31 Jan 2020, 14:47 PM

Rastoder’s Banana Storage House Stormed by Special Police Unit

A police investigation took place yesterday morning at one of the Derby warehouses of the "banana king", real estate developer and more recently Adria Airways’ flying permit owner, Izet Rastoder.

According to the surprised bystanders, at about 10 o'clock members of the special police unit arrived. The entrance was guarded by police officers who did not let anyone into the warehouse.

In a press release later in the day the Rastoder Company stated that some employees started unloading the container in the early morning hours and noticed irregularities in some boxes. They were filled with packages of stationery paper and not just bananas. They informed customs authorities about the finding, and a few minutes later an armed police unit entered the warehouse, forced everyone to lie on the ground and some phones were taken away.

Izet Rastoder, who is currently in Dubai, initially told reporters from Dnevnik in a phone conversation that he knew nothing about the event. Later he told Dnevnik that he had learned from his employees that a container of bananas from Colombia had arrived at the warehouse with a one week delay, because it got stuck on its stop in Italy. When the container was opened the employees noticed there was more than simply bananas inside, with paper as well. The employees, in line with the procedural rules, called the customs office and the police.

However, in its press release the police have a slightly different story to tell. Drago Menegalija, a spokesman of the criminal investigators, said that their investigative activities at the address of Letališka street in Ljubljana were the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the National Investigation Bureau for some time, and were conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the state prosecutor's office. The investigators carried out urgent investigative actions based on the prosecutors and court orders in connection with the suspicion of committing the criminal offense of illicit production and trafficking in narcotics. Yesterday’s proceedings were therefore not the result of calls by citizens to the emergency number 113, but of something deeper and more organised.

However, the police refused to confirm or deny whether the banana storage house action was part of the two-year investigation into drug-related organised crime, which concluded a few days ago.

31 Jan 2020, 13:13 PM

EU Court Rules Slovenia-Croatia Border Lawsuit Inadmissible, Calls for International Law to Be Respected

STA, 31 January 2020 - The EU Court of Justice has decided that a lawsuit Slovenia has brought against Croatia over its refusal to implement the 2017 border arbitration award is inadmissible, but it said in a decision issued on Friday that both countries nevertheless had to endeavour to resolve this dispute in accordance with international law.

The decision is not surprising given that in December the court's Advocate General Priit Pikamäe proposed that the suit be ruled inadmissible. While his opinion was not binding on the court, it was seen as a strong indication of the court's course of action.

Slovenia had built its case around the argument that Croatia infringes several articles of EU law by refusing to implement the award of a border arbitration tribunal that both countries had pledged would be binding.

The advocate general however argued that "the infringements of EU law of which Slovenia accuses Croatia are ancillary to the issue of determining the boundary between those two states, which is a matter of public international law".

The court's Grand Chamber used exactly the same argument in its decision. It said the arbitration tribunal was founded on the basis of international law, whereby "neither the arbitration agreement nor the arbitration award formed an integral part of EU law".

While it is true that the Act of Accession of Croatia to the EU makes a reference to the arbitration award, which Slovenia has interpreted as a strong argument in favour of its position that the court should take on the dispute, the judges did not see that as making the arbitration award a part of EU law.

They said the reference to the arbitration agreement "could not be interpreted as incorporating into EU law the international commitments made by both member states within the framework of the arbitration agreement".

Despite the inadmissibility, the court indicated that both sides needed to respect the arbitration agreement. It said both countries were required by the EU Treaty to "strive sincerely to bring about a definitive legal solution to the dispute consistent with international law, in order to ensure the effective and unhindered application of EU law in the areas concerned".

In order to achieve this, they may use other means of settling their dispute, including a submission to the Court under a special agreement pursuant to Article 273 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which gives the court jurisdiction in any dispute between member states "if the dispute is submitted to it under a special agreement between the parties"

Slovenia had brought the case under Article 259 of the EU Treaty.

Mojca Menard, Slovenia's agent in the case, described the decision as a "dangerous precedent" that is not in line with the court's case law and potentially paves the way for violations of EU law by member states by invoking "allegedly open international issues".

