Politics
STA, 10 April 2022 - The government advisory group for coronavirus has proposed that the indoor mask mandate be lifted once the number of Covid patients in intensive care is below 35 for seven consecutive days.
The figure would include all Covid patients in intensive care, those treated because of Covid-19 and those who are in intensive care for other conditions but are also Covid positive, Mateja Logar, the head of the advisory group, told the STA on Sunday.
This week the number of Covid patients in intensive care remained below 40 before rising to 42 today. The last time there were fewer than 35 ICU patients with Covid was in August last year.
Logar hopes the target figure will be achieved in seven to ten days. Add to that the seven consecutive days that the number must remain below the limit, and the restriction could be lifted in two weeks at the earliest.
Masks would remain mandatory in hospitals and aged care facilities.
The proposal is yet to be approved by the government.
The indoor mask mandate is one of the few restrictions still in place, most others were lifted once the Omicron-driven wave subsided.
While daily new cases remain fairly high compared to previous lulls in the epidemic, hospital numbers have been dropping.
What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.
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FRIDAY, 1 April
GROSUPLJE - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec, speaking during the government's visit to the south of Central Slovenia, said Slovenia would not pay for Russian gas in roubles and would not accept Russia's extortion.
VRHNIKA - PM Janez Janša announced the government would continue to intervene as long as necessary to contain high electricity prices. He said this would be until the European pricing formula changed.
LOGATEC - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs visited the Logatec refugee centre, revealing that more than 5,800 Ukrainian refugees were accommodated in Slovenia, most at private accommodations or with their friends or relatives. However, procedures to award them temporary protection status are sunning slowly.
LJUBLJANA - More than 1,400 candidates representing 20 parties and groups will stand for seats in parliament in the 24 April election, including ten of the 18 incumbent ministers and 80 of the 90 sitting MPs.
LJUBLJANA - The Parsifal poll conducted for Siol news portal showed the gap between the Democrats (SDS) and the Freedom Movement narrowing from almost nine points to six with the former polling at 21.7% and the latter at 15.4%.
LJUBLJANA - Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) analysts forecast for the Slovenian economy to expand by 3.7% this year and by 3.2% in 2023.
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Juliane Kokott, an advocate general at the EU's court, issued a preliminary opinion at the request of the Slovenian Constitutional Court, finding that the Slovenian central bank's financing compensation for bank shareholders and bondholders wiped out in the 2013 bailout would run afoul of the EU treaty.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark - A report released by the European Environment Agency showed that Slovenia is one of the five European countries with the highest recorded concentrations of the PM 2.5 fine particulate matter.
SATURDAY, 2 April
VANCOUVER, Canada - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch wrapped up a busy week-long tour of the Slovenian communities in Canada in Vancouver, after visiting Toronto and Ottawa. Apart from visiting Slovenian associations, she also met with businessmen of Slovenian descent and visited their companies.
LJUBLJANA/SEŽANA - Alojz Kralj, the last surviving member of the underground anti-fascist organisation TIGR, died aged 101. His memoirs tell about the TIGR, founded in 1927 as one of the first anti-fascist resistance movements in Europe.
LJUBLJANA - The government included a comprehensive renovation of the main building of the UKC Ljubljana medical centre, called Hospital, in the plan of development programmes for 2022-2025. The EUR 37 million will be secured by the Health Ministry.
SUNDAY, 3 April
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša labelled the atrocities Russia is believed to have committed in Bucha, a city close to Kyiv, crimes against humanity, likening them to the 1940 execution of Poles in Katyn by the Soviet Union.
NOVO MESTO - Andrej Saje, the bishop of Novo Mesto and head of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference, apologised to the victims of sexual abuse by the clergy on behalf of the Catholic Church in Slovenia, as he marked the day of prayer for the victims.
LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement narrowly overtook the ruling Democrats (SDS) in the opinion poll commissioned by the public broadcaster TV Slovenija from Mediana and is now one percentage point ahead, at 19.7%.
