FishingBooker, “an online community that enables you to list, find and book the best fishing trips worldwide” has released a list of the “10 best fishing holidays in Europe”, with Slovenia’s Lake Bled among the featured destinations.

As the site says in write-up of an area perhaps less known for its angling potential than its castle, church on an island, kremšnita and seasonal crowds:

Bled feels like a different world or maybe even a different century to most European holiday spots. Between Lake Bled’s island fortress, and the green slopes of the Julian Alps, the area seems almost too good to be true. Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Bled every year to admire the serene beauty of this town. For anglers, Bled offers alpine, chalk stream, and freestone rivers full of four different trouts, all within half an hour of each other. And it’s not just about the rivers. Lake Bled is home to pike, carp, and even zander. All this, in one of the prettiest places in Europe.

The full list, in alphabetical order, is:

Bled, Slovenia

Costa Adeje, Tenerife, Spain

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

Herceg Novi, Montenegro

Inverness, Scotland

Lisbon, Portugal

Marbella, Spain

Santorini, Greece

Stockholm, Sweden

You can read FishingBooker’s full story here, while you can see all our posts on Lake Bled here, our posts on fishing here, and our slightly flawed but still delicious recipe for kremšnita here.

STA, 11 March 2019 - Simon Zajc, who currently serves as a state secretary at the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry, is the candidate for new environment minister, Miro Cerar, the leader of the Modern Centre Party (SMC), announced on Monday.

Addressing reporters in Ljubljana, Cerar said Prime Minister Marjan Šarec agreed with the party's proposal for Zajc to succeed Jure Leben, who resigned in late February after becoming embroiled in allegations that he was involved in a tender rigging in his previous capacity as Infrastructure Ministry state secretary.

In the previous term, Zajc served as MP for the SMC, but failed to get re-elected in the 2018 general election. If appointed, he will become the tenth Slovenian minister of the environment and spatial planning.

Cerar said that the candidate would be able to continue on the course set by outgoing Minister Leben, ensuring continuity at the ministry.

Noting that Zajc had been picked for a state secretary by Leben, Cerar said that the candidate was "surely capable of coordinating people", adding that he had proved himself as an MP and vice-chair of the parliamentary Agriculture Committee.

Before being elected an MP in 2014, Zajc, 38, who graduated from the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, also worked as a radio and TV host.

He also managed car fleets of large companies and headed a video production and mobile app company, hosted events, wrote for the Slovenian edition of the Cosmopolitan magazine and performed as a stand-up comedian.

Before the formation of the SMC in 2014, Zajc was a member of the Slovenian Youth Party (SMS). He also unsuccessfully stood in the 2018 local elections for a member of the Ljubljana city council on the SMC's ticket.

The prime minister's office quoted Šarec as saying that Zajc was an optimal choice for the new environment minister at the moment "if we want the work that has been started to be continued".

The remaining coalition partners have responded positively to the nomination or said the name had been expected.

The Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) said it wished for Zajc to understand the connection of his ministry with the Infrastructure Ministry, headed by SAB leader Alenka Bratušek.

Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) leader Karl Erjavec said supporting Zajc in the vote in parliament would not be a problem, adding that "the current state secretary is acquainted with the content and issues in the field, which makes him an appropriate staffing solution".

Social Democrats (SDS) head Dejan Židan believes the SMC had given a thought to proposing Zajc. "Prime Minister Marjan Šarec will also give the proposal a thought before nominating him, and we support such proposals."

The opposition New Slovenia (NSi) expects that the new minister will continue Leben's work, saying that the "issues that have piled up in the field of environmental protection ... demand quick and thoughtful response and opposition to certain lobbies which only pursue their own interests".

Zmago Jelinčič, the head of the opposition National Party (SNS), said that "emergency replacements" would not result in solving the issues Leben had started to tackle.

These issues are the reasons for Leben's resignation in the first place, Jelinčič said, expressing doubt that the new minister will be able to do anything.

All our stories on the environment and Slovenia can be found here

March 12, 2019

In 1582 the Gregorian calendar was introduced. Until then the first day of spring was marked on March 12, and in Slovenian folk tradition it continues to be celebrated as St Gregory's Day.

St Gregory's is named after Pope Saint Gregory the Great (app. 540 - 604), who according to folk traditions brings spring, light and the sun.

