Do foreigners in Slovenia feel more or less safe sitting out covid-19 here than in their home country, and what are their experiences? All the stories in this series are here. If you' like to contribute, see here or at the end of the story

Rick Harsch is an American writer with a voice of his own who lives in Izola. You can learn more about his life and work, pre-coronavirus, in this previous interview.

Firstly, how are you? Tell us a little about your situation and sanity levels.

I’m lucky because I was already in relative isolation. Now I have the company of my children. They have phones to keep them in contact with the world. My wife does some editing across the apartment from me. Nobody gets on anybody’s nerves. I am a writer and editor, so the only thing that is affected is that with the suffering I am aware of, for so long in Italy, now in the US, and I fear the coming crisis in India, I can’t write as I would normally. I just understood this yesterday.

When did you realise that coronavirus was going to be a big issue?

I came to know this was dangerous sometime in February, I suppose, following a sane doctor on YouTube. It might even have been in January. The decision-makers in the US were a week ahead of me at least, but as we know they did nothing. Now the country of my origin, where my parents live, both of them 88, and my brothers, 63, 63, and 62 live, and where all the brothers and sisters I picked up along the way live, will soon have three times the number of infections as China and twice the deaths. That won’t be the end of it, either.

What is your impression of the way Slovenia is dealing with the crisis?

What the hell can I say about Slovenia, with what's happening in America? Am I happy with the response to the virus? Surely they should be testing more aggressively, but otherwise people have seemed sane and intelligent. The government is doing what it is forced by circumstance to do. Maybe Janša will try his hand at Orbanism later; for now he’s sane enough to know he has to take care of his people. I feel safe and feel that though I would have closed the schools a week earlier, the government has been doing a good job of following most of the best international protocols.

I have no idea about the economic provisions here in Slovenia. It’s difficult to get social help in the best of cases. The process is absurd: they look at your bank accounts for the previous three months and decide—they don’t interview you to find out what your true circumstances are. I was rejected once because they day they decided I received a check for 2,700€. That was from four months of work that began six months previously. I had been out of work two months and would be for another six. They gave me nothing. Will I get something now? I doubt it. What will have changed? Would it be worse in the US? Absolutely. 70,000 homeless in New York at least. And that’s a cold city.

How do you feel about the broader response in America?

I awoke too early this morning—which is relevant in that I had no control over my psychomental flux, which allowed thoughts of the prison known as Riker’s Island to stage a break into my mind. The place is a death trap and the virus is raging within. The US likes to put people in jail. The oligarchy quietly banned Foucault.

Riker’s, if you don’t know, is an island more or less in New York City. Let it be representative of all the prisons in the US, including the brains behind the bars of US propaganda, which has led prisoners of the US, from Trump to Harvey Weinstein, from yer average feller to your local hero, to believe they are a special breed of human—so in Wyoming a virus in wide open country of free men is raging against the moronism inherent in the live free and fire your rifle at anything that moves mentality.

Yes, this is the country in which just recently the ‘left’ came together in Oligarchic Panic to defeat Bernie Sanders, whose Medicare for All, would have made the US a nation of re-tooling insurance salesmen but paved the way for the wealthiest nation in the world to have the best health care system in the world.

There is nothing to say about Trump—for one thing, 40 years ago Reagan was equally buffoonish in context, paving the way for Trump, and a growing wealth gap. No, not Trump, but the array of cowards, from his fellow politicians to the media that sits dumbly as he insults them. ‘Fake News’ had falsely, insidiously, virally, insinuated itself into the global lexicon. We had a term for it already: propaganda. “Fake news” is fake news.

What's the one thing you wish you had taken with you into self-isolation?

I don’t wish for anything I don’t have in isolation except for maybe a small monkey.

One thing you have learned about yourself, and one thing you have learned about others during this crisis.

I can’t be sure I have learned anything about myself, as I have had things relatively easy compared to too many others. Regarding others? I’m 60 years old, so it would take more than hoarders and heroes to surprise me.

You can read more of Rick Harsch by getting one or more of his book, available from River Boat Books, with this link taking you to Skulls of Istria, a tavern confession novel st in front on a bottle in Piran.

All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook

We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Xenia Guzej. You can see more of her work here.

