STA, 12 December 2019 - The Finance Ministry has drawn up a blueprint for a law introducing government guarantees for housing loans. These would be fully guaranteed up to EUR 150,000 in principal provided the borrower provides 20% in the form of own funds.

Unveiling the proposal in Ljubljana on Thursday, Finance Ministry State Secretary Alojz Stana said the scheme was aimed at the young up to the age of 35, young families and those in fixed-term or precarious forms of employment not older than 40.

A 100% guarantee would be available for housing loans amounting to up to EUR 150,000 in principal with a maturity of up to 30 years, rescheduling included.

The borrower would have to chip in at least 20% in the form of own funds, which is in line with loan requirements of the central bank, Banka Slovenije.

The total amount of guarantees is planned at up to EUR 500 million in principal. The annual amount of funds would be determined in the state budget implementation acts.

The borrower would be able to pick the bank they take the loan from, while the guarantor would be able to pay up to six past due instalments to the bank instead of the borrower.

This option would be available to the borrower several times while the loan was active, but only under condition that liabilities from the recourse claim were settled.

If the guarantee was enforced, the state's recourse claim would be repaid from the proceeds from the sale of the property with the national Housing Fund having the pre-emptive right to buy.

Unofficial information indicates that the ministry is still looking for a solution how to enable the borrower who was unable to repay the loan to stay in the property.

One option would be non-profit rental, but there would be a scope for abuse.

The ministry says that the scheme is aimed at creditworthy borrowers, so it does not interfere with the central bank's tightening of criteria for consumer loans.

However, the ministry hopes that Banka Slovenije may reconsider the consumer lending brake because of the state guarantee scheme.

The ministry expects that the lending terms for state-guaranteed loans would be easier on the borrowers. It hopes that the scheme's impact on property prices would not be excessive.

The scheme would be implemented by the state-run export and development bank SID. Guarantees would be issued for loans hired until the end of 2030.

The blueprint has been agreed with the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning and is expected to be submitted for public consultation in January.

The scheme would be just one of housing policy measures with the main objective being increasing the fund of rental housing. Housing policy measures are to be updated in a new housing loan that is in the pipeline.

Following the central bank restrictions on consumer lending, a state loan guarantee scheme has been proposed by the opposition Democrats (SDS), but the corresponding bill was voted down in parliament.

STA, 12 December - The office of President Borut Pahor has asked the relevant ministry to closely examine the case of an Afganistani who is facing deportation from Slovenia, as it believes it stands out from usual cases. This comes as NGOs have again called on the authorities not to deport Noor, who has found a home and has family in the town of Novo Mesto.

The president's office told the STA on Thursday that while it did not have direct jurisdiction in the international protection procedures, the Ministry of the Interior should examine the case in detail.

The call comes after two Slovenian NGOs urged Pahor, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec and Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina last week not to allow the Afganistani, who has lived in Slovenia since 2015, to be deported.

The NGOs have noted that Noor had asked for asylum before finding himself in a deportation procedure, which is taking years. In the meantime, he has integrated himself in the Novo Mesto community, and is living with his Slovenian partner and her son.

According to his partner Dragana, a family reunion procedure has been initiated at the relevant administrative unit, but the police had again taken Noor in October to the centre for foreigners in Postojna, where he is facing deportation.

"His family, home, friends and work are waiting for him. He is an excellent cook and he has been offered a job several times, but no employer can hire him because his status has not been tackled," she told the press recently.

Noor was recently visited by journalists of the public broadcaster TV Slovenija, and spoke with them in Slovenian.

While forwarding the letter from the NGOs to Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar, the president's office has also sent a request for the case to be examined carefully.

It said that rulings of the European Court of Human Rights place emphasis on family life and family reunion in cases of people who ask for asylum.

The NGOs have noted that before the first interview in Postojna aimed at establishing facts about Noor's family life, the Novo Mesto administrative unit had decided not to give him a residence permit.

This way the foreigner and his Slovenian partner have been left without legal means to prevent deportation. "The treatment is shocking because the police are being so apparently wrong in their interpretation of laws."

The NGOs said that the European Court of Human Rights argued that the right to family life must not be made conditional on how the person in question had entered the country.

