STA, 15 December 2019 - There were 250,000 immigrants in Slovenia at the start of 2018, or 12.1% of the country's population, national statisticians said before International Migrants Day, which is observed on 18 December.
The figure puts Slovenia 16th on the list of EU countries by share of immigrants; Luxembourg leads with 46.5% and Poland is at the bottom with 1.8%.
Statistics Office data also shows that Slovenia is quite generous with granting immigrants citizenship.
Demographic indicators – population born abroad by the period of immigration, Slovenia, 1 January 2018
Migration indicators – population born abroad by the period of immigration, Slovenia, 1 January 2018
Alongside Croatia, Sweden and the Netherlands, it is one of the four EU countries with the largest share of immigrants having its citizenship.
The share stands at 55%, while it is as high as 94% among those who migrated to Slovenia when the country was still part of former Yugoslavia, before June 1991.
This is because migrations between Yugoslav republics were considered internal migrations, so it was easier to gain citizenship after Slovenia's independence.
Consequently, around 170,000 people were granted Slovenian citizenship in the first eight months after independence.
However, the figure for the past decade is much lower, at 15,000; of these new Slovenian citizens, 70% still originate from the area of former Yugoslavia.
Among the immigrants who came to Slovenia in the past decade, between 2008 and 2017, 6% already had Slovenian citizenship, with over 3% receiving it after immigrating.
These immigrants have come to Slovenia from as many as 163 countries.
Socioeconomic characteristics – population born abroad by the period of immigration, Slovenia, 1 January 2018
Living conditions – population born abroad by the period of immigration, Slovenia, 1 January 2018
Although Bosnia and Herzegovina is the source country of 43% of these immigrants, immigration from Kosovo has seen the steepest rise, doubling compared to pre-2007.
An average immigrant who moved to Slovenia between 2008 and 2017 is a man from Bosnia aged 30 to 39 with a permanent residence permit.
He lives on his own (without family) in one of Slovenia's eleven urban municipalities, has a job and vocational education.
Their education is slightly lower than that of those who immigrated here before 2007, and one in two works in the manufacturing or construction industry.
STA, 14 December - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged protecting multilateralism against unilateralism as he and his Slovenian counterpart Miro Cerar discussed bilateral relations, EU-China cooperation, and the 17+1 initiative, which brings together 17 Central and East European countries plus China.
Making a case for multilateralism at a time of major global changes, Wang stressed that both countries must continue to defend multilateralism and build open economy.
"We must adopt concrete measures to reject unilateralism and avert power politics in a bid to protect the international system with the UN at its centre, the international order backed by international law, and a multilateral trade system with the WTO as its basis," he said at a press conference in Ljubljana on Saturday.
Wang stressed that despite having different culture and history or being different in size, China and Slovenia respected the basic rules of international relations.
"This is the basis for our mutual trust, which benefits both countries," said Wang, who believes China-Slovenia relations are becoming increasingly mature and stable.
???? Predsednik vlade @sarecmarjan se je danes sestal s kitajskim zunanjim ministrom Wangom Yijem, ki je na uradnem obisku v Sloveniji. pic.twitter.com/nmLQwdZFrY
Cerar noted China was a superpower, a permanent UN Security Council member and an indispensable strategic partner of the EU's, but indicated the two sides did not always share the same positions. But he said China was a key partner of the EU's in fulfiling commitments from the Paris Agreement on climate change.
"We have different stances or standards in the EU and China, but we need to discuss it with respect and openly, but most of all we must seek common areas of cooperation, enhance constructive relations and respect each other," he said.
Cerar stressed political and economic cooperation had been growing, making China Slovenia's most important trading partner in Asia and the 13th most important one overall.
Since 2013, trade in goods increased by some 15% a year to reach EUR 1.3 billion in 2018, with several Slovenian firms opening their offices in China and China's investment increasing in Slovenia.
He also noted that 2020 would be a year of enhanced dialogue between the EU and China, with two EU-China summits planned alongside a 17+1 initiative summit.
Cerar also announced Slovenia and China would further strengthen cooperation next year in view of Slovenia's EU presidency in the second half of 2021.
Wang announced the 17+1 summit, to be held in Beijing in April, would focus on mutual connectivity, green development, innovation and openness.
It is Slovenia's wish to take the lead in the 17+1's coordinating mechanism for winter sports, an area where it has developed good cooperation with China.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is another area of cooperation, with Slovenia promoting its port of Koper as "one of the best points for good from Asia ... to reach Central and East Europe", stressed Cerar.
Wang would meanwhile also like to see more cooperation within the BRI in science, technology, advanced production, pharmaceutical industry, healthcare and winter sports, while he belives infrastructure, such as railways and ports, should be better connected.
"Let's hope for the Beijing summit to create better synergies between the 17+1 forum, the BRI, the EU's strategy to connect Europe and Asia, and the Three Seas initiative as well as development strategies of Central and East European countries," he said.
Cerar announced he would visit China with a business delegation next year, while a China-Slovenia Day of Science and Investment would be organised here.
Wang, who is en route to the Europe-Asia meeting in Spain, which will be also attended by Carer, also met President Borut Pahor.
The pair discussed topical issues in the international community and urged enhancing the good relations between the EU and China, Pahor's office said in a release.
Pahor also took the opportunity to invite Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Slovenia.
Wang also met Prime Minister Marjan Šarec and Speaker Dejan Židan before completing his visit, the first to Slovenia by a Chinese foreign minister since 2008.
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
LJUBLJANA - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi welcomed a preliminary trade agreement the US and China reached on Friday as "good news for the entire world" as he visited Slovenia on Saturday. The agreement, as part of which the US will not impose new tariffs on Chinese imports on Sunday, was also welcomed by Slovenian Foreign Minister Miro Cerar at a news conference after meeting Wang. "There are no winners in a trade war," Wang said, stressing raising tariffs was not the right way of addressing trade tensions. However, he noted the two sides still had a number of issues to address.