On March 12 there was already light enough that the blacksmiths of Kropa did not need torches or candles for their work anymore, which they celebrated by throwing burning objects into the local stream, which later evolved into children sending little ships and huts (little gregories) down the water.

??? According to folk tradition, St. Gregory brings #spring on his name day, 12 March. Tonight, children across #Slovenia will welcome spring by floating hand-made candle boats down the rivers ⛵️.@visitljubljana ? @VisitKranj ? @visit_trzic #ifeelsLOVEnia #myway pic.twitter.com/3wQJUyjhzO

— Feel Slovenia? (@SloveniaInfo) March 11, 2019

St. Gregory's day is also Slovenian St. Valentine's, a day of lovers, as according to folk traditions this is the day of bird nesting. Unmarried girls thus would look into the sky on this day, as the first bird they saw would suggest what their future husband would be like.

STA, 11 March 2019 - The Western Balkans and regional initiatives were at the centre of talks between President Borut Pahor and his visiting counterpart from Bulgaria Rumen Radev in Ljubljana on Monday. The presidents confirmed good relations between the countries, underlining that they could still be improved.

Talking to the press after the meeting, Pahor said that political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries were "very lively".

Slovenia considers Bulgaria a strategic partner and the countries have good bilateral relations that are not burdened by anything, he said. Contacts between the countries at the top political level are relatively frequent, he added.

Slovenia opened an embassy in Sofia last year, while Adria Airways has launched a regular route between Ljubljana and the Bulgarian capital, the president noted at their joint press conference.

Predsednik Pahor in gospa Pečar na uradnem obisku v Sloveniji gostita predsednika Republike Bolgarije Radeva s soprogo. https://t.co/yvkvaIOuAN pic.twitter.com/12v0i2r55b

— Borut Pahor (@BorutPahor) March 11, 2019

According to Radev, Slovenia and Bulgaria, located on different sides of the Balkans, each represent stability and security, they steer dialogue and cooperation policies in the interest of security and peace in the Balkans.

"We share the same values and we want peace for the future of our region," Radev underlined.

Pahor presented to Radev Slovenia's preparations for the next Brdo-Brijuni Process Summit scheduled in Tirana, Albania, for May.

Although Bulgaria is not part of this initiative it does have its own, influential, positions about developments in the region, Pahor said.

He added that the atmosphere, cooperation and trust in the region were not ideal at the moment. He wants the summit to send out a message that would be encouraging for the nations in the region and that would obligate the EU to find together solutions to bilateral and multilateral issues in this part of southeastern Europe.

According to Pahor all Balkan leaders are set to come to Tirana, including Serbian and Kosovo presidents, Aleksandar Vučić and Hashim Thaci, although temperature is running high between Belgrade and Prishtina.

"I can't imagine one of the leaders not coming. This in itself would be a political message. One of the worst possible imaginable at the moment," said Pahor.

Radev moreover underlined that accession of Balkan countries to the EU and NATO was the key to stability, security and progress in the region.

Pahor expressed satisfaction that Radev confirmed today that he would take part in the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Ljubljana in early June.

He believes that the event will be an opportunity for countries in central and eastern Europe to freshen up on their list of priorities in the presence of high representatives of Germany, the EU and the US.

Po novinarski konferenci v Predsedniški palači se predsednik Republike Slovenije Borut Pahor in predsednik Republike Bolgarije Rumen Radev udeležujeta odprtja slovensko-bolgarske poslovne konference na @GZSnovice, kjer bosta nagovorila udeležence konference. pic.twitter.com/HXjWJUv3xJ

— Borut Pahor (@BorutPahor) March 11, 2019

The Bulgarian president also said that cooperation should not only be limited to transport, energy and communication but it should also include science, education, culture and the youth.

Radev is accompanied in Slovenia by a business delegation which attended a business forum at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Due to restrictions, the group of executives is smaller than Bulgaria would have wanted. This indicates a great amount of interest in doing business with Slovenia.

Thus a business forum taking place at the sidelines of the Three Seas Initiative will serve as an opportunity for a visit by a bigger delegation.

Economic cooperation between Slovenia and Bulgaria is good, with trade amounting to EUR 385m in 2017. The figure was 25% higher than the year before. Bulgaria is Slovenia's 24th biggest exports market.

