Unlike recent years, we managed to enter the new year without any serious fireworks injuries nor alcohol poisonings of minors. This doesn't mean, however, that New Year's Eve passed without incidents.

A total of 73 interventions were carried out by Ljubljana Ambulance Service of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana between 7 pm and 7 am, including at nine accidents. Four unconscious adults, five chest pain, seven abdominal pain and five breathing problems were treated. They assisted in one childbirth in the field, and the ambulance team also sought help from the police, who took care of an aggressive person attacking them.

At the emergency unit of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana five persons with minor injuries from pyrotechnics sought help, and have all already been released into domestic care. They also treated one person with serious difficulties who turned out to be poisoned with alcohol. This person is already feeling much better now.

Similar reports are coming from University Medical Centre Maribor, where minor injuries from different causes were treated.

Police had to intervene in Upper Carniola, where a pyrotechnic device for a signal gun exploded when a man tried to light it with a lighter, hurting his hand. In the second event a piece of a rocket fell down and hurt a spectator’s eye.  

In Jesenice police had to fine a man who twice in one day used pyrotechnic devices in a built-up area.

The illegal use of pyrotechnics is also reported from Nova Gorica, and the police issued a fine to a local in Kojsko for throwing firecrackers.

There were also several reports of shootings in the area of Novo mesto and Metlika. Although some of those cases might actually be related to the use of pyrotechnics, two persons were nevertheless apprehended on suspicion of the use of the firearms.

Police also intervened due to several small fires caused by pyrotechnics, as well as several cases of domestic violence and 23 illegal border crossings.

On Tuesday afternoon the police of Novo mesto were called to Rakovnik at Birčna vas, where the owners reported that a ram, three pregnant ewes and a lamb were stolen from their pasture.

The American Slovenian Education Foundation (ASEF) Junior Fellows program provides talented students of Slovenian heritage – and not only from the US – with the support they need to focus on their professional development at Slovenia’s top universities, institutes, and companies.

It’s a one-year program, which enables students to do an all-expenses paid (travel, housing, living expenses) 10-week work or research visit over the summer at a university, company, or a research institute in their field of study or expertise.

Where and what you can study in Slovenia

Participating institutions include all the universities, Institute Jožef Stefan, the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU), and Karst Research Institute, as well as the Central Bank, various companies in the tech, medical, and biochemistry sectors, and several orchestras. The areas of research and work covered are: architecture, business, communications and marketing, chemistry and biochemistry, computer science, earth sciences, English, economics and finance, electrical engineering, karst studies, linguistics and Slovenistics, mathematics, mechanical engineering, medicine, music, physics, political science, social sciences (including history), and theology.

 The aim of the programme is two-fold. First, to give individuals the chance to experience Slovenia as a study and work environment, and to get to know its language and culture. Second, to strengthen research and study exchanges between Slovenia and other countries and help those who have an interest in Slovenian culture and want to realise their potential.

Note that the website isn’t entirely clear as to what the nationality requirements are, if any, only stating that “a typical applicant is a full-time senior undergraduate, masters, or PhD student from the USA, Canada, Argentina or any other country”. You can learn more here, including the experiences of previous recipients and all the forms you need to apply, with the deadline being 1 February 2020. And if you’re too late for this year, make a note for 2021 and spend that summer in Slovenia.

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:

Thousands of Slovenians usher in 2020 in streets and squares

LJUBLJANA - Tens of thousands of Slovenians ushered in the new year in the open, with the largest crowd of 55,000 gathering in four squares in Ljubljana. The capital also saw the traditional fireworks, while some major cities this time opted for quieter celebrations without fireworks. In Slovenia's second largest city, Maribor, the main venue was Leon Štukelj Square, while people could also welcome the new year while ice skating in Freedom Square and in Hotel Arena under the slopes of the Pohorje mountains. The Ljubljana maternity hospital was also the first to welcome a new life in the new year, with Natanael, a baby boy, being born there two minutes after midnight. The first baby girl, named Sofia, was born in Jesenice at 2am.

NBI has met expectations in the first ten years of its work

LJUBLJANA - Ten years have passed since the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was established to deal with the most demanding cases of white-collar crime and corruption, with Police Commissioner Tatjana Bobnar assessing that the NBI has fulfilled the expectations. According to her, the NBI investigators are enthusiastic and hard-working, and have proven with their work that there are no untouchables. In the ten years, the NBI has filed 796 criminal complaints to the prosecution in relation to criminal acts which have resulted in illegal gains of a total of EUR 1.048 billion.