Chinese FM urges multilateralism as he discusses relations, cooperation with Cerar
LJUBLJANA - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged protecting multilateralism against unilateralism as he and his Slovenian counterpart Miro Cerar discussed bilateral relations, EU-China cooperation, and the 17+1 initiative, which brings together 17 Central and East European countries plus China, as part of his official visit to Slovenia. Cerar noted China was an indispensable strategic partner of the EU's even if the two sides did not always share the same positions. "We have different stances or standards in the EU and China, but we need to discuss it with respect and openly, but most of all we must seek common areas of cooperation, enhance constructive relations and respect each other." Wang also met other senior officials, including President Borut Pahor and PM Marjan Šarec.
Govt attempts to revive Ljubljana-based ICPE
LJUBLJANA - Seasoned diplomat Andrej Logar has been tasked with reviving the Ljubljana-based International Center for Promotion of Enterprises (ICPE) after it was neglected for years, having been established in 1974 at the UN's initiative to promote international cooperation of developing countries when Slovenia was still part of Yugoslavia, a leading Non-Aligned Movement country. He believes keeping the seat of the centre in Ljubljana could make Slovenia an important centre of multilateral diplomacy. "Everyone is talking about strengthening multilateralism but since Slovenia does not have intensive contacts with African and Asian states as potential ICPE members, the centre could be an important instrument of Slovenia's foreign policy," he said in an interview for the daily Večer.
Governor happy with situation in banking, sees some challenges ahead
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's banking system is stable, and lending practices and bank oversight are better than in the past, the central bank governor, Boštjan Vasle, said in an interview for the daily Dnevnik. However, he noted economic cooling did bring some challenges, as the banks have not yet managed to restore corporate lending and have practically the same business models. The question is also whether they are ready for changes brought about by new technologies. Vasle also believes there are still relatively many banks in Slovenia, so he sees consolidation as "an unavoidable and useful process".
Bavčar fears for sovereignty, security as he remembers pre-independence event
KOČEVSKA REKA - A commemoration was held to remember 17 December 1990 when a Slovenian armed unit was lined up just a week before the country held its independence referendum. Igor Bavčar, then interior minister, said that challenges faced by the EU and NATO made Slovenian sovereignty and security topical again as they undermined the foundations of the EU as we had known it for 30 years. "The history of the last century is making a comeback knocking on the door big time," said Bavčar, a former business executive who is currently serving time for money laundering in deals with Istrabenz shares. Several independence-era figures gathered in Kočevska Reka, including then PM Lojze Peterle, then Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, and incumbent President Borut Pahor. The Territorial Defence unit lined up 29 years ago is now seen as a precursor of the Slovenian army.
Slovenia spends EUR 2.4 billion on education
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia spent some EUR 2.411 billion on educational institutions last year, an almost 4% increase compared to 2017, or 5.3% of its GDP, the latest Statistics Office data shows. Educational institutions spent some EUR 2.232 billion or 92% of all expenditure on formal education, most of it on wages and investments. Out of total education expenditure, some 86.3% was public and 12.5% private. Meanwhile, the share of resources from international sources was 1.3%.
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
MONDAY, 16 December LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will start its plenary for December with questions time. MADRID, Spain - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will take part in the final day of the Asia-Europe Meeting, discussing multilateralism, global and regional issues and sustainable connectivity. LJUBLJANA - A round table on crisis management organised by the European Commission Representation in Slovenia and the STA will feature European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič. Lenarčič will also be received by National Assembly Speaker Dejan Židan. LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release data on average pay for October.
TUESDAY, 17 December BELGRADE, Serbia - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, accompanied by five ministers, will pay a working visit to Serbia, which will include a joint session of both governments. LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will debate legislative amendments concerning family allowances and employment relationships. LJUBLJANA - Former and current finance ministers and central bank governors will be on hand for a ceremony marking 30 years of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange. LJUBLJANA - The Athlete of the Year Awards will be presented to winners picked by the Association of Slovenian Sports Journalists.
WEDNESDAY, 18 December LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will debate a report on intelligence and counter-intelligence activity during the process of arbitration on the border between Slovenia and Croatia. LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec is expected to receive representatives of trade unions of defence, customs and intelligence staff. LJUBLJANA - International Migrants Day will be observed.
THURSDAY, 19 December LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will debate amendments to the health care and insurance act and tonnage tax act. BRUSSELS, Belgium - Environment Minister Simon Zajc will take part in a session of the EU Environment Council discussing EU environment and climate policy in relation to the European Green Deal. LJUBLJANA - ZPIZ, the manager of the national pension fund, will debate the financial plan for 2020. LJUBLJANA - The left-wing association Forum 21 will hold a debate marking the centenary since the Carinthia plebiscite. LJUBLJANA - Public broadcaster Radio Slovenija will declare its person of the year. LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Philharmonic will perform a Christmas concert. LJUBLJANA - Mahlzeit, the latest production of the dance troupe Beton Ltd.
FRIDAY, 20 December LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will wrap up the regular sitting for December by discussing Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek's replies to deputy questions about the EU's next multi-year budget and about railway infrastructure. LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release the business sentiment index for December.
SATURDAY, 21 December RATEČE - Individual events for men and women will be held at the cross-country World Cup.
SUNDAY, 22 December RATEČE - Team events for men and women will be held at the cross-country World Cup. LJUBLJANA - The Symphony Orchestra of RTV Slovenija will give a Christmas concert.
If you're not in town for the week of this guide (16 - 22 December, 2019) then you can see all the editions here, and if there's event or activity you want to promote in a future edition of What's on in Ljubljana please get in touch with me at flanner(at)total-slovenia-news.com or try and find me on Facebook. If you want something a little different and easy to print, then a comprehensive PDF of events for the next seven days, as prepared by Ljubljana Tourism, is here. If you're in town and want to follow the news then check out our regular morning headlines for Sloveniahere.
It’s the last full week before Christmas and the only thing we’ve done so far is string up some lights in the new office / yoga space and buy too much chocolate and wine, along with some orders of books. Which, now I see it written down, seems quite enough.
As usual at this time of year the downtown area of the city itself is the focal attraction, and just wandering around and following your inclinations will lead you closer to what you desire, be that live music, mulled wine, a new pair of gloves, some meat in a bun or any of the hundreds of other delights that line the streets and sneak off into cafes and bars, museums and galleries, nightclubs and other locales.
