral law by abolishing electoral districts and introducing a preference vote at the level of the existing eight electoral units, fell three votes short of the needed two-thirds majority of 60 votes to pass at the National Assembly.
        LJUBLJANA - Igor Zorčič, former deputy group leader of the Modern Centre Party (SMC), was elected parliamentary speaker by secret ballot in a 48:29 vote. He succeeds Social Democrat (SD) leader Dejan Židan, who stepped down as soon as Janez Janša was elected prime minister.
        LJUBLJANA - A proposal to reintroduce mandatory military service tabled by the Democrats (SDS) as one of the points on the agenda of the incoming ruling coalition was defeated in parliament in a 36:51 vote. The Modern Centre Party (SMC) and New Slovenia (NSi), the two of the four parties forming the new SDS-led coalition, did not back the bill, same as the newly-formed opposition.
        LJUBLJANA - The caretaker government endorsed a scheme for drawing funds from the national climate fund in 2020-2023. Some EUR 350 million is projected to be available. A total of EUR 106.3 million is to be allocated for tackling climate change this year.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed the national environmental protection programme for the period until 2030, whose implementation will cost an estimated 47 million to 53 million euro a year.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly unanimously endorsed the NSi-sponsored amendments to the penal code to extend the statute of limitations for gravest sexual offences to between 30 and 90 years, up from between 10 and 30 years. Parliament also endorsed an amendment to the property code law to introduce a new definition of animals as sentient living beings.
        LJUBLJANA - The Association of WWII Veterans, the Jewish Community in Slovenia and six victims of the WWII Home Guard militia have petitioned the Constitutional Court to review the recent decision of the Supreme Court to annual the 1946 treason verdict of Leon Rupnik, a Nazi collaborationist general.
        AJDOVŠČINA - The Slovenian ultralight aircraft maker Pipistrel signed a letter of intent with Australian company Eyre to There Aviation for the production of the electric two-seaters Alpha Electro. In the first phase 15 aircraft are to be exported to Australia, later the aircraft would be produced there.

All our posts in this series are here

STA, 7 March 2020 - Detection of business opportunities by individuals in Slovenia has been improving in recent years, shows the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) survey. More than half of Slovenians perceived business opportunities last year, which compares to 38% in 2016, the Maribor Faculty of Economics and Business has announced.

Asked whether they personally had the skills and knowledge to start a new business, 57.5% of the surveyed Slovenians answered affirmatively, which places Slovenia 26th among the 50 surveyed countries around the world.

More than 60% of Slovenians said they knew someone who had started a new business, which ranks the country 14th, while the country is 30th in terms of the share of those who think there are good opportunities to start a business in their area (47.6%).

Almost 55% think that it is easy to start a business (21st), 42.2% have fear of failure (27th), while 15% have entrepreneurial intentions (29%), shows the GEM 2019/2020 global report.

Total early-stage entrepreneurial activity rate in Slovenia is at 7.8%, up from 6.4% in 2018, putting Slovenia in 40th place globally, and in 15th place among the 21 surveyed European countries.

Miroslav Rebernik, the head of the GEM survey team in Slovenia, said that the results showed that creating more profit was by no means the only driver of entrepreneurial activity of the new generations.

"The conscious shift towards more sustainable entrepreneurship is getting stronger, although the desire for creating higher profit still remains a strong motivator," he added.

On a scale from zero (insufficient status) to 10 (very adequate), Slovenia fared the best in physical infrastructure (7.06), while also doing well in internal market dynamics (5.36) and government entrepreneurship programmes (5.13).

"The mark for government entrepreneurship programmes increased the most on average for a second year in a row," noted team member Katja Crnogaj.

The most positive features of Slovenia's business environment include government programmes for small and medium-sized companies intended for the earliest phases of entrepreneurial activity, and the good support environment for start-ups, she added.

Overall, the survey suggests that the conditions which should be developed the most are education at the primary and secondary level, and transfer of research and development to business, which also applies for Slovenia.

The full report can be read in PDF form here, with the section on Slovenia on page 45

STA, 5 March 2020 - The Association of WWII Veterans, the Jewish Community in Slovenia and six victims of the WWII Home Guard militia have petitioned the Constitutional Court to review the recent decision of the Supreme Court to annual the 1946 treason verdict of Leon Rupnik, a Nazi collaborationist general.

Law firm Završek & Šnajder said on Thursday that the Supreme Court's decision to order a retrial was a grave interference in the dignity of its clients, "their right to safety, their personal rights, and a violation of international standards and treaties Slovenia must comply with".

Leon Rupnik, leading the way for Nazis in Bežigrad Stadium, Ljubljana. Wikimedia

Rupnik (1880-1946) was sentenced to death by court martial and executed in September 1946 for treason and collaboration with the occupying forces.

In 2014, Rupnik's relatives challenged the verdict in Supreme Court, which recently annulled it for being insufficiently explained.

Rupnik's relatives could petition the Supreme Court on a point of law on the basis of changes to the penal code passed in the 1990s that introduced an extraordinary legal remedy to review the cases of those who were unlawfully or unjustly sentenced under the former communist regime.

Leon Rupnik, saluting the Nazi flag in Kongresni trg, Ljubljana. Screenshot

Meanwhile, public broadcaster Radio Slovenija reported today that the Ljubljana city authorities also decided to challenge the Supreme Court's decision at the Constitutional Court. A press conference is scheduled for Wednesday.

The radio also reported that Maribor-based jurist Rok Lampe had filed a request for constitutional review. However, the request has been denied by the Constitutional Court because he failed to prove interest to bring proceedings.

All our stories on the Leon Rupnik case are here