STA, 2 October 2019 - The Constitutional Court has ruled in a close vote that the retirement and disability pension act is not unconstitutional in the part that prevents sole proprietors from receiving full pension if they decide to continue working after reaching retirement age.

The top court, which received the review request from the Ljubljana Labour and Social Court, said on Wednesday that intergenerational fairness, equality and financial sustainability took precedence over the interests of sole proprietors.

It ruled that the constitutional right to pension does not ensure that individuals receive old-age pension when they do not give up working. The Constitution guarantees the right to a pension to individuals who have paid their contributions if they also meet all other reasonable conditions.

It is reasonable to make full pension conditional on giving up work, considering the benefits pursued, said the court, which decided in a 4 to 5 vote that the act was not in violation of the constitutional right to social security. Two judges also submitted dissenting opinions.

Meanwhile, the court was unanimous in its decision that the act was not in contradiction of the constitutional principle of equality, comparing other groups who may also continue working after reaching retirement age.

It also said that the act followed the principle of protection of legitimate expectations and was not in conflict with the right to free economic incentive.

The court also said that there are a number of reasons why sole proprietors decide to either continue work or retire, adding that it was not the legislature's intention to encourage sole proprietors to stop working and also could not have foreseen such decisions being made.

Sole proprietors, who continue working have to give up up to 80% of their pension. Meanwhile, legislative changes are in the pipelines that would decrease this figure to 50%.

The Chamber of Crafts and Small Business (OZS) responded by stressing the decision had been made in a close vote and that dissenting opinions showed that the existing rules were neither appropriate nor just.

The OZS has been striving for Slovenia to introduce double status of pensioners who want to continue working, a solution that would enable them to receive full pension.

The chamber agrees with judge Etelka Korpič Horvat, who said in her dissenting opinion that double status would be beneficial for everybody. Retired proprietors would be able to continue working and would also contribute to the pension and health insurance purses.

"It is also far from insignificant that double status eliminates the poverty of those with low pensions. Double status strengthens the value of labour without preventing the young generations from working," the OZS quotes Korpič-Horvat's opinion.

The chamber also expressed the belief that the decision and the dissenting opinions would convey to the National Assembly that it could introduce a double system that would be much fairer and more reasonable than the existing provisions.

STA, 2 October - Slovak developer Corwin is planning to build a housing estate in the Ljubljana borough of Šiška. Construction works on what is a EUR 45 million investment are expected to be launched in the first half of 2020 and the first residents could move in at the end of 2022.

The Kvartet housing estate will be built by Šiška Rezidence, a Slovenian company owned by Corwin, near another larger housing estate, Celovški Dvori.

The location of Celovški Dvori estate, which is near the planned development

It will feature four 16-storey towers with a total of 221 flats, as well as areas for some 500 bicycles and an underground car park for some 300 vehicles.

Playgrounds for children and a socialising area for residents are also planned in the green areas around the buildings, Corwin said in a release on Wednesday.

Roman Karabelli, director of Corwin's Slovenian subsidiary Corwin SI, sees Kvartet as a major investment to revitalise what used to be an industrial area near a new large shopping centre planned by retailer Spar.

Kvartet will feature one-, two-, three- and four-room apartments, 33 apartments will be made to suit older people or the disabled, and all residents will have a view of the Alps.

Kvartet has been designed by Ljubljana's architecture studio Ofis Arhitekti, with which Corwin cooperated already on an office and housing complex in Slovakia's Bratislava.

The Slovak developer is now waiting to be granted a building permit, which it expects in the first half of next year.

Corwin bought the 7,000-square-metre plot in Ljubljana in March 2018 from Slovenia's bad bank, where it ended as part of a bankruptcy estate of builder GPG Inženiring.

The asking price was EUR 2.7 million, while the final price was not disclosed, but Corwin says the investment is worth more than EUR 45 million.

It will be financed with own capital and a loan. "We're already discussing financing with some banks in Slovenia," Karabelli told the newspaper Delo today.

Together with the plot, Corwin also acquired GPG Inženiring's plans for a residential development with 180 flats, but eventually changed it considerably.

Karabelli told Delo the company was already looking for new plots and was planning at least one to two new projects in Slovenia.

"We trust in the Ljubljana property market and we believe we have something to offer," said Karabelli, noting the company has rich experience, having built more than 2,000 flats in ten years.

