STA, 22 October 2019 - Virs, a supplier of welding and cutting solutions, won on Tuesday the annual Golden Gazelle Award for the fastest-growing company in Slovenia, conferred by the newspaper publisher Dnevnik.

The Lendava-based firm, established 15 years ago, has developed in into a highly specialised company in the field of automation and robotisation in welding and cutting.

Its revenue increased almost fourfold in the last five years to reach EUR 8.2 million last year, Dnevnik pointed out.

Virs's added value per employee amounted to EUR 67,945 last year, the company has an AAA credit rating, is paying above average wages, it has a registered research team, its solutions are facilitating the development of manufacturing companies in Slovenia, while the company is also competitive on foreign markets.

The Silver Gazelle Award went to Cerknica-based Alpod, the largest distributor of floor coverings in SE Europe, and the Bronze Gazelle to printed circuit board assembler MI Elektronika from Brezovica.

The Gazelle Award project was launched in 1991, and was upgraded with six regional competitions and the national competition in 2001.

Last year, the main award went to wood processing machinery maker Mebor from Železniki.

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:

National Assembly slightly reduces taxes on labour

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a package of tax bills that slightly reduce the taxation of labour in favour of higher taxes on capital gains, rental income and a minimum corporate income tax rate of 7%. Finance Minister Andrej Bertonclj rejected calls for more substantial cuts by arguing fiscal constraints meant these would need to be gradual. He argued the bills would particularly reduce the tax burden of highly skilled workers. The Left insisted the reform would primary benefit the rich.

Pahor meets Japanese PM Abe

TOKYO, Japan - President Borut Pahor met Shinzo Abe for a bilateral meeting after attending Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony in Tokyo yesterday. Pahor and Abbe talked about bilateral ties and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, agreeing that effort should be invested to find a peaceful solution and achieve reconciliation. Pahor also visited the High Energy Accelerator Research Organisation (KEK) in Tsukuba, where Slovenian scientists have been involved in an antimatter project. He decorated KEK director-general Masanori Yamauchi with the Order of Merit for helping promote Slovenian science.

Janša critical of govt's opposition to Croatia entering Schengen

LJUBLJANA - A day after the European Commission decided that Croatia met the requirements to enter the Schegen zone, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party (SDS) Janez Janša argued that Croatia's joining the Schengen zone was in Slovenia's strategic interest, and that the Slovenian government alone was incapable of politically blocking Croatia in the European Council. Meanwhile, Slovenian diplomatic source expressed belief that the country should veto Croatia's joining the passport-free zone.

ICC president visits Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Chile Eboe-Osuji, the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), held meetings with Foreign Minister Miro Cerar and Justice Minister Andreja Katič as part of a visit to Slovenia. They discussed the challenges of international criminal justice and the court in particular. Cerar pledged for Slovenia to remain a firm ally of the ICC and to promote the values of the Rome Statute in bilateral and international activities. Eboe-Osuji hailed Slovenia as an example to other countries.

Slovenia puts forward candidates for EU public prosecutor

LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that the government had put forward to Brussels three candidates for the post of Slovenia's prosecutor at the emerging European Public Prosecutor's Office; Jaka Brezigar, Tanja Frank Eler and Marjana Grašič. Headed by Romania's Laura Codruta Kövesi, the European Public Prosecutor's Office will have one prosecutor from each member country. Its job will be to investigate, prosecute and bring to judgement crimes against the EU budget.

Not all risks can be budgeted for, FinMin tells Fiscal Council

LJUBLJANA - Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj welcomed the Fiscal Council's assessment that the budget documents for the coming two years are in compliance with the fiscal rule, but commenting on the council's concerns about risks, he said these could not be fully included in the budget documents. "We're carefully monitoring developments in our major trading partners, and the government will respond to any change in projections, but it's impossible to include all risks in those two documents," he said.

Thousands of pensioners sign petition for back payments

LJUBLJANA - The Trade Union of Pensioners and a civil initiative presented a petition calling for an extraordinary indexation of pensions to compensate for the austerity measures that have affected pensioners since 2010. The difference between the paid amount and the amount pensioners are eligible for under the systemic law is estimated at 7.2%, or roughly EUR 50 a month. Signed by almost 14,000 people, the petition was handed today to Prime Minister Marjan Šarec and parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan.