She said it raised the question of how the court may act in the event of violations of fisheries regulations or the Schengen Code by Slovenia of Croatia in the border area. "Which country will then be considered an infringer by the EU Commission," she wondered.

The court's decision is final and cannot be appealed. Menard said it "changes nothing" with regard to the arbitration award or for the border line that the arbitration award determines.

Slovenia sees EU Court ruling as vindication of its position

STA, 31 January 2020 - While the EU Court of Justice did not admit Slovenia's lawsuit against Croatia over its refusal to implement the award handed down by the border arbitration tribunal, Slovenia feels vindicated. Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said the ruling showed the court saw the border arbitration award as "valid and binding," which was an important goal.

The decision is "not a legal victory for Croatia," which will be "reminded every week that it must respect the arbitration award," he told the press on Friday after the court handed down its decision.

The court said the border between Slovenia and Croatia is determined with the arbitration award, "yet another proof that Slovenia has been right all along - that Croatia must implement the arbitration award as well," said Cerar.

"No antics by the Croatian side can change this fact, which is finally written down black on white in the [court's] statement," said Cerar, who was confident Croatia would gradually recognise it needs to behave more constructively and in line with the law.

"Slovenia must be patient. The law is on our side. The border has been determined and we have signed it into law. There is no reason for any excitement or rushing, but we have to persistently exert legal pressure."

Cerar, a jurist by profession, also expressed disappointment at the court not having had the courage to decide the matter on substance. "This is a defensive stance about the rule of law, the European legal order as well as international law," he said.

If the judges decided to delve into the substance of the matter, they would be bound to decide that Croatia is violating EU law, he said.

Marko Vrevc, a senior Foreign Ministry official who has worked on the border arbitration brief for years, sees the decision as a confirmation that "implementation of the law as interpreted and implemented by Slovenia is fine, and Slovenia will continue to pursue it."

He was particularly pleased with the court's appeal that the two countries should endeavour to bring about a legal solution to the dispute. "We're now counting on Croatia realising in a foreseeable time that this dialogue is needed on this basis."

The court today announced that it was not within its purview to hear the case, but it nevertheless urged both sides to "strive sincerely to bring about a definitive legal solution to the dispute consistent with international law".

Croatia, on the other hand, interprets the decision as a victory of its arguments. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković thus reiterated Croatia's long-held stance that the dispute should be resolved in bilateral talks and urged Slovenia to engage in "dialogue and bilateral negotiations".

31 Jan 2020, 13:07 PM

Karavanke Tunnel Contract Signed with Turkish Builder, Work Starts in Spring

STA, 30 January 2020 - Slovenia's national motorway company DARS and Turkish builder Cengiz signed on Thursday the master agreement on the construction of the second tube of the Karavanke motorway tunnel, a step that comes more than two years after the original tender was published. Works could start in March, weather permitting.

"We're glad that after five rounds of appeals to the National Review Commission, we have finally signed the contract," DARS chairman Tomaž Vidic said.

Under the contract, Cengiz has 20 business days to submit a EUR 12 million bank guarantee, whereupon it will be able to start work.

Preliminary activities on the border tunnel - Austria has already made significant progress on its portion of the second tube - are to be initiated next week as DARS and Austrian motorway operator Asfinag meet to discuss the timeline.

Vidic said this was a five-year endeavour and problems may appear on either side of the border, which is why he would not venture to speculate whether Cengiz could catch up with the builder working on the Austrian section, which started works in September 2018.

"We think the problems are manageable. We have a skilled builder with a wealth of experience, which is key," he said.

Cengiz board member Asim Cengiz said Slovenian companies would be involved in the construction works. Talks with potential partners are already under way.

The contract is worth EUR 98.6 million VAT excluded and covers construction of 3,546 metres of tunnel on the Slovenian side of the border. The Austrian section is almost a kilometre longer.

Once the second tube is completed, the original tunnel, which entered service in 1991, will be closed for approximately two years for significant renovation and upgrade works.