NEW YORK, US - Slovenia and Croatia marked the 30th anniversary of their UN membership with a concert by the world-renowned Slovenian-Croatian duo 2Cellos, who thus started their valedictory world tour. The concert at the Barclays Center also expressed solidarity with Ukraine with ambassadors from all three countries attending.
NEW YORK, US - Karen Kamenšek, a conductor of Slovenian descent who served as artistic director of the Maribor opera house and the chief conductor of its orchestra years ago, won the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for her version of Philip Glass's opera Akhnaten.
MONDAY, 4 April
ZAPREŠIĆ, Croatia - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met his Croatian and Italian counterparts, Gordan Grlić Radman and Luigi Di Maio. They assessed the ongoing trilateral cooperation in the north Adriatic and discussed proposals for further cooperation. The trio strongly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and supported Ukraine and its people.
KRK, Croatia - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec met Croatian Economy Minister Tomislav Ćorić to discuss possibilities for Slovenia to get gas visa the LNG terminal on the island of Krk. Croatia is to publish a call to lease out additional capacity soon. Slovenia hopes to meet about a third of its gas needs in this way.
LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša congratulated Hungarian PM Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party on the fourth consecutive win. "It's good to have friends as neighbours," Janša wrote on Twitter.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor congratulated Aleksandar Vučić on his re-election as Serbia's president in a phone call with Pahor's office saying the pair were keen to hold an informal meeting soon.
LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption found PM Janez Janša was in a conflict of interest as he voted for the appointment of Franci Matoz, his long-time lawyer, for a top job at the Bank Assets Management Company in July 2021. Janša criticised the watchdog on Twitter for failing to find flaws in Court of Audit President Tomaž Vesel's work for FIFA or the salaries and bonuses of former Gen-I chairman Robert Golob.
LJUBLJANA - Fresh official statistics showed Slovenia's merchandise exports rising by almost 19% year-on-year in January to EUR 36 billion, as exports surged by over 50% to EUR 4.2 billion. In the first two months, the trade deficit topped a billion euros.
LJUBLJANA - Croatian group Fortenova became the sole shareholder of Mercator, Slovenia's largest retailer, after squeezing out all remaining small shareholders.
LJUBLJANA - A portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin filled with the blood of Ukrainians was projected onto several buildings in the centre of Ljubljana in a project of Russian-born conceptual artist Andrei Molodkin.
LJUBLJANA - Emerik Bernard, one of the most important Slovenian painters and representatives of late Slovenian modernism and postmodernism, died aged 84.
LOS ANGELES, US - Slovenia's best professional golfer, 18-year-old Pia Babnik, set a new milestone by taking third place in the first major tournament of the season, the Chevron Championship in California, in what is by far the best result any Slovenian golfer has ever achieved.
TUESDAY, 5 April
LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry announced that Slovenia demanded from the Russian Embassy in Ljubljana to downsize its staff from 41 to eight as it summoned Russian Ambassador Timur Eyvazov to express the country's protest and shock at the killings of civilians in Bucha and other towns in Ukraine.
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces said 100 Slovenian troops would be deployed to Slovakia to enhance NATO's presence on its eastern flank in the first phase, out of up to the 200 pledged. They will be ready for departure from 11 April.
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the importance of Ukraine-Russia negotiations hosted by Turkey in a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
LJUBLJANA - Most parties standing in the 24 April general election think Slovenia should not provide weapons to Ukraine, but foremost humanitarian aid, and accept Ukrainian refugees, judging by their answers to the STA.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's jobless total dropped to 60,534 at the end of March, down 6.6% from February and 26.7% lower year-on-year, the Employment Service announced, adding this is the lowest since September 2008, at the peak of economic growth.
LJUBLJANA - A Eurobarometer survey showed Slovenians were quite happy with their life in general but only one out of three was happy with the way democracy works in their country, which puts them below only Greece and Croatia.
