05 Feb 2020, 09:12 AM

Ljubljana Mosque Opens Next Week, Officially After Ramadan

STA, 3 February 2020 - The Ljubljana mosque, which the Islamic community in Slovenia has been striving for decades, will be inaugurated in June after the end of Ramadan, while it will already start operating in about a week, Mufti Nedžad Grabus announced on Monday.

Presenting the Muslim Cultural Centre Ljubljana, as it is officially called, Grabus told the press the centre was a milestone event for Muslims in Slovenia, who were finally getting their own space for prayer and activities.

Grabus, who highlighted the cultural and educational aspects of the centre, looked back at the efforts to obtain the mosque, which is located just north of the city centre.

Plans for a different location failed in 2006, while the plot between Parmova and Kurilniška streets was secured in 2008 and the foundation stone laid in 2013. Construction was suspended in 2017 and resumed in 2018.

Grabus spoke of one of the most beautiful Islamic cultural centres in Europe. It has a capacity of 1,400 worshippers and comprises a 24-metre cube containing the dome and a 40-metre-high minaret.

Aside from offices, classrooms, a washing room and a residential section, it also houses a gym and restaurant. A car park is attached as well, with Grabus announcing the gym, restaurant and car park could also be rented out to help fund maintenance.

The project will end up costing slightly over EUR 34 million, roughly EUR 28 million of which was provided by donors from Qatar. EUR 2 million came from other countries while EUR 4 million was collected by Muslims in Slovenia, whose number Grabus put at around 80,000.

The mufti rejected speculation the donors from Qatar could have asked for any favours or a role in the centre's activities in return for the funding.

Prayers will be held five times a days in the mosque, while they are expected to be extended to the platform in front of it during major holidays.

Like is customary abroad, worshippers will also be summoned to prayer with the help of loudspeakers, but Grabus announced this would be limited to the centre's main platform. "We will make an effort not to upset the Slovenian public," he said.

It remains to be determined in what way the centre and mosque will be open to the general public. At present, the idea is to enable visits to the mosque when it is not used for prayer, initially free of charge and later possible for a fee.

05 Feb 2020, 09:01 AM

Cyclist Roglič, Kayaker Terčelj Win Highest Slovenian Sports Award

STA, 4 February 2020 - Cyclist Primož Roglič, the winner of the Tour of Spain, and world champion kayaker Eva Terčelj are the winners of the Bloudek Prizes for sporting achievements, the highest national awards for current and lifetime success in sports.

Having already been named Athlete of the Year by Slovenian sports journalists, Roglič, 30, was honoured by the state for the first ever victory by a Slovenian in one of the top cycling races in the world, the Vuelta, last year.

The same year he also finished third in the Giro d'Italia, another Grand Tour race, and three more major races. "Roglič proves again and again that he is a cycling champion," the jury said.

Terčelj, 28, secured the accolade among women for winning the K1 event at the Whitewater World Championship in September 2019, a career high that the jury pointed out also earned her a slot at the Tokyo Olympics this year.

Three lifetime achievement awards were also conferred as long-time Faculty of Sport professor Milan Žvan, swimming coach Vladimir Čermak and chess official Boris Kutin were honoured for decades-long careers in sports.

05 Feb 2020, 04:26 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 5 February 2020

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:

Two largest parties on opposite sides regarding future moves

LJUBLJANA - All options remain open as Borut Pahor launched consultations with deputy group heads on the way forward following the resignation of PM Marjan Šarec. Danijel Krivec of the Democrats (SDS) said SDS president Janez Janša was the best candidate for prime minister, while Brane Golubović of the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) called for a snap election. Pahor will host the remaining parties on Wednesday and Thursday, but the contours of a potential centre-right coalition led by Janša could start to emerge on Friday when talks will be hosted by the SDS leader. The small centre-left Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) has also not given up on its plan to organise a "project government".

