For three decades, Postojna Cave has been the location of the ultimate nativity scene in the country, with the show and experience being expanded each year.

Inside Slovenia's most spectacular subterranean marvel, Postojna Cave, the Living Nativity performance will take place several times a day from 13:30 onwards from December 25 to 30. This will feature some of Slovenia’s top actors and singers, including Nuša Derenda performing Ave Maria, Luka Sešek performing Silent Night and Urška Kastelic performing You Raise Me Up along with Slovenia’s best actors interpreting the nativity scene in an unforgettable 90-minute underground experience in the magical Postojna Cave.

The 90-minute Living Nativity performances are staged along a five-kilometre route. The initial three and a half kilometres are seen during a train ride and the second part, which is a kilometre and a half in length, on foot. The performances is a fascinating experience for adults and children alike. The nativity scenes can also be seen with prams and wheelchairs. Comfortable clothing and footwear is recommended – and there’s no need to worry about freezing, whatever the weather outside, as the temperature inside the cave is 10 °C year-round.

Two adult tickets allow for two free entries for children under the age of 15 and presale tickets are cheaper than those after December 23. For details on ticket prices and packages, please click here.

Sixteen biblical scenes are staged along a five-kilometre route illuminated by 2,100 coloured lights. A traditional Christmas market and a photographic exhibition, which take place at the same time, make the entire Postojna Cave Park come to life during the festive season, making it a magical trip to remember.

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:

Počivalšek reported to EU Commission over Mercator intervention

LJUBLJANA - Mercator's bankrupt Croatian owner Agrokor and the newly established Fortenova group, which has taken over Agrokor's assets, have reported the Slovenian Economy Ministry led by Zdravko Počivalšek to the European Commission over his interference in the transfer of Slovenian retailer Mercator to Fortenova, leveraging the state-owned SID development bank, a Mercator creditor, to do so, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. Počivalšek said the government had been merely striving to protect Slovenian suppliers under existing competition rules and stressed he had always been open about his actions.

Govt adopts anti-terrorism strategy

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a national strategy on the prevention of terrorism and violent extremism which lays the groundwork for a systemic approach to reducing Slovenia's vulnerability to terrorism and violent extremism. The strategy aims to prevent radicalisation, and protect residents against acts of terrorism and violent extremism, the Government Communication Office said after the government session. It also aims to improve preparedness to take measures in the wake of an act of terror and to prosecute terrorists.

Cerar advocate for multilateralism at OSCE ministerial

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar reiterated his call for effective multilateralism at the 26th OSCE ministerial, stressing the importance of OSCE for improving democratic processes. Commenting on the Ukraine conflict, Cerar expressed hope that Monday's meeting of the Normandy Four countries in Paris will be constructive and that progress will be made towards the implementation of the Minsk agreement. He underlined the importance of OSCE's presence and work in Ukraine.

Slovenia to invest EUR 5.6bn in transport in next six years

LJUBLJANA - The government plans to invest EUR 5.6 billion in transport and transport infrastructure in 2020-2025. Under the plan, the funds will be spent on air and maritime transport, investments in and reconstruction of state roads and toll roads, modernisation of railways, sustainable measures and traffic control. EUR 653 million will be earmarked next year, EUR 718 million in 2021 and EUR 1.1 billion in the following year. Between EUR 431.9 million and EUR 453 million will be available annually for regular maintenance of roads and railways, and public transportation subsidies.

EU Court of Human Rights rejects United Right's appeal

STRASBOURG, France - The European Court of Human Rights rejected an appeal by the United Right concerning the rejection of lists submitted by the coalition of two non-parliamentary parties for the 2018 general election because of the lists' lack of female candidates. It unanimously declared the application inadmissible. The case was brought after the United Right was barred from fielding candidates in two districts for failure to meet the statutory 35% gender quota.

Disclosure ordered of documents related to treatment of migrants

LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court has decided that several documents pertaining to treatment of migrants and asylum seekers on the state border are public information, ordering the Interior Ministry, or the police, to reveal them, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. The police was asked by Information Commissioner Mojca Prelesnik last December to reveal these documents under the freedom of information act. The information commissioner argued the public should know whether the police were acting in line with the law.