You can sign a petition in support of Noor here

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

PM: Finnish EU budget proposal bad for Slovenia

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec assessed that the Finnish presidency's proposal for the EU's next long-term budget is very bad for Slovenia, because it would cut its cohesion funds by 28% compared to the current period. Šarec revealed the figures as he arrived in Brussels for an EU summit, which was to discuss the latest proposal for the multi-annual financial framework for 2021-2027. Slovenia is one of the countries that stands to lose the most in funding.

Slovenia supports carbon neutrality for EU by 2050, PM says

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia wants the EU to have a carbon-neutral footprint by 2050, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said as he arrived for an EU summit. He added that Slovenia would not be able to reach this goal without shutting down the Šoštanj thermal power plant, which covers 25% of the country's energy needs. This is also why the government has launched a discussion about building a new nuclear generator at the nuclear power plant in Krško.

Slovenia joins calls for more ambitious climate action

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has joined a Green Group call for more ambitious measures in the face of climate change at the climate conference in Madrid. "The members of the Green Group highlighted the need in a joint statement for a comprehensive management of water resources and for better understanding the impact of climate change on water security, and committed to using water as an instrument for promoting peace and cooperation," the Foreign Ministry said.

Pahor confident that border with Croatia would eventually follow arbitration award

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor expressed confidence in an interview with Radio Slovenija that in time, border between Slovenia and Croatia will run along the line defined by the arbitration tribunal in 2017. "Imagine what Croatia would give to support its position with a tribunal decision... These small victories, celebrated by Croatia, may be legitimate, but they are futile," he said a day after it was announced that the advocate general handling Slovenia's case against Croatia over EU law violations at the European Court of Justice deemed the case inadmissible.

Jurist deems advocate general's opinion unconvincing

LJUBLJANA - Having studied Advocate General Priit Pikamäe's opinion on the admissibility of Slovenia's case against Croatia over the border arbitration award, law professor Matej Avbelj said that Pikamäe had not set out his arguments in a very convincing way and that he was running the risk that the EU Court of Justice would not adopt his opinion. Avbelj, professor at the Graduate School of Government and European Studies, opined that the advocate general had needlessly exposed himself to political criticism by expressing his own value judgement, regret that a final resolution of the border issue not reached, which Avbelj said in fact was.

Official at centre of arbitration scandal takes parliament to court

LJUBLJANA - Simona Drenik Bavdek, the government official at the centre of a scandal that led to Croatia renouncing the border arbitration procedure in 2015, filed a lawsuit seeking withdrawal of a parliamentary report on the scandal that incriminates her. She asked the Administrative Court to rule that her human rights have been violated. Drenik Bavdek is not seeking a temporary injunction or damages, she believes that "establishing her rights have been violated is sufficient," her attorney said.

Govt endorses minister hopeful Mlinar's citizenship request

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. It said the request had merit in that "there is interest by the Republic of Slovenia in admitting the person in question into citizenship." The Interior Ministry will now issue a formal citizenship decision.

Slovenian and Hungarian defence ministers on strengthening cooperation

BLED - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec hosted his Hungarian counterpart Tibor Benko at the lake resort of Bled for a discussion about the security situation in the region and about ways to bolster bilateral and regional defence and military cooperation. According to the Defence Ministry, the highlighted that the collaboration in both areas was extensive and intense.

President appeals on behalf of Afghan asylum seeker

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 his stands out from usual cases. This comes as NGOs have again called on the authorities not to deport Noor, who has found a home and has family in the town of Novo Mesto. The call comes after two Slovenian NGOs urged Pahor, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec and Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina last week not to allow the Afghan, who has has lived in Slovenia since 2015, has a family here and speaks the language, to be deported.

European left checking out migrant situation in SE Slovenia

ČRNOMELJ - Representatives of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) visited Črnomelj area to assess the migrant situation there on route to Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Following a talk with migrants, German MEP Cornelia Ernst said the delegation had noted good practices in Slovenia as well as a number of issues, including "police violence against refugees", as well as consecutive pushbacks of migrants into Croatia.

Minister sees no need for army to patrol border at the moment

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar told MPs that giving army members extra powers to help the police patrol the border had been considered, but that illegal migration numbers had since fallen so there was currently no reason for that. The minister made the comments as he addressed a session of the parliamentary Interior Affairs Committee, called by the opposition Democrats (SDS) to urge invoking a special article of the defence act which was passed in 2015 and which allows deploying the army on the border by giving soldiers powers on a par with those of the police.

