17 Jan 2020, 04:30 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 17 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:

Judicial Council-backed candidates favourites for Slovenian EU judges

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor completed two-day 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 enjoy the most support among deputy groups. From a total of eight candidates, the Judicial Council had backed Podobnik for one post and Nina Savin Bossière and Jure Vidmar for the other. Pahor will now have to send his nominations to parliament, where the candidates need to secure 46 votes to get appointed.

Šarec says whoever is new DeSUS leader will be his partner

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec denied his interference in the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) pre-congress developments, denying the speculation that DeSUS leader Karel Erjavec's ministerial seat is at stake due to a somewhat awkward way of handling Slovenian troops' temporary withdrawal from Iraq. "Whoever is elected, will be my partner, and this must not affect the government's performance," Šarec told TV Slovenija on Wednesday, just days before DeSUS meets for a congress to elect a new party leader.

Medical Chamber drafts own bill to reduce waiting times

LJUBLJANA - Unhappy with the government's slow tackling of waiting times in the public healthcare system, the Medical Chamber has drafted a bill to reduce them and found a party, New Slovenia (NSi), to file it to parliament. The bill proposes for the ZZZS public health fund to be allowed to commission all medical services providers, including private ones, to carry out additional medical services, especially where waiting times are very long. The types and scope of services would be set by the government, the chamber's president Zdenka Čebašek-Travnik said.

SDS proposes reviving conscription

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) put forward an amendment to reinstate compulsory military service. The party says the proposal enjoys cross-partisan support, so it expects it to push through the first parliamentary reading. They propose male citizens enter the draft aged 18 and start performing compulsory military service at the age of 19 or after graduating from university. Women would not be required to serve. Military service would take six months, while alternative civilian service would last a year.

Left fails to get support for condemnation of US policy towards Iran

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 towards Iran. Several MPs accused the Left of attempting to score political points. Committee chair Matjaž Nemec of the Social Democrats (SD) meanwhile pointed to the "paradox" of some on the right claiming Slovenian foreign policy was servile to the Iranian regime, and a part of the left opposition that it is servile to the US.

Slovenia continues to be attractive to Austrian investors

LJUBLJANA - 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 urged concrete measures and reforms to tackle persisting problems. The survey, carried out at the end of last year, shows 75% of Austrian entrepreneurs in Slovenia believing the country will also be attractive for new investments this year. "The result is good, but is average in comparison to a year ago, when it was record-high at 91%," Hasslacher told the press as he presented the survey.

Ljubljana mayor's son found guilty of abetting forgery

LJUBLJANA - Businessman Damijan Janković, the son of Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković, was 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 cases that directly involve the 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, as Ljubljana District Court announced the verdict.

Slovenian households better off in 2019

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's households found it easier to earn enough money to live on in 2019 compared to the previous year. Their material capability increased as the share of households who had zero struggles in making ends meet was up by two percentage points to 19%. A greater number of households could afford week-long holidays and handle unexpected expenses, show Statistics Office data. There was also a 4% drop in households who struggled to make ends meet (20%).

More money set aside in 2020 for community work placements

LJUBLJANA - The Employment Service said it will disburse EUR 22.3 million for community work placements, the main workfare scheme in Slovenia, this year. This should suffice to activate 4,400 long-term unemployed persons. The available amount is significantly higher than the EUR 15 million available for 2019 and marks a sharp increase over the EUR 9 million originally announced in December. The programme targets those who have been jobless for at least a year.

Slovenia Eurotransplant member for 20 years

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia marked the 20th anniversary since joining Eurotransplant, the international non-profit organ sharing organisation. Officials at the UKC Ljubljana medical centre said that Slovenia exchanges between 50 and 60 organs through Eurotransplant every year. UKC Ljubljana transplants between 110 and 120 organs a year with a high success rate. Slovenia is also the world leader by the number of heart transplants per capita.

Personalised books netted Slovenian company EUR 27m in 2019

LJUBLJANA - Hooray 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 US and UK, where it sells its products under the Hooray Heroes brand.

Basketball star made Slovenian tourism ambassador

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian NBA star Luka Dončić has become an ambassador of Slovenia's tourism and, apart from popularising basketball, 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, with the 20-year-old promoting his country on social media, sharing photos, videos, links and information. The launch of the country's special All-Star mid-February issue ad will coincide with the highly-publicized event in which Dončić is expected to participate.