SDS wants to expand army deployment on border

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) requested that the government widen deployment of the army on the border under provisions of the defence act that may be triggered in the event of mass migrations. The SDS says the latest figures on illegal crossings of the border show that the government should take measures to "provide for the security of the residents of Slovenia". The motion will be debated at a joint session of the parliamentary defence and home policy committees on 12 December.

Bankruptcy proceedings initiated for Istrabenz

LJUBLJANA - The District Court of Koper initiated bankruptcy proceedings for Istrabenz, a once mighty financial holding, as the request of the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC), its biggest creditor. The move is designed to give BAMC control of Istrabenz's remaining assets, in particular a 50% stake in Adriafin, which owns the majority of the winery Vinakoper, and shares in KB1909, a financial firm from Trieste that indirectly owns the weekly Mladina.

Gorenje management left without Christmas bonus

VELENJE - Managerial staff at Gorenje, owned by the Chinese conglomerate Hisense, will not receive a Christmas bonus this year, given that the Velenje-based household appliances maker is in the red. The rest of the staff will receive EUR 600 gross, which is level with last year's Christmas bonus. Gorenje will finish 2019 in the red but hopes to return to profit next year.

Competition watchdog clears Abanka acquisition

LJUBLJANA - NKBM bank received clearance from the Competition Protection Agency to acquire rival Abanka. The EUR 444 million transaction will be completed once the banking regulator has okayed the deal as well. Until the formal closure of the transaction the banks will conduct business as separate entities, NKBM said.

Small business chamber celebrates golden jubilee

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor presented the Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS) with the Order of Merit at a ceremony marking the chamber's 50th anniversary. Small business is the backbone and driving force of Slovenia, OZS head Branko Meh said, thanking Pahor for recognising the chamber's role. "Small business accounts for 99.3% of Slovenia's entire economy; 116,000 companies employing 366,000 people," he said.

Pharma company Lek named top employer

LJUBLJANA - Pharmaceutical company Lek was named the top Slovenian employer in 2019, the first time in nine years that it has beaten rival drug maker Krka. The award is the result of a poll involving 19,000 users of the jobs portal mojedelo.com that measured various aspects of the reputation of companies as employers or potential employers.

Joint project of Danfoss Trata, Petrol best business practice

LJUBLJANA - A joint district energy project of heating valves maker Danfoss Trata and energy company Petrol won this year's AmCham competition for best business practice, termed Best of the Best. The project revolves around an international summer school on district energy.

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

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

STA, 4 December 2019 - Wind power facilities in the EU satisfied 14% of energy needs last year, up 2 percentage points compared to 2017. Slovenia lags significantly behind in unlocking the potential of wind energy. Despite available grants and investors showing interest, problems arise in particular when a location for a new wind farm must be found.

There are only two operating wind turbines in Slovenia - a 2.3-megawatt and 0.9-megawatt installation, both in the south-west near the Karst plateau Nanos, and investors of both had faced resistance by certain local communities while obtaining permits and putting the turbines in place.

Some locals were concerned over potential health issues caused by low frequency noise emitted by wind turbines. They were also bothered by wind farms changing the landscape.

Last year, the output of the two wind turbines was equivalent to just 0.04% of Slovenia's energy consumption, Energy Agency director Duška Godina has told the STA. They generated six gigawatt hours of electricity, a tenth of one percent of total renewables production in the country.

The statistics show Slovenia ranks near the EU's very bottom in exploiting wind power resources, only Malta and Slovakia are worse.

On the other hand, countries excelling at tapping this potential are Denmark (41% of energy consumption), Ireland (28%) and Portugal (24%).

Slovenia's wind energy potential not ideal

Even though Slovenia seems to be far from a perfect destination for capitalising on wind energy - the country lies in central Europe, far from the wind-swept Atlantic Ocean and not close enough to the vast Pannonian Plain - research shows it is still windy enough to effectively implement wind power technology, according to the Wind Energy Association.

The Infrastructure Ministry agrees that the wind energy potential in Slovenia is not ideal or comparable to other countries', but the potential is there and if tapped, could be economically beneficial.

It has told the STA that "this has been proved by wind measurements and the investment programmes which have already been created by potential investors so far", adding that Slovenia has "a lot of opportunities for tapping the wind energy potential".