MONTREUX, Switzerland - Tadej Pogačar became the first rider in history to pass the 6,000 point mark in the UCI world road race ranking as Slovenia took the lead in the nations ranking with Primož Roglič in 2nd and Matej Mohorič in 5th.
WEDNESDAY, 6 April
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly imposed a blanket ban on fracking as MPs voted 54 in favour and none against to pass the relevant amendments to the mining act. The ban affects plans by UK investor Ascent Resources to extract gas by means of hydraulic fracturing in Petišovci in the north-east.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly failed to take a vote on a bill on electronic communications that was to transpose the relevant EU directive as well as make it possible to ban vendors such as Huawei as the centre-left opposition filed a motion for a referendum, which now needs to be discussed first. Slovenia faces legal action at the EU court for failing to transpose the directive.
POLZELA - President Borut Pahor and US Ambassador Jamie L. Harpootlian addressed a ceremony to mark Slovenian-American Friendship Day and 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations at a spot where an American B-17 bomber was downed during WWII. In their address, they both made references to the war in Ukraine with Harpootlian saying the atrocities committed by Russia were a stark reminder of what the B-17 bomber crew was fighting for.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a coalition-sponsored bill on a housing state guarantee scheme for young people. The Institute for Housing and Spatial Studies said the scheme would only drive up housing prices further.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a bill to provide up to EUR 392.44 million in loan guarantees to motorway company DARS for projects on the Third Development Axis expressway and some other motorway sections.
LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a bill to provide EUR 150 million for investment in sport infrastructure in the 2023-2027 period. The priority areas for financing will be determined by the government.
LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement, a non-parliamentary party that some polls favour to win the 24 April election, announced the Administrative Court issued a temporary decision in which it upheld its argument that it should be granted the status of a parliamentary party in election debates aired by the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija just like Our Land, the party of former Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec, whom RTV Slovenija granted such status.
LJUBLJANA - Several hundred scientists rallied in protest against the transformation of private educational and research institutions into public entities eligible for public funds, a policy they say is driven by political interests. Meanwhile, the centre-left opposition prevented adoption of a regulation to transform a private Novo Mesto college into a public faculty by filing for a referendum.
MARIBOR - NKBM, Slovenia's second largest banking group, nearly halved its net profit last year to EUR 112.6 million. The bank is being sold to the Hungarian OTP Bank group in a transaction that is expected to be finalised in the second or third quarter of the year.
THURSDAY, 7 April
BRUSSELS - Foreign Minister Anže Logar called for a prompt EU ban on Russian gas imports as he arrived at day two of a NATO ministerial. Slovenia joined an initiative of eleven EU countries calling for an end the EU's dependence on Russian fossil fuels.
LJUBLJANA - The government secured extra funding for the Climate Change Fund in the 2021-2023 period, with the total of inflows and carry-ons from past years estimated at EUR 525.2 million for the period, up from EUR 170 million in inflows a year. The funds will also go for household energy supply and investment in energy efficiency.
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a decree to incentivise municipalities to approve installation of wind farms by providing compensation amounting to 3% of the estimated annual revenue from the energy produced from the source.
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a bill to impose a 5% tax on natural persons when they turn their cryptocurrency into a fiat currency or buy goods, services or other assets, but only if the sum exceeds EUR 10,000 in a calendar year. The Finance Ministry estimates at least EUR 1 million a year in budget receipts.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia welcomed the UN General Assembly's decision to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, which Foreign Minister Anže Logar termed as an important victory for democratic principles of multilateralism.
LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council urged increasing public spending to attain climate and energy goals nearly threefold by 2030 to 6% of GDP a year from an average of EUR 1 billion or 2% of GDP a year in 2016-2020.
LJUBLJANA - The Responses to Educational Disruption Survey, an international study of how the educational system fared during the Covid pandemic, showed worrying results for Slovenia in the segments of achievement of learning objectives, knowledge standards and marks.