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

16 Jan 2020, 16:58 PM

More on MENT 2020: Full Line-Up of the Music Festival Announced, 5-7 February

It’s now mid-way through January, and with any luck you’ve stopped writing 2019, have eased back on the over-indulgence, and are still filled with the optimism and desire for new experiences and challenges that tend to mark the beginning of any new year, and new decades in particular.

With that in mind why not take a look at the updated and final line-up for MENT 2020, the latest edition of the international music showcase festival that’s already been named the best indoor festival in Europe, and the best small festival, a three-day extravaganza of live shows, discussions and more. Along with performances there’s a chance to meet up, network, share ideas and enthusiasm with people from all areas of the music industry, from musicians to promoters, DJs to academics.

You can see the full line-up here, where you’ll find pictures and videos of all the acts, or you can read the following lightly edited press release which says everything far better than we could. Note that we're at the age where if we watch MTV we find it hard to guess what's the artist's name and what's the song, so some of the photo captions may be wrong.

We are glad to disclose the full programme of MENT Ljubljana 2020, which will occupy the Slovenian capital’s venues between 5 and 7 February.

The 6^th edition brings 81 acts that will perform on 14 locations across Ljubljana. Besides the 60 already announced names, including the headliners of the opening night, the golden boy of London jazz Kamaal Williams and Ukrainian group of seven actresses Dakh Daughters, Dutch electronic music ambassadors Dekmantel Soundsystem and plenty of great Slovenian artists, we have added an additional 21 acts.

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It It Anita. Photo Matjaz Rust

Among this year's novelties are venues Dijaški dom Tabor, a student hall of residence with a charming dance hall, and record shop Big Nose, the warm up party preMENT with Turkish legends BaBa ZuLa, and MENT specials like the collab with the respected Amsterdam-based Red Light Radio and synth-oriented music workshops Modul@rnice> and HEX 1.0. In 2020, MENT is again joining forces with gallery DobraVaga for the commercial exhibition of music art prints appointMENT 4.0, while the audio-visual duo Beam Team will again visually adorn three festival locations. Let’s not forget about the four receptions and four speed networking sessions with various music professionals (apply here).

Daily tickets are now available here at the presale price of €15.

For smoother navigation through the programme and the city, we suggest you download the MENT Ljubljana app – Android / iPhone

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My Ugly Clementine. Photo: Manifroh

THE FINAL 21-ACT LINE-UP:

Poetic rock duo gone septet ALL STRINGS DETACHED, contemporary interpreter of Basque and other musical traditions AMORANTE, one of the foremost Slovenian DJs BORKA, indie rock revellers ČAO PORTOROŽ, punk troubadour DAMIR AVDIĆ, dark techno producer DOUCHEAN, eclectic digger and synth lover

DULASH DER DJ, praised young Macedonian DJ ERMILOVA, fresh wave of Slovenian synth-pop FUTURSKI, Slovak future pop act FVLCRVM, young exponent of the rave heritage GL.YSTEN, conjurers of sombre electro-acoustic soundscapes II/III, promising hip hop/bass producer JUNKER, the youngest resident at Klub K4 LARA, Ljubljana's club scene veteran LAVKA, internationally acclaimed Croatian DJ MAJA PA, first name of Slovenian electro NULLA, Hungarian electrofolk jewel

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Bolt Ruin. Photo: unknown

ODD ID, indie pop soul collective PEOPLE CLUB, singer, multi-instrumentalist, writer and painter PETER PIEK and breakbeat scientist TERRANIGMA. &

The schedule of MENT conference 2020, which will take place at Kino Šiška and M hotel between 6 and 7 February, is here! It is divided into four interconnected sections: EX-YU, DIGITAL, LIVE and AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

Among this year's guests are distinguished booking agent Rob Challice, university professor and music professional Sally-Anne Gross, head of Ljubljana-based record label Glitterbeat Records Chris Eckman and the European representative of the global music platform Bandcamp Aly Gillani.

