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STA, 5 March 2020 - Six cases of novel coronavirus infection have so far been confirmed in Slovenia in what appear to be at least two unrelated clusters. Preventive steps are being taken and measures are in the pipeline to help businesses affected by the global outbreak.
Three of the infected persons had been on a trip to Morocco, returning via Italy's Venice airport on a commercial flight in the afternoon of 29 February before continuing home.
A further two infected were a man and a woman who had travelled in Italy where they are presumed to have contracted the virus, Nina Pirnat, director of the National Public Health Institute, told TV Slovenija on late night news show.
During the programme, information came in about a sixth person testing positive for the virus. Details are not available yet, but the report said it was a younger man from the Štajersko region, in the north-east.
The health authorities established that the first person confirmed to have contracted COVID-19, identified as a Ljubljana man aged about 60, had been in contact with 19 fellow travellers on a ten-day organised motorcycle trip around Morocco, 16 from Slovenia and three from Croatia.
Moreover, the health authorities said that he had been in contact with seven persons in the community health centre in the Ljubljana borough of Vič, which the man visited on Wednesday, feeling unwell.
The physician, who attended to the patient before sending him in an ambulance to the UKC Ljubljana hospital to be quarantined in a separate ward, has self-isolated.
The doctor was wearing protective equipment while examining the patient, and the premises of the health centre were ventilated and sanitised, NIJZ officials said.
All persons who have been in close contact with the man have been tested. The Slovenian Health Ministry has also notified Croatia about the situation.
Until 6pm today, a total of 433 had been tested for the novel coronavirus in Slovenia, data from NIJZ show.
Addressing reporters in Ljubljana, Pirnat said they had been receiving calls from persons who had been at the Ljubljana emergency ward on Saturday evening, when the man visited it because of an injury.
All have been given instructions to monitor their condition and to call their GP if they start coughing, sneezing, have a fever or shortness of breath.
Pirnat said the likelihood of the man passing on the virus to other patients who were at the emergency ward at the time was very small because they were not in close contact.
The first patient had already had symptoms when he had arrived in Venice. He used a shuttle van to come to Ljubljana together with a few other persons. The van driver has also been tested and isolated.
The second infected person is not showing the signs of the illness and the other has minor symptoms.
Tatjana Lejko Zupanc, the head of the UKC Ljubljana Department of Infectious Diseases, told TV Slovenija that all the infected persons were in good condition.
They are all under quarantine at the hospital. If there are more cases in need of hospitalisation, those who do not show symptoms would be sent home.
Measures are afoot to contain the virus with public events being cancelled, while hospitals had barred visitors days ago. Many community health centres are checking every visitor at the entrances.
Business braces for impact of coronavirus in Slovenia
Businesses have meanwhile been pointing to the impact of the global outbreak, calling for clear guidance and measures to help cope them with the situation.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) today said that many manufacturing companies could be affected by disrupted supplies over the next 14 days due to the outbreak in China. A slump in sales is also expected.
Due to the coronavirus spread in Europe, Slovenian companies active in tourism, hospitality, logistics, services and retail already report problems.
Several Slovenian travel agencies have seen a significant drop in business because of the new coronavirus. The agencies organising tourist trips in Slovenia are particularly affected, while those offering trips abroad are noticing a change of tourism flows.
Radio Slovenija has reported that the Labour Ministry has drawn up an emergency bill to subsidise companies for part of pay of workers temporarily laid off as a result of the impact of the global coronavirus outbreak.
Companies would be eligible for the subsidy if they were forced by business reasons to temporarily lay off more than half of the workforce.
The workers who are on furlough for up to three months would get 80% of the average pay for the past three months, of which 40% would be subsidised by the state and the rest by the employer.
Keep up with the latest news on coronavirus and Slovenia here
STA, 5 March 2020 - Several Slovenian travel agencies have seen a significant drop in business because of the new coronavirus. The agencies organising tourist trips in Slovenia are particularly affected, while those offering trips abroad are noticing a change of tourism flows.