DOBROVNIK - Ocean Orchids, Slovenia's leading orchid grower and one of the biggest users of geothermal energy in the country, won a EUR 2 million government subsidy to build the first reinjection well in Slovenia.
LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that Franc Kangler, a state secretary who served as Maribor mayor in 2006-2012, was awarded EUR 50,000 in damages for being wrongfully convicted to prison for awarding a municipal flat to a fortune teller.
STA, 8 April 2022 - Most parties standing in the upcoming general election agree that a comprehensive pension reform will be needed to ensure a sustainable pension system. They do differ though on the ways to achieve this. They also have different proposals on how to improve Slovenia's demographic situation.
Every year the public pension fund covers the shortfall due to insufficient revenue by funds from the state budget. Last year, EUR 718.7 million went to cover the gap. The average number of pensioners was some 624,800, an increase of 0.01% year-on-year, the smallest uptick in the past 31 years.
Responding to questions from the STA on the matter, the parties urged a new pension reform as the existing system is already ten years old. They also called for efforts to tackle problems facing youth, including housing, and demographic challenges with most having in mind incentives for more children.
The ruling Democratic Party (SDS) would aim to ensure a pension system that provides decent pensions and is financially sustainable. They are in favour of educational system changes that would be aligned with the challenges of the time. They would also continue their family-friendly policy and tax policy.
New Slovenia (NSi) would strengthen the second pillar through tax and other incentives for both employees and employers. They also propose a tax-free year for first-time employees and improving work-life balance. For a worker replacing an employee on parental leave, contributions would be exempted.
The Freedom Movement party, SDS's main rival according to opinion polls, finds it key that pensions must not be less than 10% above the poverty threshold. The second pillar should become mandatory and participation in the third pillar and staying in employment longer would be further encouraged.
Strengthening all the three pillars is what the Social Democrats (SD) have in mind. Slovenian Sovereign Holding would remain the guardian of state assets, and the party plans to tap the return of state-owned enterprises as a permanent source of a demographic fund. They also plan construction of 10,000 public rental flats and free kindergarten and school meals.
The Marjan Šarec Party (LMŠ) believes that the pension reform will be necessary but only in 10-15 years. They would also incentivise participation in the second and third pillars, boost value added, build non-profit flats and come up with measures to facilitate international adoption procedures.
Meanwhile, the Left says that Slovenia is not facing a demographic but a social crisis. An ageing population is not unusual, but society should take proper care of the elderly, they note, urging a pension increase. They see a gradual equalisation of employer and employee contributions as a key new source of co-financing pensions.
The Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) would strive to ensure the retirement age does not increase and pensions are not lowered. Their priority is more non-profit rental housing and they would also cap rents. Moreover, 5,000 jobs for young people would be provided in the public administration.
Tying pension adjustment to wage growth is part of the Pensioners' Party's (DeSUS) platform. They regard mechanism that would compensate for the shortfall of contributions due to robotization as a new source for the pension fund. Anyone emigrating from Slovenia would have to pay back the costs of their education.
The National Party (SNS) highlighted that any pension reform was contingent on coordination among all parties in parliament, so listing measures made no sense at the moment. They would make the educational system more aligned with business. They mentioned "normalisation of the approach to sexuality" as a way to improve the demographic situation.
Our Land would ensure pensioners can work without restrictions if they want to and if their employer agrees. They would set up a targeted mechanism to encourage young people to take up farming.
Connecting Slovenia, which also includes the party Concretely, would not raise the retirement age but would allow pensioners to work in the private sector according to the needs of the labour market. Young people should not be misled into professions that do not offer a decent living, they added.
STA, 6 April 2022 - Several hundred scientists gathered in the centre of Ljubljana on Thursday to protest against the transformation of private educational and research institutions into public entities eligible for public funds, a policy they say is driven by political interests rather than expert judgement.