FDI stock up for fifth consecutive year in 2018

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's inbound total foreign direct investment (FDI) stock increased by 8.6% in 2018 to EUR 15.2 billion, as outbound FDI stock rose by 1.6% to EUR 6.1 billion, according to data from the central bank. Both inbound and outbound FDI stock recorded growth for the fifth consecutive year in 2018. The rate of increase in inbound FDI stock was even higher than the year before, at 7.6%. Average return on inbound FDI stock reached 5.4%, while return on outbound FDI stock was at 2.9% last year.

Official says German, Slovenian companies prepared for slowdown

LJUBLJANA - Gertrud Rantzen, the head of the German-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce, spoke about the economic outlook at a talk in Maribor, noting that economic slowdown was a reality which would also affect Slovenian companies. However, she also said that companies, both in Slovenia and Germany, were better prepared for a potential new crisis than the last time around. She believes a bigger problem for the German economy and Slovenia's is a shortage of trained staff.

Trade union to file charges against food safety administration

LJUBLJANA - The trade union of the Agriculture Ministry announced it would bring criminal charges against the Administration for Food Safety in the wake of the banned meat additive scandal. Inspectors working at the administration claim the veterinary arm of the service had known about the additive for more than three months before informing them. The union said that the government body in charge of food safety had thus jeopardised consumers' health for more than three months and had violated the inspection act, which states that an immediate notification of the public is required in cases of danger and unlawful practices.

Ljubljana and Vienna want to tackle challenges together

LJUBLJANA - The mayors of Ljubljana and Vienna, Zoran Janković and Michael Ludwig, met as part of the three-day event Vienna Days, assessing that despite the Austrian capital being six times larger, the cities faced many common challenges. They agreed that the cities should play a more prominent role in the creation of European policies. Janković and Ludwig noted the good cooperation between the two cities, saying they wanted to learn from each other.

Consumer confidence drops to a three-year low

LJUBLJANA - Consumer confidence in Slovenia deteriorated for the third month running in October to fall to the lowest point in the last three years. The most influential factor was the more pessimistic expectations about the state of the country's economy. A report from the Statistics Office shows the consumer confidence indicator falling by two percentage points compared to September to a level where it was last time in mid-2016. It was still six percentage points above the long-term average, though.

Labour costs up 3% last year

LJUBLJANA - Average monthly labour costs per employee reached EUR 2,286.36 in Slovenia last year, which is 3.1% more than in 2017, the Statistics Office reported. The costs were the highest in the energy and financial sectors, and the lowest in the hospitality sectors and activities such as security, cleaning and maintenance. Labour costs comprise of the costs of wages, including bonuses and various allowances (85.6% last year), as well as social and other contributions.

Lidl opens new logistics centre in Arja Vas

ARJA VAS - The Slovenian subsidiary of the German discount supermarket chain Lidl opened a new EUR 70m logistics centre in Arja Vas near Celje. The new hub, spanning 13 hectares and with a surface area of 57,000 square metres, is Lidl's largest and most modern centre in Slovenia and the wider region, said Lidl Slovenija director-general Gregor Kosi. The investment is to create 100 new jobs as well as reduce the greenhouse gas footprint. The opening was also attended by Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek.

Ljubljana film festival to highlight Slovenian cinema

LJUBLJANA - The 30th Ljubljana International Film Festival (LIFFe) will bring a vast choice of films to the capital between 13 and 24 November, notably those by seminal filmmakers such as Abel Ferrara and Agnès Varda as well as recent Slovenian cinema achievements. Those include Gregor Božič's acclaimed debut Stories from the Chestnut Woods, as well as the first two parts of the noir crime-thriller TV series The Lake. Ferrara will be in Ljubljana for the occasion and his Tomasso will open the festival.

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, 23 October 2019 - Slovenian President Borut Pahor met Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Wednesday, with Pahor thanking the Japanese prime minister for the opportunity to hold a bilateral meeting in the days when the Japanese capital is hosting numerous world leaders who attended Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony yesterday.

"Slovenia understands this as a recognition and gesture of special attention from Japan," the president's office quoted Pahor, adding that the meeting with Abe had been held in the spirit of excellent bilateral relations.

Prisrčno in koristno dvostransko srečanje predsednika Pahorja in japonskega premierja Abeja in obeh delegacij v Tokiu: https://t.co/kPgCGyLDW6 pic.twitter.com/PY8GQmjTmq

— Borut Pahor (@BorutPahor) October 23, 2019

Abe meanwhile thanked Pahor on his attendance of the enthronement ceremony in Tokyo, with Pahor noting that he attended such events only exceptionally, according to his office.

