The opposition SDS party tabled a bill for the parliamentary procedure to reintroduce compulsory national service last Thursday. The SDS deputy Žan Mahnič stated for the press that the proposal is likely to pass the first reading, since “the idea is supported by some other parties of the so-called left, including some parties of the coalition"

Slovenia abolished compulsory military service in 2003 when it opted for a defence system consisting of professional army only. At the time SDS was one of the main supporters of the change.

In the last six years, explained Mahnič, members of SDS have sadly watched the Slovenian Armed Forces collapse, pointing out that the number of permanent members is no longer sufficient to defend Slovenia in the event of a military attack or to work effectively in peace. In the event of an armed attack, explained Mahnič, Slovenia does not have a young generation, or even a middle-aged one, who would know how to handle weapons and be aware of basic military techniques. He also expressed a belief that reintroduction of compulsory national service would not only strengthen the Slovenian army, but also patriotism, national awareness and the psychophysical abilities of Slovenian citizens. However, missions abroad would still be performed by a professional army.

The SDS national service bill proposes a compulsory six-month military service for all male citizens aged 19 that can be postponed in the case of university enrolment, and 12 months of civilian service for conscientious objectors, working in non-military position. Women would be able to join on a voluntary basis.

Mahnič also cited an SDS poll which suggests that 70% of Slovenian citizens are in favour of the proposed bill, which will also require €10 million for an increase in logistic capacity and additional €23 million for workforce upgrade.

When asked about the political parties in support of conscription, Mahnič stated that ahead of the last elections coalition’s the pensioner’s party, DeSUS, was clearly supporting the idea, the nationalist party SNS is also in its favour, and it has also been discussed in in the coalition party of Alenka Bratušek (SAB), but their support of the bill remained to be confirmed.

Although having no firm assurance from the left-leaning coalition parties that they would support the bill, the right-wing SDS deputy Mahnič is certain that the bill enjoys support from the left since “the idea about compulsory military service has also been expressed twice publicly by Milan Kučan.”

Milan Kučan was the first president of Slovenia, who in popular right-wing theories is often seen as the main player on the left, albeit one who remains behind the curtain.  

The bill’s first reading has not yet entered the parliamentary schedule.

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 17 January 2020

Mladina: Health bill vote may be behind attempt at govt destabilisation

STA, 17 January 2020 - "It is unclear what or who causes hysteria in Slovenian politics," the left-wing weekly Mladina says as it analyses peculiar events before the congress of the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and opposition Democrat (SDS) leader Janez Janša's latest attempt to destabilise the government.

Editor-in-chief Grega Repovž accuses the media for helping create the hype around tomorrow's DeSUS congress by demanding senior DeSUS members reveal who they will support in the leadership battle between incumbent leader and Defence Minister Karl Erjavec and his most serious challenger Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec.

"Is it really unusual that not all DeSUS MPs are behind Erjavec," wonders Mladina on Friday. "Since when is it normal for all MPs to have the same opinion and since when one has to say it loud and clear before a secret ballot which candidate one supports".

What is wrong if there are challengers to the party leader at a congress, Repovž says, but points to the fact that there are many "personal" parties in Slovenia which have the party leader's name in their name so it is hard to imagine them being led by anyone else.

He implies that "such a perception of democracy probably stems from at least some fascination with the only orderly party in Slovenia, namely the SDS, which does not wonder who would stand for party president even if Janša's name in nowhere to be found in the party's name".

However, it is clear that this fire is being kindled by those who would like to destabilise the government - the opposition, says Repovž, but adds there is nothing wrong what that, this is something the opposition does.

Janša's intention is clear, he wants to make coalition parties and the prime minister nervous, Repovž says in reference to his Sunday interview in which he said the government coalition was clinically dead.

But there could also be more substantive reasons to undermine the government, Repovž says, noting a bill to abolish top-up health insurance and stop further privatisation in healthcare will go into third reading at the end of January.

Neither the SDS nor the opposition New Slovenia (NSi) or DeSUS hide their connections with the health insurance lobby, which is trying to undermine the bill at all cost. This could perhaps be the reason for trying to destabilise the government before a key vote, according to Mladina.