Things you’ll see around town include the Land of Ice exhibition of ice sculptures in Congress Square / Zvezda Park, in a corner with a very good view of the Castle. That requires a ticket, but something free is the same area is the Magical Forest, 16:30 to 19:00, which will host creative workshops of making environmentally friendly Christmas decorations. The Ice Queen will also be appearing until 22 December and offering “ice artists who will impress with juggling, sorcery and acrobatic points that will convince even the most discerning viewers”. This will move around as the evening progresses, following this route from 17:00 to 19:00: Krekov trg Square, Petkovškovo Embankment, Prešernov trg Square, park Zvezda, Gallus Embankment, and Mestni trg Square. There will also be organ grinders wearing vintage clothing and performing without monkeys. There's also live music (and food, drink) in Pogačarjev trg (the square that usually hosts Open Kitchen) from 17:00 to 22:00
The Castle has a festive fair, and it’s a great place to get a bird’s eye view of the city at night.
Want to see Dedek Mraz, aka Grandpa Frost, back in 1959 and 1961? Click this way.
It’s a varied week at Opera and Ballet Ljubljana. Monday and Wednesday sees Tales of Hoffmann, Tuesday The Bartered Bride, Friday Nabucco, Saturday and Sunday Carmen. If were hoping for Nutcracker, that was last week.
Monday to Wednesday, 17:00 to 19:00, a series of short concerts by children's choirs will be presented in front of Town Hall, just a short walk forward, or back, along the Triple Bridge.
Tuesday, 17 December, the Iranian singer Alireza Ghorbani will be on stage at Cankarjev dom, with tickets here.
Friday is jazz night at the Castle, and this week it’s Eargonauts. Meanwhile, at Hala Tivoli the Harlem Gospel Choir will be performing.
Saturday Croatia’s Severina will be playing Arena Stožice
The weekend is big and long for Kurzschluss, with Friday seeing a night headlined by the biggest international DJ from Slovenia, Umek, coming back to check in on the scene he helped create. Saturday it’s Glitterbox w Roger Sanchez & more, while Sunday there’s a show with Senidah.
Sunday the Symphony Orchestra and Big Band RTV Slovenia will be having their traditional Christmas concert at Cankarjev dom, with “a selection of the finest Christmas songs in rich orchestrations for a large orchestra”. Tickets.
Heard of MENT? The annual music festival hosted by Kino Šiška will be back in the first week of February 2020, and 30 acts have already been announced. It’s too late for early bird tickets, but you can start planning ahead here.
Christmas is coming and, if your in the market for toys, check out Ristanc in the Old Town for high quality, classic and interesting toys, while for older children and adults there’s the To Je To, just a few doors down. (Not an ad, but sincere promotion for a great place.)
New or recent movies this week include the following
How much do tourists spend in Slovenia? Find out here
You may have heard about Free Tour Ljubljana, the tour company that’s #1 on TripAdvisor for the city and gives away its main product. What’s the deal with that? Find out here.
While the Old Town is quaint, and full of music, where does Ljubljana really shop? One popular answer is BTC City, a vast complex of malls, entertainment facilities and more, including more than 70 different food vendors, offering everything from Slovenian to Thai, Indian to Italian, Mexican to Chinese. Check out my recent visit here.
Looking for something different to eat? Trubajeva cesta, running right by Dragon Bridge, has the greatest concentration of "ethnic food" places in Ljubljana, and thus perhaps the country. Check out our walk through guide as of June 2019.
In warmer days than you'll see this week. Photo: JL Flanner
You can read about all the cinemas in town here, while a selection of what’s playing this week is below, and note that kids' movies tend to be shown in dubbed versions, while non-English language movies for older viewers will have Slovenian subtitles.Parents should also pay attention to Kinobalon, which is Kinodvor's regular weekend series of film screenings and events for children, from babies on up, with special parent/child events, "first time in a cinema" screenings, and babysitting. Learn more about it here, and see the current schedule here.
Note - most children's films will be dubbed (sinhronizirano) - for subtitles look for 'podnapisi'.
Kinodvor –This is an arts cinema, not far from the train station, that shows new features as well as hosting the occassional festival.
Kinoteka – And not far from Kinodvor you can find this revival cinema, which shows art house classics along with some deep dives in the archives.
Kino Bežigrad - A relatively small theatre, but one which usually has the biggest of the new releases.
Kolosej -The multiplex out at BTC City Mall shows all the big movies, with well over a dozen titles on the schedule, although note that there are far more movies than screens, so some of the older ones mayonly be playing once or twice a week.
Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store shows two or three different features a week, usually including the biggest titles.
Looking for a souvenir you'll really enjoy? Take a look at Broken Bones Gin, the first gin made in Ljubljana (learn more here, and try it at the Central Market or selected downtown bars).
Photo: Genius loci d.o.o.
Know that big triangular building behind the train station? Learn what's inside here.
Clubbing
Compared to some European capitals it can seem that nightlife in Ljubljana ends rather early, especially along the river, but there are still bars that stay open late and clubs were you can dance until dawn, and perhaps the best place to stumble across something interesting is the legendary Metelkova. Be aware it's a grungy kind of place and not for all tastes, but also that there's considerable variety to found within the various clubs there, from death metal to electropop, gay cabaret to art noise. You can read "the rules" of the place here. And if you're curious about how the place started then read our story, and look at some pictures, about last year's 25th anniversary.
Božidar - DJ events aren't too common here, but when they happen they often have a big name.
Channel Zero – DJs shows here include regular dub nights as well as electronic music.
Gala Hala – Another Metelkova venue, you can sometimes hear bhangra and Bollywood here, but more often funk, hip hop, breakbeat and so on.
Klub Cirkus – The more commercial end of clubland, and a venue that aims to serve the student party scene. Expect house, anthems, and bangers.
Klub K4 – The home of techno, old and new, along with various other electronic genres,
Koncertna Dvorana Rog– There are irregular DJ sets at this underground (not literally) venue at the far end of Trubarjeva cesta, and they range from techno to goa to drum'n'bass.
Orto Bar– 80s and 90s throwback nights can often be found here, along with rock-based DJ sets.
Cankerjev dom- The main arts venue in the country always has something of interest going on.
Gledališče IGLU - IGLU Theatre – Saturday night this group is usually putting on an English improv show somewhere in town, but it’s generally promoted after this is written, so check the Facebook before putting on your shoes.