It noted that bilateral economic cooperation had been boosted following the Slovenian president's visit to Japan in 2013 and the visit by Miro Cerar in 2016 in the capacity of prime minister in 2016.

Pahor stressed on the occasion that "what is more important than merely capital is business culture, and the Japanese business culture is close to Slovenians."

Abe meanwhile assessed that Slovenia was interesting to Japan, being a member of the EU and NATO and having excellent relations with all countries of the Western Balkans.

Pahor and Abe also talked about the situation on the Korean Peninsula, agreeing that effort should be invested to find a peaceful solution and achieve reconciliation.

The Slovenian president showed understanding for Japan's concern about the unpredictability of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the office added.

The Japanese prime minister said he would like to visit Slovenia, with Pahor saying he would gladly welcome him in his country.

On the last day of this two-day visit to Japan, Pahor also visited the High Energy Accelerator Research Organisation (KEK) in Tsukuba near Tokyo, where Slovenian scientists have been involved in an antimatter project.

Pahor met KEK director-general Masanori Yamauchi and Slovenian scientists and viewed the electron-positron supercollider. On the occasion, Pahor decorated professor Yamauchi with the Order of Merit for his contribution in promotion of Slovenian science in the world.

All our stories about Japan are here

For one more time Open Kitchen will spread its stalls at Pogačar Square by Ljubljana Central Marketplace this Friday, October 25, before shutting down for its regular winter hibernation.

This season, report the organisers, has been particularly successful, with a record number of Open Kitchens in Ljubljana and other cities, which included Koper, Nova Gorica, Celje, Novo mesto and Ptuj. The team behind this already well-known has also organised the Spring and Autumn Beer & Burger Fest, which were already 12th and 13th in a row, and the first Brina festival in Križanke, the Ljubljana gin festival, which exceeded all expectations.

In the record-breaking 7^th season the providers of the best Slovenian restaurants prepared more than 300 different dishes. Almo Kochavy, co-founder of Open Kitchen, is especially pleased that among a number of new entrants this season, many top chefs such as Igor Jagodic (Strelec Restaurant), Jorg Zupan (Atelje), Peter Kovač (Maxim), Mojmir Šiftar (Evergreen), Luka Gmajner and Marko Magajne (Flavors Gallery) and Damjan Fink (Fink House), also joined the stalls this year.

Related: An interview with Open Kitchen’s Lior Kochavy

The team is also proud of the attention this season’s Open Kitchen was given by the local and foreign press, including French magazine Marie Claire, Olive Magazine, the Dutch RTLZ portal, Finnish and German national broadcasters,  National Geographic and Netflix. Open Kitchen was also among recommendations made by The Independent, The Guardian and Lonely Planet travel guide.

Such recognition of Open Kitchen contributes to greater recognition of the city as well as the Slovenian culinary scene in general. The team is not resting over the winter, however, as they are already in preparations for the upcoming season, in which events will be hosted in both existing and new locations.

Fingers crossed it comes to our town next.

Dober tek!

In 1492 the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III issued a special decree formulating the scope of farmers’ trade.

In the 15th century farmers began trading their goods outside of their homes, which prompted city merchants to complain about loss of the income and workspace.

The so-called Peddlers’ Patent was addressed to the citizens of Kočevje, warning them not to obstruct serfs in their trade, but rather allow them to sell their produce and handicrafts. Among the commodities that farmers were allowed to sell according to this decree were wooden items, or what is in Slovenian known as suha roba (dry goods) that farmers manufactured at home.

This right to farmer’s trade was used best by the inhabitants of the Ribnica area, which provided the dry goods trademark “of Ribnica”. October 23 therefore remains the main holiday of Ribnica municipality.

The reasons for this socio-economic decree were, however, geopolitical in nature. Between the years 1469 and 1491 Turks plundered the region in 22 raids. In 1491 they burned Ribnica and Kočevje and the serfs, who lost their homes and their harvests, planned to move inland. The Peddlers’ Patent thus opened up a new means of income and an incentive to stay.

The patent was renewed by all subsequent emperors, protecting this particular handicraft from guild attacks for centuries to come.

STA, 22 October 2019 - Commenting on the European Commission assessing that Croatia has met the conditions to enter the Schengen zone, PM Marjan Šarec regretted on Tuesday that such an important decision had been made right before the end of the Commission's term. Speaking of a political decision, Šarec expects Croatia to meet all technical and legal conditions.