Karavanke tunnel is one of the main transport routes between Slovenia and Austria. It is a key artery for cargo and one of the main entry points for millions of north European tourists en route to the Adriatic Sea.

31 Jan 2020, 12:34 PM

Net Profit Rises 39% at Krka, €242m in 2019

STA, 30 January 2020 - The group around the Novo Mesto-based drug maker Krka generated EUR 1.49 billion in sales revenue in 2019, or 12% more than in the year before, while net profit was up 39% to EUR 242 million, according to an estimate released by the management board on Thursday.

The group's operating profit was up by 18% to EUR 274 million, and pre-tax profit increased by 40% to EUR 283.7 million.

The core company generated EUR 1.39 billion in sales revenue, up 13% from 2018, and net profit more than doubled to EUR 248.1 million.

Last year, the Krka group generated EUR 481.2 million or 32.3% of total sales in East Europe, the largest market for Krka, with sales there increasing by 17% year-on-year. In Russia alone, sales were up by 13% to EUR 310.5 million.

Central Europe, comprising the Visegrad Group and the Baltic states, followed with EUR 339.6 million, or 22.8% of total Krka group sales. Sales there were up by 7% compared to the year before.

Sales to West Europe amounted to EUR 336 million or 22.6% of total sales, and were up by 17% compared to 2018. Germany, the Scandinavian countries, Spain, and Italy generated the strongest sales in the region.

With sales of EUR 191.3 million, South-East Europe represented a 12.8% share in total Krka group sales, and saw a 9% rise compared to the year before. Romania and Croatia were the largest markets, while the highest sales growth was recorded in Bulgaria and Serbia.

In Slovenia, sales were up by 4% to EUR 92.4 million, accounting for 6.2% of total sales. Product sales stood at EUR 52.9 million, while health resorts and tourist services yielded EUR 39.5 million.

In the overseas markets, the Krka group generated EUR 48.6 million in product sales, a 12% growth, which is 3.3% of total sales.

Commenting on the results, Krka chairman Jože Colarič noted that the group had posted its best sales result ever. Growth of sales was recorded in all regions and on the majority of markets, and sales were up in all groups of products and services, he added.

According to Colarič, the group plans to generate EUR 1.52 billion in sales and more than EUR 210 million in net profit this year. A total of EUR 134 million has been earmarked for investment in 2020, mostly in production and infrastructure.

Last year investments amounted to EUR 113 million, of which EUR 93 million was invested in the core company. Most of the funds went for modernisation of production and research, quality assurance and production and distribution centres.

In 2020, Krka plans to increase the workforce in Slovenia and abroad by a total of 3%, and is expected to have more than 12,300 employees at the end of the year, said Colarič.

The unaudited financial statements for 2019 for the group and core company will be published on 19 March, Krka said.

31 Jan 2020, 11:28 AM

Parties Prepare for Election or New Coalition

STA, 30 January 2020 - Several parliamentary parties announced on Thursday they were starting preparations for a snap election after the resignation of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, but their statements suggest they are leaving all options open, including talks on a new coalition.

The Democrats (SDS), with 26 MPs the biggest party in parliament and as such the decisive factor in any coalition talks, said it had already confirmed a preliminary list of candidates for a snap election and formed local campaign teams.

Nevertheless the party is "leaving options open for serious talks with other parties," MP Jelka Godec said after a session of the party's executive committee.

Deputy group leader Danijel Krivec said all options had been put on the table but no decisions had been made. The party plans to wait for other parties to decide what to do and then proceed based on their feedback.

"Our door is always open, it's up to them to make the move now. We weren't the ones ostracising in the past, others did," he said in reference to how parties in the outgoing coalition had refused to talk to SDS after the last election due to SDS's radical platform, in particular on migrations.

There has been some speculation in recent days that SDS leader Janez Janša might step aside and let someone else take the premiership to make a coalition more palatable for potential partners, but Krivec indicated this was not an option.

He said Janša was "the best candidate we have and we're still the party with the largest number of MPs. I think no other option is possible at this point."