You can find all our stories on politics and Slovenia here

STA, 11 March - The Maribor District Court has found a GP guilty of abuse of power and violation of sexual integrity of a minor, newspapers reported on Monday. The prosecution sought a prison sentence and a temporary ban on practising medicine, but the court decided to hand down a suspended sentence of 18 months.

The ruling is not yet final, the prosecution will appeal against the ruling, handed down on Friday, while the defence is still considering an appeal.

The case goes back to autumn of 2016, when a 16-year-old girl came to see GP Davorin Kolarič to get a doctor's note for missing a phys-ed class. The GP allegedly touched her breasts and genitals, which he denied in court.

However, the newspaper Dnevnik reports that he admitted in the course of the investigation that he stripped the girl down to her knees, placed her on her stomach and went on to examine her lymph nodes without putting on gloves. He said he suspected she might have mononucleosis.

Court-appointed expert witness Anton Gradišek told the court that Kolarič should not have stripped the patient without forewarning. Moreover, examination of lymph nodes does not require touching genitals and breasts.

If Kolarič really suspected mononucleosis, he should have also taken her temperature and felt the lymph nodes in the neck and under the jaw, according to the expert witness. Kolarič did not do any of this, Dnevnik says.

Immediately after the incident, the patient turned for help to a telephone helpline for children and youths, which advised her to contact the patients' rights ombudsman.

The latter set up a mediation process between the patient and the Lenart health centre where Kolarič worked at the time.

At the mediation meeting, Kolarič apologised for failing to explain the course of the exam and failing to request her permission. Moreover, Lenart health centre boss Jože Kramberger offered the 16-year-old his resignation.

Disappointed with the mediation, the patient reported Kolarič to the police. In the trial, the prosecution demanded that he be sent to prison and temporarily prohibited from practising medicine.

However, the panel of judges in charge of the case said on Friday that a ban on medical practice for Kolarič would be too severe a punishment because the incident was "merely" a quick examination that did not leave severe and lasting mark on the victim.

The judges also advised the victim to file a separate lawsuit in order to get compensation from Kolarič, Dnevnik said.

Meanwhile, the Medical Chamber condemned the alleged incident. President Zdenka Čebašek Travnik ordered a review by the chamber's ethics body, which may result in Kolarič losing his medical licence.

She also said that there should not have been a mediation in this case. When violence is involved, mediation is not the right course of action, said Čebašek Travnik, who believes the victim did the right thing by going to the police.

She moreover expressed the belief that such cases were rare, adding however that the medical profession would only be respected if the cases were addressed and not swept under the carpet. The chamber has handled abuse cases in the past and some doctors have been sentenced to prison, she added.

Kolarič has been reviewed by the chamber in the past but not in relation to this case, according to Čebašek Travnik. Minor irregularities were determined, which Kolarič addressed to the chamber's satisfaction.

STA, 7 March 2019 - Ljubljana, the lakeside resort Bled and several other Slovenian towns included in the Slovenia Green scheme have been awarded at ITB Berlin, one of the world's largest and most prominent tourism trade fairs.

Ljubljana won in the category Best in Cities with its campaign promoting local food production entitled the Exchange of Local Foods.

The first meeting of producers and potential buyers of food from Ljubljana and central Slovenia was held in February and attracted more than 80 food producers, representatives of schools and kindergartens, hotels and restaurants.

"Locally produced ingredients are a trend in modern cuisine that is becoming an increasingly important element of Ljubljana's tourism, so we plan to continue with the Exchange of Local Foods ..." said Petra Stušek, the head of Turizem Ljubljana.

We just kicked off @ITB_Berlin 2019 with 35 Slovenian tourism partners ?
?Visit us at Stand 109, Hall 17 and explore the culture and beauty of your favorite destination!
?https://t.co/F1OMIiM4TQ#ITBBerlin #ifeelslovenia #myway #itsculturetime pic.twitter.com/QoPz2zzcrY

— Feel Slovenia? (@SloveniaInfo) March 6, 2019

Bled received the second prize in the category Best in Europe, which Tomaž Rogelj of Turizem Bled sees as a reward for the town's efforts in environment protection. It is also an encouragement for new measures promoting sustainable tourism, he said.

Meanwhile, Komen, Rogaška Slatina, Idrija, Koper and Podčetrtek were among the 25 finalists in the category for their efforts for responsible tourism, the Slovenian Tourism Board (STO) said after the accolades were handed out on Wednesday.