"We had already said that if the decision was political, then Slovenia would also act politically and in line with its interests," Šarec reiterated at an event in Cankarjev Dom in Ljubljana.

He said that the European Commission had apparently put the issue on the agenda at the end of the term, which "seems disputable to us". It would be better if the new Commission dealt with that, he added.

The prime minister's office quoted Šarec earlier as saying that "Slovenia expects that Croatia will meet all conditions, both technical and legal, including the respect of the rule of law, to enter the Schengen zone."

It added that Croatia must show the ability to protect the external border effectively and thus ensure security of the entire EU.

According to Šarec, Croatia needs to carry out a number of activities to be able to ensure permanent and effective management of the external border of the EU and to fully meet the required technical conditions.

The prime minister also told the press in Cankarjev Dom that "we are a bit worried" regarding Croatia meeting the technical requirements, noting that "we have had 12,000 illegal migrants already this year."

He added that "this means that they are coming from somewhere and that the border with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia is porous. This is why I doubt that this will change over night with the potential entry to Schengen."

Interior Ministry State Secretary Sandi Čurin meanwhile told the press that the green light from the European Commission was only an intermediate step in the process of Croatia's accession to the Schengen zone.

He noted that the assessment procedure was far from being concluded and that the "accession of a country to the Schengen zone is decided on by the member states with consensus."

"Today's message is exclusively intended for supporting Croatia in its efforts to enter the Schengen zone and encouraging it to make the steps needed to meet all standards and conditions," Čurin said.

He stressed that it was not an implementing act, as those were subject to discussion by the EU Council, and that it had no legal consequences whatsoever.

European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said that the report was only one of the steps in the process, adding that before any enlargement of Schengen, it needed to be secured that the system was fully functional.

Speaking to the press in Brussels, the Slovenian EU commissioner said that she had told the fellow commissioners at today's meeting that the Schengen area as it was known today was not functioning as a whole.

"There are still six Schengen countries - Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria and France - which have kept border checks within the Schengen area, including on the border between Austria and Slovenia," she noted.

Bulc believes that the final assessment should take into account the progress that needs to be made in the migration policy, protection of external borders, rule of law and good neighbourly relations.

Noting that consent of the EU Council was required for the decision that Croatia entered Schengen, the commissioner said that the member states, including Slovenia, would have the final say based on a technical report.

The parliamentary parties which have so far responded to the announcement expressed varied opinions.

Parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan, the head of the coalition Social Democrats (SD), said that it was a "political decision" which makes "Europe lose reputation even more".

Židan believes that an outgoing European Commission should not adopt any major decisions and "as a European" he wished that the next European Commission would act differently.

Jožef Horvat of the opposition New Slovenia (NSi) said that it was somewhat unusual for the outgoing Commission to take such an important decision, adding that the precise conditions that Croatia needed to fulfil were known.

"If such a decision is made casually, the Schengen regime will definitely collapse, as it has already been strongly undermined with controls on internal borders", he added.

Horvat said that the NSi "is not on the side of those who would make ultimatums", which Zmago Jelinčič of the opposition National Party (SNS) agreeing, saying that "Slovenia will achieve nothing by extorting Croatia."

They were probably referring to speculation Slovenia could make its approval of Croatia's entry to the Schengen zone conditional on Croatia fully implementing the border arbitration decision.

Matej T. Vatovec of the opposition Left too said that blocking Croatia's entry to the Schengen zone would be counter-productive.

He supports Croatia entering the Schengen zone as soon as possible as the borders would be eliminated, which would make life in the border area easier and be followed by the elimination of border fences and razor wire.

Slovenian MEPs have expressed different opinions about the assessment, but a majority regrets that it has been made by an outgoing Commission. They also noted that the EU Council will have the final say on the matter.

"I regret the move by the outgoing European Commission. Instead of eliminating internal borders ... it is giving the false hope of the expansion of Schengen," said Milan Brglez (S&D/SD).

His party colleague Tanja Fajon added that the "message from the Juncker commission would be remembered as one of the most political ever," as it suggested that accession to the Schengen zone was no longer a technical process.

Irena Joveva and Klemen Grošelj (both Renew/LMŠ) also regretted the European Commission making a "political" decision right before the end of the term.

They agree that the expansion of the Schengen zone is in everybody's interest, including Slovenia's, but that there should not be a sliver of doubt in the professionalism of such a decision.

