Road safety concerns have been raised following an accident in which a truck that was avoiding a collision with a speeding car broke through the safety barrier, falling 20 meters down the viaduct at Ljubljana Ring Road, killing the driver last Wednesday.

Jan Sajovic from the traffic safety department at the Slovenian Motorway Company (DARS) explained to the national broadcaster that standards have changed since the times when viaduct at Malence intersection was built. That was between the years 1996 and 1999, when the height standard for the concrete barrier was 80 -100 centimeters so the project manager decided for height of 80 cm.

Current regulations stipulate that such barriers must be able to withstand impacts from heavy duty vehicles weighing 16 tonnes, while in the last four year DARS has decided to build barriers that would withstand 38-tonne vehicles. Such a concrete barrier that was 120-130 cm high could probably block an empty tanker truck like the one that flew off the Malence viaduct on Wednesday.

Some of the old sections of the motorway concrete barriers have already been replaced with new ones, while others will be replaced in the near future. The Malence viaduct, however, is not yet among these, although it is reasonable to expect that someday its turn will come. Until then, MMC concludes, it is worth believing that speed limit of 80 km/h at the viaduct is there for a reason.

Roman Strehar, a truck driving instructor, explained that the video suggests that the truck driver did nothing wrong. After being hit by a car he might have wished to resolve the situation by turning the wheel to the right. The problem with large vehicles is that the centre of gravity is high and so is a there weight, preventing such vehicles from maneuvering or stopping in a timely fashion.  Car drivers often forget that such vehicles need more space to maintain safe conditions.

Keep up with the daily news in Slovenia by checking the morning headlines here. What to find out what happened last week in Slovenia? Look no further.

The following schedule was prepared by the STA:

MONDAY, 18 November
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will start its plenary for November with a Q&A session for PM Marjan Šarec and his cabinet.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Business Club will present an initiative called For an Entrepreneurial Slovenia highlighting the importance of business for national prosperity.

TUESDAY, 19 November
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will start examining the budget bills for 2020 and 2021. A total of 38 hours of debate is scheduled.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU ministers in charge of European affairs will be in session. Slovenia will be represented by Foreign Ministry State Secretary Dobran Božič.
        KOPER - A joint committee of Slovenia and Friuli-Venezia Giulia will be in session.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - GoDigital 2019, a Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) conference on big data and artificial intelligence.
        VELENJE - Future 4.0, a conference bringing together established industrial players and startups.
        LJUBLJANA - AIPA, an organisation of rights holders, will present the first ever study about the Slovenian audiovisual industry.
        WARSAW, Poland - Slovenia will face Poland in the final round of qualifications for the Euro 2020.

WEDNESDAY, 20 November
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will attend a session of NATO foreign ministers; until 21 November.
        LJUBLJANA - IMAD, the government's macroeconomic forecaster, will host a debate on labour shortages.
        LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) will host its annual business summit. Innovation and human resources will be the topics in focus.
        LJUBLJANA - The national awards for achievements in science and research will be conferred.
        CELJE - Chemical company Cinkarna Celje is scheduled to release financial statements for the first three quarters of the year.
        LJUBLJANA - AmCham, the US chamber of commerce, will host a debate on Slovenian healthcare.

THURSDAY, 21 November
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly will vote on several pieces of legislation as well as three bills that have been vetoed by the upper chamber.
        LJUBLJANA - Weekly government session.
        NOVO MESTO - Drug maker Krka is scheduled to release its financial statements for the first nine months of the year.
        KOPER - Logistics company Intereuropa will release its business report for the first three quarters of the year.
        LJUBLJANA - Naprej/Forward!, a journalism festival organised by the Slovenian Journalists' Association; until 22 November.
        LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Office will release November consumer sentiment figures.
        LJUBLJANA - An online Hungarian-Slovenian dictionary will be launched by the ZRC SAZU Institute for Slovenian Language.

FRIDAY, 22 November
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar will attend a session of a Slovenian-Turkish joint commission.
        LJUBLJANA - Insurance group Sava Re is scheduled to release its financial statements for the first nine months of the year.
        LJUBLJANA - Tax-Fin-Lex, a legal and tax information provider, will declare the top tax, financial and legal experts of the year.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly is expected to hold a special session to debate concerns that the construction of a sewerage system could jeopardise the source of drinking water for Ljubljana.