According to Delo, Corwin was set up slightly more than ten years ago and is a leading developer in Slovakia.

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

Kranj District Court launches receivership for Adria Airways

LJUBLJANA - The Kranj District Court launched receivership for Adria Ariways, filed for by the German-owned air carrier on Monday due to insolvency after the government rejected its appeals for aid. The procedure, in which creditors will have three months to file their claims, will be managed Janez Pustatičnik. The carrier was sold to the German turnaround fund 4K Invest in 2016, after being recapitalised several times by the state. Unofficially, the company has run up EUR 90 million in debt. The receivership will put 558 people out of their jobs.

Lenarčič happy with performance in European Parliament hearing

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's European commissioner-designate Janez Lenarčič was heard by the EU Parliament's Development Committee in a session that revolved around migration and climate crisis, as well as the role of the private sector and NGOs in humanitarian activities, education of child refugees and nuclear incident preparedness. Lenarčič listed improved crisis response, prevention and preparedness as his priorities. Responding to questions, he said there was no migration crisis in Europe at the moment and vowed to address sexual abuse issues in hot spots and refugee camps and detention centres. Like Lenarčič, Slovenian MEPs were happy with his performance, and committee chair Tomas Tobe said the session was a good exchange of opinions.

PM Šarec denies having intervened in hiring at intelligence agency

LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec denied the allegation by the Požareport news website that he intervened to have the SOVA intelligence agency hire a former female employee of the municipality of Kamnik, where he served as mayor before becoming prime minister. Šarec admitted that he knew the woman, but he as well Kamnik administration denied that she had been a municipality employee. He said that she got the job in line with standard procedure. The allegation was discussed on Tuesday by the parliamentary intelligence oversight commission, some of whose members paid a visit to SOVA. Findings are yet to be presented.

President not sure whether to push ahead with provinces

RIMSKE TOPLICE - President Borut Pahor met mayors as part of a congress of Slovenian municipalities to see whether it was worth proceeding with establishing provinces. But mayors told him there was no doubt Slovenia needed them to decentralise and get a fresh development impetus. Pahor believes a meeting he is organising in November for ministers, parties, experts and mayors "will be the right moment" to assess whether the majority is in favour of devolution. A decision on whether it is worth continuing could then be made as Pahor meets the prime minister and the presidents of both chambers of parliament in December.

Top court clears partial pension for working entrepreneurs

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has ruled in a 5:4 vote that the retirement and disability pension act is not unconstitutional in the part that prevents sole proprietors from receiving full pension if they continue working after reaching retirement age. The court said that intergenerational fairness, equality and financial sustainability took precedence over the interests of sole proprietors. The Chamber of Crafts and Small Business responded by arguing MPs should take note of the close vote and introduce a fairer system. Sole proprietors who continue working have to give up up to 80% of their pension. Legislative changes are in the pipeline that would decrease this to 50%.

Slovenia and Italy continue to guard border together

LJUBLJANA - Even though the agreement on joint patrols policing the Slovenian-Italian border ended, cooperation between the two police forces remains in place in certain areas, in particular in the Koper Police Department district, police told the STA. However, joint police patrols are no longer patrolling the Nova Gorica Police Department district. Both countries are interested in extending their cooperation to other forms of joint effort enabled by the agreement, including joint analyses and a joint investigative task force.

Slovenia Business Bridge discusses family business, investment

LJUBLJANA - The two-day Slovenia Business Bridge investment and development conference, hosted by AmCham Slovenia at its 20th anniversary, opened with a business breakfast at which the panellists concluded that family businesses represented an important part of global economic growth, and that their growth was not incompatible with the commitment to fundamental values. A panel discussing strategies by investors saw the participants conclude that Slovenia wanted to be attractive to foreign investors, which in turn agreed that the country certainly offered numerous opportunities.

Swiss company buying three Slovenian car dealerships

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian car dealerships Autocommerce, Avto Triglav and AC-Mobil, which are part of the holding company ACH 2, will be acquired by Emil Frey Group for an undisclosed amount. The Swiss car dealership needs to get the approval of the European Commission to finalise the deal. The deal was confirmed for the business newspaper Finance by ACH 2, the holding company formed after the division of assets among the owners of the former ACH holding.