Income tax changes enter into force

LJUBLJANA - Recently adopted tax changes that slightly reduce the taxation of labour in favour of higher taxes on capital officially entered into effect, increasing the thresholds for all five personal income tax brackets, effectively subjecting a higher share of income to lower tax rates. In the second and third tax brackets, which cover mostly the middle class, the tax rate will drop by a percentage point to 26% and 33% respectively. Those on the minimum wage will see their earnings rise only marginally, while those on average pay can expect roughly EUR 150 more per year.

VAT on books reduced, goal to abolish it altogether

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia introduced a new, reduced rate of the value-added tax (VAT) at 5%, to apply to books, newspapers and periodicals in their physical and digital forms. The reduction, from 9.5%, comes more than a decade after the publisher Sanje initiated a petition for a zero tax on books in 2006, to counter proposals for imposing the standard rate of 22%, which Sanje director Rok Zavrtanik says "would have been a disaster for what is a struggling industry as it is". However, publishers and book promoters say books should be exempt from tax to allow quality production in the Slovenian language.

New year brings uniform cigarette packaging

LJUBLJANA - Uniform cigarette and tobacco packaging rolled out on New Year's Day under new rules, bearing graphic warnings of the adverse health effects of smoking and donning the Pantone 448 C dark brown hue, known as the ugliest colour in the world, to further deter anyone from picking up the harmful habit. In line with the changes to the act on the use of tobacco and related products, packages will be non-branded, standardised and overall looking as uninviting as possible, according to the Health Ministry.

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

STA, 1 January 2020 - Slovenia is quite generous with holidays and 2019 was a particularly favourable year, with twelve bank holidays falling on a weekday. The coming year will be much more work-heavy: only seven bank holidays will be on a weekday.

January 1 and 2 are among the weekday holidays, along with Easter Monday on 13 April, Resistance Day on 27 April, Labour Day on 1 May and Statehood Day on 25 June. In the second half of the year, the only weekday holiday will be Christmas Day.

While this means more working days for people, the dearth of weekday holidays bodes well for the economy. Calculations by the Statistical Office indicate each additional working day contributes about 0.1 percent to GDP growth all things being equal.

The actual effect may vary depending on which day of the week a holiday falls on.

STA, 1 January 2020 - Recently adopted tax changes that slightly reduce the taxation of labour in favour of higher taxes on capital officially enter into effect on Wednesday.

The thresholds for all five personal income tax brackets have been increased, effectively subjecting a higher share of income to lower tax rates.

In the second and third tax brackets, which cover mostly the middle class, the tax rate will drop by a percentage point to 26% and 33% respectively.

Those on the minimum wage will see their earnings rise only marginally, while those on average pay can expect roughly EUR 150 more per year.

The threshold for the highest income bracket, which comes with a 50% tax rate, has been slightly raised to EUR 72,000; there are only about 3,900 individuals who fall into this tax bracket, or 0.3% of all income-tax payers.

The income tax changes are coupled with higher capital gains tax, which will rise to 27.5% from 25%. This rate will also apply to rental income.

Additionally, companies will be subject to a minimum corporate income tax rate of 7%, as tax credits for investments and losses from previous years will be reduced.

STA, 24 December 2019 - Slovenian politics and society are likely to be dominated in 2020 by the twin challenges of slowing economic growth, exacerbated by global uncertainty and domestic demographic trends, and political instability. While the first challenge calls for far-reaching reforms, political instability makes such reforms difficult to push through.

HOME POLICY IN SLOVENIA 2020

        Celebrations of the 30th anniversary of events that lead to the declaration of Slovenian independence will provide the political backdrop for 2020, a year that is expected to be less about celebration than uncertainty, in particular over the firmness of the minority government, which will be forced to seek support for every bill and vote.
        This is likely to make it difficult to defend individual ministers in the event of vote of no-confidence or pass major legislation, some of which, for example health reform, is seen as long overdue. President Borut Pahor has suggested forming a consensus on two or three key projects, but for now such a prospect seems remote. One such project may by reform of electoral law as ordered by the Constitutional Court, but negotiations sponsored by Pahor have so far produced two competing solutions without a clear majority support.
        One major legislative proposal expected early in 2020 is a bill on long-term care, which has been in the making for years, but its fate is to a large extent connected to the amended health insurance bill, on which there is a lack of clear consensus on key solutions even within the government.
        In the security arena fierce debates are set to continue about how to manage migrations. Related to that are wishes by the police to get additional powers, which have so far been held back by human rights concerns. The penal code is also slated for change, although there the focus is on a reform of provisions on sexual offences.
        Despite a record budget for the year, pressure on government expenditure is likely to continue increasing due to existing and new wage demands. Talks are already under way about a more thorough reform of the public sector pay system, but progress has been slow.
        At least two highlights are expected on the staffing front. By March a new president of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption is to be appointed, and in July the nine-year term of Constitutional Court judge Dunja Jadek Pensa ends.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY IN SLOVENIA 2020