Demokracija: Iran-NLB case comes with an inconvenience

STA, 16 January 2020 - While the investigation into the contentious transactions worth US$1 billion by a British-Iranian citizen through the NLB bank is still ongoing, the "inconvenient" thing is that the head of the National Bureau of Investigation is actually investigating himself and "protecting political godfathers", the right-wing Demokracija says in its latest commentary.

The right-leaning weekly refers to Iraj Farrokhzadeh, who is suspected of laundering Iranian money through his NLB accounts in 2009-2010 in breach of anti money-laundering legislation, while Iran was subject to international sanctions.

The commentary comes after the Specialised State Prosecution announced earlier this month it had abandoned a part of the investigation related to abuse of office by bankers at NLB.

The announcement came "at the moment when the democratic world was being appalled by Iran, when new sanctions and similar investigations of money flows from Tehran to cells around the world were being announced".

"The matter is not innocent. Farrokh, the Iranian company owned by Iraj Farrokhzadeh, laundered a billion dollars through NLB between 2008 and 2010, during the government coalition under the Social Democrats (SD) and Borut Pahor."

In the commentary Length of the Shadow of a Dollar Banknote, editor-in-chief Jože Biščak adds that there is suspicion that the money was used to purchase goods that could be used for nuclear armament.

"In other words, at the time of international sanctions against the regime in Tehran, the Slovenian state-owned bank helped Iran break through the embargo."

The investigation is still ongoing, but the "inconvenient" thing is that Darko Muženič, the head of the National Bureau of Investigation, is actually investigating himself and protect political godfathers.

Demokracija refers to Muženič serving as the head of the Office for Money Laundering Prevention when the scandal broke out in 2017.

"He apparently became the boss of the National Bureau of Investigation only to steer the investigation so that only pawns on the chessboard are (possibly) eventually found guilty," it adds.

But those who think that foreign intelligence services (US in particular) are not informed in detail about the true perpetrators and that they do not know what the modus operandi was, are so wrong.

"If nothing happens and perpetrators do not get punished, sanctions against Slovenia, formally still an ally of the US and western democracies, will not be visible and public, but they will be very painful."

All our posts in this series are here

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

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

FRIDAY, 10 January
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor defended Slovenia's decision to evacuate troops from Iraq following an attack by Iran on the Erbil airbase where the six soldiers were stationed, saying a sovereign country had the right to assess whether its soldiers were safe or not. He said the evacuation was merely an early rotation of the team deployed to Erbil to train the Kurdish fighters. In another statement on 15 January, he said the temporary withdrawal would not tarnish Slovenia's reputation in the international community.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar called on the EU to play a greater role in the de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East as EU foreign ministers held an emergency session. He also reiterated Slovenia's commitment to remain a partner in the fight against IS and continue training Iraqi security forces.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian central bank initiated a Constitutional Court challenge against a law that would require it to cover all repayments to those who lost their investments during the banking sector bailout in 2013. The law was passed in late-2019 and provides easier access to recourse for roughly 100,000 potential plaintiffs, both shareholders and holders of junior bonds, wiped out on instruction from the EU.
        LJUBLJANA - Public Administration Minister Rudi Medved tried to reassure the public that concerns about health risks related to 5G technology were given due attention. But while he deems the concerns legitimate, he also said Slovenia needed 5G as he addressed the press after a protest against the technology.

SATURDAY, 11 January
        LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec criticised the way Slovenian military instructors had been pulled out of Iraq earlier in the week. "The last thing we wanted was media hype," he said on Twitter in reference to Defence Minister Karl Erjavec and President Borut Pahor, supreme commander of the Armed Forces, deciding to bring home Slovenia's six instructors stationed in Erbil after Iran's rocket attack of their base.
        ADELBODEN, Switzerland - Skier Žan Kranjec won the giant slalom FIS World Cup Alpine Skiing race in Adelboden, taking the lead in the giant slalom rankings.
        DRESDEN, Germany - Cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič won silver in the sprint event of FIS Cross-Country event in Dresden, taking the lead in the cross country sprint rankings.
        LJUBLJANA - Renault's Clio, one of the best selling cars in Slovenia since its launch in 1990, was declared the Slovenian car of 2020, in a competition organised by the Slovenian automotive media for the 28th time.