Contents

Highest increase in coronavirus deaths recorded yesterday

Govt restricts use of certain drugs, calls for donations

SDS MEPs donating share of pay for Covid-19 relief, PM urges others to follow suit

Slovenia donates protective equipment to North Macedonia

Highest increase in coronavirus deaths recorded yesterday

STA, 3 April 2020 - Four more deaths related to the new coronavirus in Slovenia were recorded on Thursday, the highest daily increase so far, and another patient died on Friday, increasing the overall death toll to 21. The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases rose by 37 to 934, the government has announced.

The Maribor UKC hospital reported its first Covid-19 deaths today, saying that a patient from a nursing home died at the hospital on Thursday and another patient on Friday. Both were elderly.

"Sadly, I must report the first two fatalities. One is a person who had been in our intensive care unit for a while, and another was moved here yesterday from an old-age home outside our region," UKC Maribor medical director Matjaž Vogrin said.

Details about other fatalities are not available, but the first reported fatalities were residents of nursing homes, which have become the coronavirus hotspot in the country.

Data released by the Health Ministry show that a total of 177 nursing home residents were infected as of Thursday, 15 more than the day before.

Health Ministry data also show that 128 health workers are infected.

As of Thursday, 112 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, 30 of them in intensive treatment units, five were discharged from hospital, the government said on Twitter earlier.

A total of 1,064 tests were performed yesterday to put the overall number at 25,921.

As many as 135 of Slovenia's 212 municipalities have recorded at least one confirmed infection and 85 recorded two or more cases.

While the capital Ljubljana still has the highest number of cases, at 158, up three in a day, the outbreaks elsewhere are centred around care homes.

The biggest jump in new cases was recorded in Ljutomer in the north-east of the country, by eight to 46. All eight new cases were at the old-age facility there where now 41 are infected.

To contain the spread, fifteen healthy residents of the facility who are able to look after themselves have been moved to be quarantined at the apartments of the tourist complex Bioterme Mala.

The biggest hot spot is at the care home at Šmarje pri Jelšah, where 60 residents and 15 staff were infected according to data as of Wednesday.

Only data for the whole Šmarje pri Jelšah community are available for Thursday showing that the number of infections there rose by four to 116.

Another hot spot is a nursing home in Horjul, a community just west of Ljubljana that saw its tally of cases rise by two to 26 on Thursday.

As of Wednesday 19 of the infected were residents at the nursing home and four were staff, who have been quarantined at home.

Out of seven residents tested on Thursday, two were positive, the Horjul facility manager said on Friday, which would put the total number of the infected there to 21, plus four staff.

The Horjul facility manager said that four of the residents who fell ill with Covid-19 were being treated at hospital.

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Govt restricts use of certain drugs, calls for donations

STA, 3 April 2020 - The government has restricted the usage of drugs containing chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine or azithromycin to make sure enough of those substances are available to patients who need them. It has also tasked the Agency for Medicines to call on companies to donate to the public health system drugs used to treat Covid-19 patients.

The government said on Friday that due to the spreading of coronavirus infections the prescribing of medications with the three substances, which are principally used for the treatment of other conditions but have proven to be effective in the treatment of Covid-19, has increased.

Until further notice, prescribing these medications for personal use and their over-the-counter sale will be banned.

Thus, the government wants to make sure that sufficient amounts of drugs containing chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine are available to patients with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus erythematosus, who urgently need them.

The government also wants to prevent the overuse of azithromycin, which could potentially lead to bacteria developing resistance to the drug, and deficiency of the drug on the market.

The relevant decree adopted today will enter into force after it is published in the Official Gazette.

The cabinet also tasked the Agency for Medicines last night to call on companies to donate to the public health system drugs that have proven effective in the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

According to the Government Communication Office, the UKC Ljubljana hospital will collect data on the drugs needed at hospitals around the country at least once a month and forward them to the agency to enable optimal distribution, including of donations.

UKC will be collecting data on drugs containing hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir, remdesivir, favipiravir, umipiravir, tocilizumab, systemic interferons/IFN beta-1-alpha, siltuksimab and sarilumab.