        One of the main issues of 2020 will be how the Slovenian economy will perform in conditions of considerable uncertainty due to trade wars. While the economy is expected to grow at a slightly slower pace than this year, at 2.5-3%, the potential downside risks are substantial even though trade tensions have eased off recently. Macroeconomic performance will also determine government spending and the course of talks on additional cuts in taxes on labour.
        An intense year is expected in infrastructure as major state investments, including construction of the second rail track from Divača to Koper, the second tube of the Karavanke tunnel and portions of the north-south expressway known as the Third Development Axis are to finally get off the ground. A tender for spectrum for next-generation telecoms services known as 5G is also expected.
        Energy policy will be a major focal point, with Slovenia finally expected to adopt the National Energy and Climate Plan and an energy concept, documents that will determine the country's long-term energy mix. This might involve a more final decision on the future of nuclear energy.
        In housing policy action is expected on the promise to build more affordable housing. A new national loan guarantee scheme for those on lower incomes has been announced as well.
        Provided disagreements between Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) and the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) are resolved, a new holding company bringing all state-owned tourism assets under one roof will be established. The general idea has been confirmed, but opinions are divided on the details of the management and ownership of dozens of hotels and spas.
        Resolution is also expected with regard to the transfer of Slovenian retailer Mercator from its bankrupt Croatian parent company Agrokor to the newly-established Fortenova, and clarity is expected about plans by Magna Steyr to expand its paint shop in Hoče as well as plans by Gorenje owner Hisense to build a TV factory in Velenje.

FOREIGN POLICY IN SLOVENIA 2020

        Slovenia's foreign policy has long been dominated by relations with Croatia and 2020 is unlikely to bring about change. Early in the year the EU's Court of Justice is expected to decide whether Slovenia's lawsuit against Croatia regarding the implementation of the border arbitration award is admissible. And the Slovenian government may have to take a decision on whether or not Croatia may join the no-passport Schengen zone; the indications so far are that it will try to block its efforts unless Croatia returns to border arbitration.
        With Slovenia chairing the EU Council in the second half of 2021, preparations are expected to intensify next year. Before that, Slovenia will have to put significant efforts in talks on the EU's next multi-year budget considering that it faces the prospect of getting far less cohesion funds.
        Two major anniversaries with a strong foreign-policy dimension are also coming up next year. July marks the centenary of the burning of the Narodni Dom, a Slovenian cultural centre in Trieste, and in November comes the centenary of the Carinthian plebiscite, which in effect determined a significant portion of the border between Austria and present-day Slovenia.

ARTS & CULTURE IN SLOVENIA 2020

        After a long period of culture policy lull, several major developments are expected to come to fruition in 2020. Starting on 1 January, the reduced, 5% VAT rate will apply to all physical and electronic books, newspapers and periodicals. And later in the year preparations will start for implementation of a law that set aside almost EUR 123 million for cultural projects in 2021-2027.
        A new national programme for culture for 2020-2027 is expected to be adopted along with a new national language policy until 2024. Amendments to the media act, in the making for years, are likely as well.
        

MAJOR EVENTS AND ANNIVERSARIES IN SLOVENIA 2020

JANUARY

1st - Entry into force of tax changes that reduce personal income tax, increase corporate income tax and introduce a minimum rate of corporate income tax. A single 5% VAT rate will become applicable to physical and electronic books, newspapers and periodicals.
1st - The minimum wage will increase from EUR 677 to EUR 700 net.
1st - The tenth anniversary of the formation of the National Bureau of Investigation, a unit of police dealing with the biggest cases of white collar crime.
18th - The coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) will elect a new leadership.
22nd - Thirty years since the Slovenian delegation left the congress of the Yugoslav Communist Union, presaging the break-up of Yugoslavia.
22nd-26th - Biathlon World Cup races will be held at Pokljuka.