Unistar LC passes into Italian ownership

LJUBLJANA - DBA Group, an Italian ICT and engineering holding, completed the acquisition of the Ljubljana-based IT and cyber security company Unistar LC. The transaction was made through Actual IT, a Koper-based firm that DBA acquired in 2015. The newspaper Finance reported a few months ago that DBA Group would pay EUR 4.3m to acquire Unistar, but Unistar executive Miran Boštic valued he entire deal at EUR 10m, including payments for good future performance, withdrawal of own shares and net financial debt.

Medicop launches new investment

MURSKA SOBOTA - Medicop, a manufacturer of medical equipment and ambulances, inaugurated a EUR 7.5 million investment featuring a production facility and offices in Murska Sobota. The 6,300-square-metre premises increase Medicop's capacities by 60% and are to create 23 new jobs. The investment received a EUR 900,000 incentive from the government. On the occasion, officials said that the government had approved EUR 50 million in business incentives for the north-eastern Pomurje region in a decade.

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, 2 October 2019 - The Kranj District Court launched today receivership proceedings for Adria Ariways, after the German-owned air carrier filed for receivership on Monday.

The procedure, in which creditors will have three months to file their claims, will be managed by receiver Janez Pustatičnik.

Passengers who had bought tickets for Adria's flights which were subsequently cancelled have been urged to report their claims as well.

Those who bought the tickets with their bank card can ask their banks for a refund, the Market Inspectorate said today. If their motion is denied, they can turn to the Slovenian Bank Association.

The Slovenian flag carrier, which was sold to the German turnaround fund 4K Invest in 2016, said on Monday that the proposal had been filed due to insolvency and in line with legal provisions applying in such a situation.

Adria had been struggling with financial difficulties for some time, with the problems deepening further after the sale, even though the new owner announced growth, several capital increases and a new strategic partner.

Adria ended up selling all of its planes, while several of those rented were confiscated in recent years by leasing companies due to unpaid debts. The company, which employs 558 people, also owes part of the August wages and has reportedly failed to pay the social contributions for September.

After the management filed for receivership on Monday, the Civil Aviation Agency also automatically revoked the air carrier's operating license.

Other airlines are already moving to fill the void created by Adria's collapse. The German Lufthansa and its subsidiary Swiss International Airlines, both of which are members of the Star Alliance, will be offering flights connecting Ljubljana to Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich, in the winter season.

Next to the links with Brussels and Vienna, these connections are considered crucial for Slovenia's connectivity with the world.

The Belgian air carrier Brussels Airlines, also part of Lufthansa Group, is introducing six Brussels-Ljubljana flights a week. Tickets are available for sale as of today, while the first flights are scheduled for 4 November.

Several other companies already flying to Ljubljana are also increasing the number of flights to the Slovenian capital and using bigger planes for the route to adjust to the larger number of passengers.

Receivership proceedings were also launched today at the Kranj District Court for Adria's subsidiary Adria Airways Letalska Šola, which used to train Adria's pilots. Blaž Poljanšek was appointed receiver.

Adria's school for pilots was set up in 1980 in cooperation with the Ljubljana Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Initially, it was to train only future Adria pilots, but later offered training for pilots of private sports planes as well as professional pilots of the highest ranks. It has trained more than 2,800 pilots.

Its last year's revenue topped EUR 300,000, while net lost almost reached EUR 340,000. The company also had more than EUR 840,000 in short-term liabilities.

All our stories about Adria are here

Ana Monro, the highly acclaimed street theatre group that as founded in 1981 and is behind such annual events as Ana Desetnica, Ana Mraz, and Ana Plamenita, will putting on its last performance of its interactive street theatre show Ljubljana Stories this Friday, 4 October (2019) at 19:00. The experience will take you through the Old Town, and specifically the street that runs through it, aka Gornji trg. The show is being promoted as follows:

Guaranteeing a different experience of Ljubljana, Ljubljana Stories is an unforgettable journey, a funny and educational interactive walk through more than 500 years of the Gornji trg’s rich history, an exclusive tour of the parts of the old town that are usually neglected by tour guides, and a unique experience of theatre art in the public space.