Proponents of electoral changes hope to get 60th vote

LJUBLJANA - As the search is underway for the missing 60th vote to pass a bill to change electoral law, the details of the proposal were presented to the press. The changes, proposed in response to a Constitutional Court ruling, entail abolishing electoral districts and introducing a relative preferential vote, similarly to how members of the European Parliament are elected. To get elected with the relative preference vote, a candidate would have to win at least 4.5% of all votes won by the list on which they appear. The bill also says that neither sex should be represented by fewer than 40% of the candidates on the list, a rise of 5 percentage points from the existing legislation.

Adria's bankruptcy estate estimated at over EUR 6m

BRNIK - The bankruptcy estate of air carrier Adria Airways is worth EUR 6.23 million, of which EUR 3.15 million is the title to its office building at Ljubljana airport. Official receiver Janez Pustatičnik believes that due to its complexity, the receivership is unlikely to be completed before the end of 2024. The assets also include Adria's brand, the liquidation value of which is EUR 100,000, a flight simulator (EUR 93,000) and Adria's 100% stake in its flight school (EUR 133,500), according to an opening report by Pustatičnik. It is not yet know how much Adria owns creditors, since the deadline to report them has been extended until 2 March.

Koper port says coronavirus to affect business, no measures adopted yet

KOPER - Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's sole commercial port, has told the STA that the coronavirus situation is expected to affect transshipment volumes. Container cargo and vehicles are likely to be impacted the most, Luka Koper said, while explaining it had not yet received any instructions concerning potential health measures. It is the duty of the captain of a ship to report any health conditions before entering the port and the report is forwarded by the Maritime Administration to the National Institute of Public Health. The institute is also responsible for issuing instructions regarding any measures to the port.

Postal company stops accepting mail for China

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian national postal operator has stopped accepting mail for China until further notice after its partner air carriers suspended flights to the country in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Until further notice, Pošta Slovenije will no longer accept letters and packages destined for China. Deliveries already on their way to China are expected to arrive with a delay, the company said. An exception to the suspension of the service applies to UPS packages.

Slovenian delegation fortifying business ties with Japan

TOKYO, Japan - A business delegation led by state secretary at the Economic Development and Technology Ministry Aleš Cantarutti is visiting Japan this week. They kicked off their trip with visits to Yaskawa Electric, Kansai Paint and Daihen on Monday. All three companies have already invested in Slovenia. Japanese investments have grown more than tenfold since 2013, reaching EUR 339.5 million in 2018, central bank data shows.

Cyclist Roglič, kayaker Terčelj win national sports prize

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Cyclist Primož Roglič, the winner of the Tour of Spain, and world champion kayaker Eva Terčelj were declared the winners of the Bloudek Prizes for sporting achievements, the highest national awards for current and lifetime success in sports. Roglič, 30, was honoured by the state for the first ever victory by a Slovenian in one of the top cycling races in the world, the Vuelta, last year. The same year he also finished third in the Giro d'Italia. Terčelj, 28, won the K1 event at the Whitewater World Championship in September 2019.

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

04 Feb 2020, 18:37 PM

Meet the People: Sarah Glover, from Liverpool to Teaching Pregnancy Yoga in Ljubljana

Where are you from, what brought you to Slovenia, when, and where do you live now?

We're originally from Liverpool, UK. After getting married, we quit our jobs and sold everything to travel the world with the intention of finding a new country to live in. As part of the trip we spent three weeks in the Balkans, where we fell in love with Slovenia. A massive love was the natural wine! After the trip, we went back to the UK, had our daughter and five months later, March 2019, moved to Šiška, Ljubljana.

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What were your first impressions of the country?

We love how compact Slovenia is, the sea, lakes, mountains, forest, access to other nearby countries; the fresh food, farmers markets and natural wine. Slovenia is the way people should live.

We walked to the park on Saturday and there was the lake, as usual, but that day it was frozen, with teenagers playing ice hockey and young children skating around.... I love the joy small things can bring to people here.

What’s your experience of culture shock been like?

The biggest culture shock has been the unexpected Slovenian holidays (e.g. St Martins Day) that our kitchen cupboards weren’t prepared for!

Language is our main hurdle but we have been using language apps and books and will probably start lessons soon.