Interest in building wind farms exists

There are currently eight national spatial plans for wind farms in the process of development at the Environment Ministry, of which three wind farms are planned in western Slovenia and five in the east.

All the projects are in the preparation phase; however, some local communities are already up in arms, making obtaining permits more difficult.

Renewable energy resource projects also also supported by the Energy Agency's existing feed-in tariff scheme. A total of 166 projects have been selected in four open calls published so far, of which 62 are wind farm projects totalling 215 megawatt.

Permits, wind farm location main stumbling blocks

According to Godina, the wind turbine siting stage is when things get complicated. During the last open call for new renewable projects for the feed-in tariff scheme, building permits were added as a condition for applying to ensure that the submitted projects were more viable.

The move resulted in applications for major wind projects drying up, said Godina.

She urged the state to promote a broad social consensus on the siting of renewable energy infrastructure and adopt measures that would ease and speed up administrative procedures.

According to the Infrastructure Ministry, the National Energy and Climate Plan, which is in the making, will back such initiatives. "If only one wind farm comes to fruition, it would prove it is possible to do it in Slovenia and serve as a great encouragement for future investors."

STA, 4 December 2019 - A total of 17.76 million m3 of timber has been cut down in Slovenian forests in the clean-up efforts following natural disasters in the last five years, government figures show. Reforestation works related to natural disasters have also been conducted in line with plans.

A total of 5.92 million m3 has been removed in clean-up efforts after the January 2014 ice storm, 8.19 million m3 as a consequence of bark beetle outbreak and 3.66 million m3 due to strong winds in the last five years.

Presenting the statistics on Wednesday, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food said that Slovenian forests had faced many challenges in the last five years due to the changing natural environment, mostly as a consequence of climate change.

"Various extreme events in forests have become very frequent in recent years, and the extent of damage exceeds all consequences of natural disasters in forests known so far," it added.

The ministry has assessed that the sanitary felling measures have been very successful, as it has been estimated that there is only 0.2 million m3 of damaged trees left to be removed from Slovenian forests.

Due to frequent natural disasters, sanitary felling of damaged and infested trees has accounted for almost two-thirds of total felling in Slovenian forests in recent years.

The ministry noted that the growing share of sanitary felling resulted in a lower revenue for forest owners, distorted the market of timber products and forestry services, and made it harder for experts to manage the future structure of forests stands with planned felling.

Reforestation measures also continue to be implemented, with more than 1,000 hectares of forest having been replenished with almost 2.5 million trees, out of the marked 1,800 hectares of forest that need reforestation.

STA, 4 December 2019 - Economist Velimir Bole has assessed that the Slovenian economy is much more resistant to new shocks than it was before the last economic crisis, but that the price for that is a somewhat lower growth. On the other hand, challenges remain when it comes to competitiveness related to a development breakthrough.

At Wednesday's presentation of Outlook 2020, a publication released by the Manager Association, Bole noted that companies and financial institutions had reduced their debt significantly. Households remain among the least indebted in Europe, and the state is under the eurozone average despite a high debt growth.

Overall, Slovenia is almost three times less indebted than the eurozone on average and is less indebted than the economic superpower Germany, he added at the event at the Ljubljana Faculty of Economics, hosted by the newspaper Delo.

According to Bole, indicators in public finances, balance of payments and price competitiveness have improved after the crisis significantly more than in the eurozone as a whole. Macroeconomic stability is much higher than before the crisis and is approximately at the level of Germany.

The resistance of the economy is thus significantly higher, but this does not come without opportunity costs, he said, adding that two of these were slower growth and a higher saving rate.

If there is no major global shock, which cannot be excluded, Bole believes that growth could accelerate again in the third quarter of next year, but one of the main questions is to what extent domestic consumption will be reduced in 2020 due to the slow-down in the manufacturing sector.

Arturo Bris, the director of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), meanwhile said that despite the higher resistance of the Slovenian economy to a potential crisis, there were challenges regarding competitiveness.

The Lausanne-based institute manages an internationally-recognised economic competitiveness list, on which Slovenia places 37th in overall competitiveness, 32nd in digital competitiveness and 31st in terms of talent.