"We cannot consent to the duplication of activities and irrational spending of hard-won funds via alternative routes instead of regular routes applicable to other scientific institutions," said Martina Lukšič Hacin, one of the Scientific Research Centre at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU).
The protest, organised by the Chancellors' Conference and Coordinating Body of Slovenian Research Institutions, comes after the National Assembly passed in mid-March a bill transforming the Pomurje Academic and Science Union, led by an Education Ministry state secretary, into a public institution.
Just a week later, the government endorsed the creation of Rudolfovo, a research hub in Novo Mesto seen as a key step in the creation of a new public university in Novo Mesto run by staff with close ties to the government.
And today the National Assembly was due to vote on the transformation of a Novo Mesto faculty into a public institution, another planned piece of the Novo Mesto university, a step which has been temporarily derailed by a referendum motion lodged by the opposition.
The organisers of the rally demand that autonomy of science be respected, they want the National Research Agency, where there was recently a change of ownership, to have a "politically independent leadership", and they demand transparent distribution of public funds.
Gregor Majdič, the chancellor of the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest public university, expressed concern about the formation of new public institutes and regional universities without any analysis or consultations.
"Slovenia still invests the lowest share of public funds in all of EU in science, development, innovation and higher education. We have to ask ourselves whether we are rational and responsible in the distribution of funds that are low as it is."
The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport responded by pointing to an increase in funding for science and research. It said this year they would increase by EUR 44.3 million or 13.7% to EUR 369 million, which was up 21.8% compared to realised funding in 2021.
The funding is to increase by an additional 7.2% in 2023 to EUR 395.6 million.
It said the goal was to earmark 1% of GDP in public funds for science and research with an annual growth rate of 0.08% of GDP. It added that budged funds for science wound double by 2025.
So far there have been 16 science and research institutes in Slovenia, of which 15 in Ljubljana and one in Koper, the ministry said, adding that only decentralisation in the field could activate as much potential as possible and create conditions conducive to applied research.
"The fear of the scientific research community that the creation of a new public research institution would jeopardise its current or future material situation is thus completely unnecessary, all the more so as funding for science will only increase in the years to come," the ministry's release reads.
STA, 6 April 2022 - The National Assembly fast-tracked on Wednesday a bill to create a state-owned limited liability company tasked with managing the tactical aspects of passenger transportation on road and rail as a public service.
The company, headquartered in Postojna, will plan public transportation and its financing, participate in infrastructure planning and strategies, and manage the integrated mass transit tickets that Slovenia has had for several years now.
It will act as the tactical layer of public transportation management as Slovenia strives to complete a three-layer approach (strategic, tactical and operational) to public transportation.
The company will manage all financial sources earmarked for public transportation from state and local budgets, and other sources of financing. It will also be able to get commercial funding.
The government labelled the bill as the first step towards optimising the organisation and management of public transportation.
Confirming the bill in a 47:1 vote less than three weeks after it was adopted by the government, deputies said it marked the start of improvement of public transportation in the country after years of neglect.
STA, 6 April 2022 - The National Assembly endorsed an opposition bill on the status of university students that will raise state scholarships by 20% by 2024, increase funding set aside for the construction of student dorms, and raise meal subsidies.
Another notable feature is that a large share of income earned through student work and scholarships, up to the level of minimum wage, will be exempted from means testing.
There are also provisions on assistance to special-needs students, according to Speaker Igor Zorčič.
The bill was tabled by five opposition deputy groups and was initially rejected by the government, but Education Ministry State Secretary Mitja Slavinec said amendments attached on committee made it acceptable.
The legislation was confirmed in a cross-partisan vote. Several deputy groups said it was a long overdue improvement for students that would make their studies easier.
In a separate vote, the National Assembly endorsed a bill to equalise the minimum gross hourly pay for pensioners with the minimum rate for student work.
Pensioners will thus get the same rate as students for work they are allowed to do after retirement, though the net pay will be slightly different due to differences in contributions.