Ljudmila Novak (EPP/NSi) said the decision should have been left to the new European Commission. "Today's decision will not be able to avoid the connotation of political, and not professional decision-making."

Agreeing with Novak, Franc Bogovič (EPP/SLS) said that the decision was inappropriate and unfair as the readiness of Croatia to effectively protect its borders with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia was being realistically doubted.

On the other hand, Romana Tomc (EPP/SDS) believes that the European Commission was unbiased and professional in its decision. She noted that the member states would have the final say in a consensual decision.

"This means that Prime Minister Šarec has the opportunity to prevent Croatia from entering Schengen if he thinks that there are reasons for this and if this benefits Slovenia," she added.

Her party colleague Milan Zver thinks that Croatia has taken the appropriate measures, and that the Slovenian public will welcome the elimination of the Schengen border between Slovenia and Croatia as this would mean smoother traffic.

All our stories on Croatia are here

There’s at least one building outside the very centre of Ljubljana that functions as a landmark from far, as one of the city’s most distinctive structures, as well as one of the tallest – not that there’s much competition in that regard. That’s the triangular building with all the terraces and colours that echoes the mountains you can see behind it on a clear day.

© Genius Loci d.o.o.

© Genius Loci d.o.o.

The building is called R5 and was completed in 2010. It’s got 16 floors above ground for a height of just under 59 metres, roughly the same as TR2 (60 m) and smaller than TR3 (69 m) in Republic Square.  The lead architect was Andrej Černigoj, working in collaboration with Katarina Živanović Kavčič, Bojan Mrežar, Nika Kremžar, and Cveto Kunešević, with the client being SCT Stanovanjski Inženiring D.O.O. The architectural firm was Genius Loci, who kindly provided all the pictures for this story.

© Genius Loci d.o.o.

© Genius Loci d.o.o.

The overall structure is three residential and business buildings on the north side of Ljubljana Railway Station. The south side of the tallest building, with 100 housing units, gets smaller as it rises, giving the distinctive terraces and shape. It has a width of 17 metres, and while at the bottom the length is 65 meters, by the top floor this is only 7. The two smaller buildings have seven and three floors above ground, and - as seen in the pictures above and below - you can drive through the complex itself, which crosses Hacquetova ulica. 

© Genius Loci d.o.o.

 © Genius Loci d.o.o.

According to one website the whole thing cost around €23 million to build. Information on how much apartments in the building go for isn’t easy to find, but in May 2013 you could get a duplex with two bedrooms, 129 m² of space, parking and a terrace for €219,781. This represented a reduction of up to 62% on the original price, although note that “up to 62%” refers to 14 different properties within the building and perhaps not this specific unit (details here). By September 2013 a three-bedroom, 104 m2 apartment with a terrace was being sold for €300,000. More recently, in October 2018, and after a few hot years for real estate in Ljubljana, a four-bedroom duplex at the top of the tower was on the market for €680,000.

“In the part of the building without terraces are typical small urban dwellings in the 7.5x7.5m structural module, with installation connections along the inner wall that allow completely free arrangement of walls and furniture.” © Genius Loci d.o.o.

Related: Let’s See the City - Ljubljana: Architectural Walks & Tours

You can get close to R5 at Hacquetova ulica 2, or enjoy the view from many places downtown.

Related: Meet the People - Walking With Robert Potokar, Architect

STA, 21 October - Life-size cut outs of traffic officers, which were set up in Posočje in August to improve road safety, have turned out to be highly effective, reducing speed limit violations by more than 80%. The north-western region is infamous for reckless motorcycle riders using local roads for racing.

The Traffic Safety Agency (AVP) tested the measure in October and gathered reliable evidence that showed drivers would slow down upon noticing the cut outs. The test included more than 1,000 vehicles.

The traffic watchdog has thus decided to carry on with the measure, which has been proven to swiftly reduce the average speed and dissuade the drivers from committing traffic violations.

The agency's head Vesna Marinko said that the cut outs had reduced the speed rate by up to 20%.

"Experience suggests that this measure is effective when the location of cut outs is changed often," said Marinko.

The number of traffic offences has been diminished as well - by 68% and 89% in two different locations.

The Koper Police Department is expected to start using the cut outs soon as well. Meanwhile, the agency plans to implement additional preventive measures next year.

However, it was not just the drivers who apparently noticed the cut outs and hit the brakes - at the start of September, three cut outs got some extra attention, being stolen.