FEBRUARY

7th - The Prešeren Prize, the highest state award for artistic achievements, will be handed out on the eve of Culture Day.
15th-16th - Women's World Cup slalom and giant slalom races will be held at the 56th Golden Fox competition in Maribor.
15th - The start of the 60th Kurentovanje in Ptuj, Slovenia's largest carnival festival.

MARCH

14th-15th - Kranjska Gora will host the men's World Cup slalom and giant slalom races.
15th - The 25th anniversary of the start of Slovenia's EU accession talks.
19th-22nd - Planica will host the World Ski Flying Championship.
27th - The 50th Week of Slovenian Drama, one of the largest theatre festivals in the country.

APRIL

8th - The 30th anniversary of the first multi-party democratic election in Slovenia.
24th - The National Football Association will mark 100 years of organised football in Slovenia.

MAY

16th - The 30th anniversary of the inauguration of the first Slovenian government, which adopted key laws paving the way for Slovenia's independence.

JUNE

2nd-5th - Ljubljana will host Velo-city, the annual meeting of the European Cyclists' Federation.
6th - Tenth anniversary of the referendum in which voters confirmed the Slovenia-Croatia border arbitration agreement.
10th-14th - The Tour of Slovenia, the largest professional cycling race in the country.
26th - The start of Lent Festival in Maribor.

JULY

8th - The 30th anniversary of a commemoration at Kočevski Rog that was supposed to constitute a national reconciliation over post-WWII mass summary executions.
13th - The centenary of the torching of Narodni Dom, a central cultural institution of the Slovenian community in Trieste, by the Fascists.
15th - The nine-year term of Constitutional Court judge Dunja Jadek Pensa expires.
21st - The tenth anniversary of Slovenia's membership of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
30th - The 25th anniversary of Slovenia's membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

AUGUST

4th - The 20th anniversary of the establishment of New Slovenia - Christian Democrats (NSi).
16th-23rd - World Rowing Championship.

SEPTEMBER

6th - The 90th anniversary of the slaying of three Slovenian and a Croatian anti-fascists at the hands of Italian soldiers in Basovizza, considered the first victims of fascism in Europe.
6th - The Ironman 70.3 race will be held in and around Koper.
12th-25th - The 55th Borštnik Theatre Festival, considered the most prestigious national theatre competition.

OCTOBER

10th - The centenary of the Carinthian plebiscite, which determined a significant portion of the border between Austria and present-day Slovenia.
20th - Slovenia will be presented at Expo 2020 in Dubai.
25th - The 25th Ljubljana Marathon.

NOVEMBER

11th-22nd - The 31st Ljubljana International Film Festival.
24th-29th - The 36th Slovenian Book Fair in Ljubljana.

DECEMBER

17th - The 30th anniversary of the formation of Moris, a special unit of the Territorial Defence.
23rd - The 30th anniversary of the Slovenian independence referendum.

STA, 31 December 2019 - A Vox Populi public opinion poll commissioned by the newspaper Dnevnik shows that Slovenians are quite satisfied with their lives, with the respondents assessing the quality of life with an average mark of 3.38 on a one-to-five scale.

More than 41% of the people polled said they were satisfied (4) and 6% that they were very satisfied (5) with their lives.

Almost 40% gave the quality of their lives the medium mark (3), while the share of people dissatisfied with their lives was 13.1%, which is a drop in comparison with the previous year.

More than 11% gave the quality of their lives a 2, and only 2% opted for the worst mark (1), shows the survey conducted by Ninamedia between 10 and 12 December among 700 adults.

When socio-demographic data are taken into account, it shows that persons younger than 30 are the most satisfied with their lives and that satisfaction is proportionate with the level of education.

There are more men than women among those who are satisfied with their lives, while in terms of party preferences, the most satisfied are supporters of the opposition New Slovenia (NSi) and Left and the ruling Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ).

Some 68% of the respondents said the situation in their households was the same as in 2018, 15.8% said it was worse, and 15.4% that it was better.

STA, 30 December 2019 - The Ljubljana Stock Exchange had a bullish year, with the SBI TOP benchmark index adding 15.2% from the start of the year until the last trading day on Monday. Market capitalisation of all listed papers increased by 3% to EUR 34.9 billion.

The SBI TOP closed the year at 926.1 points, just shy of its annual peak achieved on 16 December. The lowest level this year was recorded on 4 January, when it stood at 801.5 points, stock exchange operator Ljubljanska Borza said on Monday.