Janša did not talk to the press after the meeting.

The Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), fresh from a bitterly contested election for the party presidency, said after a session of its top decision-making bodies today it was preparing for both options and planned to engage in talks on a new coalition if an invitation arrives.

If the party is invited to coalition talks, they will make their demands clear. "All decisions will be adopted by the party's bodies," said the new DeSUS president, Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec.

MP Franc Jurša said the key now was to prepare for an election. "But if a coalition is formed, be it right or left, we have to listen and participate in these debates".

The Social Democrats (SD), another junior partner in Šarec's government, formally initiated preparations for a snap election today by appointing a campaign team and starting the vetting process for candidates.

Since Šarec stepped down the party has advocated a snap election as the best option and party leader Dejan Židan reiterated this stance following a meeting of the SD presidency today.

"I don't want people to look for a thousand and one reasons to extend this, to keep positions," he said about ideas entertained in particular by smaller parties for an alternative coalition.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Šarec ruled out any options that would involve his LMŠ party entering a new government and reiterated his stance that a snap election was the best choice.

He said the onus was now on the SDS and its leader and "if the SDS is not in government, a [new] government will not come about". "It is now up to others to make the move," he said.

31 Jan 2020, 10:13 AM

Drug Bust Finds Largest Ever Synthetic Drug Lab in Slovenia

STA, 30 January 2020 - The police investigation that led to the dismantling of a well-organised international drug ring earlier this week uncovered the biggest synthetic drugs lab ever found in Slovenia, police representatives told the press on Thursday, as they talked about the investigation in more detail and updated earlier information.

This is the first time that a "wholesale" drugs lab was found operating in Slovenia, Criminal Police Administration director Boštjan Lindav said, adding that this in itself is a landmark.

The police seized 125 kilos of amphetamines and enough precursors to make another 300 kilos of amphetamines in nearly 50 house searches featuring nearly 500 officers Tuesday morning. Equipment to make and package drugs was also seized, as were firearms.

The investigation leading up to the Tuesday bust lasted 28 months, which Lindav said was normal for an investigation of such complexity.

The police believe that a 38-year-old Slovenian citizen from Kamnik was the head of the drug cartel. In the course of the investigation, the police secured evidence of at least 61 crimes perpetrated by 45 members of the ring, said Ljubljana criminal police chief Damjan Petrič.

Apart from the amphetamines and precursors, the police seized 4.7 kilos of cocaine, 9.6 kilos of heroin, 28.3 kilos of marijuana, a kilo of hashish and 6,300 ecstasy pills on Tuesday. More than EUR 240,000 in cash was also seized.

Petrič said that the price of drugs depended on purity, quantity, place of delivery, frequency of purchase by individual buyers and previous cooperation with them. The price of cocaine, for example, varied from EUR 4,000 to EUR 21,000 a kilo.

The members of the ring made a total of about EUR 1.3 million in illegal gains during the course of the investigation.

A courier made EUR 41,000 for transporting nearly 17 kilos of drugs in this period, whereas the person in charge of the network of couriers and dealers made EUR 140,000, Petrič illustrated.

The Ljubljana District Prosecution filed requests for investigation against 46 suspects, whereas 18 people who were arrested on Tuesday have already been brought to an investigative judge. Six suspects were also arrested in Croatia.

Lindav said that the ring was very well organised, and that its members were very careful and confident, as they had not been deterred from drug trafficking despite their earlier drug-related sentences and the fact that one of them was in prison at the time.

31 Jan 2020, 04:24 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 31 January 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:

Parties gearing up for snap election, but leaving all options open

LJUBLJANA - The Democrats (SDS), Social Democrats (SD) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) initiated preparations for a snap election after the Marjan Šarec government collapsed. While the SDS said it had already shortlisted the candidates, it said all options remained open, including talks on a new coalition, a position also reiterated by SD and DeSUS. SDS also said party leader Janez Janša was their only candidate for prime minister.