SATURDAY, 23 November
        LJUBLJANA - Awards will be conferred at the Ljubljana International Film Festival.
        LJUBLJANA - The start of the 35th Festival of LGBT film; until 1 December.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia observes Rudolf Maister Day in memory of the general who took control of Maribor in 1918, securing what later became Slovenia's northern border.
        LJUBLJANA - Italian crooner Eros Ramazzotti will stop in the Stožice Arena as part of his Vita ce n'e tour.

SUNDAY, 24 November
        SKOPJE, North Macedonia - Culture Minister Zoran Poznič will attend a meeting of culture ministers from the CEE region and China.

If you're not in town for the week of this guide (18 - 24 November, 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 Slovenia here.

Jump to listings

The public Christmas lights are already up in many parts of town, but they won’t be lit until 17:15 Friday 29 November.

Dance is in the spotlight this week, with the CoFestival international festival of contemporary dance. This runs from 22 to 27 November and takes places at assorted venues around town. Details are here. Fans of art cinema will also much to enjoy, as LiFFe – the Ljubljana International Film Festival is in town, with details here, while Gourmet November continues till the end of the month. Thursday to Sunday the 50th Snežinka Ski Fair will offer visitors a wide selection of new and used ski equipment and presentations of various ski centres.

The LGBT Film Fest opens on Saturday, 23 November, and closes 1 December - details are here.

How much do tourists spend in Slovenia? Find out here

Wednesday, 20 November, you can enjoy the sounds made by Alexander Gadjiev at Cankarjev dom (19:30 – tickets), playing works for the piano by Brahms, Liszt, Chopin, Skriabin, Messiaen and Bartok. That same evening Kino Šiška plays host to Godspeed You! Black Emperor (20:00 – tickets).

Saturday Eros Ramazzotti is playing  Stožice Sports Park Arena at 20:00 (tickets). Later than same evening, 23:00, Erick Morillo will be making people dance at Kurzschluss, with tickets here.

The only new movie this week seems to be the following, which – like all kids movies, will usually be shown dubbed (sinhronizirano), so look carefully if you want the original sound (i.e., with subtitles / podnapisi).

Learn Slovene with memes, here

Interested in Slovenian craft beer? Find out what’s new with Damir, of Lajbah and more.

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

Ljubljana is forecast to be the fastest-warming city in the world over the next few decades.

You're in the town of Slavoj Žižek, but do you find yourself lost when conversation turns to the philosopher? If so, check out our collection of quotes and clips to learn more.

Screenshot from YouTube

Contents

• Cinemas and films
• Clubbing
• Live music
• Theatre and dance
• Harm reduction and drug testing
• Things to do with children
• LGBT+ Ljubljana
• Ljubljana Castle
• Museums and galleries
• Other things to do in Ljubljana
• Daytrips
• Getting around
• Emergencies

Cinemas and films

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.

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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.

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Live music

Balassi Institute – Free Hungarian music, when available, from the Hungarian cultural institute just a short walk downriver from Dragon Bridge.

Cankerjev dom – The main arts venue in the country hosts classical, opera jazz, folk and occassinally pop.

Cvetličarna – Regional pop and rock concerts can be found here.

Channel Zero – This Metelkova venue sees live shows from punk and rock bands, as well as others.

Gala Hala – Another Metelkova venue with indie bands of various styles.

Kino Šiška – One of the top live venues in the city, with a varied programme that include indie, rock, pop, experimental, hip hop, and so on.

Klub Gromka – Live music is often metal, from sludge to stoner, death to thrash, while punk bands also appear, as do others.

Križanke – The venue that hosts the Ljubljana Festival often has classical music, and some rock, in the open air.

Orto Bar– The home of live rock, metal, punk and other guitar-based genres.

Pinelina dnevna soba – LIve music is rare here, but it does happen.

Slovenska filharmonija– Classical music in the centre of town.

SNG Opera and Ballet - As the name suggests, here you'll find the best of opera and ballet in the country.

Španski borci - While dance is more common here, they also have some contemporary and experimental music shows.

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Slovenska cesta, 1959. Wikimedia. See more pictures of Old Ljubljana here

Theatre and dance

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.

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Harm reduction and drug testing

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 Flora here.

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Photo: Igor Andjelič. See more of his work here

Things to do with children

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 to six 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.

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LGBT+ Ljubljana

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.

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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.

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Museums and galleries

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.

Cankerjev dom – On until 3 March 2020 there's an exhibition on Ancient Greek Science and Technology. Details here.

Plečnik's desk. Photo: JL Flanner

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.