Volumes were roughly on par with last year's, at EUR 329.5 million, with shares, whose market capitalisation stood at EUR 7.1 billion at the end of the year, accounting for roughly 90% of all deals.

Pharma company Krka remained the most coveted share with volumes of nearly EUR 92 million excluding block deals, followed by NLB bank with EUR 35.2 million and insurer Zavarovalnica Triglav with EUR 32 million.

At the end of the year, a total of 72 securities were listed on the stock exchange.

STA, 30 December 2019 - Three companies that form the heavily indebted retail group Tuš have entered preventive financial restructuring, show filings with the Agency for Public Legal Services (AJPES) released on Monday.

The restructuring for the holding company Tuš Holding, its retail arm Engrotuš and its real estate arm Tuš Nepremičnine was initiated by the Celje District Court at the request of the companies themselves.

Tuš said the new procedure had been initiated with the support of a majority of financial creditors since the existing master restructuring agreement, which was signed in early 2016, will soon expire.

"The purpose of the procedure is to give Tuš group companies a sustainable equity structure in the long term and provide financial stability," the company said in a press release.

Preventive restructuring is a special procedure in insolvency law that may be invoked when a company is not yet insolvent but might become insolvent. Even if it fails, the procedure does not necessarily mean the company will enter bankruptcy.

The Tuš group, which remains in ownership of founder Mirko Tuš, has been working through its mountain of debt for several years and banks, which extended loans worth roughly EUR 300 million, have recently started to sell their claims to funds specialising in distressed assets.

Media reports suggest that roughly a third of claims to Tuš is held by EXP Investments Securitisation from Luxembourg and Slovenian asset manager Alfi, which are in the process of buying another 20% or so of the claims.

British fund Anacap Financial Partners holds under a tenth of the claims and Abanka about 21%.

Engrotuš, the core company in the group, reported net revenue of EUR 480.4 million for 2018, roughly on par with the year before. Net profit was down 71% to EUR 1.7 million.

If you’ve been paying any attention to the Slovenian travel and tourism scene in the last few years then you’ll be aware of the various attempts to being made to get people to stay longer and see more, broadening the profile of the country beyond Ljubljana, Bled and Postojna.

It’s an approach that’s bringing attention to a wide range of activities and areas, one of which is food and drink, with perhaps the guiding star in this regard being Slovenia’s coming time in the spotlight as a 2021 European Region of Gastronomy.

Source: Ljubljanayum's Instagram page

Foreign operations, like Michelin and Gault&Millau, already have guides for Slovenia in print or preparation, but what about something produced by people who actually live and work here, who are part of the scene and know how things compare within the city itself?

In this space you’ll find The Ljubljanayum Foodie Guide to Ljubljana, an e-book that’s free to anyone who joins a Ljubljanayum food tour of the capital or that can be purchased for €6. And that purchase price is important, because the text – written by Iva Gruden, Nina Purger, and Pia Kaplan – is based on experience, discovery and pleasure, and not on sponsorship or paid content, as you’ll find in some other guides available around town, with recommendations for sale, and the worst presented alongside the best.

The lead on the project was (and is) taken by Iva Gruden, one of the pioneers of the Ljubljana food tour scene, with the first one being offered back in 2013. It’s thus a guide by people who know the city well, and not a blogger who based their story on the biggest names or most Instagrammable locations.

The book contains descriptions of over 40 best shops, bakeries, take-aways, restaurants, bars, cafés, pubs and neighbourhoods in Ljubljana, including places offering vegan, brunch, speciality coffee and more, so you can find exactly what you want. There’s also a guide to local etiquette and customs, interviews with specialists, gastronomic words and phrases in Slovene, and foodie dates and events to base a vacation or day out around.

Personally, I lived in Ljubljana for five years, on Trubarjeva cesta – the city’s ethnic food centre – only leaving a month ago,  and I still learned a lot learned a lot from The Ljubljanayum Foodie Guide, including more about places I’d never considered, as well as a fresh look at those I know well.

In short, if you’re coming to Ljubljana to eat and drink and don’t want to fly blind or rely on TripAdvisor and sponsored content, then consider taking a Ljubljanayum Food Tour (bookings here, and our interview with Iva Gruden, back when it was called Ljubljanajam, here), or picking up a copy of the related guide to the city.

The current e-book was published in 2019, and while a new one is in the works nothing much has changed in the months since it was released – just a little more attention being paid to Slovenian food and drink, attention that’s repaid with pleasure.

Source: Ljubljanayum's Instagram page