Kino Šiška – One of the top live venues in the city also hosts some dance performance, often of the more experimental variety.
Mini Teater Ljubljana –The English schedule of varied performances, for adults and children, for the month is here.
Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - Puppetry has a long and noble tradition in Slovenia, and you can see performances for children and adults (including non-puppet shows) drawing from the Theatre's rich repetoire as well as new productons.
SNG Opera and Ballet - As the name suggests, here you'll find the best of opera and ballet in the country.
Španski borci - The home ofcontemporary dance(and the EnKnapGroup) in Slovenia.
Pocket Teater Studio– There are regular flamenco evenings at perhaps the smallest venue town, but note that the number of seats is very limited, and thus you should make a reservation via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 070 325 522.
Drogart is an organization that aims to minimise harm on the party scene, and offers drug-testing services and reports on their webpage. It’s in Slovene, but you can Google translate it or work things out yourself, and our story on the group is here.You can find the latest warnings on fake drugs and high strength pills and powders (in Slovene) here. However, be aware that all the usual drugs are illegal in Slovenia.CBD is legal, though, and our retailer of choice can be found on Trubarjeva cesta - read more about Sena Florahere.
You can find our Top 12 list of things to do with kids in Ljubljana here. If want to read more about the philosophy behind the wonderful House of Experiments look here, while our trip to the Museum of Illusions is documented here, and there’s always riverside walks, pizza and ice cream. With regard to the latter, take a look at our guide tosix places that serve good ice cream in winter, and thus are serious about the dessert.
Mini Teater Ljubljana – The season sees a lot of puppet performances for children, in Slovene, at this theatre not far from Križanke. The English schedule for the month is here.
Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - The puppet theatre near the Central Market and next to the Castle funicular has a full programme or shows, for children and adults, with the schedule here.
If you're looking for more general links on "gay Slovenia", including a history of the scene and various projects, then you can find that here, while our stories about the community can be found here.
Klub Monokel– This lesbian bar in Metelkova is open every Friday, although sometimes there are other events
Klub Tiffany –And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays. Other things coulds also be planned, so click on the name to find out.
Pritličje – This seems to be the only "always open" LGBT-friendly cafe / bar / events space in town, and perhaps the country, so it's a good thing it's such a good one, open from morning to night, and with fliers and posters letting you know what's happening outside the narrow confines of, say, a general interest online what's on... guide.
Screenshot from Google Maps, showing the location of the Castle vineyard
Ljubljana Castle
The city’s main attraction is said to be the top tourist draw in the country overall, and to my mind it earns a spot near the top just for the history and views. But beyond that the current owners, the City of Ljubljana, have laid out a varied, interesting and enjoyable programme of events, one that rewards regular revisits. On until 17 November Mighty Guardians of the Past: Castles in the Slovenian Lands, a presentation that delivers on the promise of its title.
I try and get up there every Saturday morning to clear my head and move my feet on the trails, and never tire of that end of the hill. At the other end, where the Castle sits, there’s a lot more than fresh air on offer. There are guided tours, restaurants, a café, Castle museum, puppet museum, a Watchtower you can climb to the highest point in the city, art shows, dances, live music, movies under the stars, festival days and more – enough to reward multiple trips up the hill through the year. All of these activities and events can be found on the Castle website, while on TSN you can see “25 things to know about Ljubljana Castle” here, and “Ten Ways to Enjoy Ljubljana Castle” here.
Most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum.
Bežigrajska galerija 2 – Take a trip to Vodovodna cesta 3 and until 8 February 2020 you can see Lojze Spacal (1907–2000): From the Littoral and the Karst Region.
Plečnik’s House is worth a visit if you want to learn more about the architect who gave Ljubljana much of its character, and it's also in a really nice part of town, Trnovo, just a short walk or cycle upriver. Read about our guided tour here. On until January 2020 you can see plans and models for some of the things Plečnik planned but never built in Ljubljana. Take a look at some pictures here.
Image: Nejc Bernik. ZRC-SAZU
Balassi Institute – The Hungarian culture centre is next to a Spar and Hofer, and not far from Dragon Bridge, and always has something interesting going on. Learn more here. This month there's also an exhibition with more works like the one shown below for a show described as follows: “The concept of the exhibition “Awkwardly Close” in Balassi Institute is exactly the self-conscious unease coming from artistic and content similarities between the works of Kata Bereczki, and the Slovenian artistic collective Son:DA."
City Gallery - From 28 November until 19 January 2020 there's a sculpture by Jiři Bezlaj.
City Museum – The Museum in French Revolution Square an interesting permanent exhibition on the history of Ljubljana, from prehistoric times to the present day, with many artefacts, models and so on that bring the story alive.You can read about my visit here
The Faces of Ljubljana in the City Museum. Photo: JL Flanner
Drink like a pro - find gallery openings. Photo: JL Flanner
Ljubljana -(Un)known Ljubljana is on at the top of the hill, a free to enter National Geographic exhibition with photographs of some of the lesser seen parts of the city, with one example below and more here.
MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe.
Moderna galerija – The main branch of this gallery, to be found near the entrance to Tivoli Park, has a good collection of modern art, as well a nice café in the basement. The 9th Triennial of Contemporary Art U3 is also on here until 12 January 2020. Titled Dead and Alive: “The exhibition unfolds around three contradictory states of now – the dead and alive state of conceptualism, analogue and liquid materiality, and the subconscious as the battlefield of cognitive capitalism. Because – how do art and avant-garde progress? By making sensible what is beyond. At the end of the day, Dead and Alive is a quantum time search for an engaged form.” More details here, on one of the works on show below.
Alan Ford was recently at the National Gallery - read more about this comic book here.
National Gallery – The country’s main gallery has “the best” of what’s on offer from the Middle Ages to non-contemporary modern visual arts, and is in a great location for exploring other areas, just by Tivoli Park and opposite the main branch of the Moderna galerija. You can read about our visit to the room containing sacred art from the Middle Ageshere. Art for the Brave New World runs until 5 January 2020: “The exhibition will present the beginnings and development of an early government art collection in Slovenia, which, despite the economic and political crisis, was created in the 1930s by artistic and professional personalities gathered around Dr Marko Natlačen, the last ban of the Drava Banovina.”