Ljubljana Stories will take you for an interactive walk – not your ordinary walk, mind you. The show is based on real places and the history of the city while presenting a brand new view of the past. Are you interest in what it was like to live in fascist-occupied Ljubljana or the Illyrian Provinces? Would you like to experience a fatal earthquake, what it’s like to be a beggar, get to know and feel the modern spirit of the city, fall in love, and/or dance with the Water Man? If so – welcome to our street theatre time-travel adventure!

The performance starts under the chandelier in front of St. Florian’s church in the Gornji trg square. It’s carried out in any weather. Only a limited number of spectators may join, so please send an email first to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Send your applications by 15:00 on Friday, 4 October. There’s NO ENTRANCE FEE, however, the artists are going to ask you for an EXIT FEE. (The recommended contribution is €10 per adult.)

In town and want to see what' on in Ljubljana this week? Check here

Ljubljana: 25 Things to Know about Slovenia's Green City of Dragons

How to Spend Four to 48 Hours in Ljubljana

Yesterday it was Brussels Airlines and Wizz Air, and today four other carriers have announced moves to fill the gaps in the market created by Adria Airways' bankruptcy, Lufthansa CityLine, Swiss International Air Lines, Aire Servia and Montenegro Airlines.

Lufthansa plans to run two flights a day from Frankfurt to Ljubljana starting 27 October, with more details  here, while the carrier will launch a new daily service from Munich on November 1, with more information here. Swiss International Air Lines will begin a five flights a week service between Zurich and Ljubljana on October 16, becoming daily on October 27, with details here.

Air Serbia is adding a a new - and third - daily flight between Ljublajan and Belgrade for the winter schedule, with the service enabling connection with the carriers flights from belgrade to Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Rome, Mila, Prage, Podgorica, Stuttgart, Vienna and Zurich.

Finally, Montenegro Airlines is now offering discount fares to Adria Airways ticketholders for selected flights, with €60 getting you a one-way flight from Ljubljana to Podgorica, or from Ljubljana to Belgrade via Podgorica. The price includes 23kg of checked-in luggage, and the offer also extends to other destination the airline covers, although the cost for these routes is €90.

All our stories on Adria are here

STA, 1 October 2019 - Wine growers in Brda, one of the most famous wine growing districts in Slovenia, are satisfied with this year's grape harvest despite the overall numbers being lower than expected - the wine is expected to be of excellent quality.

Representatives of the wine cellar Klet Brda, the largest wine producer in the western region, told the press on Tuesday that the company and its partners produce a total of 6,300 tonnes of grapes this year.

This is 15% below the average expected annual yield, but the quality of wine is expected to be excellent by all parameters, the company's chief enologist Darinko Ribolica said.

Vineyard owners in Brda are satisfied the most with rebula, whose quantity was also the largest, followed by merlot. They are satisfied with all red grape varieties, with the sunny and warm September making for excellent quality.

This year's prices will be similar to last year's, but will be higher in the highest quality class. The prices will range from EUR 0.40 to EUR 1.20, compared to last year's average price of EUR 0.64 per kilogram.

The special guest for this year's grape picking session for the press was former Formula 1 pilot Ralf Schumacher, who owns a Mediterranean cuisine restaurant near Germany's Cologne.

Klet Brda director Silvan Peršolja added that, while its wine was consumed on all continents, the company was not planning to enter new markets, but strengthen its brand on the existing ones, from the US and UK to China.

STA, 1 October 2019 - German federal police have arrested Matjaž Škorjanc, a Slovenian coder wanted by the US on charges of cybercrime, the newspaper Slovenske Novice reported on Tuesday. His father has confirmed the arrest.

Škorjanc is charged with involvement in a criminal racket that hacked into computers to steal credit card numbers and other data between 2008 and 2013, causing US$4.5 million in damage to the victims.

At the beginning of September, a US federal court in Washington unsealed an indictment against Škorjanc, another Slovenian, an American and a Spaniard for racketeering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud through Darkode, a major computer hacking forum, which was closed down in 2015.

Related: US Charges NiceHash Founder With Hacking, Fraud

Matjaž Škorjanc. YouTube screenshot

Apart from Škorjanc, charges were filed against Mentor Leniqi, Spaniard Florencio Carro Ruiz and US citizen Thomas McCormick.

McCormick was allegedly the last administrator of Darkode, which was created and initially administrated by Škorjanc. If found guilty, each of those indicted face up to 50 years in prison.