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What do you do for a living here?

Both worked in finance in the UK, and now my husband works from home here and I have just finished my first prenatal yoga and positive birthing class, in English. The most difficult part will be working out how/where best to advertise.

What’s your background with yoga?

I have practiced yoga for 10 years, studied to teach in India and the UK, and having had one pregnancy, I have first-hand experience of yoga whilst pregnant. My classes include an introduction to the concept of hypnobirthing and mindfulness of birth, too. I spent a lot of time during my pregnancy learning about birth and how to embrace it. I had a pain free, drug free, home water birth. I can't wait to share my knowledge and help other mothers love their birth as much as I did mine.

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What are the benefits of yoga for pregnant women?

Yoga has so many benefits at all stages of life. It's especially good for pregnant ladies because the poses are gentle and can be adapted to everyone, irrelevant of flexibility or fitness. Particular benefits include, strengthening the important muscles and increasing flexibility, making mum more comfortable in her ever-changing body, reducing stress and improving sleep, and enhancing the connection between mum and baby.

And my yoga classes have the added benefit of giving mum confidence as she learns how to birth with pleasure and trust herself.

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Where and when will the classes be held?

1-2-1 classes can be arranged anywhere. I have three classes per week scheduled in Rudnik, Bikram Yoga Ljubljana (it's a beautiful hot yoga studio – but it will not be hot for my classes). And I'm looking for venues both in the centre and in Šiška too.

No yoga experience is necessary and it’s suitable for all stages of pregnancy. Please contact me with any questions. People can learn more on my Facebook page, Pregnancy Yoga with Sarah, or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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

04 Feb 2020, 17:51 PM

Lynx Kitten a Boost to Survival of Slovenian Population

STA, 4 February 2020 - Efforts to revive the small and heavily inbred population of lynx in Slovenia appear to be paying off as a lynx kitten has recently been captured and tagged, the descendant of a male that had been brought from Romania to diversify the population's gene pool.

Named Mala (tiny), the female kitten has been shown by genetic tests to be the descendant of Goru, one of two males captured in the Carpathian mountains that were relocated to Slovenia last year, and Teja, a female that is part of Slovenia's tiny population of the wild cats estimated to number just a dozen or so animals.

Goru had entered Teja's territory soon after he was released into the wild last May and researchers have been able to determine based on their GPS collars that the animals bred in early June.

The kitten was born in August and collared in January to improve her chances of survival after she is weaned.

"The GPS collar will allow colleagues to provide Mala with supplementary food to help her survive the critical months until full independence," said Hubert Potočnik, a researcher from the Ljubljana Biotechnical Faculty who is working on the Life Lynx project.

While researchers keep an eye on the kitten, preparations have already been launched for the relocation of additional lynx from Romania.

Two more animals have recently been captured in Romania and are to be resettled soon. The plan is to introduce a total of 14 animals from Romania to the shared Slovenian-Croatian lynx population over the course of several years, the Slovenia Forest Service said.

04 Feb 2020, 15:36 PM

Coronavirus: Slovenia Stops Sending Mail to China, Koper Port Expects Fall in Business

STA, 4 February 2020 - The Slovenian national postal operator has stopped accepting mail for China until further notice after its partner air carriers suspended flights to the country in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Until further notice, Pošta Slovenije will no longer accept letters and packages destined for China. Deliveries already on their way to China are expected to arrive with a delay, the company said.

An exception to the suspension of the service applies to UPS packages, but the senders are advised to check first whether delivery to the intended addresses is possible.

Most recent information is that deliveries cannot be accepted in Wuhan, the city and the region at the centre of the novelty coronavirus outbreak.

Fraport Slovenija, the company operating Ljubljana airport, has said that some exporters have had difficulties dispatching their deliveries because of suspension of air links with China.

Speaking with the STA, the company could not say what quantities had been affected.

"There have been many more air mail bags from China this year, which is delayed mail from last year due to overbooked capacities for Europe. The real picture will not be clear until next month."

Meanwhile, Pošta Slovenije is looking for substitute transport channels so as to be able to resume service and allow users to post all types of mail.