JL Flanner
The real Robba Fountain can be found in the entrance to the National Gallery - the one you see in the Old Town is a genuine fake, as seen below and reported here.
Photo: JL Flanner
National Museum of Slovenia – There’s plenty to see in the permanent collection here, from Roman times, Egypt and more. Meanwhile, the museum's Metelkova branch, located between one branch of the Moderna galerija and the Ethnographic Museum has some rooms on Church art, furniture and weapons, with the latter including more guns than you'll see anywhere else in town, and quite a thrill if coming from a nation where such objects are not household items.
A fragment of a Coptic textile; 5th–6th cent.: Upper Egypt; linen, wool; National Museum of Slovenia. Photo: Tomaž Lauko
Until 24 May 2019 you can see Coptic Textiles from the Collection of the National Museum of Slovenia at the branch in the Metelkova museum quarter, by the Ethnographic Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Details.
Natural History Museum – On until the end of December 2019 is Our Little Big Sea, which takes a look at the oceans.
Vžigalica Gallery – On until 12 January 2020 is SAEBORG: SLAUGHTER HOUSE 17 from the Japanese artist Saeborg, which is being promoted with the following image. Details here.
Union Experience – The Ljubljana-based brewer has a museum showing the history of the company, with the ticket also including access to part of the factory and a few samples of the product. You can read about our visit here.
Alternative Ljubljana isn't a museum or gallery, as such, but instead turns the city streets into a museum and gallery. Learn more about their tours of street art, history and LGBT Ljubljanahere.
If you like the city's architecture then check out this great book, Let’s See the City - Ljubljana: Architectural Walks & Tours, with our review here and a page from the book shown above. We took a walk with one of the authors who showed us how much there is to learn and enjoy if you slow down and pay attention - read about that here.
Ljubljana has some beautiful buildings from the early 20th century, in the Secessionist style, like the one below. Learn where to find them here.
Some view of the city you can only get from the river. If you'd like to take a boat ride then read about my experience here. If you'd like to spend an evening painting with others, then take a look at Design with Wine, which organises painting parties on Trubarjeva cesta,
If you want to see some antiques, then check out the wonderful Antika Carniola, as discussed here. The man behind it, Jaka Prijatelj, has a fine eye for life on this street, as you can see on his Facebook account.
Photo: JL Flanner
If you’re in town and want to go jogging or walking in nature, why not take another look at the Castle, with a brief guide to the trails here. If you want something bigger, head to Tivoli Park.
And if you're bored with the Old Town, why not take a walk, cycle or boat ride to nearby Špica and enjoy the riverside life. Learn more about that here.
Prefer to have someone else stretch you? The check out the totally legit massages you can get from Sense Wellness - either in one of their spas or in you home, office or hotel. (And - to repeat - these are legit and non-sexual in nature)
There are some golf courses near Ljubljana, but even ones further away are not far, as seen in our list of all the golf courses in Slovenia, which usually run until the first snow.
If you want to get a Ljubljana Tourist Card, which gives you travel on the city buses and entry to a lot of attractions, then you can read more about that here, and if you want to use the bike share system, as useful for visitors as it is for residents, then you can learn more by clicking this. Visitors with reduced mobility will be pleased to find that downtown Ljubljana is generally rated as good with regard to accessibility, and that there’s a free, city-sponsored app called Ljubljana by Wheelchair highlighting cafés, attractions and so on with ramps, disabled bathrooms and Eurokey facilities, which you can read about and download here. Manual wheelchair users can also borrow, for free, an attachment that will motorise their equipment, as reported here.
Screenshot from a Twitter video
If you’re driving into town and don’t know where to park, our guide to how to park in Ljubljana is here.
Ljubljana is a small and relatively safe city, but if need to contact the police then there’s a special number for foreigners, and that’s 113.
Photo: JL Flanner
There aren't many places to eat after midnight, and most of them are by the train station, as reported here.
Want / need cigarettes but the stores have closed? Here's an incomplete list of bars downtown that will satisfy your craving for the demon weed. While if you’re having trouble with the ATMs then here’s a guide to the Slovene you’ll see on screen. If you get a hangover then find out where to get paracetamol (and prescription drugs) in Ljubljana here, while details on emergency birth control can be found here.
The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 13 December
Mladina: Refugees will eventually tell their stories
STA, 13 December 2019 - Much like Europe's responsibility for developments during the war in former Yugoslavia is being discussed today, the horrors that refugees are experiencing now will surface in the years to come, the left-wing weekly Mladina says on Friday. The story will be told by people who will be fully integrated into European society, it notes.
"It's winter, a time when we become aware of refugees again. It has been so since 2015. That is when tents collapse because of snow and sleeping outdoors means sickness and death.
"When winter comes, we see footage of children and adults freezing in camps - this year the media and humanitarian workers were attracted by the Vučjak camp in Bihać, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Last year it was Lesbos, Greece. In 2016 it was the Calais camp in France," editor-in-chief Grega Repovž says.
Every year, this prompts people and countries to join forces and help this one particular camp - this year, it is Vučjak - to make Europeans feel a little bit better. "But in fact nothing has changed. There are plenty other tents and camps."
According to Repovž, everyone knows what is happening in Bosnia-Herzegovina. "We know very well that Vučjak was abandoned because European countries have 'paid' Bosnia-Herzegovina to make this disgrace go away."
"We know exactly what is happening along our wire and around it. We know exactly what Croatian police are doing. We know exactly what the situation is in Greece. We know what is going on in Macedonia."
And this is the story we will not be able to get away from. It will be told in the future by different people, completely integrated into our society, from a basketball star, writer, to perhaps a popular TV anchor or a leading doctor, perhaps a minister.
They will speak about the millions living in camps, including hundreds of thousands of children growing up without education, without basic necessities and in total misery, closed in fact and under the supervision of guards, Repovž says.
Their peers will listen to these stories and they will suddenly see their countries in a completely different light, and they will want to talk about it, Repovž says under the headline “Past Always Catches Up With You”.
Demokracija: Leftists hypocrites on climate change
STA, 12 December 2019 - The right-wing weekly Demokracija accuses leftists of hypocrisy when it comes to climate change. It says the UN climate change meeting in Madrid is "not only a get-together of harmful tragic comedians, it is also a meeting of characters more bizarre than even Graham Chapman could imagine".