The rate has been set at EUR 4.49 net for pensioners, which is 29 cents more, as the coalition rejected the idea of the original proponents of the bill, the opposition Left, that the rate should be equal on a net basis.
STA, 6 April 2022 - The National Assembly has imposed a blanket ban on hydraulic fracturing or fracking as MPs voted 54 in favour and none against to pass the relevant amendments to the mining act on Wednesday.
This was the sixth attempt by the National Assembly to pass such a ban after it failed to endorse similar proposal by the opposition looking to thwart plans by UK investor Ascent Resources to extract gas by means of hydraulic fracturing in Petišovci in the north-east.
The original set of amendments put forward by the government proposed to ban only high volume hydraulic fracturing, but a full ban was added through an amendment tabled by the ruling coalition and endorsed on the committee.
The amendments also define in more detail certain concepts relating to the rehabilitation of mining sites, the regulation of special cases of extension of mining rights and concessions, the introduction of a digital mining register and the transfer spatial planning powers for municipal spatial planning in mining from the Infrastructure Ministry to the Geological Survey.
They introduce solutions for the payment of compensation for the mineral extracted during the rehabilitation of an illegal mine in cases where the mining right and the exploitation concession are terminated before the rehabilitation is carried out, and additionally for the transfer of mining rights if the concessionaire goes bankrupt.
The amendments also improve the scope of regulated professions in the mining sector, define certain offences and add a legal basis for the financing of monitoring and maintenance of permanent cave structures after the closure of coal mines, Infrastructure Ministry State Secretary Aleš Mihelič told MPs last week.
The debate focused on the ban on fracking with the opposition hailing the government's changing its mind about fracking.
The Velenje coal mine welcomed the amendment allowing the concessionaire within the mining area to extend the duration of the mining right without meeting the condition of having the right to carry out mining operations on the entire land subject to the extension of the mining right.
It said it was a step towards meeting the condition for obtaining a concession to mine coal after July 2023 - by which time they have extended the mining right and the concession relationship - or until the end of the mining operation.
"The amendment provides that such concessionaires only enter into legal transactions with landowners immediately before they start developing their land, rather than years or decades before, as in the case of the Velenje coal mine," the mine operator, Premogovnik Velenje, said.
It added that the amendment did not mean that in future landowners would not be involved in deciding what was done to their land.
STA, 5 April 2022 - The Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Timur Eyvazov to express Slovenia's strongest protest against and shock at the killings of civilians in Bucha and other towns in Ukraine. The ambassador was also notified that Slovenia is reducing the number of staff at the Russian embassy in Ljubljana from 41 to eight, or by 80%.
The ministry said in a press release on Tuesday that it expressed to Eyvazov its "strongest protest and dismay at the massacres of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha and other towns, which satellite and other images have revealed after the towns were liberated from the occupation of the Russian aggressor forces".
Together with its partners and allies in collaboration with the International Criminal Court, Slovenia will do everything in its power for the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes to be brought to justice.
The Russian ambassador was told that in line with Article 11 of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations, Slovenia is reducing the number of diplomats and administrative and technical staff at Russia's embassy in Slovenia.
The provision says that the receiving state, in this case Slovenia, may require that the size of a mission be kept within limits considered by it to be reasonable and normal, given the circumstances and conditions in the receiving state and the needs of the particular mission.
Slovenia decided to adjust the number of staff at the Russian embassy to the number of staff it has at its embassy in Moscow.
The ministry did not provide an exact number at first, but PM Janez Janša tweeted that the number would be reduced "drastically".
It later confirmed for the STA the information that the cut would involve 33 staff - from the current 41 diplomats and other staff to just eight.
With 41 staff, the Russian embassy is by far the largest diplomatic mission in Slovenia, with the ministry saying that the figure was much higher than for instance at the US or Chinese embassy.
The ministry explained the measure had been harmonised at EU level, noting that several EU countries had recently decided to cut the number of Russian diplomats, including Germany, France and Italy.