SUNDAY, 12 January
        LJUBLJANA - Janez Janša, leader of the opposition Democrats (SDS), told TV Slovenija in a rare interview that the Marjan Šarec government coalition was "clinically dead". Since the current balance of power in parliament makes it impossible to build a strong alternative majority, he thinks an early election is likely. Opposition New Slovenia (NSi) leader Matej Tonin confirmed on 13 January his party was taking part in talks on a potential new coalition, which were ongoing at all times, but all coalition parties later denied being involved in any specific talks.

MONDAY, 13 January
        LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Simon Zajc responded to calls for Slovenia to declare a state of climate emergency by saying that "concrete measures are more important than declaring a climate crisis". He believes it should be first determined if a majority in parliament supports the measures that would have to be taken if a climate emergency is declared.
        LJUBLJANA - Five hospitals must return a total of EUR 4.9 million in restructuring funds they received from the state in 2017 to get out of the red because the funds were not spent within the deadline, which was however set retroactively, the newspaper Delo reported. While the Ljubljana Institute of Oncology has already returned the money, the other four hospitals intend to use all legal means to keep the money.
        KRŠKO - Power utility group GEN, part of which is Slovenia's only N-plant NEK, reported EUR 2.2 billion in revenue and EUR 48 million in net profit in 2019. Investments totalled EUR 100 million.
        LJUBLJANA - Austria's Human Rights Ombudsman Werner Amon, who is also secretary general of the International Ombudsman Institute, visited Slovenia to meet his counterpart Peter Svetina. The pair discussed ways of strengthening cooperation between ombudsmen in Europe.
        LJUBLJANA - The Environment Ministry gave out its first environmental award, honouring maritime pilot Andrej Gorup, who prevented an environmental disaster in April 2019 by re-routing a Swedish oil tanker heading towards the port of Koper with an alarming speed.
        LJUBLJANA - Some 84,350 new cars and vans were sold in Slovenia in 2019, a 1% drop over 2018. Volkswagen dominated the market, followed by Renault and Škoda, shows data released by the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce.

TUESDAY, 14 January
        JERUSALEM, Israel - The Simon Wiesenthal Center criticised the recent decision by the Slovenian Supreme Court to annul the 1946 conviction of Leon Rupnik, who headed the Provisional Government of the Nazi-occupied Province of Ljubljana. In a letter sent to the Slovenian ambassador to Israel, the centre said the "shameful decision constitutes a shocking distortion of the history of the Holocaust and a horrific insult to Rupnik's many victims and their families".
        LJUBLJANA - The Government Office for Slovenians Abroad confirmed the first Venezuelans of Slovenian descent had already arrived in Slovenia as part of the largest repatriation project in the country, prompted by the Venezuela crisis. The office would not reveal any details, but the government set aside EUR 1.2 million for the project with 53 persons so far applying for resettlement.
        ABU DHABI, UAE - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar attended a ministerial of the Slovenian-sponsored Green Group initiative to discuss preparations for the Expo 2020 Dubai. He also met his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Thani Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, the minister of climate change and environment.
        LJUBLJANA - A higher court threw out the guilty verdict of radiologist Zoran Milošević over bribery because the case had become statute-barred following an appeal. Milošević had been sentenced to a suspended prison sentence of ten months for accepting a EUR 7,200 bribe in exchange for making sure UKC Ljubljana, the country's largest hospital, chose a specific company as the supplier of a medicinal device. Milošević is also the chief defendant in a separate trial related to the biggest health corruption case in the country's history.
        LJUBLJANA - Acclaimed playwright Simona Semenič won publisher Mladinska Knjiga's 10,000-euro Blue Bird Prize for the best as yet unpublished youth novel. Skrivno Društvo KRVZ (KRVZ Secret Society), to be released in April, tells a story about a group of friends and their adventures including dragons and secret maps.