Jiři Bezlaj, Hrošč, 2010 - 2016. Source: Mestna galerija

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 Castle on until 17 November Mighty Guardians of the Past: Castles in the Slovenian Lands, a presentation that delivers on the promise of its title. New at the Castle is (Un)known Ljubljana, 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.

© Aleksandra Vajd, Collage by K. E. Graebner Nature the Unknown Acquaintance (1971) and a unit of five hand-dyed photograms titled: ‘rivalry of superior vs. inferior’, 2017

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 Ages here. 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.

National Museum of Contemporary History - Tucked away in park Tivoli, you can see a permanent exhibition on Slovenians in the 20th century.

Slovene Ethnographic Museum – The museum has two permanent exhibitions. One of these is called Between Nature and Culture, and has a great collection of objects from Slovenia and around the world, well worth the trip up to the third floor to see it (as recounted here). 

Vžigalica Gallery – From 12 November to 1 December there's going to be a show from called SAEBORG: SLAUGHTER HOUSE 17 from the Japanese artist Saeborg which is being promoted with the following image. Details here.

SAEBORG: SLAUGHTER HOUSE 17. Photo: © DARKMOFO

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.

Volčji Potok Arboretum - Running until 3 November you can see a large collection of cacti here.

It's not a formal museum, but if you're interested in "Yugo-stalgia" then you'll enjoy a trip to Verba, a small, privately run space that's crammed with objects and pop culture items from the era, and is conveniently located at the start of one of the short walks to the castle. It's also a great place to take pictures, if you leave a donation, and you can read more about it here.

Verba. Photo: JL Flanner

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 Ljubljana here.

Photo: JL Flanner

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Other things to do in Ljubljana

Learn more about Ljubljana with "25 things to know about Slovenia's green city of dragons", or take a look at our guide to spending from four to 48 hours here.

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 20^th century, in the Secessionist style, like the one below. Learn where to find them here.

Photo: Neža Loštrek

For something a little more brual, check out Republika trg / Republic Square, in the heart of the political quarter.

Photo: JL Flanner

Photo: JL Flanner

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.

visitljubjana.si

Nataraja Studio

Want to stretch and breath? Then check out our list of drop-in yoga classes for tourists, visitors and the uncommitted. We go to Nataraja Studio, by Dragon Bridge, and here's a story about it.

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.

Photo: maxpixel.net, public domain

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Daytrips

Most of Slovenia is only a few hours from Ljubljana, and you can easily visit Lake Bled, Lipica Stud Farm, Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, the coast and other locations, while if you'd like to take a photo of from that bench in Bled, then you can learn how to get there here. If you’re looking for something more ambitious, then check out our recent guide to the 17 members of the Association of Historical Towns of Slovenia. We've also written guides on spending from four to 48 hours in Bled and Piran.

Photo: Google Image Search

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Getting around

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.

Emergencies

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.

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STA, 13 November 2019 - A recent report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on health indicators shows that life expectancy in Slovenia is slightly above the OECD countries' average. Slovenians eat more fruit and vegetables than the average, while the country's cancer mortality and suicide rates are above it.

Moreover, Slovenians exercise more than residents of the other OECD countries on average, but they also consume more alcohol and cigarettes.

Slovenia's life expectancy is 81.1 years, which is slightly above the OECD average of 81 years.

The country's cancer mortality is quite above the average though - 243 persons die from cancer out of 100,000 citizens in Slovenia, while the OECD average stands at 201. Slovenia thus ranks third in cancer mortality among OECD countries.

Slovenia's cancer incidence is also slightly above the average - 305 cancer cases per 100,000 citizens, while the average stands at 301.

Some 40% of Slovenian adults have two or more chronic diseases, up over nine percentage points compared to the average. Slovenia is also placed above the average when it comes to the number of patients with diabetes type 2 - 7.3% compared to the 6.4% average.

The country's suicide rate is quite high as well - Slovenia ranks third among OECD countries, falling behind Lithuania and South Korea, with 18.1 persons committing suicide out of 100,000 citizens.

Slovenians smoke and drink alcohol more often than the average - almost 19% Slovenians smoke every day. Slovenia also ranks fifth according to the alcoholism rate.

Meanwhile, Slovenians eat more fruit and vegetables as well as exercise more than the OECD average. Moreover, Slovenia ranks below the OECD obesity rates among both adults and children.