Photo: Unknown

MENT conference 2020 includes presentations on ex-YU markets, a debate on streaming income, a conversation about Eastern European festivals and a panel with representatives of some successful Eastern European music media. It also covers topics like the sustainability of festivals and musicians' careers, innovative music PR and booking, and the Serbian initiative Hali gali. &

Applications for speed networking are open! Meet the representatives of some of the most famous international festivals (apply here), important Slovenian venues and promoters (apply here), a colourful bunch of French music professionals (apply here) and some key venues and promoters from the former Yugoslavia region (apply here).

If you are interested in innovative approaches to concert booking, visit the presentations The Future of Booking: Sold-out Shows Using Data and Banding – a matchmaking app for bands/DJs to exchange gigs and promote each other, which will be followed by the workshop Banding – Real-life Matchmaking (apply here). You can now also apply for the day-long workshop Europe in Synch (apply here), dedicated to music licensing in advertising, film and TV.

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Modularnice Prague Synth 1. Photo: Unknown

Also, don’t miss this year’s receptions where you have the chance to chat with music professionals from four countries. The Austrians, represented at MENT by the acts Alicia Edelweiss, Bernhard Eder, My Ugly Clementine and Petrol Girls, kindly invite you to the Austrian Heartbeats reception. The Russian delegacy is organising the reception New Russian Wave, a nod to the performing Russian artists Gnoomes, Stadt, Wooden Whales and Inturist. Join the Czech delegates at Soundczech in Time and check out their squad Never Sol, Bratři and Market or attend the French Pitch & Brunch, have a snack and learn about their bands Decibelles, Slift and Cheap House.

Receptions:
https://www.ment.si/conference-receptions/

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Stadt. Photo dodiques6

___#SPECIALS

MENT specials connect the dots between music, contemporary visual art, technology and community.&

appointMENT 4.0&

In collaboration with the gallery DobraVaga, MENT is organising the fourth commercial exhibition of music art prints appointMENT 4.0 where music art prints of 77 young Slovenian and international visual artists will be on show and available for purchase.

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Malidah Moasis. Photo by Horia Victor Munteanu

Red Light Radio (NL) x MENT Ljubljana

Slovenian DJ Borka has recently joined forces with Amsterdam’s indispensable sanctuary of music Red Light Radio and selected a team of DJs from various parts of the Balkan region. On Thursday, they are visiting our local favourite Radio Študent. On Friday, Red Light Radio will stream their sets live from Ljubljana’s brand new record shop Big Nose.

Modul@rnice (CZ) x MENT Ljubljana

A 3-day synth playground for fans of electronic music and the general public with the collective Synth Library Prague (apply here)!

ii iii. Photo: Unknown

Workshop: HEX 1.0&

Under the mentorship of Slovenian artists Anže Sekelj and Staš Vrenko, you will build your personal electronic instrument HEX 1.0 from the semi-modular series of electronic instruments HEX (apply here).&

BEAM TEAM / sound-reactive projection mapping&

Slovenian multimedia artists 5237 (Stella Ivšek) and SMECH (Anja Romih) will again visually adorn three festival locations with their immersive sound-reactive projection mappings.

Borka. Photo: Unknown

___#TICKETS

PRESALES (until 4 February 2020):

· & DAILY TICKET: €15
· & FESTIVAL TICKET (3 days, all venues): €39
· & PRO PASS (festival and conference): €79&

Line-up: https://www.ment.si/lineup/
Conference: https://www.ment.si/conference/
Tickets: www.ment.si/tickets
Website: www.ment.si
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/464482000755911/

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All Strings Detached. Photo: Unknown

16 Jan 2020, 16:36 PM

Turkish Airlines, Air Serbia Increase Summer Flights to Ljubljana

The best source for news on air travel in the region, Ex-Yu Aviation, has more good news for those still worried about holes in the schedule due to the collapse of the (perhaps soon to be revived) Adria Airways.

First, Turkish Airlines has announced plans to increase capacity for the summer season, starting late March 2020, by using a 178-seat Airbus A321 on its morning and evening services. Moreover, for the peak season – 3 May to 23 October – the second flight of the day will be served by a 289-seat Airbus A330-300, giving a total daily capacity of 467 seats each way from Ljubljana to Istanbul.

The website also reports that Air Serbia is boosting its schedule this summer, with 17 weekly flights planned between Ljubljana and Belgrade, up from 12 in summer 2019.