EU healthcare overview finds shortcomings and improvements in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's healthcare faces many challenges but positive shifts have been detected, according to the biannual State of Health in the EU 2019 report. Life expectancy has grown considerably since 2000, although there are substantial differences between the genders and socio-economic groups. Moreover, the country has made a positive shift to utilising preventative programmes. Long waiting periods remain a problem and there has also been no progress in reforming fiscal sustainability of the system and the long-term care system.

Blueprint ready for state housing loan guarantee scheme

LJUBLJANA - The Finance Ministry presented a blueprint for a law introducing government guarantees for housing loans. These would be fully guaranteed up to EUR 150,000 in principal provided the borrower provides 20% in the form of own funds. Finance Ministry State Secretary Alojz Stana said the scheme was aimed at the young up to the age of 35, young families and those in fixed-term or precarious forms of employment not older than 40. Guarantees for up to EUR 500 million in principal would be available.

Auditors to check 30 major Petrol transactions

LJUBLJANA - Auditors will check major deals concerning the acquisition and disposal of financial investments, other types of investments and sponsorship contracts that energy firm Petrol has concluded since the start of 2015 under a resolution that Petrol shareholders adopted at an extraordinary general meeting. The resolution was the result of a compromise between two major shareholders, the business empire of Darij Južna and Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH).

Govt to allocate EUR 10m for European Capital of Culture 2025

LJUBLJANA - The government said it would allocate EUR 10 million in 2021-2026 to support projects the Slovenian town to be designated a European Capital of Culture for 2025 will host. The funds will be planned in the revised national budget for 2021 and in the budgets to follow until 2026. Several cities have so far announced their bids, including Ljubljana, Kranj, Nova Gorica, Piran, Lendava and Ptuj.

New monument marks centenary of Prekmurje reunification with Slovenia

MURSKA SOBOTA - A monument marking the 100th anniversary of the reunification of Slovenia and its north-eastern region of Prekmurje was unveiled in a Murska Sobota park. Designed by sculptor Mirsad Begić, it consists of a granite block and cast bronze heads representing historic personalities from the region. Slovenia's first President Milan Kučan said that in addition to fostering historical memory, the monument was a symbol of the confidence and pride of the local people.

Parliamentary body says schools should teach more about Slovenians abroad

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for Slovenians Abroad believes school programmes should devote more attention to Slovenians abroad, especially to their achievements in arts and science. Having gotten acquainted with a report on the inclusion of topics related to Slovenians living in Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia in curricula in primary and secondary schools, the parliamentary working body recommended the government take this into account during the next revision of school curricula.

State to assume EUR 30m in annual costs from local communities

LJUBLJANA - The cabinet adopted a bill relieving municipalities of some EUR 30 million in annual costs at the expense of the government, effectively compensating for its refusal to raise the per capita budget transfers for local governments. Under the bill, the government will assume the obligation to pay certain costs which are currently covered by municipalities, including basic health insurance for unemployed persons.

Soldiers get new, improved boots a year after frostbite reports

LJUBLJANA - Just over a year after Slovenian soldiers allegedly got frostbite due to poor footwear during a military exercise, the military received 12,000 pairs of new boots. After complaints b soldiers, the Defence Ministry performed tests on the boots. The results showed that the boots met all the requirements, even surpassing them. Nevertheless, Alpina decided to improve the footwear in conjunction with the army.

Enterprise software companies Saop and Mit joining forces

LJUBLJANA - Saop and Mit Informatika, which specialise in enterprise software, signed a business combination agreement that creates a new major player on the Slovenian IT market that they say will be better equipped to compete with global software providers. Saop acquired the smaller Mit Informatika outright for an undisclosed sum.

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

If you’re looking for a business getaway in a small, beautiful, well-equipped and walkable city that’s got a fascinating history, is full of great architecture and offers restaurants and cafés galore to unwind in, then Ljubljana is a great choice. The centre is small enough to know well in a few days, and while there are enough pleasures and distractions to be found it’s not crammed with an overwhelming number of must-see sights or full of fancy stores and eateries that’d blow your budget.