Slovenian troops back in Iraq

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has sent six army instructors back to Iraq as part of the international operation Inherent Resolve in Erbil to train Iraqi security forces, the Slovenian Armed Forces announced. The troops are "already in the area of service in northern Iraq" and will resume the training in the coming days.

NATO inspectors reportedly find Slovenia burden on alliance

LJUBLJANA - A biennial visit conducted at the end of last week by NATO inspectors checking compliance with targets has reportedly produced the conclusion that Slovenia is becoming an increasingly heavy burden for the alliance, having for years now failed to meet the promises given. While the details of the review are not known, Radio Slovenija said it had obtained parts of the draft records, which show the inspectors noticed no progress in the past two years despite the improved economic conditions in the country.

Police educator picked to lead anti-graft commission

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor has picked Robert Šumi, a teacher at the police academy, as the next head of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption. Šumi was one of four candidates short-listed for the job by a vetting commission to replace outgoing commission president Boris Štefanec, who sought a second term but was snubbed for the job. Before the formal appointment Šumi is expected to hold a public presentation, Pahor's office told the STA.

Holocaust victims honoured in Lendava

LENDAVA - President Borut Pahor said remembrance of the Holocaust was a pillar of peace as he addressed an International Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony in Lendava, a town in eastern Slovenia that used to have a thriving Jewish community. He said it was crucial that younger generations preserve the memory of the Holocaust now that the generation that directly experienced it was slowly departing

Pharma group Krka ups net profit 39% last year to EUR 242m

NOVO MESTO - The group around the Novo Mesto-based drug maker Krka generated EUR 1.49 billion in sales revenue in 2019, or 12% more than in the year before, while net profit was up 39% to EUR 242 million, according to an estimate released by the management board. The group's operating profit was up by 18% to EUR 274 million, and pre-tax profit increased by 40% to EUR 283.7 million.

Karavanke tunnel contract signed, work may start in March

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's national motorway company DARS and Turkish builder Cengiz signed a master agreement on the construction of the second tube of the Karavanke motorway tunnel, a step that comes more than two years after the original tender was published. Works could start in March, weather permitting. The contract is worth EUR 98.6 million VAT excluded and covers construction of 3,546 metres of tunnel on the Slovenian side of the border. The Austrian section is almost a kilometre longer.

Govt moves to transpose amended internal gas market directive

LJUBLJANA - The outgoing government proposed changes to the energy act to transpose the amended EU directive that makes rules governing the EU's internal gas market also apply to pipelines to and from third countries. The government explained the failure to use these rules had presented a major problem for the internal market. The deadline for the implementation of the directive is 24 February.

New Prison Administration director appointed

LJUBLJANA - Bojan Majcen was appointed to head the administration which oversees the Slovenian prison system, promoted by the government to fully-fledged status almost a year after he was appointed acting director. Before he was named to the top job at the Prison Administration, Majcen worked at Dob Prison, the largest incarceration facility in the country, for 19 years, the last five as director.

Govt green-lights health insurer's financial plan

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed the public health insurer's financial plan for the year, which estimates revenue at EUR 3.3 billion and expenditure at EUR 3.32 billion. The ZZZS is expected to operate at a EUR 10.4 million loss this year, which is to be covered from accrued profits. In line with the financial plan, revenue will grow by EUR 204.7 million this year compared to 2019, while expenditure is budgeted to increase by EUR 266.3 million.

BTC boss Mermal honoured for lifetime achievement

LJUBLJANA - Jože Mermal, the chairman of the operator of Ljubljana's shopping and logistics hub BTC City, is to receive today the lifetime achievement award in the filed of management, which is conferred each year by the Manager Association. The association wrote that Mermal, who took over as chairman in 1993, had been involved with BTC for 42 years, helping transform a degraded location that featured public warehouses into one of the biggest business, shopping, leisure, culture, and innovation centres in Central Europe, which records 21 million visitors a year.

Woman ambassador project for youth wraps up

LJUBLJANA - A project educating female students on the role and activities of women working in foreign affairs and international relations wrapped up after ten secondary school students interested in a career in diplomacy completed a year-long mentorship programme. The initiative, titled Young Woman Ambassadors and organised by the Foreign Ministry in cooperation with foreign woman ambassadors, kicked off in March last year, marking International Women's Day.