16 Jan 2020, 15:38 PM

Slovenia Saw 12% Increase in Traffic Accident Deaths in 2019, Most Due to Speeding & Drinking

STA, 15 January 2020 - Slovenia's road safety statistics for 2019 shows a 12% increase in the number of road traffic deaths - more than 100 persons lost their lives in road accidents last year, mostly due to drink driving, speeding and reckless driving. The Traffic Agency has highlighted the importance of raising awareness about responsible driving.

Almost 50 persons died as a result of speeding, followed by some 20 dying because of wrong-way driving, and twelve due to drivers forcing the right of way.

Drivers under influence caused more than 1,520 accidents, killing some 30 persons involved in them, a slight increase compared to the year before. Drink drivers were thus responsible for one out of three road fatalities in 2019.

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Source: Wikipedia

Almost half of total road accident victims were traffic participants from vulnerable groups - motor riders, pedestrians and cyclists.

Despite the larger number of road accidents, there were fewer seriously injured people though.

The agency's head Vesna Marinko said at today's press conference that last year's figures were not promising, but the situation was improving taking into account a longer timeline.

She warned about the dangers of drink driving and urged drivers to exercise caution and responsible driving.

Ivan Kapun, the head of the General Police Department's Traffic Police, said that alcohol abuse was ingrained in society, but the police had noted that most young drivers in cities found it unacceptable to be drunk behind the wheel.

Apart from driving under the influence, mobile phone use is another issue posing danger to road safety. The agency has thus launched a prevention campaign in cooperation with the police raising awareness about the dangers of using a phone while driving.

16 Jan 2020, 10:16 AM

Eritreans Stage Protest Against Asylum Rejections in Ljubljana

STA, 15 January 2020 - A group of Eritrean citizens whose asylum applications have been rejected staged a protest in Ljubljana on Wednesday to point to 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 protest by the Eritrean Community of Slovenia and its supporters in front of the asylum centre in Ljubljana comes after the Interior Ministry rejected international protection applications by five Eritreans in late December.

According to the protesters, the negative decisions say that Eritrea is a safe country, which contradicts the fact that Slovenia had until recently been granting international protection to Eritrean citizens as part of the EU relocation scheme.

There must have been a turnaround, which is believed to be politically motivated, said the protesters, adding that the decisions by the Interior Ministry were "unprofessional and inconsistent".

They read a statement in which they called on the Slovenian government to review the decisions and create a policy on Eritrea which would be in line with international standards of human rights protection.

The protesters urged a faster and fair decision-making procedure, noting that Eritrea was the worst dictatorship in the world, where citizens were forced to perform military service for life, which meant slave labour without payment, or death.

Eritreans are thus considered the group who gets international protection in the EU with the greatest certainty. This was so in Slovenia until recently, and it is now the first country in the EU which follows the interpretation that Eritrea is a safe country, they added.

Slovenian asylum activist Miha Blažič told the press that the Interior Ministry had no plan for what to do with Eritreans who drop out of asylum procedure. He believes that rejections are a political decision aimed at discouraging Eritreans from asking for asylum and forcing them to leave the country.

The protesters noted that the ministry had stated that the applicants could have asked for asylum in Sudan, which they believe is not a safe country.

"The ministry asks us what will happen to us if we go back to Eritrea: we don't know, maybe they will kill us, or detain us. Eritrea has no constitution or courts, power is in the hands of the police and dictatorship. We are slaves to the regime," the statement reads.

The ministry rejected the allegations about unprofessional and politically motivated decisions, adding that all applications were treated individually and that all personal circumstances of every applicant, including Eritreans, were considered.

16 Jan 2020, 10:11 AM

NLB Asset Management Achieved 34% Market Share in 2019, Leading Slovene Mutual Funds

STA, 15 January 2020 - NLB Skladi, the asset managing arm of Slovenia's largest banking group, NLB, attained a market share in excess of 34% in 2019, the largest among all Slovenian mutual funds, managing more than a billion euro in mutual funds.

Slovenian mutual fund managers saw assets under their watch rise by more than 20% last year to EUR 3.01 billion. The bulk of the growth was generated through an increase in the value of investment, with net payments into the funds amounting to EUR 83.6 million, NLB Skladi said on Wednesday.

Foreign providers managed EUR 221 million in assets as of the end of October, paying out EUR 1.7 million net. Receipts to the European Undertakings for the Collective Investment in Transferable Securities by the end of October totalled EUR 284 billion.