The Sustainable Top 100 Destinations awards are conferred by an NGO promoting sustainable tourism, Green Destinations, which declared Slovenia the first green country in the world in 2016.

Last year, Slovenia was among the top six most sustainable destinations in the world and the top in Europe.

A total of 64 destinations, service providers, parks and travel agencies in Slovenia are currently included in the Slovenia Green scheme and another 11 are to be included shortly, the STO said.

STA, 9 March 2019 - Addressing a ceremony marking 30 years since the formation of the Democrats' (SDS) precursor, Janez Janša said the SDS had stayed true to itself, its values and Slovenia even in the most challenging times. "The SDS stands for democracy and is against any totalitarianism," the party head stressed in Ljubljana on Saturday.

Janša said the party was therefore always ready to cooperate with anyone who shared this view for the benefit of Slovenia. "A party that votes against the European Parliament's resolution on European conscience and totalitarianism is not a democratic party," he added.

In the light of the EU elections, Janša stressed the importance of the EU and its future. "Perhaps never in the years since independence in 1991 have we celebrated our birthday in a time when the future ahead was so open and unpredictable. So many different possibilities lie before us. Not all of them are good," he said.

According to Janša, there is a time for every community, every nation when they need to reconsider their place in the world and such a time has come for Europe.

"The EU is strong because it gives priority to rules and the rule of law and not the rule of the stronger," Janša said, adding that the biggest threat to the rule of law were double standards.

One of such example is when EU institutions very quickly detect "actual or imaginary violations in some member states, especially in those where conservative or Christian democratic parties are on power," he said.

Janša believes it is time to opt for "a Europe that Slovenians voted for in the 2003 referendum, a Europe of European civilisation and culture that protects human rights and fundamental freedoms."

The SDS head believes that the key challenge of the new European Parliament after the economic and migration crises and Brexit will be political stabilisation, which will entail upgrading the EU's defence system and monetary policy.

Touching on the EPP's threats that Hungary's Fidesz may be expelled from the group, Janša expressed hope that "this argument in our family will be resolved as soon as possible with a smart compromise, without using force."

He believes the EPP should focus on ways to ensure prosperity for all in Europe, protect the borders and provide for the security of Europeans.

The SDS celebrates today the anniversary of the founding of the Slovenian Democratic Union (SDZ) and the Social Democratic Union of Slovenia (SDZS), which are considered its precursors.

The two parties emerged from the so-called spring movements, calling for democratisation and Slovenia's independence.

Janša said that when the two parties merged the "biggest and the most successful party in Slovenia's history" had been formed, which had so far won eight elections.

For three decades, the party has been "the main pillar of Slovenia's independence, an indivisible part of the fight for democratic transformation and Slovenia's inclusion in the European civilisation's flows," Janša said.

The event at the Cankarjev Dom centre was also addressed by the European People's Party (EPP) Spitzenkandidat for the EU vote, Manfred Weber, who warned against the danger of nationalism in Europe.

Europe is much more than just laws and must provide concrete answers to concrete challenges, including migrations, he said. He also stressed the importance of a shared culture that is based on Christian values.

All our stories on politics in Slovenia are here, while those on Janez Janša are here

Below is a review of the headlines in Slovenian dailies for Tuesday, 12 March 2019, as summarised by the STA:

DELO

Russian investment
"Whole world to get health in Rogaška": Rolan Bocoyev, the Russian whose company will build a new hotel in the Rogaška spa resort, says that the "whole world could come to Rogaška to get health". (front page, page 3)

Climate change
"Our polluted air warming up still": Young people in Slovenia will join the global movement for climate on Friday with climate expert Lučka Bogataj commenting that only a trigger is needed once causes for protests have piled up. (front page, page 4)

Municipality debt
"Is Šentrupert new record holder by debt": After four years of decline, the combined debt of Slovenian local communities increased last year by EUR 7m to 849m. (front page, page 5)

St Gregory's Day
"Light boats for bird wedding feast": Children braved the rain and cold to float light boats down rivers and streams on the eve of St Gregory's Day to usher in spring. (front page)

DNEVNIK

Hospital data breach
"Izola patients' referrals on show on Google": Even though the Izola hospital had already known about sensitive data leak last year and had asked Google to remove it from the internet, photographs of referrals have appeared on Google again, hospital director Radivoj Nardin admitted. (front page, page 4)