But where you should you stay in Ljubljana?

The best part of town for visitors is the Old Town, the centuries old streets you’ll want to have stayed in if you opt for a big box outside the pedestrianised zone and end up, as you will, walking by one of the inviting restaurants and charming small hotels in the area. The first of these to open was Hotel Galleria, back in 2003, quickly gaining a name as four-star boutique  hotel in a building that’s a listed national monument.

Photo: JL Flanner

Now run by the Lah family - represented by the brothers Martin and Aleš, seen above in the reception - the hotel was fully renovated earlier this year and, with the addition of a conference room, is now marketing itself as a destination for both tourist and business travellers.

Stay here you’ll get to see inside one of the fascinating old buildings in this street – and not just a front room or two, as in a café or store, but a taste of the whole layout. Here you’ll find a small maze of corridors and 16 unique rooms, with vaulted ceilings and other features that will take you back in time and closer to the story of this part of the city. Go deeper in the building and you’ll come across one of its secrets – a large garden out the back, a world away from bustle of the street and a chance to enjoy the kind of property that few people have access to.

The Hotel Galleria has a focus on art and wine, and while you can enjoy those inside in peace and quiet most guests will spend more time outside, exploring. Here the location is key. Not only are you just one street over from the river and a short walk to all the main sites downtown, but you just need to turn right out the front door and head up Gornji trg to find one of the less used and more picturesque paths to the Castle, passing a number of good places to eat and drink on the way.

In short, the Hotel Galleria offers the perfect base for all travellers who’d rather spend time seeing the place they came to see than getting to it, and you can find out more about how to stay there here.

STA, 12 December 2019 - The government has granted the citizenship request by Angelika Mlinar, an Austrian former MEP who has been nominated to head the government office in charge of cohesion policy, on grounds of national interest.

The government said on Thursday the request had merit in that "there is interest by the Republic of Slovenia in admitting the person in question into citizenship."

The decision is based on provisions of the citizenship act which provide a path to citizenship for individuals that Slovenia deems useful for "scientific, economic, cultural, national and similar reasons".

It is most often used to fast-track citizenship applications of athletes and scientists and by mid-2018 almost 1,500 people had become citizens that way.

Following the clearance from the government, the Ministry of the Interior will now issue a formal citizenship decision.

Mlinar had been nominated by the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) to head the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, having previously topped the SAB slate for the EU election.

An Austrian citizen but ethnic Slovenian, Mlinar lived in Slovenia for several years. Despite diverging opinions due to vague legislation, the prevailing sentiment is that she needs Slovenian citizenship to become a cabinet member.

Her request in Austria that she be allowed dual citizenship is still pending and Mlinar has said that she would not want to give up her Austrian passport to be allowed to serve as minister.

The government must formally nominate a new minister by 7 January, three months after Iztok Purič stepped down.

STA, 12 December 2019 - Slovenian companies Saop and Mit Informatika, which specialise in enterprise software, have signed a business combination agreement that creates a new major player on the Slovenian IT market that they say will be better equipped to compete with global software providers.

Saop, founded in 1987 and since 2016 a member of the Czech group Solitea, has acquired the smaller Mit Informatika outright for an undisclosed sum.

"The clients of both companies will reap long-term benefits from the combination. By expanding the team, we will be better equipped to offer clients a long-term and stable partnership," Saop director Petra Šinigoj was quoted as saying in a press release.

Mit Informatika had sales of EUR 1.1 million last year and a net profit of almost EUR 200,000. The much larger Saop had sales of EUR 6.3 million in 2017, the latest year for which data are publicly available, and a net profit in excess of half a million euro.

Saop has subsidiaries in Croatia and Serbia and Mit Informatika director Marjeta Povalej said the deal paved the way for expansion of the company's operations to the two markets.

Saop specialises in accounting software and says it counts a quarter of accounting firms and a third of schools in Slovenia among its clients.

Mit Informatika is a specialist for software applications for the manufacturing sector and construction.

STA, 11 December 2019 - Opinions varied as stakeholders discussed a proposal from New Slovenia (NSi) for sex offences not to become statute-barred. While the NSi believes this would help victims who decide to speak about their experience at a later age, the justice minister argued victims should report such crimes as soon as possible.