The magazine highlights people like US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who liberally uses her private jet, and entrepreneur Elon Musk, "a hypocritical bird" who left US President Donald Trump's advisory board after Trump abandoned the Paris climate agreement but "flies so much each year he could circle the Earth six times and each of his SpaceX rockets uses over 130,00 litres of fossil fuel".
"These people, who do not trigger even minimum moral outrage on the left, trade in and get rich off apocalyptic climate change stories - naturally under the UN banner," says editor-in-chief Jože Biščak, who goes on to accuse the UN and its various climate change endeavours of attempts to "create a global centrally managed society that would control all facets of life of each individual in the world".
Nevertheless, Demokracija, which is co-owned by the climate change-denying Democratic Party (SDS), still sees hope. An increasing number of people are sceptical about climate change and turnout at climate conferences is declining, says the commentary “Haydn's Symphony No. 45 in Madrid”.
STA, 13 December - Slovenia ranks 13th in the latest Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index compiled by Solability, a sustainability think tank based in Switzerland and South Korea, among a total of 180 countries.
Slovenia scored 53.8 points, and fared best in terms of governance efficiency, trailing only Ireland and the Czech Republic.
Governance efficiency measures the results of core state areas and investments - infrastructure, market and employment structure, and the provision of a framework for sustained and sustainable wealth generation.
In the field of intellectual capital - the capability to generate wealth and jobs through innovation and value-added industries in the globalised markets - Slovenia ranks 13th.
Its ranking in social capital - health, security, freedom, equality and life satisfaction within a country - is 14th.
Slovenia meanwhile performed much worse in terms of resource management - the efficiency of using available resources as a measurement of operational competitiveness - placing 84th among the 180 countries.
It fared the worst in natural capital - the given natural environment, including the availability of resources, and the level of the depletion of those resources, placing 94th.
The index for 2019 is topped by the Nordic countries - Sweden is first with 60.6 points, followed by Finland, Iceland, Denmark and Switzerland. Placed at the bottom of the list are Yemen, Haiti and The Bahamas.
A PDF of the full report can be found here, while you can see the data in XLSX form
STA, 14 December 2019 - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is visiting Slovenia on Saturday for talks with his Slovenian counterpart Miro Cerar and other senior officials. Wang and Cerar will discuss the two countries' political and economic relations and aim to come up with new cooperation opportunities in various areas.
This will be first visit by a Chinese foreign policy chief since 2008, according to the Slovenian Foreign Ministry.
The official visit is designed to strengthen political dialogue as well as discuss global issues and cooperation within forums such as EU-China cooperation, the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) forum and the 17+1 initiative, which brings together China and Central and Eastern European countries.
Cerar is expected to attend the ASEM meeting in Madrid on Sunday and Monday. Foreign ministers from 30 European and 21 Asian countries are to discuss strengthening multilateralism, global and regional issues as well as bolstering sustainable connectivity between the two continents.
While in Slovenia, the Chinese foreign minister will also meet President Borut Pahor, Speaker Dejan Židan and Prime Minister Marjan Šarec.
China is Slovenia's key trading partner in Asia and ranks 13th among Slovenian major trading partners.
In the first nine months of 2019, trade in goods between China and Slovenia exceeded EUR 1 billion, with Slovenia importing EUR 887 million and exporting EUR 191 million worth of goods.
Moreover, after seven years of cooperation based on the 17+1 initiative, Slovenia is seeing positive business results. The two countries also cooperates as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
All our stories on China and Slovenia can be found 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
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Commenting on the Conservatives' landslide victory in the UK general election, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said that the outcome was "completely expected". PM Boris Johnson made the implementation of Brexit his mission and that was the message of his election campaign, so the UK is likely to leave the EU by the end of January after all, said Šarec on the sidelines of the EU summit. Šarec believes a trade agreement with the UK could be reached next year if talks were conducted quickly.
PM happy with carbon neutrality 2050 target for EU
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec expressed satisfaction that nearly all EU members had reached an agreement on carbon neutrality by 2050, saying Slovenia was happy that each member state determines its own energy mix in sustainable energy transition. He warned however that carbon neutrality should not come at the expense of cohesion funding. He indicated that Slovenia would seek to substitute thermal energy with nuclear in its energy mix.
Angelika Mlinar granted request for dual citizenship by Austria
LJUBLJANA - Angelika Mlinar, the former Austrian MEP who has been nominated for Slovenian cohesion minister, received approval from the Austrian government to become a dual Austrian-Slovenian citizen. Mlinar is expected to officially become a Slovenian citizen on Monday, after the government yesterday granted her citizenship request in a fast-track procedure permitted by Slovenian law. The Alenka Bratušek Party expects Mlinar to be appointed next week to succeed Iztok Purič, who stepped down.
Left urges Palestine recognition
LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left made a renewed appeal on the government to push for Palestine's recognition at EU level. If the EU fails to reach a consensus on the matter by the end of March 2020, the government should adopt a decision to recognise Palestine and submit it to parliament, the party said. The call came after the US changed its policy on Israeli settlements on the West Bank and after Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn urged the EU start debate Palestine's recognition.
Insurers rubbish plans to abolish top-up insurance
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Insurers' Association expressed grave concern over the proposed legislation that would effectively end the current system of compulsory and top-up health insurance as of 2021 in favour of a fully-fledged single-payer system. It believes this would have harmful long-term effects. The proposal, to be debated by parliament next week, also earned criticism from he public health fund manager ZZZS, which said the proposed lump sum contribution of 29 euro replacing the top-up insurance was too low to maintain stability of healthcare funding.
Nine vying to become next anti-graft boss
LJUBLJANA - Nine candidates have submitted applications to become the next president of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, including incumbent president Boris Štefanec and his deputy Uroš Novak. The other candidates are Supreme Court adviser Tina Brecelj, head of the Ribnica administrative unit Primož Bučan, Faculty of Security Studies professor Robert Šumi, TV journalist Rajko Gerič, senior official at the government's legal service Janez Pogorelec, driving school manager Rajko Marković and pensioner Jožef Majer.