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SDS MEPs donating share of pay for Covid-19 relief, PM urges others to follow suit

STA, 3 April 2020 - MEPs Milan Zver and Romana Tomc of the senior coalition Democrats (SDS) announced on Friday they would donate 30% of their pay to fight the Covid-19 disease. Prime Minister Janez Janša responded by praising the move and calling on other Slovenian top officials in EU institutions and around the world to follow their example.

Zver and Tomc (SDS/EPP) decided to give up a share of their pay even though the umbrella anti-crisis law, endorsed on Thursday, does not envisage such pay cuts for MEPs.

"I expect a similar gesture from the rest of Slovenian (and foreign) officials holding well-paid jobs in the EU and around the world," said Janša, who also expects a similar gesture of judges and the editors of major media not affected by the 30% pay cut imposed by the law.

Tomc urged her colleagues and other appointees to EU institutions to join her in this step as well.

Zver explicitly stated on his Twitter account that he would be donating the share as of April and until the end of the epidemic is declared.

Meanwhile, MEP Tanja Fajon (SD/S&D) as well as MEPs Irena Joveva and Klemen Grošelj (RENEW/LMŠ) responded by saying they had not been sharing their donations for coronavirus relief publicly.

Franc Bogovič (SLS/EPP) tweeted that he had made his contribution three weeks ago to a special account of the Red Cross.

"In the meantime I've helped those affected directly. I make monthly transfers (youth charity, UNICEF), I also respond to many charity campaigns. I'll also donate into the budget," tweeted Bogovič, adding that he was not in the habit of making his donations public each time.

Joveva said that she did not need any calls for her previous donations nor would she need them in the future, while Grošelj pointed out that he did not want publicity at the expense of others' distress.

In a Facebook post Joveva said that she and Bogovič had already stated in a web discussion yesterday that they would not have a problem taking a 30% pay cut and were making donations.

Similarly, Milan Brglez (SD/S&D) said that he did not publicly communicate about his donations or charitable activities.

Fajon exchanged a few words with Tomc on Twitter, reminding the SDS MEP that she recently said charity was not charity if it meant publicity. Tomc replied that this was something else because it showed solidarity and highlighted that everybody was in the same boat.

Under the coronavirus umbrella law a 30% pay cut awaits holders of public office in Slovenia, but not mayors and judges.

The Slovenian Association of Judges said earlier this week that it had opened a special account for judges to donate a share of their pay to fight the epidemic.

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Slovenia donates protective equipment to North Macedonia

STA, 3 April 2020 - Slovenia has donated to North Macedonia protective equipment worth EUR 110,000 to help the country fight the new coronavirus, the Slovenian Defence Ministry said on Friday. The package for the Macedonian Interior Ministry includes 100,000 protective masks and 100,000 protective gloves, the Macedonian press agency MIA reported.

"The donation comes at a crucial moment. I'd like to thank Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša and our Slovenian friends. Every donation counts and will help our daily efforts to protect police officers working round the clock who are exposed to the risk of infection with the new coronavirus," said Interior Minister Nakje Chulev, who accepted the shipment at Skopje airport today.

Slovenian Ambassador to North Macedonia Milan Jazbec was also present. "I am honoured that we are the first EU and NATO member to have made a bilateral donation to the police force," he was quoted as saying by MIA.

According to the Slovenian Defence Ministry, Slovenia has responded to a request for aid that North Macedonia addressed through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Chulev said that his ministry was currently focusing on exercising oversight of the implementation of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country, and on providing enough protective gear for its staff.

According to data by the Macedonian Health Ministry, 430 coronavirus infections have so far been recorded in the country, while 13 people have died.

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Do foreigners in Slovenia feel more or less safe sitting out covid-19 here than in their home country, and what are their experiences? All the stories in this series are here. If you' like to contribute, see here or at the end of the story

Who are you, and how did you come to be here?

Ciao, I am Luke, or better known as Šepetalec Pašte. I’m a chef and my home country is Australia. I came to be here in Slovenia through a mate I work with in London. To be honest, I had to check the map to see where Slovenia actually was. After few messages back and forth I decided to take the gamble and come to Slovenia. I have been traveling around Europe for last four years, and have based myself in London for 3 years.

I am now working at Bungalow Portorož on the coast.