WEDNESDAY, 15 January
        LJUBLJANA - Photographer Stojan Kerbler, 81, and ballet dancer and choreographer Milko Šparemblek, 91, were declared the winners of this year's Prešeren Prize for lifetime achievements in the arts. This is the first time the Prešeren Prize has been given to a photographer. The awards, togehter with six minor Prešeren Fund Prizes for achievements in the past three years will be conferred on 7 February, the eve of Culture Day.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec said there was no reason for his government to fall, as he responded to an assessment by opposition Democrat (SDS) leader Janez Janša that the coalition was clinically dead. While he admitted problems did exist, Šarec said "if all of us worked for the same goal, we would be able to solve many of these problems".
        LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec denied interfering in the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) pre-congress developments, and rejected the speculation that DeSUS leader Karel Erjavec's ministerial seat was at stake due to his awkward handling of troops' temporary withdrawal from Iraq.
        LJUBLJANA - Dovolj.je, a Catholic civil society group dedicated to fighting against sexual abuse in the Slovenian Roman Catholic Church called for the resignation of Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore due to the church's persistent failure to tackle sexual abuse allegations. The Slovenian Bishops' Conference rejected the call, saying it was under Zore's chairmanship of the conference that the church had continued taking action against sexual abuse.
        LJUBLJANA - A group of five Eritrean citizens whose asylum applications were rejected in December staged a protest against what they believe is systematic rejection of Eritreans by state authorities, whose decisions suggest that Eritrea is a safe country while it is actually among the most repressive regimes in the world. The Interior Ministry rejected the allegations, saying all applications were treated individually and all personal circumstances of every applicant were considered.
        LJUBLJANA - Several hundred people turned up to protest in front of Government Palace over a provocative Christmas Eve Twitter post by Education Ministry State Secretary Jernej Štromajer that conservatives had interpreted as deriding Christmas and Christians. The protesters repeated their call for Štromajer's resignation.

THURSDAY, 16 January
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor completed a two-day round of consultations with parliamentary parties on the most suitable candidates for two Slovenian judges at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg. Klemen Podobnik and Jure Vidmar seem to enjoy the most support among deputy groups. Pahor will now have to send his nominations to parliament, where the candidates need to secure 46 votes to get appointed.
        LJUBLJANA - Unhappy with the government's slow tackling of waiting times in the public health system, the Medical Chamber drafted a bill to reduce them, which the opposition New Slovenia (NSi) filed to parliament a few days ago. The chamber's president Zdenka Čebašek-Travnik said the bill would enable the ZZZS public health insurer to temporarily commission all medical services providers, including private entities, to carry out additional medical services.
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left failed in its attempt to make the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee condemn the use of US military force in the Middle East and call on the government to express opposition to the US policy on Iran. Several MPs accused the Left at the session of attempting to score political points.
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) tabled a legislative amendment to reinstate compulsory six-month military service to deter military threats, strengthen patriotism and improve the mental and physical fitness of the country's male population. The party says it has cross-partisan support.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia remains an attractive destination for Austrian investors; a survey of the representation of the Austrian economy in Slovenia, Advantage Austria Ljubljana, showed 75% of Austrian entrepreneurs believe the country will also be attractive for new investments this year, which is still much lower than the record-high of 91% from 2019.

All our posts in this series are 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:

Johansson calls for unity in tackling migrations

LJUBLJANA - European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson said it was urgent for all EU members to work together to find the right solution to the migration issue, as she paid an official visit. She said a new EU pact on migration and asylum which she was entrusted with drafting by the Commission president should bring a fresh start in this field. Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar said Slovenia was ready to debate new concepts and had been constructive all along. He said it was important "to get a new legal basis for the common European asylum system as soon as possible".

Ex-environment minister hushes rumour green party in the making

LJUBLJANA - Jure Leben, the popular environment minister who had to resign a year ago over allegations concerning his previous job, declined to comment on a newspaper report alleging he was forming a new green party with a well-known Slovenian environmental activist. The activist, Urša Zgojznik, confirmed for the newspaper Večer that talks with Leben on cooperation in a potential new green party were under way, but "things are not as far yet that we could talk of a concrete project." Rumours that Leben is forming his own green party have been rife for months, but he would not comment for the STA today. "If he's forming a party I wish him good luck," PM Marjan Šarec commented.