You can play around with some of the data below, and the full report can be found here

STA, 14 November 2019 - The government has adopted changes to the parental protection and family benefits act which extend maternity and paternity leave, and improve the financial standing of families when the mother is not employed and of student families.

In case of twins or even more newborns, the father will now get another 10 days of parental leave for each baby. The same rule will apply in case of adoption.

The government explained on Thursday that longer leave for fathers was one of the measures set down in the resolution on family policy for 2018-2028.

Under the changes, foster parents will also qualify for parental leave, getting 30 days for a pre-school child (older than 11 months but who has not yet finished first grade).

The changes also raise the lowest pay for maternity, paternity and parental leave to EUR 402 net a month, which equals the national minimal income.

Also entitled to pay in the same amount will be parents who are not entitled to maternity, paternity or parental pay because they do not pay parenthood insurance - a special tax deducted from monthly gross wages.

Most often these parents are students or student families, but they will be able to benefit from the change only for children born as of 1 January 2022.

Maternity pay for pregnant women who are jobless when going on maternity leave will also be raised to the same sum, under the condition that they worked for at least 12 months in the past three years.

This means that all Slovenian women citizens, regardless of their status, will get a minimum maternity and parental pay, a commitment from the coalition agreement.

Slovenia is quite generous with paid maternity, paternity and parental leave, with the mother being able to take an entire year off for a newborn.

However, of the full 365 days, 260 days can be used either by the mother or the father, although it is usually mothers who stay at home for the whole year.

There is also an additional 30 days of leave as an exclusive right of fathers, which is increasingly popular.

Parents are moreover protected in employment legislation, which prevents employers from dismissing parents on maternity, paternity or parental leave.

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:

Opposition stages show of strength as budget debate looms

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Finance Committee endorsed the government's budget bills for 2020 and 2021, but the opposition successfully pushed through several amendments that may turn into a headache for the minority government when it faces the first major vote in parliament after losing the support of the Left. That is because the amendments tabled by the opposition would raise spending by roughly EUR 200 million next year, with extra funding secure for municipalities and rail investments. Unofficial reports suggest the treasury is concerned the budget may run afoul of the fiscal rule. The budget debate at the plenary starts on Tuesday.

Prosecutor general reports MP over mafia comment

LJUBLJANA - Supreme State Prosecutor Zvonko Fišer reported Democrat (SDS) MP Žan Mahnič for defamation over the MP's statement that likened the Constitutional Court to mafia. Fišer told the STA that "to say 'mafia protects mafia' is defamatory and nothing to be played with." On Wednesday, Mahnič likened the Constitutional Court to mafia protecting its own after the curt imposed a temporary injunction targeting a parliamentary inquiry commission chaired by Mahnič. Constitutional Court President Rajko Knez also criticised Mahnič, labelling the statement as inappropriate in that it showed a lack of respect not only toward the Constitutional Court but other state institutions as well.

Petrol reports 16% higher nine-month profit

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian energy group Petrol posted a net profit of EUR 80.1 million in the first three quarters of the year, an increase of 16% from the same period of 2018, as sales rose by 10% to EUR 4.19 billion. Commenting on the results, the management said that operations were running smoothly and in accordance with the company's strategy and annual despite the recent change in the management. The group generated an adjusted gross profit of EUR 362.6 million in the first nine months of the year, up 14% on the same period a year ago.

GZS expects lending brake to suppress economic growth

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said it expected the central bank's restrictions on consumer loans to reduce Slovenia's nominal economic growth by about EUR 90 million a year, given that private consumption represents 52% of Slovenia's GDP. In its commentary on the restrictions that took effect on 1 November, the GZS challenged the central bank's concerns about a rapid growth in consumer loans and household debt.

Judicial Council backs three candidates for EU court

LJUBLJANA - The Judicial Council has unanimously endorsed three Slovenian candidates for two judicial posts at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg: Klemen Podobnik, Nina Savin Bossière and Jure Vidmar. Slovenia has to send two judges to Luxembourg after its candidates Miro Prek and Marko Pavliha failed to garner the necessary support. Podobnik was backed as the most suitable candidate for the first vacancy at the court, and Nina Savin Bossière and Jure Vidmar for the second one.

Economic and Social Council introducing new rules

LJUBLJANA - The Economic and Social Council, Slovenia's main industrial relations forum, signed an agreement that changes the rules of its operations and protocol so as to allow the body to discuss not only government-sponsored bills but any draft legislation. The move comes after the employers' and the employees' side in the ESS protested because legislation had been passed by the National Assembly without having been discussed by the ESS. The legislation was mostly put forward by the opposition Left, until recently a partner to the minority government of Marjan Šarec.