Wednesday's debate on the parliamentary Justice Committee was opened by its vice-chair, Meira Hot of the coalition Social Democrats (SD), who said that the goal was to get a wide range of opinions on the proposal from the conservative opposition party.

Hot discussed a number of questions related to the topic, including how sex offences influence the long-term mental health of the victims, and how their age affects their ability to face such acts.

Justice Minister Andreja Katič said that a task force at the ministry was drafting more extensive changes to the penal code, also in relation to sexual offences.

Under the existing penal code, only genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity never become statute-barred. Other criminal acts fall under the statute of limitations in 10 to 30 years, depending on the envisaged prison sentence.

When it comes to criminal offences against sexual integrity, the time period after which an act becomes statute-batter starts after the victim reaches the age of 18.

Katič said that extending this period from 20 or 30 years alone would not contribute to a better status of the victim and would not solve the issue of proving a sexual offence.

"Our goal must be that victims report a criminal act as soon as possible," she said, warning against rushed and partial changes of legislation.

NSi leader and MP Matej Tonin meanwhile called for support for the proposal, which he sees as a "clear message that we are a society which has zero tolerance to such acts".

As the proposal was filed in July, Tonin also said the problem was that it took very long for the victims to speak about their experience. "When sexual abuse happens in early childhood, victims usually subconsciously suppress it.

"They are ready to face it perhaps only decades later, when it is too late in certain cases, as criminal acts become statute-barred," he added.

Violeta Neubauer of Women's Lobby of Slovenia said that the proposed change would not lead to the women experiencing sexual violence losing fear from reporting it.

Neubauer also believes the "police, prosecution and courts, or even lawyers, would change their manner of doing things so that victims would not experience secondary victimisation any more."

Katja Zabukovec Kerin of the Association for Non-Violent Communication added the elimination was not enough, and that the mindset and legal practice should also be changed.

"It's still believed paedophiles only like children too much. Education and awareness-raising is not enough. Legislation needs to be changed, right now," she added.

The NSi's proposal is supported by the Association Against Sexual Abuse. "This is only one of the needed measures in the prevention and prosecution of criminal acts against sexual integrity," said Manca Bizjak of the association.

STA, 11 December 2019 - Election legislation, provinces and climate change ranked prominently as the country's top four officials met for an end-of-year reception in Ljubljana on Wednesday. Coming out of the meeting, President Borut Pahor said changes to election legislation should be ready for parliamentary procedure at the start of 2020.

Pahor said the leaders of deputy groups in parliament who support the proposed abolishing of electoral districts and introduction of a preferential vote would be urged to iron out the proposal in January so that the necessary signatures of support could be collected.

Changing the electoral legislation in line with a Constitutional Court decision is strategically speaking a key political issue in Slovenia, Pahor said after the meeting with Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, Speaker Dejan Židan and National Council President Alojz Kovšca.

The president had launched the debate on possible legislative changes after the Constitutional Court declared the size of electoral districts for general election unconstitutional at the end of last year.

Predsednik Republike Slovenije Borut Pahor v Predsedniški palači gosti tradicionalno srečanje štirih predsednikov, države, vlade, državnega zbora in državnega sveta. pic.twitter.com/oK7vPk8eIt

— Borut Pahor (@BorutPahor) December 11, 2019

After seven rounds of talks with representatives of parliamentary parties and two meetings with deputy group heads, Pahor believes the proposal to abolish electoral districts and introduce a preferential vote is ready to be made into a bill.

In order to be passed in parliament, it will need to be backed by at least 60 MPs in the 90-member legislature. "If and when 60 or more MP signatures are collected, the proposal will be filed to parliament."

However, Pahor believes that a step further should also be taken to close the debate on the proposal to change the borders of the electoral districts as an alternative to the first solution.

The top officials agreed today that the deputy group heads who want to finish this debate should meet with the public administration minister in January, so that both proposals could be on MPs' table at the beginning of next year.

PM Šarec said he was in favour of scrapping electoral districts and introducing the preferential vote in order to give voters more say on who was to sit in parliament.

Speaker Židan expressed hope that the parties who had publicly supported this solution would also contribute signatures.

He also pointed to Tuesday's debate hosted by the Women Parliamentarians Club, where participants agreed that legislative solutions should be aimed at increasing gender-balanced representation in parliament.