EU Commission to aid Slovenian mining regions

LJUBLJANA - The Infrastructure Ministry said that the European Commission would provide technical assistance in bringing about a green shift in Slovenia's Zasavje region and Šalek Valley, known for their coal industries. Slovenia is also expected to reap the benefits of the emerging Just Transition Fund, as the Commission had accepted its proposal to assist both regions in a just transition of phasing out coal. This week, the EU Commission presented the EUR 7.5 billion Just Transition Fund. According to unofficial sources, Slovenia is set to get EUR 92 million.

Builders flock to work on Divača-Koper rail expansion

LJUBLJANA - More than two dozen companies from Slovenia, China, Turkey and several other countries have submitted bids for the principal construction works on the new rail section from Divača to Koper, kicking off what promises to be a fierce contest for an estimated EUR 700 million. 2TDK, the state-owned company managing the project, revealed it had received 15 bids for the section from the inland hub Divača to Črni Kal and 14 bids for the section from Črni Kal to Koper. There are five Slovenian firms among the bidders. Most notably, Kolektor, the country's no. 1 builder, submitted bids for both sections, both in conjunction with Turkish bidders Yapi Merkezi and Ozlatin Insaat.

Russian investors bidding for Adria Airways licences

LJUBLJANA - The auction of Adria Airways' bankruptcy assets due next Thursday has sparked considerable interest with investors linked to the Russian state-owned aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi confirming their interest. The bankruptcy administrator has received five bids for the remaining assets of the Slovenian airline, including its air operator certificate (AOC) and various other licences. Media reports indicate that entrepreneur Joc Pečečnik is interested in business as a whole, and Izet Rastoder, a developer and fruit importer, is keen to obtain the AOC for commercial flights.

Croatian ambassador points to role of EU enlargement

LJUBLJANA - Croatian Ambassador to Slovenia Boris Grigić highlighted the importance of EU enlargement as he addressed Slovenian MPs to present Croatia's EU presidency's priorities in the first half of 2020. Asked how the EU could be brought closer to the Western Balkans as the people there had started losing trust in it, he said this would be done "when we again stress the EU's desire and will for these countries to join the EU and set clear rules, which people will be aware of". Grigić also agreed with the Slovenian MPs that Slovenia and Croatia were "natural allies".

PM promises steps to tackle SMEs' problems

LJUBLJANA - Representatives of small business complained at a meeting with Prime Minister Marjan Šarec that their demands remained unmet, with Šarec assuring them the government was working on solving their problems. Branko Meh, the head of the Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS), noted that small business represents 99.3% of the Slovenian economy. "This is why we deserve special attention from the government," he said. Šarec told OZS members that the government was well aware of their problems. "We cannot say nothing has been done; we have certainly made small steps to improve the situation."

Govt wants to set up domestic sludge treatment system

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Environment Ministry is looking for a sustainable solution after Hungary has decided to stop importing sewage sludge, including from Slovenia. Minister Simon Zajc announced more concrete plans will be presented in two weeks' time, as sludge has already started to pile up at some municipal waste utilities. Zajc told the press this week talks with Hungary on a transitional period had failed, so he was seeking to make Slovenia self-sufficient in sewage sludge management. "As long as we are not self-sufficient, we'll be vulnerable," he said, adding that the goal was a sustainable solution of a domestic system of sludge treatment.

Krka expects bribery investigation results by end of month

NOVO MESTO - Krka said that its internal investigation into alleged bribery activities in the Slovenian pharma company's Romanian subsidiary was expected to be completed by the end of January. If any irregularities affecting Krka's business performance are indeed uncovered, it would publicly report on them. Reports of alleged irregularities made headlines this week, with the Romanian newspaper Libertatea reporting on alleged long-term systemic bribery in Krka's Romanian branch, claiming it had proof of kickbacks being paid to doctors to prescribe Krka products.