The Ljubljana-based Atur Travel, which targets mainly tourists from Asia with its trips to south, eastern and central Europe, has recorded a major drop in the number of guests.
Almost all trips in March have been cancelled, as have 80% of those scheduled for April and May, CEO Anja Poženel Belec said, adding that most trips were being cancelled by their clients from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and South Korea.
"At the moment, bookings are being pushed to September and October, so we are expecting a big increase in autumn if the situation calms down until then. But the shortfall in the first six months will nevertheless show at the annual level."
Gorazd Skrt of Lovely Trips, which helps companies promote Slovenian tourism in Italy, says that Italian travel agencies are seeing a significant drop in bookings.
Many people who do not have symptoms are cancelling their trips so as to avoid transmission, while in Slovenia, people fear guests from Italy will bring the virus, he said.
The impact of the epidemic on tourism is difficult to assess at the moment, according to him. "If the situation improves in the coming weeks, we'll be able to make up for a part of cancellations and only record a drop of a few percent. But if the situation continues for months, arrivals of Italian guests could be magnitudes worse."
Plans for the Easter and 1 May holidays are also being affected. "We are recording cancellations of existing reservations. Those who have not made reservations yet, are afraid to make them," he said.
The problem is that even if the epidemic is stopped by then, there will not be enough time to organise group trips, Skrt explained.
"Tourism is an industry that is quickly affected by crises but also recovers quickly. At this point, two scenarios are possible - under the less negative one we'll be trying to offset the negative effects until the end of the year, while in the worst case scenario the season will be ruined."
Big travel agencies offering trips to other countries are not particularly affected. Palma has not seen a drop in demand or any major cancellations.
Kompas said the situation was changing on a day-to-day basis. Its tours of Italy do not make stops in the towns that are quarantined at the moment, so there have been no cancellations.
Rather than a drop in demand, they are noticing that people are opting for slightly different destinations.
GoOpti, a company providing shared and private transfers to airports and between towns, is seeing a 30-40% drop in the number of passengers, especially in Italy.
In the face of the negative effects of the virus on business, several associations, including the trade union of employees in the hospitality sector from the ZSSS trade union confederation, the Employers' Association and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), have called on the government to introduce measure to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus immediately.
They called for subsidies for shorter working time and financial aid for companies that have no financial reserves to fall back on.
The GZS said today that problems were expected to mount, so the government should follow the recommendations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The OECD said on Monday flexible forms of work should be introduced to preserve jobs, while governments should adopt temporarily tax and budget measures to mitigate the effects of the virus in the most affected industries such as tourism, the automotive sector and electronics.
All out stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here
STA, 5 March 2020 - Slovenia's per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in purchasing power standards reached 87% of the EU average in 2018, which is up two percentage points compared to 2017. GDP per capita is a key criterion for eligibility for EU structural funds.
The Western Slovenia region exceeded the EU average by 5%, while Eastern Slovenia was at 72%, fresh Eurostat data show. This means the country may see an even bigger drop in the amount of cohesion funds it will have available in the bloc's 2021-2027 financial framework.
Having recorded solid economic growth since 2014, Slovenia saw its economy expand by almost 5% in 2017. In 2018 and 2019 growth slowed but was still significantly above the EU average.
The country's performance in GDP per capita relative to the EU average thus improved by two percentage points each in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The gap between the Western and Eastern Slovenia has meanwhile been deepening. In 2017, Western Slovenia exceeded the EU average by 2%, while Eastern Slovenia reached only 70% of the EU average.
GDP per capita in the whole country totalled EUR 22,100 in 2018 and purchasing power parity (PPS) 26,400.
In Western Slovenia, GDP per capita stood at EUR 26,500 and PPS at 31,600, while in Eastern Slovenia the figures were EUR 18,100 and 21,700, respectively.