National Council President Kovšca said the Constitutional Court had also found the National Council act unconstitutional in the part mentioning the possibility of appeal to election to the upper chamber. He said changes to the act had already been filed to parliament and expressed hope MPs would discuss it in January.

Turning to provinces, Pahor said that a task force of the National Council had done an excellent job in preparing guidelines for legislative changes.

The top officials agreed today that the finance minister should get involved in the drawing up of a bill on the financing of provinces in the next two months.

Kovšca said that in the first phase more than 50 experts had formed the proposal on the setting up of provinces. They covered the territorial aspect, and made a list of tasks to be transferred from the state and municipalities to provinces, he noted.

In the first phase of a public debate, local communities will be asked to give their remarks, while the government will review the financial aspect, he said.

When this phase is completed, the work of the National Council will be over and the proposal will be sent to the National Assembly.

Šarec said the government supported the idea of provinces but that their tasks would need to be defined and their seats picked as well. "Provinces must serve a purpose, implement tasks, and citizens must benefit from the arrangement," he said.

This was the first time that the top officials also discussed climate policy at their annual meeting. They agreed that special attention must be paid to three documents related to the climate and energy policy of the country which will be discussed in the public and the National Assembly next year.

There must be plenty of opportunity for a broad political and social debate, they agreed.

Šarec said a big problem was the sixth generator of the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant (TEŠ), "which gives us 25% of electricity". "Until we close TEŠ 6, it will be difficult to talk about a greener environmental policy," he said.

Pahor agreed that TEŠ would need to be shut down sooner than planned, but he stressed this would not be possible overnight. However, preparations for its closure should be sped up, he said, adding that alternative energy sources needed to be introduced.

Šarec and Židan agreed it should first be acknowledged that climate change is a reality, and then Slovenia should not only set ambitious goals but also start implementing them.

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:

EU court advised not to hear Slovenia vs Croatia suit

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg/LJUBLJANA - Advocate General Priit Pikamäe proposed the EU Court of Justice rule Slovenia's case against Croatia over its failure to implement the border arbitration award inadmissible. He argued the case was an international border dispute outside the scope of EU law and thus not under the court's jurisdiction. While the opinion came as a surprise and some think it does not bode well for the fate of the procedure, it does not prejudge the court's final decision on admissibility. Slovenian Foreign Minister Miro Cerar said Pikamäe's reasoning is weak and had "absolutely no effect on the validity of the arbitration award". Legal experts likewise said the opinion did not change much, but they indicated Slovenia might have to look for a solution beyond the courts.

Chinese foreign minister expected in Slovenia on Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay a visit to Slovenia on Saturday, the first visit by a Chinese foreign policy chief since 2008. The focus of talks will be on economic cooperation, Slovenia Foreign Minister Miro Cerar told the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee. Wang will be received by Cerar, President Borut Pahor, PM Marjan Šarec and Speaker Dejan Židan, as part of a visit that Cerar said "rounds off the foreign policy strategy" of completing talks with all members of the UN Security Council in the early stages of the government's term.

Environment minister praises European Green Deal

LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Simon Zajc welcomed the European Green Deal, a new growth strategy unveiled by the European Commission today, saying it is "bravely leading us into the only possible future - a carbon-neutral future". The strategy ensures a just transition to facilitate a green shift in the most vulnerable sectors and regions, including Slovenia's mining regions, he was quoted in the Environment Ministry's press release. The European Green Deal aims for Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, with its key part being the EU Just Transition Fund.

Minister underlines need for cooperation at COP25

MADRID, Spain - Paris Agreement implementation will require the cooperation of everyone, Slovenia's minister in charge of the environment Simon Zajc said at the annual UN climate change conference, or COP25, on Tuesday. He believes adapting to climate change will require stronger international cooperation and expects COP25 to produce an implementation rulebook, the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry said in today's press release. It added Slovenia was part of a group of six small ambitious European countries that advocated raising environmental issues in international relations.

Slovenian, Macedonian interior ministers discuss migration

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar and his Macedonian counterpart Oliver Spasovski discussed migration on the Western Balkan route and bilateral cooperation in interior affairs and police matters as they met in Ljubljana. The ministers agreed joint policy and cooperation of all Western Balkan countries was needed for the effective management of migration, exchange of information and fight against organised crime, with Poklukar saying this cooperation was "key". Spasovski added it was important the relevant agreement between Turkey and the EU remained in force.