Worker rights group says exploitation remains rampant

LJUBLJANA - The Counselling Office for Workers presented following a six-month project several guidelines for social partners meant to tackle continuing widespread worker exploitation. The priorities highlighted include the need to beef up inspections and clamp down on outsourcing. The office called for cooperation agreements that would connect the Slovenian Labour Inspectorate with labour inspectorates in other countries, most notably in Germany and Belgium, two major destinations for workers posted from Slovenia.

Average wage slightly down in September

LJUBLJANA - The average wage in Slovenia amounted to EUR 1,712.11 gross or EUR 1,105.26 net in September, a decrease of 0.8% on August in nominal terms and of 0.6% in real terms in both cases, the Statistics Office said. It pointed to lower one-off payments as the main reason for the decrease. Compared to September 2018, the average gross wage in September was 4.9% higher in nominal terms, while in the first nine months of the year it increased by 4.3% year-on-year in nominal and by 2.6% in real terms.

Culture minister discussing cooperation in Russia

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia - Slovenian Culture Minister Zoran Poznič paid a visit to Russia to attend the 8th International Cultural Forum in Saint Petersburg, which opened tonight. He also met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Medinsky to discuss cultural cooperation, which Poznič would like to enhance through exchanges of cultural institutions and more guest appearances.

Interface explored at 20th Pixxelpoint

NOVA GORICA - The city of Nova Gorica is hosting until 23 November the 20th Pixxelpoint, an international festival of contemporary new media art which draws heavily on digital technologies. Curator Peter Purg from the School of Arts at the University of Nova Gorica says the festival will check accessible reality and entertain doubt about what happens at the interface. It will topicalize intermedia art production, which is increasingly based on collaborations between artists and scientists to explore new digital technologies.

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, 8 November
        BERLIN, Germany - German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanked Slovenia for being a committed member of the EU along with Germany after meeting President Borut Pahor amid celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Pahor laid a wreath at the Berlin Wall Memorial and addressed a conference, describing the Berlin Wall fall as one of the most inspiring historical milestones of the 20th century.
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry expressed regret over the US formally pulling out of the Paris Agreement, highlighting that the climate accord represented a historical agreement which globally opened up a new platform for promoting sustainable development.
        LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec denied Slovenia intended to buy more than a dozen Valuk 6x6 armoured personnel carriers (APCs). Speaking at a session of the Defence Committee called by the opposition Left, Erjavec said the ministry Valuk APCs had been discontinued and had not been available for purchase for years.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Home Policy Committee debated illegal migration, with police representatives assuring the MPs that the situation was under control and that there was no need for time being to provide soldiers with additional powers to help the police control the border. A total of 13,832 illegal crossings were recorded by the end of October, up 69% year-on-year, says the report discussed at the session.
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition-dominated parliamentary Public Finance Oversight Commission issued recommendations to the government to prevent political interference in state-owned companies as it debated the controversial resignation of the management of energy company Petrol. It urged the government to prevent any interference of political interests in staffing or decision-making in such companies and to resume privatisation.
        LJUBLJANA - The Telekom Slovenije group said it had posted a net profit of EUR 29.4 million in the first nine months, a 25% increase year-on-year despite a 6% drop in net sales revenue, which stood at EUR 507.4 million. EBITDA rose 9% to EUR 166.2 million and EBIT was up 29% to EUR 35.9 million.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Intra Lighting, a family-run business providing architectural luminaires and smart lighting solutions, won the third iteration of the Delo Business Star award. The company from Miren (W) generates 88% of its sales abroad. Between 2015 and 2018, its net profit increased from EUR 140,000 to EUR 3.1 million.

SATURDAY, 9 November
        VELENJE - Around 300 delegates of the junior coalition Social Democrats (SD) gathered for a programme and statute congress to confirm guidelines for future work based on social, green and development packages. SD president Dejan Židan said he wanted to take the SD further, as he had a clear and convincing vision, adding that the party would make a shift to "green and to the left".
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's first President Milan Kučan told Delo that the fall of the Berlin Wall 30 years ago was a historic moment, with Europe being ready to overcome divisions from the Cold War, but that the subsequent processes have not been as reciprocal as some had hoped.
        