"It wasn't a record year but it was a very good year in Europe nonetheless," Kruno Abramovič, the CEO of NLB Skladi, told reporters in Ljubljana.

After a fall in 2018, NLB Skladi did not record an increase in payments until June or July 2019. "It took six months for investors to stop being jittery," said Abramovič, adding that a similar trend was observed in Europe, although it took only about three months there.

Board member Blaž Bračič said that NLB Skladi's market share in gross payments into mutual funds was 47.1%, and the market share in gross receipts 104.8%. "The rivals had outflows and we had inflows," he said.

Marko Bombač, chief analyst with NLB Skladi, noted that at the end of 2018, the manager had projected a 11% return on global shares for 2019, which was considered an upbeat projection. In fact global stock markets posted a growth of almost 30%, while euro corporate bonds posted a 6.3% growth.

"The obvious question after such a growth is whether time has come for profit-taking and a bit more conservative structure of investments in the portfolio," Bombač said, adding that NLB Skladi believed there was still plenty of room for growth in 2020.

Projections for bond investments this year are low, which tips the scales in favour of investment in stocks. "We expect a solid stock year, a bit under average," said Bombač. The mid scenario is for a growth of 7% for advanced and emerging markets, 9% for Western Balkan markets and 10% for Slovenia.

NLB Skladi favours Europe over the US, its projections for the US being on a par with those for developing markets, where countries are lagging with reforms. Key to the profitability of US shares will be the profitability of technological shares.

The manager is optimistic about European banking shares, has raised weightings of cyclic sectors such as raw materials and manufacturing and car industry, and has kept slightly above-average exposure to the software and services sectors.

A major topic of the year will be the US presidential elections with NLB Skladi projecting a narrow victory for Donald Trump, but also the possibility of a new US-China escalation. A global recession is not expected to hit until 2022, but it is expected to be deeper as it would be in 2021.

16 Jan 2020, 09:22 AM

Catholic Group Calls on Ljubljana Archbishop to Resign Over Inaction on Multiple Rape Allegations Against Priests

STA, 15 January 2020 - A Catholic civil society group dedicated to fighting sexual abuse in the Slovenian Roman Catholic Church has called for the resignation of Slovenia's most senior cleric, Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore, due to the church's persistent failure to tackle sexual abuse allegations against members of the clergy.

The church keeps adopting and updating recommendations on how church workers should deal with allegations of sexual abuse, but "everything remains dead ink on paper", said Igor Vovk, a senior member of the Dovolj.je (It's Enough) group and director of the Catholic pro-life NGO Zavod Iskreni.

The group has so far received 38 reports by victims against 22 priests. And while some have been handled adequately, in particular in the Murska Sobota Diocese, others continue to be ignored, it said.

It highlighted the case of priest Jože Planinšek, the director of the pastoral and youth centre Saint Joseph Home in Celje, who had been reported by five victims for sexual assault dating between 1990 and 2010. "He is still doing his job as if nothing has happened," priest Janez Cerar said.

Roman Završek, an attorney, said five criminal charges had been filed against the priest. Four have been thrown out due to the statute of limitations and one is still being processed.

The group had asked the Slovenian Lazarists, of which he is a member, to ignore the statute of limitations in internal church procedures but the request has been ignored. It has therefore urged the head of the Slovenian Lazarists, Tomaž Mavrič, to step down as well.

In general, a lot of cases of sexual abuse have become statute-barred under church law, which is why Dovolj.je is urging the church to ignore the statute of limitations at least in the specific cases brought to their attention.

Dovolj.je also wants the church to disband its task force for the resolution of sexual abuse claims since it is not doing its job and is trying to downplay the allegations. Instead, the Slovenian Bishops' Conference should form an independent commission with lay members.

The Slovenian Bishops' Conference rejected the call for the archbishop's resignation as "unfounded" and said it was under his chairmanship of the conference that the church has continued taking action against sexual abuse.

It listed instructions on zero-tolerance to sexual abuse adopted in April 2019 and recently updated guidelines for conduct in the event of sexual abuse claims which require that bishops report any suspicion of sexual abuse to law enforcement - precisely the guidelines that Dovolj.je labelled as dead ink on paper - as important steps in this direction.