Bris pointed to what he believes are Slovenia's two major problems - the (in)ability to attract foreign direct investments, with the reason being unfavourable tax policy, and the rigid and restrictive regulation.

Slovenia's rating in both factors is very low, while it is very high in terms of social cohesion and security, he added.

While Slovenia is in a very good position in terms of digital competitiveness, there are two weaknesses - inadequate regulation for development of digital economy and companies not being as ready to introduce technological novelties as citizens.

When it comes to the availability of qualified workforce, Slovenia's problems are the inability to attract foreign talent despite good conditions and high quality of life, and educated and talented young people leaving the country.

According to Bris, the problem in Slovenia is not the framework for competitiveness or fairness of the system, but inefficiencies in the system. One of the problems is businesses distrusting the state, he said, adding that businesses should cooperate with the public sector, as this was the only way for major changes.

He admitted that the observations of Slovenian business executives participating in IMD surveys did not necessarily always reflect the reality. This is a problem and this gap needs to be closed, otherwise the country's reputation will be worse than it actually should be, he added.

STA, 4 December 2019 - The migration crisis, security issues, the European integration prospects of the Western Balkans and nuclear waste management issues were discussed as President Borut Pahor hosted the presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina as it started a two-day official visit to Slovenia on Wednesday.

After the official talks, a press conference in Ljubljana was held by Pahor and Presidency Chairman Željko Komšić, with the former noting that all three members of the presidency had visited for a second time, which Slovenia appreciated.

Pahor said that Slovenia was inclined with favour to Bosnia-Herzegovina and respected its results despite the numerous challenges it faced, adding that Slovenia had always been inclined to EU enlargement to the Western Balkans.

"As the enlargement process could lose its momentum, this region must respond wisely," he said, endorsing the regional trade cooperation initiative, sometimes called a "mini Schengen", which he sees as a tool for the region to become attractive once more to the EU, to "become a magnet".

Pahor did not forget to mention that trade between Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina is constantly rising, reaching EUR 1.4 billion last year, and that more than 100 Slovenian companies in the country employ 15,000 people.

"This means that Slovenia enjoys trust in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and we want these relations to further improve."

Komšić said that he was glad that his country had a friend in Slovenia which understood what was going on in the country, adding that he was happy that Pahor supported the "mini Schengen" initiative as every cooperation was welcome.

He said that it had been stressed that the initiative was not a substitute or alternative to the EU accession of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the entire region, but a "recommendation to the European Commission" that the region was able to cooperate.

Komšić, who represents the Croatian ethnicity in the three-member presidency, said that there were some worrying topics though, including migrations, with thousands of west-bound migrants being stuck there.

He said that a joint effort should be made towards EU institutions to solve the problem at the source, adding that the current efforts were only a reaction. "The problem should be solved at the entry to Europe, in accordance with international conventions."

The issue was also discussed by Milorad Dodik, the Serb representative on the presidency, who noted at the press conference that the borders of the EU were being shut down and that migrants could remain stuck in Bosnia-Herzegovina and "cause problems".

"A difficult humanitarian crisis may erupt," said the former PM of Republika Srpska, "adding that "the EU is trying to donate money and steer policies, but we don't need money for migrants and we don't need migrants either".

A related issued was raised, as reporters asked the presidency about the plan to bring back 24 Bosnian citizens related to the former ISIS fighters in Syria, with Komšić noting that these were women and children returning to their families.

He said that "checks have been made" and that the procedure had been carried out in cooperation with partner security agencies so the "things are being kept under complete control".

Pahor said that he was happy with the agreement that security agencies exchange all information in order to prevent incidents which could trigger fear among citizens.

As Slovenia and Croatia are discussing where to deposit nuclear waste from the jointly-owned NEK power station in Krško, the presidency raised some issues with Croatia's plan to build its rad-waste repository near the border with Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Dodik said that "depositing nuclear waste at this location is unacceptable for us and we will continue with activities to this cause", adding that Croatia needed to understand the position of Bosnia regarding waste from Krško.

Presidency member Šefik Džaferović also addressed the press, saying that the most important question was what stance the new European Commission would take following North Macedonia and Albania failing to make progress in EU accession.