Judge suspension
"Suspended judge thinks he's on leave": Many have been upset by the disciplinary court's decision which has cleared Stanko Omerzu, the suspended head of the Maribor Labour Court, of the allegations against him. His lawyer says that the very procedure was unlawful. (front page, page 4)

Ljubljana renovation
"Ljubljana: Renovation of Poljanska Street gets under way": A comprehensive reconstruction of Poljanska Street launched yesterday is to benefit pedestrians and cyclists in particular. (front page, page 10)

FINANCE

Economic trends
"What is the outlook for orders and jobs?": Germany's industrial output is contracting; what is the impact on Slovenian export companies. (front page, pages 2-4)

Hospital data breach
"Personal medical data accessible on Google": The referrals and medical results of the Slovenians who booked an appointment at the Izola hospital since the start of 2016 have been accessible on Google. (front page, pages 6, 7)

Brexit
"Fateful days for Brexit": Under British law, a hard Brexit remains the adopted scenario unless parliament decides otherwise. (front page, page 5)

VEČER

Maribor housing construction
"Construction frenzy": Maribor is to get around 2,000 new apartments, a figure that is worthy of debate. (front page, pages 2, 10, 11)

Doctor
"He faces loss of licence": After Večer reported that doctor Davorin Kolarič had been given a suspended sentence for violating the sexual integrity of a 16-year-old girl, the Medical Chamber said it would initiate its own procedure which could cost him the licence. (front page, page 21)

Candidate for health minister
"Leben to be replaced by Simon Zajc": The Modern Centre Party has proposed Simon Zajc to be the new environment minister. (front page, page 3)

Insurance fraud
"She sacrificed hand for damages": A quartet of suspects wanted to make fat money out of an insurance fraud but their plan has been discovered. (front page, page 20)

Aviation safety
"After two accidents, aircraft grounded": Several countries have decided to ground Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft after two plane crashes. (front page, page 6)

Local and international media, including the BBC, are reporting on one of the more bizarre and gruesome stories to come of out Slovenia for quite some time – that of a woman who cut off her own hand to claim the insurance. What’s more, the woman did not act alone, as at least one family member helped her remove her the appendage with a circular saw.

In another shocking detail, after the alleged accident, which the family claimed occurred while sawing branches, the woman was taken to UKC Ljubljana hospital without the severed hand, with the aim of making the injury permanent. However, the hand was retrieved by the authorities and re-attached to the as yet unnamed woman.

In addition to having left the hand behind, police suspicions were aroused when it was learned that the family had recently taken out accident insurance, with the incident occurring shortly after the policy became valid. The 21-year old woman was thus in line to receive around €383,400 in compensation, as well as further monthly payments of €3,000, with the potential payments being much higher if the hand had not been re-attached.

The police originally arrested four members of the family, and the 21-year-old woman who lost her hand, and a 29-year-old man who helped in the scheme, now face a prison sentence of one to eight years for fraud.

STA, 8 March 2019 - The Ljubljana Local Court has slapped the opposition Democrats (SDS) with a fine of EUR 20,000 for violating the political parties act in the hiring of two loans, the commercial broadcaster POP TV reported on Friday. SDS head Janez Janša was slapped with a EUR 2,000 fine. The party has reportedly already announced an appeal.

The SDS was indicted by the Court of Audit in March 2018 over two contentious loans it took out in 2017.

The party came under fire in January 2018 for closing a deal on a EUR 450,000 loan from a Bosnian national at the end of 2017, and borrowing EUR 60,000 from the publisher Nova Obzorja in August 2017.

This runs contrary to the provision that parties can only borrow from banks, savings banks and a limited amount of money from individuals.

Under the loan agreement with Bosnian Diana Đuđić, the 32-year-old was obligated to pay out the loan in three instalments of EUR 150,000.

The law puts the ceiling for party loans from individuals at ten times the value of the average gross monthly pay or around EUR 15,800 per year.

Less than two weeks after the scandal broke out, media reported of the loan the SDS took from Nova Obzorja, in which the party holds a 44.2% stake. The stake was also put up as collateral in the loan secured with Đuđić but was later put up for sale.

Nova Obzorja issues the weekly Demokracija and tabloid Škandal24.

The SDS returned the first instalment it received from Đuđić with interest in January 2018 but this did not stop the procedure against the party.

All our stories on politics in Slovenia can be found here

https://www.total-slovenia-news.com/news/politics