Top officials meet to discuss election law, provinces, climate

LJUBLJANA - Election legislation, provinces and climate change ranked prominently as the country's top four officials met for an end-of-year reception, with President Borut Pahor saying changes to election legislation should be ready for parliamentary procedure at the start of 2020. Turning to provinces, he said that a task force of the National Council had done an excellent job in preparing guidelines for legislative changes. The president, prime minister and the presidents of both chambers of parliament agreed the finance minister should get involved in the drawing up of a bill on the financing of provinces in the next two months.

Govt criticised for poor management of telecoms incumbent

LJUBLJANA - The government heard sharp criticism from the opposition as the parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Public Finances debated the management of the state's stake in national telco Telekom Slovenije. The opposition-controlled commission thus asked the government to order Slovenia Sovereign Holding (SSH) to draw up a report on the management of the stake and a report on Telekom's conduct concerning a loss-making media joint venture with Grece's Antenna Group. SSH chairman Gabrijel Škof dismissed the criticism, saying Telekom's performance was good, even compared to its competitor A1 Slovenija.

Erjavec attends inauguration of NATO aircraft training centre in Zadar

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 the strengthening of interoperability. The project implements last year's agreement between Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia on the setting up of a training centre for helicopter crews for special military operations. "We know that all our countries have similar capabilities and it is good that we are working together and see how we can join forces when it comes to special helicopter units," Erjavec told the STA.

Mercator group expects EUR 2.3 billion in revenue in 2020

LJUBLJANA - The group around the Slovenian retailer Mercator plans to generate EUR 2.3 billion in revenue in 2020 and EUR 110 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), figures higher than those expected to be posted this year, shows the 2020 business plan. The group's investments in 2020 are budgeted at EUR 44 million, of which 57% will be allocated to projects in Slovenia. Mercator plans to open 28 new shops next year and refurbish 65 shops in all its markets. The group also is planning further deleveraging. While the net debt to EBITDA ratio in 2016 was at 14.1, the plan is to slash this ratio to 4.5 by the end of 2020.

Supervision of intel agency hiring to continue

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for the Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services will continue digging into hiring at the intelligence agency SOVA, having detected "a systemic problem" in recruitment practices after looking into the employment of a friend of PM Marjan Šarec. It also plans to interview Šarec himself and his State Secretary Damir Črnčec, a former SOVA boss. The decision was announced a day after the commission conducted several interviews after the Public Sector Inspectorate found irregularities in recruitment policies and practices but declared them minor infringements that did not merit sanctioning.

Paedophile priest convicted in Church criminal procedure

LJUBLJANA - A priest from the Murska Sobota diocese has been found guilty of sexual violence by the Vatican's top doctrinaire body and ordered to undergo therapy, in the latest chapter of a case that has caused a rift in a rural parish in eastern Slovenia, several media reported. Andrej Zrim, a priest at the Murska Sobota parish, has been "found guilty in an out-of-court criminal procedure of sexual violence against minors and adults in accordance with the instructions of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith", according to a notice carried in the diocese bulletin in Murska Sobota. The case against him was brought by three families, who decided to use Church channels instead of going to the police.

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

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Although it only started in 2015, the international music showcase festival MENT Ljubljana is now fully established as one of the highlights of the musical year in the capital. Produced by Kino Šiška and co-produced by SIGIC (the Slovene Music Information Centre), it’s already won two European Festival Awards – for Best Indoor Festival and Best Small Festival. You can see a summary of last year in the following video.

The Travel & Arts Channel recently stopped in Ljubljana where they met Stane, a long-time local promotor, who shared some insights on the city's scene and MENT Ljubljana.

New details of the 2020 edition have just been released, with the festival of live music, conferences and more taking place at various venues around town from February 5^th to 7^th. Note that the super and early-bird tickets have already gone, but from now until 4 February you can gain access to all the concerts for just €39, with Pro Passes, Pro Passes with accommodation, and more available here.

You can see the line-up here, where you’ll find pictures and videos of all the acts. You can also scroll down and see the same in basic text below, along with the rest of the press release.