Martin Škorjanc, CEO of H-Bit, has confirmed that his son was arrested in Germany last week based on the indictment and the relevant international arrest warrant.

"There is no legal basis for the prosecution because Matjaž Škorjanc has already been convicted for the same crime and has already served his sentence in full in Slovenia," the father said in a press release.

"This is an unacceptable attempt for a repeat trial in the same case, something that is prohibited under Slovenian, European as well as US law," he added.

The US law enforcement authorities asked for Škorjanc's extradition from Slovenia as early as 2011.

Škorjanc was sentenced to four years and ten months in prison in late 2013 for creating the Mariposa botnet software, malware that had hijacked about 12.7 million computers around the world. He has already served out his sentence.

Related: Learn Slovene with Hackers

STA, 1 October 2019 - As Slovenia is obliged to introduce biometric identity cards in August 2021 and with the relevant legislative changes being drafted by the Interior Ministry, institutions have been warning that it needs to be ensured that the biometric data from the cards are not used for other purposes.

The biometric identity card needs to be introduced on 2 August 2021 in line with the regulation on strengthening the security of identity cards of the EU citizens.

Slovenia started issuing the current identity cards on 20 June 1998, and they have not been changed or upgraded with additional security features since.

A total of 1.83 million Slovenian citizens have the card, which they can use to travel to 37 countries. Identity cards are issued in 26 member states, and they are mandatory in 15 member states.

As the security features differ significantly among the member states, there is a high risk of forging and abuse of the personal document, which is the main reason the EU decided to introduce the uniform identity card.

The new security features will include biometric data, while national identity cards in all member states will also need to be labelled with the EU mark.

The Interior Ministry is already drafting relevant changes to the identity card act, which will require from those applying for the new card to provide two fingerprints, as is the rule for biometric passports.

The fingerprint requirement will apply to persons aged 12 or older, and the application also needs to feature a photograph. The new card will feature a chip with the holder's face and fingerprints saved as biometric data.

It will be permitted to use these data only for verifying the genuineness of the identity card and the holder's identity on border crossings, the ministry says.

The plan by the ministries of the interior and of public administration is that the card also features data for electronic identification and electronic signature, which would allow its holders to use e-commerce services.

"This would make the new Slovenian identity card a means of electronic identification for cross-border transactions," the ministry said, adding that this would enhance the use of e-services both in the public and private sector.

Citizens whose current identity cards will still be valid on 2 August 2021 will not be required to replace them before they expire. This also applies for the personal identity cards without the expiry date, which are issued to persons who turn 70.

The Office of the Information Commissioner has told the STA that the use of biometric data had both positive and negative sides.

Biometric data are mostly unique permanent identifiers, whose collection and use must be strictly regulated, said the office, which thus expects that the introduction of biometric data will take place in accordance with the EU law.

"What needs to be ensured is that biometric data are not used for other purposes, which is why the bodies supervising the protection of personal information will certainly be supervising the use of such cards."

STA, 1 October 2019 - A group of 32 MPs has requested that the Constitutional Court review the property mass valuation act. The request, distributed to the press on Tuesday by the opposition New Slovenia (NSi), says that the valuation models used for the estimates, set to serve as basis for a property tax, should have been closely defined by the act.

The models are key in determining the taxpayers' position and must thus be prescribed by the law and not by executive acts, the review request says.

The issues found unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court in 2013 still remain after the act was changed in May 2019, the request says.

The court found in 2013 that the act failed to define individual valuation models and the application of models in value estimated of different types of real estate.

The act also failed to define "actual use of buildings or parts of buildings" and did not define individual types of actual use, the request notes.

The NSi has called a press conference for tomorrow, featuring MP Iva Dimic and the NSi's farmers' branch head Janez Beja.

One of the points in the request says that the valuation system has been set up in a way that will force farmers to sell agricultural land whose purpose is classified as building land.

The act envisages that the value of this type of land be estimated based on classification by purpose, rather than actual use, which would lead to higher taxes. The request says that this will force farmers to sell the land, and to development of agricultural land.

Meanwhile, the Mapping and Surveying Authority (Geodetska uprava Republike Slovenije – GURS) released today preliminary results of mass valuation of property. The results could be used for a number of purposes, including a real estate tax.

However, Prime Minister Marjan Šarec told the MPs in a Q&A today that the government, "in its current constellation is not capable of passing a real estate tax".