SUNDAY, 10 November
        LJUBLJANA - A public opinion survey commissioned by the commercial broadcaster Nova24TV saw the senior coalition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) topping the party rankings with the support of 25.9% of respondents. The opposition Democrats (SDS) follow with 24.8%, and the opposition Left is in third place with 8.9%.

MONDAY, 11 November
        LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - Employees at the national postal company went on strike, demanding a 10% rise in wages and some 300 new staff. The first ever strike at Pošta Slovenije ended after two days as it was agreed the wage bill for workers handling mail would increase to EUR 7.5 million, much less than the EUR 12 million initially estimated.
        LJUBLJANA - Simona Drenik, a Foreign Ministry official who represented Slovenia in the Slovenian-Croatian border arbitration procedure, was singled out as the person whose actions allowed Croatia to obtain wiretaps that ultimately led to Croatia rejecting arbitration, showed a classified report compiled by the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission.
        LJUBLJANA - The senior coalition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) remained the most popular party in the Delo poll (15.4%), but it is now almost neck and neck with the opposition Democrats (SDS), which got 15.2%. The opposition Left has climbed to third place (11.2%), seeing its support rating double.
        LJUBLJANA - Former PM Alenka Bratušek and her FinMin Uroš Čufer, who served from mid-March 2013 to mid-September 2014, defended the decision to bail out banks in December 2013, which cost taxpayers some EUR 5 billion, as they were interviewed by a parliamentary inquiry. Bratušek said the bailout had been key to avoid the European troika and encourage economic growth.
        KOPER - The supervisors of logistics company Intereuropa dismissed director general Ernest Gortan, citing a delay in introducing an adequate system of corporate governance and corruption detection and prevention. The portal Siol meanwhile said the real reason was EUR 1.6 million in suspicious payments by the company's subsidiary in Croatia.
        LJUBLJANA - Figures released by the Employment Service showed that the job market in Slovenia remains tight as the number of job vacancies remains high, with demand being particularly high for skilled workers with technological know-how.
        LJUBLJANA - A study by the EOS international organisation for claims management showed that Slovenian companies wait to get paid by their business clients for an average 81 days, highlighting this period is the longest among 17 participating countries. Nonetheless, companies do not consider this a threat to their business.

TUESDAY, 12 November
        LJUBLJANA - After the latest meeting of parliamentary parties on electoral law changes, it seems that a preferential vote system will be introduced. Public Administration Minister Rudi Medved said that the proposal enjoyed sufficient support to be passed in parliament, with the SocDems coming on board for the change.
        GENEVA, Switzerland - Slovenia presented the progress it made in human rights protection in the past five years at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). The member states praised Slovenia for meeting almost all of suggested targets given to the country during the previous review round - 138 out of 142.
        LJUBLJANA - Five bids came for the bankruptcy estate of Adria Airways, with the media reporting that ultralight aircraft maker Pipistrel was interested in the former flag carrier's flight school, Joc Pečečnik, who owns a gaming products maker, in the entire estate, and produce importer and real estate developer Izet Rastoder in the carrier's air operator's certificate (AOC).
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec said after a meeting with his EU counterparts that the recent statement by French President Emmanuel Macron about NATO being brain dead was not helpful. He shared the view that cooperation between the EU and NATO had never been as good, and that there was a clear emphasis that NATO needed to be nurtured and strengthened.
        LJUBLJANA - Several civil initiatives turned to the OECD over the plans of the British oil and gas company Ascent Resources for hydraulic fracturing in eastern Slovenia. The move comes after the company announced it would demand massive damages from Slovenia for delays in obtaining a permit for the controversial gas extraction project.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec announced Slovenia would join one of the 13 additional 13 confirmed as part of the Permanent Structured Cooperation on Security and Defence (PESCO). The project in nuclear, chemical, radiological and biological oversight will be carried out together with Croatia, Hungary and Austria.
        VELENJE - The mayor of Velenje appealed to PM Marjan Šarec to prevent the head office of the household appliances maker Gorenje being moved to Ljubljana as planned by its new Chinese owners. Bojan Kontič sees the plans, announced by Gorenje in late October, as yet another step to centralisation.
        MARIBOR - The Maribor Higher Court said it had overturned the January conviction of two executives of the now defunct bank Probanka, who had been found guilty of fraud, quoting serious violations of procedure. Romana Pajenk, CEO of Probanka until September 2012, and Milana Lah, a member of her board, had received suspended sentences of 23 months with a four-year probation for defrauding two businessmen. The case will now go into retrial.
        LJUBLJANA - The designers of the Planica Nordic Centre received a gold medal for an architectural achievement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS).
        