The highest GPD per capita in the EU after the UK exited the bloc was recorded in Luxembourg, where it exceeded the EU average by 163%, followed by Southern Ireland (125% above EU average), and Eastern and Midland Ireland (110%).
You can see more of this data, in PDF form, here
STA, 5 March 2020 - A second case of novel coronavirus infection in Slovenia was confirmed Thursday, Health Minister Aleš Šabeder said, with the person having been in contact with the first patient, who had been detected on Wednesday.
Šabeder said as the health authorities called a press conference to speak about the first case that they had just been informed about a second case, adding that the second patient had been in contact with the first one.
The authorities are rushing to identify other persons who have been in contact with the man who was confirmed as the first COVID-19 case in Slovenia yesterday.
The Ljubljana physician who attended to the patient and sent him in an ambulance vehicle to the UKC Ljubljana hospital to be quarantined in a separate ward, has already been isolated.
The first infected person, identified only as a man aged about 60, had come to Slovenia from Morocco via Italy on a commercial flight on 29 February.
The National Public Health Institute (NIJZ) called on other Slovenian citizens who were on the AT938 Royal Air Maroc flight from Casablanca to the Marco Polo airport in Venice to be careful about signs of infection.
Nina Pirnat of the NIJZ said that the first patient had already had symptoms when he had arrived in Venice, which he had attributed to a recent injury in Morocco.
The man had used a shuttle van to come from Venice to Ljubljana and all persons who travelled with him in the aircraft and the shuttle van will be instructed to see an epidemiologist and get further instructions.
The shuttle operator GoOpti told the STA that a few other persons had travelled with the man, adding that the driver had already been tested and isolated. GoOpti director Marko Guček said that the driver was feeling well and had no signs of infection.
On the evening of the arrival to Slovenia, the first patient visited the Ljubljana emergency ward over the injury, and was then sent home, Pirnat said, adding that he had been in contact with many persons since.
Health Ministry State Secretary Simona Repar Bornšek added that, feeling unwell, the man had visited the community health centre in the south-western Ljubljana borough of Vič. He came unannounced, ignoring all protocols and instructions, she added.
According to Šabeder, a list of persons in contact with the man was being compiled. High-risk persons have had swab samples taken, with the results to be announced in the afternoon.
Pirnat said that the infection was transferred by close contact and that the probability that the persons at the emergency ward and the passengers had gotten infected was small.
Nevertheless, the health authorities are trying to identify as many persons as possible who have been in contact with or in the close proximity of the first patient.
Doctors rushing to identify people who came into contact with the first coronavirus patient
STA, 5 March 2020 - Slovenian health authorities are rushing to identify persons who have been in contact with the man who was confirmed as the first COVID-19 case in Slovenia on Wednesday. The Ljubljana physician who attended to the patient has already been isolated.
Health Minister Aleš Šabeder said a list of persons in contact with the man was being compiled. High-risk persons have had swab samples taken, with the results still pending.
The infected person, identified only as a man aged about 60, had recently come to Slovenia from Morocco via Italy.
It is clear that he flew from Morocco to Italy, but his subsequent travel arrangements have not been disclosed due to protection of sensitive personal information.
It therefore remains unclear whether he travelled alone or in a group.
The patient ignored instructions issued in recent weeks. Instead of calling his doctor first, he went to a community health centre in Ljubljana, where the doctor determined he had clear signs of COVID-19 infection.
The man was then transported by ambulance to the epidemiology ward of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, where he has been quarantined in a separate ward reserved for COVID-19 cases.
All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia can be found here
STA, 4 March 2020 - Slovenia is 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 recently decided to open its border with Greece, said Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar as he attended an informal EU ministerial on Wednesday.
After today's meeting, called due to the emergency situation at the Greece-Turkey border, Poklukar highlighted that the police officers were already preparing for the task.
He said that the EU's reaction to the developments had been very rapid compared to the 2015 crisis. Greece has been handling the situation well so far, he added.