Džaferović said that the rejection should be emphasised as a serious issue. "This decision has surprised us but it hasn't discouraged us, as we want our European prospects to gain significant momentum.

"We need friends who will help us in this process, including within the EU, and Slovenia is our great friend," added the Bosniak representative in the Bosnia-Herzegovina presidency.

The presidency was also hosted by parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan, with the main topic being the EU accession prospects of the Western Balkans, with the trio saying that their country's integration in the EU was the only option.

Komšić, Dodik and Džaferović also expressed the hope that the good cooperation at the parliamentary level would continue with the new term of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia-Herzegovina and that a Slovenian-Bosnian friendship group would be established soon.

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:

Šarec satisfied with messages from NATO summit in London

LONDON, UK - After attending a NATO summit in London, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec said he was happy that NATO leaders had again shown unity, solidarity and effort for democracy. He described the discussion as constructive, without harsh words, as the summit was primarily dedicated to marking the 70th anniversary of the alliance. While there were disagreements between some members states ahead of the meeting, everything has been settled at today's summit at the level of the heads of state or government, Šarec said.

Migrations, EU, security discussed as Bosnian presidency visits

LJUBLJANA - The migration crisis, security issues, EU enlargement, and nuclear waste management were discussed as President Borut Pahor met the presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina at the outset of an official two-day visit. Pahor said that Slovenia was favourably inclined to Bosnia and respected its results despite the numerous challenges it faced. He also said Slovenia had always supported EU enlargement to the Western Balkans. Presidency chairman Željko Komšić was glad his country had a friend in Slovenia, saying he was happy that Pahor supported the "mini Schengen" initiative as every cooperation was welcome.

Slovenia's EU commissioner's first trip to post-earthquake Albania

BRUSSELS, Belgium - In the wake of last week's earthquake, Slovenia's European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič is heading to Albania as early as today in what is his first official visit after recently taking over as EU commissioner. The visit is designed to assess the extent of aid the country needs after the recent disastrous event, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said following the first college meeting of the new commission. On Thursday, he will meet Albanian PM Edi Rama and Agriculture Minister Bledi Cuci, who is in charge of crisis management in Albania.

Left lone advocate of Afghan troop withdrawal

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Defence Committee overwhelmingly voted down the proposal from the opposition Left to call on the government to withdraw Slovenian troops from Afghanistan and to stop payments into the NATO-run Afghan National Army Trust Fund. The Left argued that the NATO operation in Afghanistan had not contributed to the country's democratisation, and that even the US was considering a withdrawal. The other parties argued that a withdrawal would only make the situation in Afghanistan worse and prompt even more people to flee the country, while hurting Slovenia's image in NATO.

Speaker urges govt to declare climate crisis

LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan urged the government to declare a climate crisis in Slovenia, which he believes would ensure necessary resources for drawing up a comprehensive strategy to fight climate change. He based his appeal on conclusions reached at a climate change debate the National Assembly hosted last month, which featured scientists, NGOs, entrepreneurs, politicians, civil society representatives and young people. Apart from Židan, his Social Democrats (SD) as well as more than 230 NGOs have already urged the government to declare a climate crisis.

Zajc calls for cooperation at Barcelona Convention meeting

NAPLES, Italy - Environment Minister Simon Zajc called for cooperation among all countries in the Mediterranean at a Barcelona Convention ministerial in Naples, Italy, on Wednesday. He urged joint efforts for sustainable development and preservation of natural resources. Zajc said Slovenia as a maritime country was very active in implementing the goals of the Barcelona Convention as well as in regional processes.

Former FinMin expects painful reform of pensions

LJUBLJANA - Economics professor Dušan Mramor, a former finance minister, believes Slovenia will eventually have to take painful measures and face social turmoil as it tries to keep the pension system afloat, having missed the chance to reform it without major conflict. "The beauty contest by political parties has closed the window of opportunity for painless measures," he said at the presentation of Outlook 2020, a publication released by the Manager Association. Last year Mramor and another economics professor drew up a blueprint for action that would ensure the pension system remains sustainable until 2050, proposing greater exploitation of untapped resources, in particular activation of older workers, and alignment of the pension system with fiscal capacities.