WEDNESDAY, 13 November
        LJUBLJANA/KOPER - Reporers were told that Slovenian customs officers and police had seized 730 kilos of heroin at the port of Koper in October, the largest heroin bust in the history of modern Slovenia. The shipment from Iran, the street value of which is estimated at up to EUR 87 million, was bound for a company in Budapest.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Security Council called on the government to table legislation that would allow law enforcement to prosecute paramilitary militias, which have recently sprung up and started to patrol the border. The appeal comes the leader of the Štajerska Guard, Andrej Šiško, was sentenced to eight months in prison earlier this year for attempting to subvert the constitutional order.
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The General Court of the EU will start with oral hearings related to Slovenia's legal action against the European Commission for granting Croatia a derogation enabling it to use Teran, the name of red wine protected by Slovenia, on 3 December, showed the court's calendar.
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court imposed another temporary injunction on the law and rules governing parliamentary inquiry. This means that, pending final decision, the inquiry into prosecution of former Maribor Mayor Franc Kangler will not be able to interview prosecutors after the same restriction was imposed last month in relation to judges.
        ZAGREB, Croatia - High representatives for succession to former Yugoslavia held their first meeting in four years to review the implementation of the 2001 succession agreement and to broach all open issues. The next meeting is to be held in North Macedonia in June 2020.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian employers agreed at their annual get-together that the latest changes to the minimum wage called for a new pay model, which should be fair and agreed in social dialogue. They also called on the ministries of labour and economy to help them come up with measures to mitigate the expected consequences of the minimum wage raise, as they fear that many companies will be affected.
        LJUBLJANA - Pošta Slovenije, the state-owned postal operator, completed the acquisition of a 72% stake in logistics company Intereuropa, which cost it EUR 28.75 million. The company will now publish a takeover bid for the outstanding Intereuropa stock and for its subsidiaries in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
        LJUBLJANA - An OECD report on health indicators showed that life expectancy in Slovenia of 81.1 years is slightly above the OECD countries' average of 81 years. However, the country's cancer mortality and suicide rates are above the average, as 243 persons die from cancer out of 100,000 citizens in Slovenia.

THURSDAY, 14 November
        LJUBLJANA - Matjaž Merkan, the chairman and CEO of the state-owned telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije, resigned after less than two months on the job effective immediately. TV Slovenija has quoted anonymous people privy to information that he was not up to the job, while company rejected these reports and said he was resigning for personal reasons.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted an action plan that lays the groundwork for accepting persons of Slovenian descent who have asked for repatriation from Venezuela. A total of EUR 1.2 million has been set aside for a project as part of which 17 requests for a total of 53 individuals have been received.
        LJUBLJANA - Zavarovalnica Triglav, Slovenia's largest insurer, said it had posted group net profit of EUR 59.1 million for January-September, a 1% year-on-year increase. Gross written premiums rose by a tenth to EUR 905.5 million.
        LJUBLJANA - 2TDK, the state-owned company managing the construction of the new rail track between the port of Koper and the Divača hub, announced a two-stage tender process for the EUR 1bn-plus project. Bids are scheduled to be opened on 20 December and, absent major issues with appeals, construction could start in the second half of 2020.
        LJUBLJANA - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec announced she would run for the leader of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) at the election congress in January, thus challenging DeSUS long-standing leader Karl Erjavec, the defence minister.
        LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council repeated its concerns about the risks inherent in the budget documents for the coming two years, even after these have been amended by the government. It said that there were still discrepancies between the projections of some items and the measures valid or proposed.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted amendments to the classified information act in a bid to improve security of such data, with the circle of officials with access to such data being narrowed in line with NATO and EU standards. The major aim was to improve the efficiency of the classified information system and enhance the protection of such data.
        LJUBLJANA - The spouses Iza Sia Login and Samo Login, the main founders of Outfit7, the company which has developed globally popular apps, continued to top the list of the richest Slovenians the 6th year running, with their assets estimated at EUR 689 million, the magazine Manager reported.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's showpiece at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice next year will be Common in Community, a project exploring the 70-year history of co-operative homes as centres of small-town social life, created by architects Blaž Babnik Romaniuk and Rastko Pečar, the Culture Ministry announced.