Tell us a little about your situation and sanity levels.

How am I? It’s a good question. My partner lives in Italy, which been hard because we can’t see each and offer support to other. I live alone and has been a tough not to have a pet or someone else to be with you in these times. It’s very challenging mentally, trying to stay positive and the fact is it’s still the unknown what is going to happen in the coming weeks. I’ve been trying to stay busy with cooking and exercise. I also have a good network of friends that checks up on me to see how I’m doing, and they been offering support. Even with this I still have my ups and downs every day, but we are all going to get through this!

When did you realise that coronavirus was going to be a big issue?

I started to realise that this was going to be a big issue when Italy started to have a lot of cases and the death count start to climb. As my partner lives in Verona I was more informed about what was happening, then they started to close down areas and regions. In the restaurant we noticed a big impact on the number of people coming to Portorož, as the coast is supported a lot by the Italian tourist and other nearby countries.

I think restaurants have suffered the biggest impact because they work on smaller margins with a high turnover, and the future of the industry is very uncertain. 

What is your impression of the way Slovenia is dealing with the crisis? How safe do you feel?

I think that Slovenian is doing the best it can. On the government side I’m not well informed, to inform but this is a great opportunity for it to show some support for the people of Slovenia. I’m very lucky to have a great boss that is doing the best he can to support his workers and make sure they can survive through this period, and I think he’s setting an example for other employers to take the lead in this way. 

How are things compared to Australia?

Coming from Australia I can say that I’m proud of how the Australian people are handling it, offering the jobseeker allowance to people that are now employed. However, many people in Australia have not really taken this so seriously, and as a result it’s going to take longer to recover.

I think Slovenians have done an amazing job to really stick to the rules and show respect for one another, so the country can recover a lot quicker and hopefully been back on track as soon as possible. As an outsider I am impressed on the way Slovenian people have handled this.

What about official communications from the authorities, compared to your home country?

As my Slovenian is not the best I do count on a mate of mine, Tim, and Total Slovenian News to keep up to date, but I don’t reply on direct contact with the authorities.

What's the one thing you wish you had taken with you into self-isolation.

Just one thing? I would have like to take a lot more with me, but I would have to say I would love to have my partner with me in these times, just to have her with me and to have someone else to talk to, to watch movies and someone to cook for, and the bonus is I’d have someone to wash the dishes. But other than having someone else with me I have mostly what I need here.

What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself, and one thing you’ve learned about others during this crisis?

As I am alone through this period I have a lot time to think, and you really get to have a look at yourself and the person you are in how you handle such difficult times , I have learned that I am definitely stronger mentally then I realised. I’ve also realised where I want to be and that Slovenian is an amazing country. The people here should be proud of themselves as a nation, and they have always been very welcoming to me.

All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook

We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists and designers. Today it’s Lara Orel Pogačar, a student at ALUO - Akademija za likovno umetnost in oblikovanje. You can see more of this series of posters here.

Contents

Highest increase in coronavirus deaths recorded yesterday

Relaunch of business activities conditional on protective equipment

Police to oversee adherence to epidemic restrictions at weekend

Florist shops and nurseries to reopen today

Govt already working on stimulus package No. 2

Highest increase in coronavirus deaths recorded yesterday

STA, 3 April 2020 - Four more deaths related to the new coronavirus in Slovenia were recorded on Thursday, the highest daily increase so far, putting the death toll at 20. The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases rose by 37 to 934, the government has announced.

A total of 1,064 tests were performed yesterday to put the overall number at 25,921. The number of hospitalised persons is at 112, 30 of whom are in intensive care, five have been discharged from hospital, the government said on Twitter.

As many as 135 of Slovenia's 212 municipalities have recorded at least one confirmed infection and 85 recorded two or more cases.

While the capital Ljubljana still has the highest number of cases, at 158, up three in a day, the outbreaks elsewhere are centred around care homes.

The biggest jump in new cases was recorded in Ljutomer in the north-east of the country, by eight to 46. All eight new cases were at the old-age facility there where now 41 are infected.

To contain the spread, fifteen healthy residents of the facility who are able to look after themselves have been moved to be quarantined at the apartments of the tourist complex Bioterme Mala.