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

30 Jan 2020, 19:32 PM

Hungary’s Influence in Prekmurje and Beyond

Balkan Insight has just published a three-part series looking at the efforts of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban with regard to the “virtual reunification” of the country under his form of “illiberal democracy”, with lavish spending aimed at courting the ethnic Hungarian communities in neighbouring states, as well as the wider media and political scenes. The series looks at Slovenia, Serbia and Romania, and what follows is a summary of the first, “In a Hungarian Corner of Slovenia, a Homegrown Orban”, by Akos Keller Alant.

2/3 of the country was taken away https://t.co/ZYKJH78pcm pic.twitter.com/HGngXuvChw
— About Hungary (@abouthungary) June 4, 2019

Slovenia Condemns Orban-related Tweet Claiming Prekmurje Was Stolen From Hungary

The story opens in 2016, when a theatrical production of a Hungarian musical was to be staged in Lendava, aimed at Slovenia’s 6,000 or so ethnic Hungarians. However, the Hungarian Self-Governing National Community, or MMONK, which is tasked with representing the community, tried to get the show cancelled, with no official reason given by the president, Ferenc Horvath. Still, the organiser felt that perhaps the real reason was the fact the performance would mean royalties would have to be paid to an institution in Budapest known for its support of liberal causes, including migrants and refugees, a group Orban is among the most vocal in Europe with regard to opposing

The performance went ahead, but since then the theatre company has been disbanded due to lack of funding, while Lili Keep, the women who organised the performance, was forced out of her job as director of the Institution for Hungarian Nationality and Culture, replaced by Horvath’s deputy at MMONK. Keep claims that she was pushed out because she was too liberal, a fact that Horvath doesn’t dispute, although he adds that it was because she was finically too liberal, and couldn’t maintain the Institution’s finances.

This, the story claims, is symptomatic of the control Budapest has over ethnic Hungarians over the border, which is also financial, due to generous spending (especially since 2015), as well as offering other inducements to identify more strongly with the homeland and vote, such as making getting Hungarian citizenship easier. Such efforts, when they make it to the ballot box, see landslide wins for Fidesz (Orban’s party) among Hungarians outside the country.

Facebook - SDS - Orban and Jansa.jpg

Victor Orban and Janez Janša at an SDS rally, 2018. SDS' Facebook page

Horvath, since 2018 a deputy in the Slovenian Parliament, is now the main go-between for the governments in Ljubljana and Budapest when it comes the Hungarian community in Slovenia. He has also changed the statues of MMONK and, according to historian Attila Kovacs, a former local councillor in Prekmurje, taken power away from the community and placed it in his own hands.

As Kovacs tells Balkan Insight: “Mr. Horvath uses his power in an authoritarian way. He appoints people loyal to him to every important position, while he marginalises everyone who is critical of his politics.”

The benefits of being winning Horvath’s favour can be considerable, since he’s responsible for assigning the funds received from Hungary. These have grown rapidly in recent years, from just €222,000 in 2015 to just under seven million euros since 2016.

Horvath’s election to Parliament led to an investigation by the state Committee for the Prevention of Corruption, which ordered him to resign as either an MP or president of MMONK, two positions he continues to hold, while – it should be stressed – maintaining his innocence.

While in Parliament Horvath had himself appointed to a special committee investigating whether Janez Janša, the leader of SDS who won the last elections in 2018, but who was unable to form a government, received illegal campaign contributions from Hungarian allies of Orban.

The full article goes on to examine Horvath’s role in the Hungarian language media in Slovenia, the television arm of which was criticized in 2018 by the media ombudsman for being overly focused on the Hungarian government, Fidezs and its supporters. You can find it here.