Expert says Slovenian economy crisis-resistant, but challenges remain

LJUBLJANA - Economist Velimir Bole has assessed that the Slovenian economy is much more resistant to new shocks than it was before the last economic crisis, but that the price for that is a somewhat lower growth and a higher saving rate. Arturo Bris, the director of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), added that despite the higher resistance, there were challenges regarding competitiveness. He pointed to what he believes are Slovenia's two major problems - the (in)ability to attract foreign direct investments, with the reason being unfavourable tax policy, and the rigid and restrictive regulation. The pair spoke at the presentation of the Outlook 2020 publication.

Office for Slovenians Abroad marks 25th anniversary

LJUBLJANA - The Government Office for Slovenians Abroad marked its 25th anniversary at a high-profile ceremony at Ljubljana's Cankarjev Dom, with its head Peter Česnik saying the establishment of the office was an important milestone in Slovenia's cooperation with the Slovenians living outside the country's borders. Česnik, the minister without portfolio for Slovenians abroad, said preserving Slovenian identity had been the office's main mission for the past 25 years, and a challenge. State secretary Olga Belec announced the office had still many ambitious plans to realise, stressing it had no intention of "yielding to routine".

SDS urges committee session over Telekom Slovenije's dwindling market cap

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) urged a session of the parliamentary Public Finance Oversight Commission to debate the state-owned telecoms company Telekom Slovenije in the face of its dwindling market recapitalisation. The party blames the situation on the company's unsuccessful and ineffective management as reflected in the many scandals and instances of bad corporate governance. It also proposes three resolutions to be adopted in relation to Telekom's joint broadcasting venture with Greece's Antenna Group following a legal battle that has cost it EUR 23 million.

Slovenia's jobless total down 5% y/y

LJUBLJANA - Employment Service figures show the number of people registered as unemployed in Slovenia remained virtually unchanged in November, at just below 72,400, but the figure is 4.9% lower year-on-year and considerably below projections. IMAD, the government's economic forecaster, projected 74,100 unemployed for this year in its autumn forecast. Employers reported 10,664 vacancies in November, 9.7% fewer than in October and 8.8% fewer than a year ago. The biggest demand was for lorry drivers (557).

Regulator approves Generali's takeover of Adriatic Slovenica

LJUBLJANA - The Insurance Supervision Agency approved the takeover of insurer Adriatic Slovenia by Generali CEE, an affiliate of Italy's Generali Group, with the procedure to be finalised with the entry into the court register, expectedly at the beginning of 2020. The takeover will merge the Slovenian insurance companies Zavarovalnica Generali and Adriatic Slovenica, with the new insurer named Generali. The merger will create the second largest insurance company in Slovenia, with an estimated market share of 19%. Currently, Slovenia's largest insurer is Zavarovalnica Triglav, followed by Zavarovalnica Sava.

Geodetic information to be fully electronic after 2021

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is planning to fully digitise its spatial data such as land and building registers and cadastres by the end of 2021, whereupon e-government services related to all such data, for example applications for building permits, are to be available. The records and registries will be connected in a computer cloud in order to speed up administrative procedures. "We want applications to be submitted electronically and to prepare and issue decision electronically," Tomaž Petek, director general of the Surveying and Mapping Authority, told the press. The digitisation of the databases is part of a EUR 22.4 million EU-funded project called eProstor (eSpace), which was launched in 2016.

Coalition that spearheaded independence founded 30 years ago

LJUBLJANA - A coalition of parties that won Slovenia's first multi-party election in 1990, formed a government and led the country to independence in 1991 was founded 30 years ago, to the day. The Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (DEMOS) brought together several parties founded in the year and a half before as part of a democratic movement demanding an end to the one-party Communist regime. Representing a great variety of interests, political and ideological views, the parties had one goal in common - to change the political system, which also involved taking Slovenia out of the Yugoslav federation. Its main goal achieved, DEMOS fell apart on 30 December 1991, due to the difference in views on how to transform the economy, particularly on the manner of privatisation.