The biggest hot spot is at the care home at Šmarje pri Jelšah, where 60 residents and 15 staff were infected according to data as of Wednesday.

Only data for the whole Šmarje pri Jelšah community are available for Thursday showing that the number of infections there rose by four to 116.

Another hot spot is a nursing home in Horjul, a community just west of Ljubljana that saw its tally of cases rise by two to 26 on Thursday.

As of Wednesday 19 of the infected were residents at the nursing home and four were staff, who have been quarantined at home.

Out of seven residents tested on Thursday, two were positive, the Horjul facility manager said on Friday, which would put the total number of the infected there to 21, plus four staff.

The Horjul facility manager said that four of the residents who fell ill with Covid-19 were being treated at hospital.

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Relaunch of business activities conditional on protective equipment

STA, 3 April 2020 - The government is examining how to gradually restart the economy amidst the lockdown, but in order to do so a sufficient amount of personal protective equipment must be secured, the government's spokesman for the coronavirus epidemic, Jelko Kacin, told the press on Friday. The goal is to domestically produce 100,000 masks daily.

"The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology is prioritising domestic production of protective equipment that would be available to workers," he said, adding that the business sector was behind only healthcare and nursing homes when it came to the distribution of protective equipment.

Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek yesterday visited several companies that produce protective gear. "Our intention is to secure at least 100,000 face masks daily from local production." The number has already been achieved, Kacin said, but added that "demand will be high".

Počivalšek yesterday visited Prevent&Deloza, a maker of protective equipment that he said is already producing 10,000 washable face masks daily according to a design approved by UKC Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest hospital.

Several other companies that do not specialise in protective equipment have started producing masks in recent weeks, including car upholstery maker Boxmark in Kidričevo, which produces over 6,000 face masks daily for the national stockpile, and several other major textile companies which have not disclosed their output.

Dozens of small sewing businesses around the country have joined the effort as well and many municipalities have already started distributing face masks to residents, usually of the washable variety.

At the same time, efforts continue on an ongoing basis to secure enough protective equipment for the hospital setting.

Počivalšek said on Twitter today that a million three-layer masks had just been delivered to the Commodity Reserves Institute's main warehouse in Ljubljana. Earlier this week a million surgical masks and 200,000 of the higher-grade FFP2 masks had been delivered from Czechia.

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Police to oversee adherence to epidemic restrictions at weekend

STA, 3 April 2020 - Starting today and all through Sunday, the police will be preventing people from gathering in public places and controlling whether they leave their place of residence. This comes after tourist destinations were overflowing last weekend and the government decided to restrict movement to place of residence in an effort to rein in Covid-19 contagion.

The police said on its website last night that adhering to the restrictions in place is of utmost importance for the benefit of everybody.

The oversight will be conducted on motorways and other roads, as well as in other locations, especially near popular destinations.

The police has also set up a hotline to help those with questions about the restrictions. The hotline is available every day of the week between 7am and 7pm at 01 514 70 01. Questions can also be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Florist shops and nurseries to reopen on Friday

STA, 3 April 2020 - Florist shops and nurseries will reopen on Friday, a day after the government decided to add them to the list of exemptions to restrictions that shut down most non-essential businesses in Slovenia in the face of the coronavirus epidemic. Moreover, construction work where there is no contact to the client will also be allowed from Friday.

The government decided to allow florists' and nurseries to reopen because spring is a peak selling time for these businesses that invested a lot of funds and work in growing seedlings and other plants, which would go to waste unless they are sold, the government Communications Office said after a correspondence session on Thursday.

Moreover, construction work will be allowed at construction sites that are not used as living spaces and where the workers have no contact with the clients.

Nevertheless, those involved will be obligated to use face masks and gloves and to keep a safe distance from others.

Consumers can only go to the nearest florist or nursery. If there is no such business in the municipality of their residence, they may cross into another municipality.

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Govt already working on stimulus package No. 2

STA, 3 April 2020 - The government will discuss on Friday guidelines for a second fiscal stimulus package after its first, EUR 3 billion bill was passed in parliament on Thursday. The new measures will bring some corrections to the law passed yesterday and new measures to address liquidity, investment and employment legislation.

Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj announced at the start of the week that the government was already working on additional measures to mitigate the coronavirus crisis.