All our stories on rape in Slovenia can be found here

16 Jan 2020, 08:35 AM

Prešeren Prize Winners Announced for Lifetime Achievements in Slovenian Arts

STA, 15 January 2020 - Photographer Stojan Kerbler, and ballet dancer and choreographer Milko Šparemblek have been declared the winners of this year's Prešeren Prizes, Slovenia's top accolades for lifetime accomplishments in the arts.

Kerbler, 81, is being honoured for his body of photographic work, "a magnificent fresco of the life of the Haloze people", a "value of national importance that professional and lay public can agree on", the Prešeren Fund Committee said in announcing the winners on Wednesday.

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Stojan Kerbler. Wikimedia - Srecko Trstenjak CC-by-4.0

"Unpretentiously, with his modesty, love and responsibility for the fellow human being, Kerbler has set high standards of pure black-and-white analogous photography, establishing a reference point for humanistic photographic sensibility and aesthetics even for generations to come," said the committee.

Kerbler, who hails from Ptuj, has never sought his motifs around the globe, never photographed excess situations. Rather, he has caught in the lens the unforgettable, warm images of the inevitable flow of everyday life, winning acclaim at home and abroad for his 'spectacle de la vie quotidienne'.

At 91 years of age, Šparemblek is the oldest still working choreographer in the world. Spanning seven decades, his oeuvre comprises more than 150 ballet, opera and theatrical productions for 45 theatres worldwide, heard the winners-announcing event at the Ljubljana opera house.

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Milko Šparemblek. Screenshot

"Milko Šparemblek is a charismatic man and artist who leads us as creators and viewers reliably and joyfully from the labyrinths of the world into the embrace of our own hearts," said the committee in the justification.

Šparemblek, who was born in Koroška in the north of Slovenia, but lives in Croatia's Zagreb, where he graduated in comparative literature and completed a ballet high school before pursuing further education in Paris and New York, is seen as one in a generation of artists of global renown whose work has led to a change in thinking about dance in modern times.

In their first reactions to the honour for the STA, Kerbler said that he understood the prize as recognition for classic auteur photography and Slovenian photography in general, while Šparemblek said winning the Prešeren Prize meant "you are being recognised, remembered, not forgotten".

The Prešeren Fund Prizes for achievements in the past three years go to graphic designer Nejc Prah, actress Nina Ivanišin, composer and accordionist Luka Juhart, film director Rok Biček, translator Suzana Koncut and costume designer Alan Hranitelj.

Ivanišin, a member of the ensemble of the SNG Drama Ljubljana theatre, is being honoured for her roles of female heroines Antigone, Francka, Nežka and Agata Schwarzkobler and for her freelance projects, and Koncut for her translations of French fiction and theory over the past three years.

Juhart won the recognition for achievements in the past three years, including his composition Unleashed, and Biček for The Family, his monumental 2017 feature-length documentary about a dysfunctional family of people with special needs that he followed for more than a decade.

Prah won over the jurors with the visual image of the 33rd Graphic Biennial, promotional material for a series of experimental concerts and his independent exhibition, while Hranitelj is being honoured for Parallel Worlds of Alan Hranitelj, a 2019 exhibition showcasing some of his major costumes from his career.

"Each year, the prizes provide an opportunity to show what our arts and culture are capable of. We definitely reach all the way to the starts," Culture Minister Zoran Poznič said in his address to the winners-announcing event.

Coming with a prize money of EUR 21,000 for lifetime achievement and EUR 7,000 for individual accomplishments, the prizes will be presented on 7 February, the eve of Culture Day, a national holiday commemorating the death of Romantic poet France Prešeren (1800-1849).

16 Jan 2020, 04:13 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 16 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:

Photographer and ballet dancer win this year's Prešeren Prize

LJUBLJANA - Photographer Stojan Kerbler, 81, and ballet dancer and choreographer Milko Šparemblek, 91, are the winners of this year's Prešeren Prize for lifetime accomplishments in the arts. The Prešeren Fund Prizes for achievements in the past three years will go to graphic designer Nejc Prah, actress Nina Ivanišin, composer and accordionist Luka Juhart, film director Rok Biček, translator Suzana Koncut and costume designer Alan Hranitelj, the Prešeren Fund Committee announced. According to tradition, the awards ceremony will be held on 7 February, the eve of Culture Day.