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

You can now add another thing to the list of things to do in Bled, with the ski slope Straža Bled opening tomorrow, 18 January 2020. At weekends the opening hours are from 09:00 to 16:00, with night skiing an option from 17:00 to 20:00, while on weekdays there’s only night skiing, the same time as Saturday and Sunday.

straza-bled.si

You can also go to Bled, park you car, and take the ski bus to Vogel and Pokljuka, while the Julian Alps International Ski Pass gives holders access to 14 resorts in three countries and more than 260 km of ski runs at: Soriška planina, Krvavec, Kranjska Gora, Cerkno, Kanin/Sella Nevea (Slovenia), Tarvisio, Sella Nevea/Kanin, Zoncolan, Pinacavallo, Forni di Sopra, Sappada, Sauris (Italy), 3ländereck, Innerkrems and Goldeck (Austria). This pass means you can use the Bled winter shuttle transport from Bled to Krvavec, Kranjska Gora, Tarvisio (I) and 3ländereck (A) free of charge.

Related: Is there snow on the slopes in Slovenia?

Saturday, 18 January 2020 the Jasa Ski Resort on Rogla is hosting FIS World Cup in Parallel Giant Snowboarding, with 160 competitors from 24 countries registered.

The event is free to enter, spectators should gather on the platform in front of the Zreče Thermal Spa - see the map at the bottom - and the programme follows after a video from last year's event

9.00-11.00: Match qualifications

11.00-11.30: DJ party

11.30-11.45: Laško drumming group

11.45-12.00: DJ party

12.00-12.30: Polkaholiki  – see below

12.30-12.45: Laško drumming group

12.45-13.00: DJ party

13.00-14.20: Finals and then trophy presentation

15:00-24:00 After party at Baru Uniorček with music from Zvita Feltna

A few more details, in Slovene, are here

STA, 16 January 2020 - Slovenian NBA star Luka Dončić has become an ambassador of Slovenia's tourism. Apart from popularising basketball moves, he will now promote the country's unique attractions and investment opportunities. Slovenia also plans to put an ad in the special All-star Weekend magazine.

The 20-year-old will promote his country on social media, sharing photos, videos, links and information.

Meanwhile, the launch of the country's special All-Star mid-February issue ad will coincide with the highly-publicized event where Dončić is expected to be one of the main draws.

?Slovenian NBA star Luka Dončić (@dallasmavs) has become an ambassador of Slovenia's tourism?
?He will promote the country's unique attractions and investment opportunities.
?Slovenia will also be included in the @NBAAllstar game!#ifeelsLOVEnia #TexasFeelSlovenia pic.twitter.com/tgCAS7t15a

— Feel Slovenia (@SloveniaInfo) January 16, 2020

The business promotion project between Slovenia and the Dallas Mavericks club is a result of his extraordinary NBA record and ensuing popularity.

The project aims to raise awareness about Slovenia and its national tourism brand "I feel Slovenia", showcasing the country's investment, business and tourism opportunities.

Apart from the NBA club and the Slovenian Tourism Board (STO), the partnership includes the Government Communication Office (UKOM), the SPIRIT business and tourism promotion agency, and Ljubljana Tourism.

The Mavericks have authorised the communication company Sport Media Focus to manage promotional activities, including a business event titled Texas Feels Slovenia on 12 March following the Mavericks' game with the Denver Nuggets.

Some 15 Slovenian companies will be showcased at the event, held under the slogan I Feel Slovenia Night. The partnership's price tag amounts to some EUR 100,000.

Slovenia's tourism is to be promoted at a minimum of 20 Mavericks' home games, including ten games in this season and another ten in the 2020-2021 season.

"Dončić's arrival to Dallas, Texas, has provided a rare opportunity for Slovenia to promote itself in a place where it is already a rather familiar name compared to the rest of the US," said Sport Media Focus CEO Tomaž Ambrožič.

He believes the country will capitalise on that and forge long-term ties.

STO head Maja Pak said that Slovenia would be promoted as a sustainable, green country boasting 5-star experiences in the US market, known for its big spenders.

STA, 16 January 2020 - Slovenia remains an attractive destination for Austrian investors, shows this year's survey of the representation of the Austrian economy in Slovenia, Advantage Austria Ljubljana, but its director Peter Hasslacher notes that the main problems have persisted for years, and that it is high time for "concrete measures and reforms".

The survey, carried out in cooperation with the Ljubljana Faculty of Economics at the end of last year, shows that 75% of Austrian entrepreneurs in Slovenia believe that the country will also be attractive for new investments this year.