"The customers will be notified as soon as the possibility of mail acceptance is resorted," the postal company said in a press release on Tuesday.

Koper port says coronavirus to affect business, no measures adopted yet

STA, 4 February 2020 - Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's sole commercial port, has told the STA that the coronavirus situation is expected to affect transshipment volumes. Container cargo and vehicles are likely to be impacted the most, Luka Koper said, while explaining it had not yet received any instructions concerning potential health measures.

"The epidemic in China has gravely impacted production there and crippled services, including in logistics, which will sooner or later also be felt in Koper," the operator said.

While it is too early to say anything concrete, Luka Koper pointed out that some global logistics companies have already closed their distribution centres in China and that some shipowners are announcing the cancellation of certain scheduled lines.

"For the time being this does not involve the northern Adriatic or Koper but it is clear that the situation will affect transshipment volumes. Container cargo and vehicles are likely to be impacted the most," it announced.

As regards measures to contain the virus, Luka Koper explained that the monitoring of ships in Slovenia, including of the health situation of crews, is in the domain of the Slovenian Maritime Administration.

It is the duty of the captain of a ship to report any health conditions before entering the port and the report is forwarded by the Maritime Administration to the National Institute of Public Health.

The institute is also responsible for issuing instructions regarding any measures to the port, but Luka Koper said it had not received any so far.

04 Feb 2020, 15:08 PM

Adria's Assets Estimated at Over €6m

STA, 4 February 2020 - The bankruptcy estate of air carrier Adria Airways is worth EUR 6.23 million, of which EUR 3.15 million is the title to its office building at Ljubljana airport. Official receiver Janez Pustatičnik believes that due to its complexity, the receivership procedure is unlikely to be completed before the end of 2024.

The assets also include Adria's brand, the liquidation value of which is EUR 100,000, a flight simulator (EUR 93,000) and Adria's 100% stake in its flight school (EUR 133,500), according to an opening report Pustatičnik published on the website of the AJPES agency for legal records on Tuesday.

Among its assets are also the operating licences, foremost the air operator's certificate (AOC), but have already been sold; last month they were bought by Air Adriatic, a company owned by Slovenian entrepreneur Izet Rastoder, for EUR 45,000.

Inventories are estimated at over EUR 1 million, but since they have not yet been fully documented, their estimated value could still change.

The bankruptcy estate also features operating receivables to the tune of EUR 1.44 million, which have however already been recovered.

Pustatičnik assesses the receivership procedure as very complex and demanding, so it could be completed only at the end of 2024.

He sees litigations, numerous recoveries and other procedures expected to be launched in Slovenia and abroad as the main hurdle to bringing it to a close earlier.

Adria also has EUR 543,000 on a bank account, but it is kept there to pay a creditor, an issue currently subject to litigation, so it is not included into the bankruptcy estate.

It is not yet know how much exactly Adria owns creditors, since the deadline to report them has been extended until 2 March.

The opening report was also published today by Blaž Poljanšek, the official receiver of company Adria Airways Flight School, which puts the assets of the flight school at EUR 172,000.

The biggest assets are four sport planes, estimated at a total of EUR 109,000.

The flight school, which is eyed by the Pipistrel ultra-light plane manufacturer, also has a licence for training professional and sport pilots.

Creditors of Adria Airways Flight School have reported EUR 448,000 in claims, with Adria Airways being the biggest creditor with some EUR 111,000 in claims.

The state sold Slovenia's flag carrier Adria Airways to Germany's turnaround fund 4K Invest in 2016 for EUR 100,000 after recapitalising it with EUR 3.1 million.

The new owner was unable to give it a fresh impetus, so Adria was grounded last September after almost 60 years since establishment and filed for receivership.

04 Feb 2020, 13:30 PM

Your Living Room as a Stage: Couch Festival, February 8 – 16

As already suggested in its name, Couch Festival (Kavč festival), although technically speaking a public festival, does in fact take place in people's living rooms, thereby combining elements of public performance with the safety and intimacy of a home.