Pahor rejects criticism over Iraq troop withdrawal

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor sought to counter mounting criticism following the decision to bring back the six Slovenian troops serving in Iraq, rejecting the allegation that the move tarnished the reputation of the country and its armed forces. The decision to bring the rotation back early from Erbil in the wake of the Iranian attacks on the air base there, "was right in the context of all circumstances", Pahor said in a video address. "The main reason was the fact that conditions were not met for them to perform their mission, which is to train the Kurdish security forces."

Šarec tells Janša there are no reasons for government collapse

LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec told today's Delo 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. He also noted Janša had had the opportunity to form a government after the 2018 election but had rejected it. While he admitted problems did exist, Šarec said that "if all of us worked for the same goal, we would be able to solve many of these problems".

President consulting parties on EU General Court judges

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor started consultations with parliamentary factions to determine which candidates for two slots on the EU General Court in Luxembourg reserved for Slovenia enjoy support in parliament, but statements by deputy group leaders indicate everything remains open for now. The three candidates backed by the Judicial Council - Klemen Podobnik, Nina Savin Bossière and Jure Vidmar - are the favourites, as three coalition parties and one opposition party support either all three or at least two of them. But the conservative opposition refrained from naming any favourites, and highlighted potential problems in the selection criteria.

Group fighting church sex abuse calls for resignation of Archbishop Zore

LJUBLJANA - A Catholic civil society group dedicated to fighting sexual abuse in the Slovenian Roman Catholic Church called for the resignation of Slovenia's most senior cleric, Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore, due to the church's persistent failure to tackle sexual abuse allegations. The Dovolj.je (It's Enough) group has so far received 38 reports by victims against 22 priests. The Slovenian Bishops' Conference rejected the call as "unfounded", saying it was under Zore's chairmanship of the conference that the church had continued taking action against sexual abuse.

Competitiveness among main goals of farming development strategy

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Agriculture Committee debated a future agriculture and food production strategy, expressing support for the document while pointing to the issue of small size of Slovenian farms, age structure of farmers and the lack of competitiveness of Slovenia's agriculture sector. Presenting the draft resolution on the national programme on strategic guidelines for the development of Slovenian agriculture and food production, Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec said the main goals were resilient and competitive growing and processing of food and sustainable management of natural resources.

Government drafts 30-year spatial development strategy

LJUBLJANA - A spatial development strategy until 2050, a 85-page document drafted by the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry, entered a two-month public consultation period. Minister Simon Zajc said it provided a vision, goals and concept of the country's spatial development, addressing numerous trends related to demographic and climate changes. The ministry expects it to be passed in parliament by the end of the year.

Eritreans protest against rejection of asylum applications

LJUBLJANA - A group of five Eritrean citizens whose asylum applications were rejected in December staged a protest in Ljubljana to point to 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 protesters and their supporters highlighted the fact that Slovenia had until recently been granting international protection to Eritrean citizens as part of the EU relocation scheme. The Interior Ministry rejected the allegations about unprofessional and politically motivated decisions, adding all applications were treated individually and all personal circumstances of every applicant were considered.

Provocative Christmas tweet sparks protest

LJUBLJANA - Several hundred people turned up to protest in front of Government Palace over a single provocative Christmas Eve Twitter post by Education Ministry State Secretary Jernej Štromajer that conservatives have interpreted as deriding Christmas and Christians. The protesters, a mix of Christian conservatives and right wing politicians, carried banners with slogans such as "We're not giving up Christmas", "Shame on you, Jernej" and "We're not filthy animals," as they called for his resignation. They said the activities will continue until he steps down.

Počivalšek offers support for Albanian tourism after quake

TIRANA, Albania - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek attended a regional tourism summit in Albania dedicated to solidarity and sustainability, at which he was one of the introductory speakers, according to today's release from his ministry. The event, hosted by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Albanian Ministry of Tourism and Environment, discussed the experience Albanian providers of accommodation for tourists had with the recent earthquake. Počivalšek also met Minister for the Protection of Entrepreneurship Eduard Shalsi.

NLB asset managing arm looks back on successful year

LJUBLJANA - NLB Skladi, the asset management arm of NLB bank, attained a market share in excess of 34% in 2019, the largest among all Slovenian mutual funds, managing more than EUR 1 billion in mutual funds. Slovenian mutual fund managers saw assets under their watch rise by more than 20% last year to EUR 3.01 billion. The bulk of the growth was generated through an increase in the value of investment, with net payments into the funds amounting to EUR 83.6 million, NLB Skladi told the press.