Source of Britof gas leak blast found, malfunction eliminated

KRANJ - The source of a gas leak that led to an explosion near Kranj on Tuesday was detected with a camera sent into the pipeline and the malfunction eliminated, according to the gas pipeline contractor. An investigation will show whether the leak occurred during construction or whether the pipeline was damaged later. The pipeline running through Britof, a Kranj suburb, was completed just a month ago and is not yet in use so gas should not have been in the pipeline, Vera Zevnik, the director of the gas pipeline operator Domplan, told the press. Two workers who entered a sewage shaft were injured when the explosion occurred, as were four children playing nearby. They all sustained burns but none of them is in critical condition.

Majority of Slovenians have low vitamin D in winter

LJUBLJANA - The vast majority of adults in Slovenia have low vitamin D status in winter: some 80% do not have sufficient vitamin D and up to 40% have serum concentrations at levels so low it may pose a health risk, according to the first study of its kind in Slovenia. The study was carried out by the Nutrition Institute, the National Institute of Public Health and the UKC Ljubljana hospital, analysing the blood samples of 280 residents aged 18-74. It is to serve as a basis for new national dietary guidelines.

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

In 1989 DEMOS, or the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (Demokratična opozicija Slovenije), was established, a coalition of democratically elected parties, which won the first democratic elections since 1945 and carried out the Slovenian independence project.

In 1980 the dictator of the Socialist Yugoslav federation Josip Broz-Tito died, and the economic, nationalistic and political tensions in the country started to grow.

In the Socialist Republic of Slovenia the first political party, Slovenian Farmers’ Association (Slovenska kmčka zveza), was established in 1988, and several more followed in 1989, as part of the democratic movement challenging the one-party political system.

Slovenian National Assembly passed several constitutional amendments in September 1989, which among other freedoms granted the rights of national self-determination and democratisation of Slovenian political system. In December the Assembly then first passed a law on political associations, setting the legal grounds for establishment of political parties (before this they had to be registered as associations or societies) and then called the parliamentary elections for April 8, 1990.  

Several of the newly established parties, including the Slovenian Farmer’s Association, Slovenian Democratic Union, Slovenian Social Democratic Union and the Slovenian Christian Democrats signed a cooperation agreement, forming the DEMOS coalition, which won with 54.8 % of the vote in 1990, beating the parties which emerged from the crumbling Communist Party organisations.

DEMOS then formed the first democratically elected Slovenian government since 1945, which successfully carried out the referendum on independence on December 23, 1990, when 88.2% of all voters favoured Slovenia breaking away from Yugoslavia, and then June 25, 1991, the National Assembly on passed the declaration of independence.

The DEMOS government fell in 1992 due to disagreements with regard to changes in economic system, most notably, the question of how the privatisation of public companies should take place, a question then addressed by the second democratically elected government of Janez Drnovšek.

A new book was published on Melania Trump yesterday, 3 December, and so we raced to the index and found all the references to Slovenia, curious to see how the country would be reflected in Free, Melania: The unauthorized biography, written by Kate Bennett, a reporter who covers the First Lady for CNN.

So far we’ve only read “the Slovenian parts” in detail, and with our Total Slovenia hat on it must be said that the book falls short when it comes to introducing aspects of the country that relate to Melania, from the 1970s on, to the wider world. A much better work in that regard being Sandi Gorišek’s Melania Trump: The Slovenian Side of the Story (which can be found on Amazon here, with the Kindle version being free. Our interview with the author is here.)

But what did I learn about Slovenia from the book, chapter 4 of which it titled “The Girl from Slovenia”? Mostly that Slovenians don’t smile, and that they are stoic and suffer in silence, as seen in the following excerpts:

What most people don’t understand is Melania’s heritage and the country in which she was born. In Slovenia, smiling a nongenuine smile isn’t really a thing. Admittedly, it’s a tad disconcerting when shopping in an outdoor market, making eye contact with a vendor, asking a hotel bellhop if they mind carrying a heavy bag, or soliciting a waiter about what he suggests from the menu. “We just don’t always feel like we have to pretend to be when we aren’t,” one of Melania’s old high school classmates from Slovenia told me.

---

One aspect of Melania Trump that people find most troubling is that she doesn’t smile. But if you understand Slovenians, you know they are not a grinning country.

---

…as one of Melania’s former Slovenian high school classmates told me, revealing emotional hardship or being dramatic simply isn’t something Slovenes do. The joy of being Slovenian is hiding your feelings.