___#MENT2020

30 ACTS:     
Slovenian guitar-driven alarm clock 7AM, one of the best post-bands from Slovakia 52 HERTZ WHALE, imaginative folk pop songwriter ALICIA EDELWEISS, sleepless Austrian pop melancholiac BERNHARD EDER, dark Belgian post-industrial electronica BOLT RUIN, rambunctious four-piece dance machine CHEAP HOUSE, German brunch pop DAS BISSCHEN TOTSCHLAG, Dutch electronic music ambassadors DEKMANTEL SOUNDSYSTEM, Slovenian underground cult heroes DEMOLITION GROUP, living legend of Belgrade’s underground disco scene
DJ BRKA, North Macedonian funk rock darlings FUNK SHUI, Russian psychedelic stargaze outfit GNOOMES, untamed Moscovian new wave beast INTURIST, instrumental psychedelic cumbia rock quintet LOS BITCHOS, Slovenian AV trip hop performance artist MALIDAH, genre-defying Czech indie rascals MARKET, Serbian jazz fusion masters NAKED, Italian brass metal phenomenon OTTONE PESANTE, feminist post-hardcore punks PETROL GIRLS, one-man lo-fi jangle
RUSH TO RELAX, Portuguese electro funaná punk madness SCÚRU FITCHÁDU, kaleidoscopic French psychedelia SLIFT, Lithuanian dark electronica meets lo-fi art rock SOLO ANSAMBLIS, primal, surreal and futuristic Norwegian avant-pop  
STURLE DAGSLAND, Serbian garage-punk luminaries ŠAJZERBITERLEMON, Slovenian neo-soul octet WCKD NATION, transnational chamber post-jazz trio
WILD STRINGS, brutalist Polish darkwave xDZVØNx, Serbian trap / hip hop collective ZICER INC. and multitalented Slovenian harpist, composer, performer and singer ZveN / ZVEZDANA NOVAKOVIĆ.          

Full list of already confirmed acts here

Photo: Matjaz Rust

___#CONFERENCE

FULL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED!

MENT has completed the programme for MENT conference 2020, which will take place at Kino Šiška and M Hotel between 6 and 7 February 2020. We also updated the list of conference speakers. Check them out!  

MENT 2020 conference programme here       

One of the nominees for Word of the Year 2019 could definitely be sustainability. At this year’s conference, we will present one of the largest Slovenian festivals MetalDays and its five-year plan to become Europe’s most sustainable music festival. On the other end of the spectrum, Sally Anne Gross will discuss different approaches to developing a sustainable music career and finding a healthy balance between music and private life.           

Other must-see presentations include Music PR in 2020+, a crash course in music PR for the coming decade, Bandcamp for Artists and Labels, an introduction to one of the most unique and successful direct-to-fan music platforms, and Hali Gali – Young Serbian music scene, a portrait of the Belgrade-based initiative that has managed to connect the young Serbian music and art scene.           

Among the many important faces, the list of participants also includes a number of representatives of some of the most famous European festivals such as Le Guess Who? (NL), Colours of Ostrava (CZ), Pohoda Festival (SK), INmusic Festival (HR), Pop Kultur (DE), Sziget Festival (HU), Bol Festival (RU), Monkey Week (ES), Moscow Music Week (RU), MetalDays (SI) and many others.

The conference will also host representatives of a number of respected booking agencies such as Paradigm Agency, ATC Live, Earth Agency, BLiP Agency, Powerline Agency, Kokako Music and many more.

___#INES#TALENT 2020

The European initiative for emerging artists has announced the full list of nominated artists for 2020, which includes more than 130 acts, selected by 19 European festivals. INES#TALENT 2020 also includes 10 Slovenian acts!  

More information here

___#TICKETS

We offer presale festival tickets, PRO PASS (FESTIVAL+CONFERENCE) and this year's novelty PRO PASS WITH HOTEL (B&B Hotel Ljubljana Park). If you’re visiting MENT 2020 by train or bus*, send your ticket with visible dates to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before 31 January 2020 and you’ll get a CHOO CHOO PRO PASS (25% discount on your PRO PASS). For more information visit our website.        

M E N T Ljubljana. Produced by Kino Šiška. Conference co-produced by Sigic. The festival is supported by the City of Ljubljana and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.