A total of 530 members of Frontex, the EU border protection agency, have been already deployed to Greece, including two Slovenians. Frontex is expected to mobilise an additional hundred experts as well as necessary vehicles.
The agency has also activated its rapid border intervention team or RABIT, which will be used for the first time ever.
Should the pressure on the Greece-Turkey border continue to build up and Greece be no longer able to cope with the situation, the minister will propose to deploy military forces as well in line with a defence act article which gives additional powers to the armed forces in such circumstances. Soldiers have been already assisting the police on Slovenia's south border under the legislation.
The proposal would need to get the endorsement of two-thirds of MPs if sent to parliament. Poklukar added that he had been in contact with his colleagues in the EU and Western Balkans to stay on top of the situation.
He has told them that the current situation on the external Schengen border in Slovenia is under control due to the police's efforts and highlighted that in the case of no joint EU solutions, the country is adamant to protect its border against a new influx of migrants single-handedly using the police and armed forces.
Poklukar said that the ministers did not discuss any plans for relocating migrants from Greece today, adding that Slovenia had not yet received any formal proposal to accept unaccompanied refugee minors from the Greek islands either.
He also pointed out that Slovenia was hesitant about a migration relocation scheme for those rescued in the central Mediterranean, agreed by four EU countries last year, since the country had been already dealing with the Western Balkans migration route, masses of asylum seekers and limited capacities.
According to a report by Regina Mihindukulasuriya, published on ThePrint, India was the country subject to the most cyber-attacks country in the world for three months in 2019, during April, May and June, based on data compiled by Subex, a Bengaluru-based company providing analytics to telecom and communication service providers.
Of note for readers of TSN, the highest number of cyber-attacks targeting India in 2019 originated in Slovenia (74,988 attacks). This was followed by Ukraine (55,772), Czech Republic (53,609), China (50,000), and Mexico (35, 201).. The attacks are said to have targeted critical infrastructure, followed by banking, defence and manufacturing.
But why Slovenia? To quote the article, which can be read in full here:
A cyber-security expert who didn’t want to be identified told ThePrint that Slovenia tops the list as Russian state actors may be employing botnets in that country to keep an eye on India’s critical infrastructure in the oil, gas and telecom sectors.
Prayukth of Subex also told ThePrint that while an attack can be traced back to a certain physical location, it is not possible to ascertain who is controlling the botnets.
Botnets physically located in one country, he added, can be leased out to clients based in another country for as low as 30 US cents...
The same report states that the most cyber-attacked countries in 2019 was the US, followed by India, the UK, Singapore, Ukraine, UAE, Nigeria, Japan, South Korea and Spain.
All our stories on India and Slovenia can be found here
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:
First case of coronavirus infection confirmed in Slovenia
LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec announced on Twitter in the evening that the first infection with the novel coronavirus had been confirmed in Slovenia, with Health Minister Aleš Šabeder subsequently addressing the press, saying that the infected person had come to Slovenia from Morocco via Italy. The person is being treated at the infection ward of the UKC Ljubljana hospital, while the National Public Health Institute (NIJZ) is working on identifying the persons who have been in contact with the infected individual. The person visited their general practitioner today, who referred them to the infection ward due to noticeable signs of infection. The government will discuss the situation at its regular session on Thursday.
SDS-promoted conscription reintroduction looking unlikely
LJUBLJANA - Most parliamentary factions seemed opposed to a proposal that would reintroduce compulsory military service in Slovenia. The bill might thus be defeated at first reading in Thursday's vote since only the Democrats (SDS), which tabled the bill in January, the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and National Party (SNS) believe it has a future. Two of the new coalition's parties - the Modern Centre Party (SMC) and New Slovenia (NSi) - voiced serious reservations. Should the motion succeed nonetheless, it will face a referendum, which has been announced by the Left.