---

She didn’t want anyone to know she was sick [in April 2018, when she was hospitalized for a kidney complaint], her Slovenian upbringing compelling her to accept the bad news without showing it on her face, rejecting any impulse to slow down or ask for help or show the slightest hint of weakness.

There are also some references to Slovenia in terms of Melania’s family and home life, although Bennett makes a point to keep details of Barron Trump to a minimum:

Slovenian mothers are notorious for not being able to let go of their children; Melania is no exception.

---

Ultimately, Viktor and Amalija [Melania’s parents] have spent so much time with Barron, watching him, looking after him, staying with him when his parents travel, that he is fluent in Slovenian. Those who have spent time with him say that he has a slight Slovenian accent.

---

She is a product of where she came from, and that she typifies an old Slovenian proverb: the woman of the house controls three of its corners; the man, just one. Melania is definitely a woman very much in control of her three corners.

And with regard to Slovenia when it was still part of Yugoslavia, and how it shaped the character of the people:

Communism in Slovenia shaped a generation who was willing to settle for, who even expected and was grateful for, the bare minimum. President Josip Broz Tito, the communist leader of Yugoslavia, ingrained in his people that being humble was noble and that standing out was bad. The general thought about Yugoslavia at the time was that if communism was going to be the rule, they had it better than most other communist countries. Tito taught his people to keep their heads down and not lust for anything special. It was a lifestyle that created an intensely private population of mind-your-own-business types.

All in all, while the book has plenty of salacious details on the life of the First Lady - as seen in all the other reviews - it’s rather slim pickings for anyone seeking to learn more about the country of her birth, but perhaps the blame – or credit – for this should go to Nataša Pirc Musar, rather than the author. Pirc Musar is the formidable lawyer who keeps a close eye on Melania Trump’s interests in Slovenia, and does her job very well.

All our stories on Melania Trump can be found here

STA, 3 December 2019 - Turkish builder Cengiz has announced it has won the contract to build the Slovenian section of the second tube of the Karavanke motorway tunnel, as the motorway company concluded talks with three bidders.

"We won," Mohamed Cengiz, the main negotiator for the Turkish company, told reporters after the end of the talks, adding they were waiting to start working with Slovenian subcontractors as soon as possible.

Unofficially, the talks ended after the first round on Tuesday, but DARS is yet to announce its final decision, when it will also reveal the latest offers made by the three bidders.

Apart from Cengiz, DARS also invited to talks a consortium of Slovenian companies Kolektor CGP and Riko and their Turkish partner Yapi Merkezi, and a consortium including Implenia Österreich, Implenia Schweiz and CGP Novo Mesto.

According to information after the second call for bids, Cengiz offered to build the eight-kilometre border tunnel with Austria for EUR 99.6 million, while the other two bidders made estimates of EUR 121 million and EUR 121.5 million.

Once the selection has been endorsed by the DARS's management and supervisory board, the decision will be handed to the bidders, who have eight work days to file potential complaints, the last possible in the long bidding process.

Under the best-case scenario, the decision could become final by the end of the year and DARS could sign a contract with the selected builder after the New Year's. A complaint would protract the process for about a month.

Nevertheless, Cengiz expects to be able to sign the contract as early as this year. "I think we can sign by the end of the month," said Mohamed Cengiz, son of the Cengiz owner, who is responsible for foreign markets.

Rudolf Knopf, executive director of Implenia Österreich, commented on the talks by saying that they had tried their best with the Slovenian partner. "But we didn't succeed because there is no chance you can beat the Turkish company".

Representatives of Kolektor CGP, Riko and Yapi Merkezi would not make comments after the talks.

Nor would Cengiz and Knopf reveal what their latest offers were, with Cengiz saying that this would not be right before DARS announced its decision.

Unofficial information indicates that Cengiz lowered its bid by a million euro in the talks to just above EUR 94 million. The opening price at the negotiations is said to have been lower than the last offered because it did not include certain items.

Kolektor CGP, Riko and Yapi Merkezi reduced their estimate by about EUR 17 million, and Implenia Avstrija and the partners by EUR 6 million, according to unofficial information obtained by Delo.

DARS first published a public call to pick a contractor for the project in December 2017, but the process has been delayed by continuous appeals.