All our posts in this series are here

STA, 15 November 2019 - The average wage in Slovenia amounted to EUR 1,712.11 gross or EUR 1,105.26 net in September, a decrease of 0.8% on August in nominal terms and of 0.6% in real terms in both cases, the Statistics Office said on Friday. It pointed to lower one-off payments as the main reason for the decrease.

Household Disposable Income Rose 5.5% in 2018, Highest in Koroška, Lowest in Pomurje

Compared to September 2018, the average gross wage in September was 4.9% higher in nominal terms, while in the first nine months of the year it increased by 4.3% year-on-year in nominal and by 2.6% in real terms.

In the private sector, the monthly decrease was 1.3%, while the average wage in the public sector remained almost level.

Foreign Nationals in Slovenia, by Country, Region & Continent

The highest average net wage was recorded in electricity, gas and steam supply, where it stood at EUR 1,518.66, followed by finance and insurance with EUR 1,512.66.

The central Osrednjeslovenska statistical region had the highest average wage. Amounting to EUR 1,199.86 it was 8.6% higher than the Slovenian average. The southern Primorsko-Notranjska region had the lowest, at EUR 1,000.72.

See more statistics on Slovenia here

STA, 14 November 2019 - The likeness of Angela Piskernik, the first Slovenian woman with a PhD in natural sciences, who paved the way for women in a field dominated by men, can be now found on thematic postage stamps, part of a commemorative series launched by Pošta Slovenije to honour Slovenian women scientists.

Piskernik (1886-1967), a Carinthian Slovenian, pioneer environmentalist, political activist and resistance fighter, held a PhD in botany from the University of Vienna. After World War II, she became the head of the Ljubljana Museum of Natural History and served in this position until her retirement.

She is most famous for her academic work Key for the Identification of Flowering Plants and Ferns, a reference book in which she identified 2,222 species and whose two editions, in 1941 and 1951, were very popular among botanists.

During World War II, she was imprisoned in the Ravensbrück concentration camp, where she compiled a book of recipes shared by fellow internees, which makes for a unique document today.

She was also a campaigner for the rights of Carinthian Slovenians and the first professional nature conservationist in Slovenia, having advocated setting up conservation areas, including the Triglav National Park, which she saw coming to life six years before her death.

After retiring, she cooperated with the national institute for cultural heritage protection and published numerous academic papers on nature conservationism at home and abroad.

On her 80th birthday, she was decorated at home with the Gold Star Order of Merit for her lifetime achievements.

At the end of her life, she was working on botanic entries for the Dictionary of the Standard Slovenian Language as well as drawing up a plan for the Slovenian section of the joint Yugoslav-Austrian transnational nature park in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and Karavanke mountain range.

Today, awards named after her are given out by the Commission for Mountain Nature Conservation at the Slovenian Alpine Association to deserved individuals for lifetime achievement in protection and conservation of the Alpine flora.

Her portrait can be now found on the first national postal operator's commemorative stamp honouring Slovenian women scientists. The special series was launched last week, with bacterial epidemiologist Amalija Šimec's stamp being next in line in 2020.

STA, 14 November 2019 - The government adopted on Thursday an action plan that lays the groundwork for accepting persons of Slovenian descent who have asked for repatriation from Venezuela. A total of EUR 1.2 million has been set aside for a project that has been months in the making.

The Office for Slovenians Abroad has so far received 17 requests for a total of 53 individuals, while the money covers a maximum of 70 persons over the 15-month validity of the repatriation status, Olga Belec, state secretary at the Office for Slovenians Abroad, told the press about the "pioneering project".

Now that the action plan has been adopted, formal decisions will be issued immediately, but when exactly they start arriving also depends on individual arrangement of those who asked for repatriation.

The government has a list of 30 accommodation options around the country. One extended 16-member family has arranged accommodation with relatives, according to Belec.

To facilitate integration, the repatriated individuals will be accommodated in towns with good job prospects or places where their forebears come from. The majority of the expected arrivals are of working age and some have already been offered jobs.

Those who do not speak Slovenian will be immediately enrolled in Slovenian courses.

The repatriation status covers 15 months after arrival. After that, they will either be able to request permanent residence or citizenship; spouses who are not of Slovenian origin will be subject to the provisions of the aliens act.

The government decided in late August that it would help a number of Venezuelans of Slovenian origin settle in Slovenia under a law that permits repatriation from countries hit by a severe political or economic crisis.

Official data show 335 Slovenian citizens live in Venezuela, with another several hundred who are of Slovenian stock but do not have citizenship.