SMC deputy group leader slated for speaker post
LJUBLJANA - Igor Zorčič, the deputy group leader of the Modern Centre Party (SMC), was formally nominated for speaker of parliament a day after Janez Janša received the mandate to form a centre-right government. SMC leader Zdravko Počivalšek said Zorčič, a lawyer who was first elected to parliament in 2014, would lead the National Assembly "with the right degree of determination and a great deal of patience". He will succeed Social Democrat (SD) leader Dejan Židan, who stepped down as soon as Janša was elected PM.
Slovenia sending 35 police officers to Greece to help seal border
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia is 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 recently decided to open its border with Greece, said Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar as he attended an informal EU ministerial. After today's meeting, called due to the emergency situation at the Greece-Turkey border, Poklukar highlighted that the police officers were already preparing for the task. He said that the EU's reaction to the developments had been very rapid compared to the 2015 crisis. Greece has been handling the situation well so far, he added.
Slovenian councillor in Italy positive for COVID-19
KOPER - Igor Gabrovec, an ethic Slovenian who is a member of the regional legislative assembly of Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Gabrovec said he was feeling fine and that he had requested the testing himself after recently returning from holiday through the Treviso airport. Gabrovec, a councillor of the party Slovenian Community, was admitted to a hospital for observation yesterday and will remain in isolation.
Businesses urge measures in response to coronavirus fallout
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Employers' Association urged the Economy Ministry to take measures in response to the growing impact of the coronavirus outbreak on business, which it says has begun to affect all industries. Revoz, the Slovenian subsidiary of the French car maker Renault, said it has temporarily suspended production due to irregular supply of car parts that is partly blamed on the coronavirus outbreak in China. Also, Slovenia's biggest boat show, Internautica, which was to be held in the port of Trieste in May, has been cancelled due to the virus. On the other hand, tourism officials in the regions bordering Italy said they are not yet reporting a decline in visitors from Italy, a major market for Slovenian tourism.
Police find 30 foreigners hiding in train carrying clay
DOBOVA - Slovenian police officers discovered at the Dobova border crossing on Tuesday 30 citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran and Afghanistan hiding in sealed wagons of a train carrying clay, as they attempted to enter Slovenia. The train with 20 wagons loaded with clay was coming to Slovenia from Serbia, the Novo Mesto Police Department said. 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 as they tried to avoid being detected by border police, which could have been fatal.
Jobless total down again in February
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Employment Service registered 77,484 unemployed people in February, 3% fewer than the month before and 4.1% fewer than in February 2019. A total of 5,172 were registered as freshly out of a job in February. This is 54% fewer than the month before and 0.1% more than a year ago. Of the freshly unemployed, the bulk (2,633) saw their fixed-term job contracts expire. The latest available statistics show the registered unemployment rate was at 7.7% in December, 0.4 percentage points lower than in December 2018.
Metrology company wins Business Excellence Award
LJUBLJANA - Lotrič Meroslovje is the winner of this year's Business Excellence Award conferred by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and the SPIRIT agency. The metrology company was also given at the award ceremony the certificate promoting the EFQM European model of excellence for the next three years. This is the second Business Excellence Award for the company based in Selca, east of Kranj, with the first coming in 2012. The ceremony was attended by Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who said that business excellence should be put in the spotlight, as it was a foundation for competitiveness.
Hydro plant operator wants damages from state over scrapped Mura plant
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. DEM told the STA that it had so far invested about EUR 9.2 million in plans for the Mura. In case that the government also decides to strip DEM of its concession right to build hydro power plants on the Mura, the damage claim will be increased so as to include all other costs.