Slovenia 13th in Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index
SEOUL, South Korea - Slovenia ranks 13th in the latest Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index compiled by Solability, a sustainability think tank based in Switzerland and South Korea, among a total of 180 countries. Scoring 53.8 points, Slovenia fared best in terms of governance efficiency, trailing only Ireland and the Czech Republic. Id did worst in natural capital and resource management. The index is topped by the Nordic countries with Sweden at the top (60.6 pts).
Šoštanj people want referendum on co-incineration
ŠOŠTANJ - A civil initiative from Šoštanj, home to the TEŠ coal-fired power station, turned to the municipality with a request for a referendum on TEŠ's plans to branch out into co-incineration of non-hazardous waste. The Šoštanj municipality is to response to the request for a local referendum, which had been filed on Thursday, in the coming days. The initiative wants the vote because no monitoring of waste co-incineration had been conducted in Slovenia yet and the locals refuse to be guinea pigs.
Slovenia below EU average in per capita GDP and consumption
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Slovenia ranked below the EU average in terms of actual individual consumption, as well as in terms of GDP per capita in 2018, according to fresh data from Eurostat, the EU's statistical office. Actual individual consumption (AIC) is a measure of material welfare of households. Expressed in purchasing power standards, AIC per capita in Slovenia reached 87% of the EU average. Slovenia was also at 87% of the EU average by GDP per capita expressed in PPS.
Energy group Petrol has ambitious plans for 2020
LJUBLJANA - The energy group Petrol has ambitious plans for 2020, with net profit expected to reach EUR 110 million, gross profit EUR 510 million and sales revenue EUR 6.4 billion. For this year, Petrol projects EUR 5.6 billion in sales revenue and almost 97 million in net profit. It is on pace to reaching these targets, with sales revenue standing at EUR 4.19 billion and net profit at EUR 80 million in the first nine months. The 2020 business plan was endorsed by the supervisory board on Thursday.
Luka Koper plans higher revenue, lower profit for 2020
KOPER - Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's sole sea port Koper, plans to increase net sales revenue in 2020 by 4% against 2019, while net profit is planned 19% below this year's EUR 39 million. The cargo transshipped next year should rise by 3% from this year's estimated 23.4 million tonnes. Net sales revenue for 2019 is estimated at EUR 228.5 million and net profit at EUR 39.4 million The company's strategic plan, projects a 24% growth in sales revenue to EUR 279.4 million by 2025.
Iberia to fly to Ljubljana next summer
LJUBLJANA - Spanish airline Iberia will fly to Ljubljana next summer season, according to the EX-YU Aviation News portal. Iberia will start to fly from Madrid to Ljubljana's Jože Pučnik International Airport and back on 28 July, operating four flights a week for five weeks. Several other airlines will increase the number of their flights to the Slovenian capital after Adria Airways went bankrupt. The airport is expected to fully compensate for the loss of Adria's passengers in 2021.
Dončić most searched on Google in 2019
LJUBLJANA - Google published the most trending items in Slovenia's online searches in 2019. The name on every Slovenian's lips has been apparently NBA star Luka Dončić since he claimed the top spot, followed by information on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Eurovision Song Contest. Dončić was most popular in January when the online 2019 NBA All-Star voting took place. After inding out that the 20-year-old had not made the cut despite massive support, Slovenian Google users' interest in the topic waned.
Forex fraudster jailed after a decade on the run
LJUBLJANA - A Slovenian man charged with defrauding dozens of investors of over a million euros in multiple foreign exchange transactions in the early 2000s was sentenced to three years in prison after spending a decade on the run from law enforcement. Miran Oblak received the sentence at the Kranj District Court after pleading guilty to seven counts of fraud, each in excess of EUR 50,000. Several other charges were dropped because they became statute-barred.
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
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, 6 December LJUBLJANA - Simona Drenik Bavdek, the official at the centre of the arbitration scandal, demanded the withdrawal of an incriminating report by the parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services. She later lodged a claim with the Administrative Court demanding that the report be taken from the website because the parliamentary inquiry violated her human rights. ROME, Italy - FM Miro Cerar and his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio called for EU-level solutions to tackle migrations, including enhanced protection of the EU's external borders, reform of asylum law and cooperation with third countries. LJUBLJANA - A productivity report compiled by IMAD, the government's macroeconomic think tank, showed that increasing productivity would be key to Slovenia's economic and social development, and to achieve the goal, innovation and R&D would have to be enhanced. LJUBLJANA - Fortenova, the owner of Croatian conglomerate Agrokor's healthy assets, confirmed the goal of resolving open issues regarding Slovenian retailer Mercator by the end of the year, highlighting the role of local suppliers' interdependency with Mercator and the importance of keeping the headquarters in Ljubljana for the next several years. BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's European Commissioner Janez Lenarčič appointed Matjaž Malgaj as head of his team, while it was reported that Maja Kocijančič was the only Slovenian in a cabinet of another commissioner. NEW YORK, US - Slovenian NBA star Luka Dončić was named Sports Illustrated's 2019 Breakout of the Year. The Dallas Mavericks small forward, who made his NBA debut in 2018, was also awarded NBA player of the month for October and November.
SATURDAY, 7 December LONDON, UK - The acclaimed SNG Maribor Ballet company led by choreographer Edward Clug put on two guest performances of Clug's celebrated work Radio and Juliet at the London Coliseum, the West End's largest theatre.
SUNDAY, 8 December LJUBLJANA - The latest data released by the Statistics Office showed that international trade in goods and services remained Slovenia's most important cross-border economic activity in 2018. The value of exports and imports of goods and services rose annually by 9.3% and 10.4%, respectively. LJUBLJANA - The Jury Grand Prix of the 16th Animateka international animated film festival was bestowed on Acid Rain by Polish director and animator Tomek Popakul. The film also won the audience award.