All our stories on Hungary and Slovenia are here

30 Jan 2020, 17:36 PM

Slovenia’s Worst Air Pollution in Celje, Zagorje & Murska Sobota

STA, 30 January 2020 - Slovenia's most polluted cities are located in the east of the country, with air quality improving compared to the situation half a century ago, shows a survey by the National Institute of Public Health. However, air pollution is still the key environmental factor affecting health and premature mortality rates, the newspaper Delo reports Thursday.

The air in Celje and Zagorje in the east, and Murska Sobota in the north-east is found to be the most polluted in Slovenia in terms of particle pollution. The daily concentration of dust particles in these cities exceeds the statutory limit more than 35 times per year.

Excessive particle pollution was also recorded in Maribor, as well as Hrastnik and Trbovlje which, like Zagorje, are situated in the industry-heavy Zasavje region, shows the survey on Slovenians' mortality rates in cities plagued by particle pollution.

Poor air quality has a significant detrimental effect on cardiovascular disease, according to the National Institute of Public Health. Between 2016 and 2018, when the study was conducted, almost 1,000 people died from pollution-related causes, accounting for almost 25% of all deaths in the cities in the study.

Up to 70 cardiac patients per year die due to air pollution health ramifications in Ljubljana, while in Celje citizens were exposed to excessive levels of PM10 particles in the air for almost a month and a half in total last year.

Due to air pollution, aggravated by traffic and, most notably, household emissions, Slovenia records 1,700 cases of premature deaths, shows the Environment Agency data.

30 Jan 2020, 13:41 PM

Feature: 6.97% of Grade School Students Classed as “Special Needs" in Slovenia

STA, 29 January 2020 - The number of students with special needs in primary and secondary schools in Slovenia has been rising in recent years. Almost 7% of primary school students and even more secondary school students have been formally recognised as having a disability that qualifies them for special treatment. Opinions on the reasons why this is so vary.

Data from the Education Ministry show that in the 2015/2016 school year, 5.91% of primary school students had an eligibility decision guaranteeing special treatment based on their disability; in this school year the share rose to 6.97%, which means 13,075 students.

A similar trend can been seen with secondary school students, where the ministry has been keeping records since 2010/2011. In the last decade, the share of special needs students almost doubled from 3.36% to 7.27% (5,331 students).

By far the largest share of eligibility decisions issued by the Education Institute, are for learning disabilities. For primary school students this share is at 40% and for secondary school students at over 50%.

These statistics have prompted the Education Ministry to open a debate on whether any changes are needed in the current system.

There have been questions as to whether there are indeed more children with special needs, or whether society has only become more sensitive to disabilities.

The head of the department for children with special needs at the Education Institute, Natalija Vovk Ornik, believes the answer is a little bit of both.

She thinks the reasons for the higher share of children with special needs could be medical progress, larger cohorts, the impact of the environment, or a number of other factors.

"One of the reasons is definitely that the diagnostic standards for recognising certain disabilities have changed, and the awareness of both experts and the public about disabilities in general has increased," she said.

She thinks the system is not being abused very often. But there are various types of "pressure" coming from parents as well as daycare centres and schools for a child to receive the eligibility decision and thus additional assistance, she said.

Janja Čolić, a teacher at the Janko Kersnik Brdo primary school, agrees. "Indeed, we are better at recognising children with special needs today. But on the other hand, it also happens that parents and teachers immediately think of additional assistance when a child is not performing well, rather than analysing potential causes in more detail.

"All too often parents are the initiators of additional assistance when they are not happy with their child's grades, as Cs and Ds are no longer acceptable grades in primary school," she said.

Meanwhile, an association bringing together representatives of school councils warns that parents are not to be blamed for the rise in the share of students with special needs.

They note that parents indeed have the right to initiate the procedure but that the final decision is made by a commission of experts and the Education Institute.

They believe the Education Ministry should conduct an independent analysis to determine whether the number of eligibility decisions is indeed too big and then determine why this is so.

They also propose several changes to the decision-making process, most notably uniform criteria.

The Education Institute agrees changes are needed. Vovk Ornik thinks the types of assistance that a child with special needs is entitled to should be determined by law. She also called for changes to the composition of the commission and the conditions for initiating the procedure.

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