Ljubljana airport passenger traffic down 5%

BRNIK - The Ljubljana international airport saw a 5% drop in passenger traffic in 2019 over 2018, welcoming some 1.72 million of passengers, its operator Fraport Slovenija said. The downturn coincided with flag carrier Adria Airways going into receivership at the end of September. In December, the airport recorded an almost 22% drop in passenger traffic, with cargo traffic decreasing by 2.5%. At the annual level, the latter decreased by 8%.

Average salaries up in November

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's average net pay for November was EUR 1,235, up by 10% in nominal terms and 9.9% in real terms compared to October. Year on year, it rose by 4.1% nominally and 2.7% in real terms. The surge was due to extra payments at the end of 2019, such as Christmas and performance bonuses, shows the Statistics Office data. Meanwhile, the average gross pay rose by 9% nominally to EUR 1,898, up 8.9% in real terms compared to October.

Road traffic safety declined in 2019

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's road safety statistics for 2019 shows a 12% rise in the number of road traffic deaths - more than 100 persons lost their lives in road accidents, mostly due to drink driving, speeding and reckless driving. Drivers under influence caused more than 1,520 accidents, killing some 30 persons, a slight rise compared to 2018. The Traffic Agency highlighted the importance of raising awareness about responsible driving, as it presented the statistics.

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15 Jan 2020, 18:51 PM

Outside Comes to Slovenia

A lot of journalists, bloggers and “influencers” are helicoptered into Slovenia for a short trip and then go home and to spread the good news about their travels, with liberal use of the terms charming, green, hidden gem, best kept secret and so on. But not all of them, you may be surprised to hear, appear to be any great match for the trip they’re sent on, but that’s not the case with Owen Clarke, a writer for Outside Magazine.

This is a title that, as the name indicates, focuses on the great outdoors and the activities it affords, and is the publication that helped the launch the careers of, among others, Jon Krakauer and Sebastian Junger. So its writers, editors and readers know what’s what when it comes to hiking, biking, kayaking, climbing and more – the kind of activities that the Slovenian landscape really is world class in with regard to the opportunities it presents to get outside and have a good time.

The focus of Owen Clarke’s trip was the newly opened Juliana Trail, which is a 270-km long circular route in 16 stages, with the highlights including Triglav National Park, Bled and Bohinj Lakes, Soča River Valley, Radovljica, Kranjska Gora and Pokljuka Plateau.

juliana trail 02.png

Source: slovenia.info

juliana trail map 01.JPG

Source: slovenia.info

We wrote about this before, but from the comfort of an armchair, in a dressing gown, while Clarke takes the more traditional approach and gets fully dressed, leaves the building – in that order, like a pro – and actually walks the route, staying overnight in unfamiliar beds, his diet at the mercy of whatever he carries or finds on the way, be it stale bread, restaurant food or, as his story opens, what an old woman in Log pod Mangartom offered him: a meal of “meat, cheese, bread, and sweet wine until my stomach ached”.

It’s a story that’s well worth reading to get a flavour of the trail, with lots of local colour and nice observations. For example, as Janko Humar, director of the Soča Valley Tourism Board and one the people who helped develop the route, tells Clarke: “The Julian Alps are an incredibly diverse region culturally. In the north, you will find communities which appear more Austrian, in the south, a style of life which is more Italian.” But, as befits a writer for Outside, Clarke doesn’t just talk to people and eat their cheese, but also notes the opportunities for climbing, canyoning and so on, and how the Juliana Trail can be used as stepping off point to other adventures – including historical as well sporting side trips.

It really is a great advertisement for Slovenia, and the Soča Valley area in particular, with Clarke concluding, in words to cheer the heart and encourage the more sedate armchair traveller; “The Juliana Trail won’t be the most challenging hike you’ve ever done, but you won’t find an experience quite like it anywhere else.”

Finally, since the trail is best experienced in spring and autumn, now’s the time to start planning a trip, if not to all 16 stages then at least to one or two. If you need more inspiration then you can read Owen Clarke’s full story here and learn more about what you can see and do on the way, while the official trail website is here.

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