These countries have said they have opted for the move to secure national security as the expelled Russian diplomats have been said to work as spies, while the Slovenian ministry did not list any such reasons.
It stressed, however, that the decision had been made under Article 11 of the Vienna convention, not under Article 9, which says that the receiving state can declare one or more more staff of the sending state persona non grata.
The ministry said that it had also called in Slovenian Ambassador to Russia Branko Rakovec for consultations.
STA, 5 April 2022 - Most parties standing in the 24 April general election think Slovenia should not provide weapons to Ukraine, but foremost humanitarian aid. They mostly oppose any solo action as regards sanctions against Russia or an immediate suspension of Russian gas imports. Most parties think Slovenia's energy sources should be diversified.
Responding to STA questions about the war in Ukraine, the parties unanimously condemned the Russian aggression there. Most also think Slovenia should not provide weapons to Ukraine but humanitarian aid.
They stressed the importance of diplomatic efforts for peace. "Slovenia must act in a responsible way and encourage negotiations rather than incite conflict," the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) said.
Several parties stressed the importance of coordinated action with the EU and NATO. They oppose the idea that Slovenia should introduce stricter sanctions than the EU.
According to the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Slovenia should help "in line with the EU and NATO common foreign and security policy". "There is no need for Slovenia to introduce any stricter sanctions or policy against Russia on its own."
The Social Democrats (SD) echoed this, warning that "solo actions, no mater how well-intentioned, can damage Ukraine and only increase the pressure of the aggressor".
Only New Slovenia (NSi) and the Democrats (SDS) specifically support military aid, while the National Party (SNS) specifically opposes it.
Slovenia should help Ukraine with weapons too, so that it will be able to defend itself, the SDS said, while the SNS maintained Slovenia should by no means send Ukraine weapons but stay neutral.
The SNS also believes Slovenia should abolish all sanctions adopted against Russia, as "we must provide for our people not America's profits".
Most parties also said Slovenia should not suspend Russian gas imports either, saying the country should first find alternative sources of energy as soon as possible, not only because of the war in Ukraine but also because of the climate crisis.
In contrast, the SDS and NSi think the imports of Russian gas "should be stopped as soon as possible". This should happen "within the next few months", because by paying for gas countries are financing the Russian army, the SDS said.
It thinks one of priority solutions is the construction of a liquefied gas terminal.
The party also thinks Slovenia should help Ukraine financially to "restore its economy and democracy". Since the start of the war, Slovenia has donated EUR 1.64 million in aid to Ukraine and another EUR 1.1 million through international organisations to help Ukrainian refugees, the ruling party said.
The Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) thinks it is bad that "countries are being forced to pick between Russia and America". Being neutral is the best option for countries such as Ukraine and Slovenia, the party believes, so it proposes establishing a "third bloc of countries".
DeSUS also opposes sanctions, saying they affected the people rather than those responsible.
Meanwhile, the Left called for sanctions aimed at "Putin's regime and the oligarchs who support them, not against the people". The SD too called for EU sanctions targeting the Russian elite.
Slovenia should offer all the necessary political, economic, financial, humanitarian and other aid to Ukraine as an EU and NATO member, the Freedom Movement believes. It also calls for aid to Slovenian citizens who used to live in Ukraine and Slovenian companies that have been affected by the war.
The Freedom Movement believes EU countries should negotiate on the supply of gas and prices together, and set up joint storage facilities, as this "would be the best way to lower the gas prices".
Our Land said Slovenia should strengthen its commitment to NATO and raise defence spending to close to 2% of GDP in the coming years.
Meanwhile, Connecting Slovenia said Slovenia should put its interests first and make sure its energy supply is reliable. "If this is possible without Russian energy, we support suspending the supply of Russian gas."
The SAB warned that Slovenia was strongly dependent on Russia gas and that the current government had done nothing in the last couple of years to diversify energy sources.