MONDAY, 9 December SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina/PRISHTINA, Kosovo - Visiting Slovenian soldiers deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, PM Marjan Šarec heard praise of them and stressed Slovenia was not considering diminishing its presence in the region. PM expressed regret over Kosovo transforming KFOR into a professional military force without changing the constitution. BRUSSELS, Belgium - FM Miro Cerar said Slovenia did not support making decisions by qualified or any other kind of majority in the EU foreign policy. The country had signed an informal document which could be interpreted as paving the way for qualified majority, but FM stressed the document did not endorse this. BRUSSELS, Belgium - FM Miro Cerar backed the decision by the EU's Foreign Affairs Council on launching preparations for a new EU regime to sanction human rights abusers. Meeting the foreign ministers of North Macedonia and Albania, FM called for starting EU accession talks with both countries by March next year. BERLIN, Germany - Speaker Dejan Židan met President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Schäuble for informal talks about the six-month EU presidency spells (July 2020 - December 2021) held successively by Germany, Portugal and Slovenia. LJUBLJANA - The coalition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) nominated Angelika Mlinar, a former Austrian MEP and a member of the Slovenian minority in Austria, for cohesion policy minister. The govt granted her citizenship request on 12 December, but her dual citizenship request in Austria is pending. LJUBLJANA - The permanent consultative climate policy committee, a body attached to President Borut Pahor's office, recommended to the government and both chambers of parliament to consider declaring a climate and environmental emergency. KRANJ - A fire broke out at Ekol, a hazardous waste processing plant, causing some EUR 40,000 damage, but the authorities later said it had not polluted the air or water. Nevertheless, it upset the locals, who have been warning for years about the hazard the Laze industrial zone poses to the environment and public health. LJUBLJANA/LONDON, UK - British business newspaper Financial Times ranked the University of Ljubljana's School of Economics and Business among the 95 best business schools in Europe for the second consecutive years.
TUESDAY, 10 December LJUBLJANA - The supervisory board of telecoms Telekom Slovenije appointed Tomaž Seljak the new chairman for a full, four-year term. Seljak had previously served as interim chairman following the resignation of Matjaž Merkan in mid-November. LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office data showed that Slovenia's external trade in goods continued to grow in October, despite a drop in trade with EU countries. However, imports rose at a faster rate year-on-year than exports, creating a trade deficit. MADRID, Spain - Paris Agreement implementation will require the cooperation of everyone, Environment Minister Simon Zajc said at the COP25 climate summit. He later welcomed the European Green Deal, saying the strategy ensures a just transition to facilitate a green shift in the most vulnerable sectors and regions, including Slovenia's mining regions. LJUBLJANA - Iskratel, the company that was outbid in a tender to build a motorway e-tolling system for lorries in 2016, brought a EUR 17.7 million damages suit against the motorway company DARS, arguing that the latter as well as the National Review Commission had abused the selection procedure. LJUBLJANA - A debate discussing solutions aimed at increasing gender-balanced representation in Slovenia's electoral system heard calls for higher gender quotas and for the adoption of the zipper system. Speaker Dejan Židan expressed support for raising gender quotas from the current 35% to 40%. LJUBLJANA - Slovenia ranked 44th in the 2020 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), dropping one place compared to last year. The country scored the lowest in renewable energy and climate policy, while it did better in energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. BRUSSELS, Belgium - A Ljubljana stadium designed by acclaimed architect Jože Plečnik in the 1920s was shortlisted as one of the 14 pieces of European cultural heritage that could be put on a list of seven most endangered pieces which will be revealed in March 2020.
WEDNESDAY, 11 December LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The EU's Court of Justice Advocate General Priit Pikamäe proposed for the court to rule inadmissible Slovenia's case against Croatia over the latter's failure to implement the 2017 border arbitration award. Top officials expressed surprised and hope the court would heed the country's legal arguments rather than follow the non-binding opinion. LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar and his Macedonian counterpart Oliver Spasovski agreed joint policy and cooperation of all Western Balkan countries were needed for the effective management of migration on the Western Balkan route, as well as information exchange and fight against organised crime. LJUBLJANA - Election legislation, provinces and climate change ranked prominently as the country's President Borut Pahor, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, Speaker Dejan Židan and National Council President Alojz Kovšca met for an end-of-year reception. ZADAR, Croatia - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec attended the inauguration of an aircraft training centre set up in the framework of NATO's Multinational Special Aviation Programme, saying the centre was very important for strengthening interoperability.
THURSDAY, 12 December BRUSSELS, Belgium - At an EU summit, PM Marjan Šarec said that the Finnish presidency's proposal for the EU's next long-term budget was very bad for Slovenia, because it proposed cutting cohesion funds for the country by 28% compared to the current period. LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry reported that Slovenia had joined a Green Group call for more ambitious measures in the face of climate change at the climate conference in Madrid, while Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said in Brussels that Slovenia advocated carbon neutrality for EU by 2050. LJUBLJANA - The government granted the citizenship request by Angelika Mlinar, a former Austrian MEP who had been nominated to head the government office in charge of cohesion policy, under provisions of the citizenship act typically used to fast-track athletes' applications. BLED - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec hosted his Hungarian counterpart Tibor Benko, with the pair discussing the security situation in the region as well as bolstering bilateral and regional defence and military cooperation. ČRNOMELJ - Representatives of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) visited Črnomelj area to assess the migrant situation there, noting good practices as well as a number of issues, including "police violence against refugees". LJUBLJANA - The office of President Borut Pahor asked the Interior Ministry to closely examine the case of an Afghan who is facing deportation from Slovenia, as it believes it stands out from usual cases. The man has lived in Slovenia since 2015, has a family here and speaks the language. LJUBLJANA - Petrol shareholders decided that major deals concerning the acquisition and disposal of financial investments, other types of investments and sponsorship contracts that the energy firm has concluded since early 2015 be audited. LJUBLJANA - The government said it would allocate EUR 10 million in 2021-2026 to support projects hosted by a Slovenian town to be designated a European Capital of Culture for 2025. LJUBLJANA - Saop and Mit Informatika, which specialise in enterprise software, signed a business combination agreement creating a new major player on the Slovenian IT market.
Ex-Yu Aviation reports that Iberia, Spain’s national carrier, is to launch flights connecting Madrid and Ljubljana on 28 July, 2020. Four flights a week are planned for the height of the summer, a period of just five weeks, on a route that was previously served by the recently collapsed Adria Airways.
No decision has yet been made on whether and how to launch a new national carrier for Slovenia, while investigations into Adria’s collapse are being hampered by its owner, the German 4K Invest group, closing down the subsidiaries which had managed – or allegedly mismanaged – the airline’s assets.
Image: Nejc Bernik. ZRC-SAZU