Major tax debtor sentenced to six years and a half in prison
LJUBLJANA - Zlatan Kudić, one of Slovenia's biggest tax debtors, was sentenced to six years and a half in prison by the Ljubljana District Court after he pleaded guilty to tax evasion and money laundering, web portals 24ur and Slovenske Novice have reported. The former director of Maxicon, which went bust in 2012, went into hiding during the trial, which started in 2013. After some three months, the fugitive was apprehended, reportedly in Ljubljana. The Financial Administration (FURS) should not hold out much hope of recovering EUR 25 million in debt owed by Kudić, said TV Slovenija when he was apprehended, since Maxicon was erased from the list of debtors upon going bankrupt.
Statement about "excessive emancipation" declared most sexist of 2019
LJUBLJANA - Actor Bojan Emeršič has won the Silver Thistle for the most sexist statement of 2019 with a statement he made the daily Delo. "I don't like the excessive emancipation of the last 15 years, women fighting for your rights, which you already have. 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. Also among the nominees this year was President Borut Pahor, who won the award in 2016. The Silver Thistle was conferred on Tuesday evening by web portal Spol.si and the organisers of the feminist and queer festival Red Dawns.
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, 4 March 2020 - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said on Twitter on Wednesday that the first infection with the novel coronavirus had been confirmed in Slovenia. Health Minister Aleš Šabeder addressed the press after the announcement, saying that the infected person had come to Slovenia from Morocco via Italy.
The person is currently being treated at the infection ward of the UKC Ljubljana hospital, in a room which had been set up for the admittance of the first potential patients, he added.
The National Public Health Institute (NIJZ) is identifying the persons who have been in contact with the infected individual.
The infected person visited their general practitioner today, who referred the person to the infection ward due to noticeable signs of infection.
A swab was taken there and the result was positive, with the patient being immediately hospitalised in line with the protocol that was determined in advance, Šabeder told the press.
He added that the Health Ministry had been informed about the positive test, performed by the Ljubljana institute of microbiology and immunology, around 8.45pm.
Maja Sočan of the NIJZ said that the likely source of the infection was, with first information suggesting that the case had been imported, with the person getting infected in Morocco.
The relevant authorities will ask the person about their whereabouts in recent days, examine their condition and talk with persons who are the most closest to the infected, for whom the strictest measures are envisaged.
Sočan said that there were no information about these persons, adding that identifying them was a priority. "Our job is to find them and provide them with advice so that the infection does not spread," she added.
Šabeder said that the situation would also be discussed by the government on Thursday.
All out stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here
STA, 4 March 2020 - Slovenian police officers discovered at the Dobova border crossing on Tuesday 30 citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran and Afghanistan hiding in sealed wagons of a train carrying clay, as they attempted to enter Slovenia.
The train with 20 wagons loaded with clay was coming to Slovenia from Serbia, the Novo Mesto Police Department said on Wednesday.
The foreigners were literally buried in clay as they tried to avoid being detected by border police, which could have been fatal.
The police said the conditions in the sealed wagons were life-threatening, mostly due to the lack of oxygen. What is more the clay on the surface had hardened, creating a dangerous crust.
Spokesperson Alenka Drenik said that the foreigners had been completely covered by clay, and that it was not fully clear how they were able to breathe at all.
She added that foreigners who were trying to enter Slovenia illegally were often found on trains, including on trains transporting clay, but that they were always located on the top of the cargo.
What shocked the police officers and firefighters who participated in the rescue effort the most is that there were 12 children aged between five and fourteen, as well as a woman in a late stage of pregnancy, among the foreigners.
Three persons were provided with medical care in the Brežice hospital after the effort, which also included search and rescue dogs.
Peter Herakovič, the commander of the local fire brigade, told the STA that "small wooden houses" had been put into the wagons, enabling the stowaways get air.
Hardened clay was put on top of these houses, and entrances were blocked by large lumps of clay. "These were trenches of some sort."
According to him, the people inside the wagons were terrified and would not have stayed alive for much longer, perhaps a few hours, had they not been rescued. "Those who were being rescued the last were in a very bad shape."
Herakovič praised the rescue dog team, saying that not even half of the migrants would be saved without them.