In the programme there are mostly ethno-fusion concerts and puppet shows, but rock, jazz hip hop concerts and dance shows can also be found.

In previous years the festival only took place in Ljubljana, but since the concept proved to be working, its scope gradually grew so this year it is moving to various other cities around the country and over the border, including Maribor, Ptuj, Celje, Istria, Trst (Trieste), Nova Gorica and Kamnik.

Hosts, who can apply here, can say who they would like to perform in their living room and how many people they can accommodate. Visitors are asked to bring a pair of slippers, snacks and a recommended voluntary contribution for the performers.

For anyone who’d like to join as a visitor, and not a host, a free ticket needs to be booked via Eventbrite.com, then two hours before the show you’ll be sent the event’s address – within your city, of course. Since hosts can also be institutions, not only private individuals, don’t get too surprised if you get invited to a hospital, dormitory or smaller cafe.

For more on the performers, please click here.

04 Feb 2020, 09:18 AM

Janša Invites Parties to Join New Coalition

STA, 3 February 2020 - The leader of the largest opposition party, Janez Janša of the Democrats (SDS), has invited the other parliamentary parties to talks on a new coalition this Friday, the STA has learnt from several parties.

Janša would like to meet each party separately, and if common ground is found, he would plan a second round of talks for Tuesday, 11 February.

The SDS has also invited the coalition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), which today invited all parties but the SDS to form a "project coalition" which would be in office until electoral legislation is reformed.

Meanwhile, outgoing Prime Minister Marjan Šarec's LMŠ party and the opposition Left have already said they would not go to the SDS-led talks.

Friday's talks would try to establish whether the parties have compatible programmes for individual areas, or ministries.

The structure of a new government as well as suitable staff would also be discussed to form what the SDS terms For Slovenia coalition pledge.

In the invitation, Janša writes that Slovenia's greater prosperity is the basic goal after every election.

He believes that by forming a new coalition in this term at least some missed opportunities could be made up for.

Despite winning the 2018 election, the SDS was unable to form a government because it was snubbed by other parties, which Janša termed "irrational policy of exclusion".

He believes obstacles to the country's faster and balanced development should be eliminated, more freedom, security, responsibility and justice should be introduced, order restored in healthcare and strategic answers found to the ageing society. The new government should also help shape European solutions.

Janša stressed that the SDS was probably the only party fully ready for a potential early election.

Nevertheless, a new election could result in a similarly fragmented parliament, which would put it in a similarly difficult situation in terms of coalition-forming.

Janša also noted that by forming a coalition without going to elections would get Slovenia a new government as early as the start of the spring, as opposed to the end of the summer in case of an early election.

Šarec resigned on 27 January, 16 months after his government was sworn in, because he assessed he could not deliver on his promises with the minority government.

Tomorrow, President Borut Pahor is launching a three-day consultation with deputy group leaders on the way out of the current political crisis.

04 Feb 2020, 09:11 AM

Police Warn of Collapse, Stage Token Strike

STA, 3 February 2020 - The situation in the police force is critical, president of the Trade Union of Police Officers (SPS) Kristjan Mlekuš told the press on Monday as union members staged a four-hour token strike. The action is a warning for Slovenia's next government that unless the situation is addressed, the police force will collapse due to understaffing, he said.

The SPS, one of the two police unions, was on strike between 8 am and noon both inland and on national borders.

Speaking to the press at the Obrežje border crossing, Mlekuš said that police officers from his union were present today near dangerous road sections, near kindergartens, schools and retirement homes.

Moreover, officers working on the border were conducting more thorough examinations of cars and cargo vehicles.

Their message is that police officers are present at the moment, but "irresponsible policies toward the police force" might change that, said Mlekuš.

Unless a downward trend in the number of police officers is reversed, the force will collapse due to understaffing, which will result in poorer security, he said.

The SPS claims that police leadership does not respect the strike agreement reached last year. Mlekuš has also denied claims by Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar that most demands have already been met or are in the process of being realised.

He said today that the trade union would not step up its strike, waiting instead for a new government to form.

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