"The result is good, but it is average in comparison with their assessment from a year ago. In 2018, this was the opinion of 91% of the respondents, a record-high number," Hasslacher told the press in Ljubljana on Thursday.

He added that Slovenia was attractive for Austrian investments due to its geographical position, in particular the maritime port of Koper, skilled workforce, access to south-east European markets and safety.

But according to Hasslacher, the annual survey shows that the sentiment of Austrian companies in Slovenia has deteriorated somewhat and that they are growing pessimistic.

On the one hand, Austrian companies in Slovenia are very satisfied with the quality, level of education and motivation of workforce, with access to public contracts and the tax system in the broadest sense.

"Tax burden on companies, public administration, inflexible labour legislation, default on payment and low availability of workforce meanwhile remain the critical points of the investment environment," he added.

For this reason, Hasslacher believes the Slovenian government should take measures as soon as possible and facilitate permit issuing procedures, reduce administrative barriers and enable more openness and transparency.

It should also reduce the tax burden, especially when it comes to rewarding performance, provide greater flexibility of the labour market and invest more effort in preventing corruption, he added.

The shortage of skilled workforce is an increasing problem which was detected by 63% of the respondents, up 16 percentage points compared to 2018. Around 64% of the respondents said they were looking for workers with secondary education.

Advantage Austria Ljubljana sees a solution in dual vocational education, in a combination of theoretical education and practical training or traineeship in companies.

With around EUR 3.6 billion in investments, Austria is the largest foreign investor in Slovenia, with around 1,000 Austrian subsidiaries in Slovenia employing some 20,000 people.

STA, 16 January 2020 - Businessman Damijan Janković, the son of Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković, has been fined EUR 2,000 for abetting a tax fraud scheme involving two luxury apartments that ultimately benefited his business partners at the expense of the treasury. Their company has been implicated in several criminal cases that directly involve the Ljubljana mayor.

Janković's business partners, Ivan Mikulin and Boštjan Stamejčič, received suspended sentences of 14 months and 17 months, respectively, plus fines of EUR 2,550 and EUR 6,000.

The verdict, handed down by the Ljubljana District Court on Thursday, caps a trial that started in March 2019 and focused on the sale of a luxury apartment in Ljubljana and one in Tolmin, western Slovenia.

The court found that by forging documentation, the trio committed tax fraud by declaring the properties as business premises while in fact they served as apartments; Damijan Janković lived in one of them for a while.

The sentences are milder than proposed by the prosecution, but the presiding judge, Marjeta Dvornik, said the panel of judges "may not be guided by public pressure". The prosecutor, Marjana Grašič, said she was considering appealing.

The company that ultimately reaped tax benefits from the fraudulent transactions, Baza Dante, has been implicated in several cases in which the Ljubljana mayor has been a suspect in connection with the construction of the Stožice sports complex.

The company went bankrupt in 2014 and was liquidated in 2018.

STA, 16 January 2020 - Hooray Studios [formerly Hurra Studios], a Ljubljana-based start-up that specialises in personalised children's books, is growing rapidly after expanding to foreign markets. Sales revenue more than doubled in 2019 to EUR 27 million, said the company, which has sold over a million books since its inception in 2013.

Starting out in Slovenia, the company first branched into Italy and Germany, but now it also has subsidiaries in the United States and United Kingdom, where it sells its products under the Hooray Heroes brand.

Its portfolio contains a variety of personalised children's books in which young children as well as their siblings and parents appear as protagonists.

"By expanding our concept of personalised books for children to books for the wider family, a plethora of new opportunities have opened up that we had not even detected before," Hooray Studios marketing director Mic Malenšek said.

The surge in demand required beefing up the IT system to manage orders. The company also forged partnerships with print houses in the US, France and UK and now has the capacity to print up to 100,000 books per day, according to general manager and co-founder Rado Daradan.

The company now has 140 staff and contracts additional workers during peak season. In 2020 they plan to roll out more than ten new projects, not just books but also complementary merchandise.

Related: Hurra Studios Personalised Children’s Books Wins Slovenian Start-up of the Year Award