According to Drenik, their destination was probably Italy, where the cargo train was destined.
Since they did not ask for asylum, all of them, including the three who had been taken to hospital, have already been handed over to Croatian police officers who perform joint border control at Dobova with Slovenian colleagues.
STA, 4 March 2020 - Actor Bojan Emeršič has won the Silver Thistle for the most sexist statement of 2019 with his statement for the daily Delo that he disliked the "excessive emancipation" of women because it affected erotics.
The Silver Thistle was conferred on Tuesday evening by web portal Spol.si and the organisers of the feminist and queer festival Red Dawns.
A brief history of the award can be found here
Emeršič made the statement for Delo's weekend supplement and this January: "I don't like the excessive emancipation of the last 15 years, women fighting for your rights, which you already have. 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."
According to the organisers, the statement shows a lack of understanding of both gender equality and women's struggle for equal opportunities, and implies that the battle for women's rights poses a direct threat to men's experiencing of sexuality.
The statement was picked among 33 statements in an on-line voting in which 1,217 people took part.
Emeršič was shortlisted for another statement, in which he argued that sleazy jokes should not be considered sexual harassment.
Several prominent persons were among those shortlisted for the dishonourable title, including President Borut Pahor, Defence Minister Karl Erjavec, Culture Minister Zoran Poznič, head of the Social Democrats deputy group Matjaž Han, philosopher Slavoj Žižek, several journalists and the Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS).
Pahor, who won the Silver Thistle in 2016, for shouting "Let's get it on, babe" at a high school graduation parade in May 2015, this time made it to the list with his Instagram post: "Špela took a photo of me curiously looking out of my hotel window in Bern where binoculars were available. At first I indeed admired the Eiger, 3970 m, but then I was drawn to an attractive female athlete who was stretching at a nearby stadium."
The most sexist statement of 2018 was made by children's doctor and psychotherapist Viljem Ščuka equalising sex and rape. "Mass rapes of girls (schoolmates) are not possible if girls are against. Both participants are responsible for sexual intercourse because it takes place with both being fully conscious ..." Ščuka said.
Vinko Bogataj is a former Slovenian ski jumper, born on today's date, 4 March, in 1948.
In 1970 Bogataj experienced a nasty crash at Oberstdorf flying hill in Germany, derailing at the take off ramp and flying down to the ground, missing most of the by-standing spectators and spruce stumps. He got away with a concussion and a broken ankle, and was back to the hills in the following season.
The crash did not make much of an impression in a European ski jumping context, and without much noise Bogataj eventually retired from ski jumping, switching to painting instead.
However, American ABC’s Wide World of Sports crew who was also present at the 1970 Oberstdorf event, made sure Bogataj’s crash wouldn’t go unnoticed. The footage soon found way into the title sequence of the programme, providing the “agony of defeat” part of the visuals in support of the opening statement: “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport…the thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat…the human drama of athletic competition…This is ABC's Wide World of Sports!"
In 1981 Wide World of Sports celebrated its 20th anniversary in New York and Vinko Bogataj was invited to attend. It was only at this ceremony that he realised that he must have become quite famous in the USA. Especially by the end of the ceremony, when Muhammed Ali approached to get his autograph.
In 1997, Wide World Classics filmed another report on Bogataj, looking back at his role in the show.
The last appearance of Vinko Bogataj in the American media occurred in 2016, when ESPN published an interview with him, his daughter in the role of translator.
In contrast to Bogataj’s ski jumping fame in the USA, he’s now better known locally as an artist. Just a few months following his ESPN interview, Bled Castle, showcasing Bogataj’s art exhibition, wrote: “Did you know that besides his big love for painting Vinko Bogataj also used to be a member of the Yugoslav ski jumping team in his youth?... Welcome to the Tower Gallery. The exhibition of Vinko Bogataj’s paintings is open until the end of the month every day during the opening hours of Bled Castle.”
photo: Bled Castle, Facebook