STA, 22 October 2019 - Representatives of several Celje civil initiatives warned on Tuesday about excessive levels of heavy metals found in the soil in the Celje area, describing the city as "Slovenian Chernobyl" due to its various environmental issues.

The initiatives' representative Boris Šuštar said at today's press conference that results of analyses showed that, compared to the Slovenian average, attic dust in Celje contained 100 times more cadmium and 50 times more of other pollutants, including carcinogenic ones.

Heavy cadmium pollution in the area is part of the infamous legacy of chemical company Cinkarna Celje's predecessor, the old zinc factory.

Šuštar pointed out that the area of the former factory, covering 17 hectares and going nine metres deep in the ground, is polluted by a staggering amount of 1.5 million m3 of mostly toxic waste.

He believes that no other urban area in Europe is as polluted as the one in Celje, so he called for a comprehensive approach to the issue.

The initiatives also draw attention to noise pollution and dying trees in the city and its surrounding areas.

Cleaning of degraded areas in and around the city of Celje has been under way for a while, with one of the most burning issues being the polluted soil of school and kindergarten playgrounds.

The plan for this year was to clean five kindergarten playgrounds in the city, a project valued at around a million euro, with another five to be cleaned in 2020.

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 says Commission decision on Croatia and Shengen political, Slovenia expects compliance with rules

LJUBLJANA - Commenting on the European Commission assessing that Croatia has met the conditions to enter the Schengen zone, PM Marjan Šarec regretted that such an important decision had been made right before the end of the Commission's term. Speaking of a political decision, Šarec expects Croatia to meet all technical and legal conditions. "We had already said that if the decision was political, then Slovenia would also act politically and in line with its interests," Šarec reiterated. The opposition Democrats (SDS) were alone in their support for the Commission decision, but several other MPs also warned against the option of Slovenia, which is suing Croatia for EU law violation with respect to the border arbitration, blocking Croatia's Schenen zone accession.

Fiscal Council warns of risks surrounding budget plans

LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council has found the proposed budgets for 2020 and 2021 to be in compliance with fiscal rules, but expressed concern because they do not factor in the financial impact of bills that are being adopted. "As far as fiscal rules go, these are complied with," the council's head, Davorin Kračun, told reporters. However, he also pointed to "risks that cast shadow" of doubt that the fiscal rules will be implemented.

Bill on recourse over bank bail-in finally passed

LJUBLJANA - A government-sponsored bill designed to provide legal recourse for holders of subordinated bank liabilities wiped out in the 2013 bank bailout was passed in a 46:34 vote. But it may take a while before the erased investors are compensated, as the central bank had announced a constitutional review. The bill provides easier access to recourse for up to 100,000 potential plaintiffs, both shareholders and holders of junior bonds wiped out on instruction of the EU. It was passed after the Constitutional Court said in 2016 that a provision from the law on banking did not give the subordinated creditors and shareholders effective access to recourse.

President attends Emperor Naruhito's enthronement

TOKYO, Japan - President Borut Pahor attended Japanese Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony in Tokyo, which marked his formal ascension to the throne. Pahor said in a tweet that his participation in "this unique historic event" was of symbolic nature and would deliver an opportunity to further reinforce bilateral ties between Slovenia and Japan and the countries' political dialogue. The president will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday.

Erjavec says Croatia ready for EU presidency regarding defence

ZAGREB, Croatia - Defence Minister Karl Erjavec met his Croatian counterpart Damir Krstičević in Zagreb, with the pair agreeing that Slovenia and Croatia's defence cooperation was excellent. Erjavec did not want to comment on whether Croatia was prepared for joining the Schengen area. Erjavec said that the question was not relevant for his ministry, while Krstičević said that his country was ready to enter Schengen and that he expected a go-ahead from the European Commission, which was later today indeed given.

Cerar to visit United Arab Emirates next week

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar is to pay a working visit to the United Arab Emirates next Tuesday and Wednesday. As part of the trip, Cerar will inaugurate the Slovenian Embassy in Abu Dabi, which has been operating as the first Slovenian embassy in a Gulf country since 2018, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. Cerar is scheduled to meet counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, while he is also to chair with UAE Economy Minister Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoor the first meeting of a joint commission for Slovenia-UAE economic cooperation.