STA, 3 April 2022 - Novo Mesto Bishop Andrej Saje, the head of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference, apologised on Sunday to the victims of sexual abuse by clergy on behalf of the Catholic Church in Slovenia, as he marked the day of prayer for such victims.
Listening and hearing, protecting and providing support, both in an emotional and spiritual sense, are key factors, he said in a statement shared on the Church's website.
"No victim is to blame for the evil that was done to them and should never have happened. The full responsibility lies with the perpetrator, and I advocate zero tolerance of any abuse. I express my compassion to the victims and their families," he said.
Saje said he was aware that statements and regulations cannot heal the wounds and pain of individuals, and that unless the perpetrators, or at least those who knew of the abuses, are held accountable, it will be difficult for the victims to live freely.
The Church has made important steps in the past in detecting and sanctioning the abuses, but the road to preventing unacceptable wrongdoing is long and challenging, he said, committing to specific measures to create a safe environment.
The Church will strive for changes to its structures so that they serve people first and foremost, the protection of the person's dignity and spiritual progress, he added.
Last October, the Slovenian Bishops' Conference decided that the day of prayer and reconciliation for sexual abuse victims in the Church and society will be marked every year on Passion Sunday, which is observed today. Believers have been urged to say a prayer for the victims during the Sunday mass and, if possible, light a candle to express solidarity with them.
The Catholic advocacy group for the victims Dovolj.je (It's Enough) has been noting that the Church still needs to do more. They recently called for the inception of a properly-funded independent commission to investigate cases of suspected sex abuse by clergy.
STA, 1 April 2022 - More than 55,000 refugees from Ukraine have so far transited Slovenia, mostly to get to their relatives and friends in Italy, Spain or France, while more than 5,800 have been accommodated in Slovenia, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said as he visited the refugee centre in Logatec as part of a government visit to Central Slovenia.
Less than a thousand refugees are staying in Slovenian accommodation centres, while the rest are in private accommodation or staying with their relatives or friends.
In the past week, 100-150 Ukrainian refugees have been arriving in Slovenia every day, the minister said, adding he had no information of a potential influx.
But it is true that some countries, including Poland, Hungary and Moldova, have been reporting of accepting fewer refugees.
Next to Logatec and Debeli Rtič, a third centre for Ukrainian refugees is now being set up near the Jelšane border crossing with Croatia. The facilities there have been provided by the Interior Ministry.
Hojs said some feared the accommodation centres would become a kind of new migrant centres, but he stressed they were intended exclusively for refugees from Ukraine, who are entitled to temporary protection. "These are not new migration centres."
The minister said he was happy that Slovenia had been relatively successful in its efforts to provide protection to Ukrainian refugees.
"Perhaps there have been some more delays in the issuing of decisions on temporary protection at administrative units but let me tell you that each refugee who has arrived in Slovenia after 24 February will be included in the system of temporary protection."
Concerns have been raised because administrative units have one month to decide on an application. Refugees must submit the application within three days since their arrival.
Although the process of obtaining temporary protection is significantly shorter than that for obtaining international protection, it can still last a month or more.
In line with a government decision adopted last week, a person who requests for temporary protection has the right to accommodation at an accommodation centre and to food there. All the other rights such as financial assistance, access to the labour market and education, come after their request is approved.
There are currently 299 refugees at the Logatec centre, including 125 children, who will start to go to school on Monday. They will be attending primary schools in Logatec, Horjul and Rovte. The latter has already delivered notebooks the children will need to the centre.
The capacities in Logatec have been expanded to be able to accept 350 refugees. Mostly mothers with children are staying in Logatec, and three men.
According to data from administrative units, 8,013 Ukrainian refugees have so far asked for temporary protection. So far, protection has been granted to 88 of them, no application has been rejected.
A total of 5,039 Ukrainian citizens have been registered in Slovenia today, while since the start of the Ukraine war, police have processed 15,081 Ukrainian citizens, most of whom only transited Slovenia.