Poklukar visits Slovenian officers on Serbian-N Macedonian border

PREŠEVO, Serbia - Slovenian Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar and his Serbian counterpart Nebojša Stefanović visited the Preševo border crossing with North Macedonia, where members of the Serbian and Slovenian police jointly control the migrant flow and prevent illegal crossings of the border. As part of the visit to the border crossing in southern Serbia, Stefanović said that the cooperation of the countries in the prevention of illegal migration showed that it was possible to provide security to citizens and prevent illegal migration with a joint effort.

Facing public uproar, MPs give up planned new priviliges

LJUBLJANA - A bill that would have introduced a number of privileges and benefits for MPs was voted down in the National Assembly even though it had been initiated by almost all MPs bar those of the opposition New Slovenia (NSi) and the Left. The majority withdrew their support after the changes came under fire from the public. The privileges that drew the most criticism were tax benefits, significantly raised transport allowances, a secured right to unemployment allowance after a single day as an MP, and what seemed like a legal vacuum preventing the penalising of MPs who simultaneously serve in posts deemed incompatible with public office. A bill was meanwhile passed that aims to make the National Assembly more autonomous, and more independent from the government.

Parliament provides more funds for medical profession trainees

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the medical practitioners act providing more funds for medical profession trainees. Hoping to address the shortage of doctors, the 2020 draft budget earmarks EUR 80 million for medical traineeships, while the actual cost is estimated at EUR 91.7 million. The additional funds will be provided by the public Health Insurance Institute (ZZZS).

MPs raise minimum hourly rate for student work to EUR 4.56 net

LJUBLJANA - Parliament backed legislative changes that raise the minimum net hourly rate for student work from EUR 4.13 to EUR 4.56. The opposition Left, which initiated the raise, had been pushing for more, but failed to get support from the coalition and remaining opposition parties, which fear businesses may have trouble handling the new rate. The raise becomes effective on 1 January 2020.

SDS voices support for state guarantees for two key infrastructure projects

RAVNE NA KOROŠKEM - The largest opposition party, the Democrats (SDS), announced its support for the government-sponsored bill on state guarantees for loans to build a vital north-south motorway and a second rail link between Divača and the Koper port. Speaking at a public debate in Ravne na Koroškem last night, party leader Janez Janša said the bill had shortcomings but would "go through".

Foundation stone laid as Housing Fund starts expanding stock

LJUBLJANA - The foundation stone was laid for the construction of nearly 500 flats in the Ljubljana Brdo borough. The EUR 57 million project is only the first step of the national Housing Fund to build additional 1,500 rental flats as part of expanding its portfolio by 10,000 new flats by 2025. The Novo Brdo housing estate will expectedly be ready for its residents to move in in 2021.

Pipistrel completes aircraft order to Indian govt

AJDOVŠČINA - Pipistrel, the Slovenia-based ultralight electric aircraft maker, has delivered nearly 200 aircraft to the Indian ministry of defence, the company announced, saying that it was happy to finish the delivery despite warnings from other players in the industry that this was too tall an order for the company. Pipistrel said it had met the delivery conditions, while services like maintenance, customer support and supply of spare parts will be provided for a long time after this first stage is completed.

Household disposable income higher in 2018

LJUBLJANA - The average disposable income of Slovenian households was up 5.8% across Slovenia in 2018 on the year before. The northern Koroška region had the highest disposable income per citizen, followed by south-eastern and central Slovenia, the Statistics Office said. Meanwhile, the lowest disposable income was recorded in the north-eastern Pomurje region. The average Slovenian household disposable income stood at some EUR 11,870.

Prešeren's muse Julija Primic in focus of new opera

NOVO MESTO - An opera dedicated to Julija Primic (1816-1864), the muse of Slovenia's most celebrated poet France Prešeren (1800-1849), is being created in Novo Mesto, a city in south-east Slovenia where she spent the final 14 years of her life. Scheduled to premiere in February, the opera is being composed by Aleš Makovac and directed by Rok Rappel Rocc, while the libretto has been written by historian and literary historian Igor Grdina, an expert on Prešeren.

Enfant terrible of Slovenian art scene wins Ježek Award

LJUBLJANA - Public broadcaster RTV Slovenija has bestowed this year's Ježek Award on rebellious singer-songwriter and performer Marko Brecelj. He will receive the award, which celebrates lifetime achievement in satire on radio and TV, on Sunday. Brecelj is widely known as the founder and lead singer of Buldožer, an iconic progressive rock band from the 1970s which was inspired by Frank Zappa's music.

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