"Once we have mitigated the negative consequences of the epidemic, we will encourage the economy, liquidity and investment, with new measures," he said.

The government is examining the proposals put forward by deputy groups to improve the first law, which was adopted in a hurry so it has some flaws, coronavirus crisis spokesperson Jelko Kacin told the press on Friday. "We want to examine, harmonise and prepare these things for the second package."

At the same time the government is examining possible measures to boost the economy's liquidity, he said, noting these two groups of measures will be "the core of the second package".

The government would like to adopt the second bill in ten days, and then immediately send it to parliament, he explained at today's first government media briefing.

The government will be helped by the advisory task force led by economist Matej Lahovnik, which also advised it on the first package, according to economist Marko Jaklič, a member of the task force.

He said the task force had split into three groups - one focusing on liquidity, another on labour market and flexicurity and the third one on investment.

The liquidity group has already embarked on work so the set of measure to boost liquidity of Slovenian companies should be ready shortly, he told the Odmevi news show on public broadcaster TV Slovenija last evening.

The second group will draft measures that are to address the challenges on the labour market after 1 June, according to Jaklič.

The measures featured in the EUR 3 billion coronavirus law passed yesterday are valid from mid-March when the epidemic was declared until end-May, possibly a month longer.

Trade unions are however upset that the government continues to ignore social dialogue.

The ZSSS association thus urged Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj today to involve the Economic and Social Council, the country's main industrial relations forum, in drafting the new measures, at least those related to the labour market.

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Do foreigners in Slovenia feel more or less safe sitting out covid-19 here than in their home country, and what are their experiences? All the stories in this series are here. If you' like to contribute, see here or at the end of the story

Who are you, and how did you come to be here?

I’m Adam E., and American expat from Houston, TX.  I’ve been living in Slovenia since Christmas Day, 2018, but didn’t move here directly from the USA.  I’ve been bouncing around Europe for the past 10 years or so, teaching English, working in tourism, and getting my Master’s Degree in Anglophone Literature and Literary Theory.  I currently work for a children’s book publishing company based in Ljubljana.

Tell us a little about your situation and sanity levels.

I feel very, very fortunate with how I’m currently doing.  I know things could be a lot worse.  I’ve been sheltering in place since March 13^th (incidentally Friday the 13th).  I’m in my apartment with my girlfriend and our kitten, so thankfully I’m not alone.  But that doesn’t mean that it’s been smooth sailing the whole time.  To be perfectly frank, we’re both getting a little stir-crazy, but we also understand that we all need to sacrifice something for the greater good.  So, if that means staying at home and taking the necessary measures to protect the most vulnerable, so be it.

When did you realise that coronavirus was going to be a big issue?

I spent the month of January and most of February in the United States finalizing my Slovenian visa.  I could tell then that COVID-19 was going to be a global issue, not just one affecting China.  My return flight was through Charles de Gaulle in late February, and, by this time, there had already been a few reported cases in France, so I wanted to take every precaution I could.  I had two N95 masks at my house in Houston from a painting project my family had done awhile back, so I wore one of those and washed my hands every chance I could.

What is your impression of the way Slovenia is dealing with the crisis? How safe do you feel?

Now I’m no political commentator, but, from what I’ve been reading about some of the measures the Slovenian government has been taking, it seems like they’re doing a great job of turning extraordinary circumstances into a great opportunity to enrich themselves and enact quasi-draconian measures that would never have been able to get passed otherwise.  I remember when 9/11 happened in the USA, and the Bush administration enacted the Patriot Act, one of the grossest breaches of civil liberties and the right to privacy ever in the history of the USA, to resounding applause from most (but not all) of the general public.  I’m afraid the same thing might be happening here under our very noses, and I’m also afraid I’m showing my hand in terms of which way I lean politically.

With that being said, there has been far more transparency and coherence regarding the government’s response to the virus directly.  It’s been clear which steps are being debated, and the results of those debates are released to the public both in Slovenian and in English.  These measures seem to be slowing the spread of the virus, which can only be a good thing.  They took quick, decisive action, and it’s saving lives.  However, there is one caveat.  It’s been reported that there has been far more clarity in the messages written in Slovenian compared to English.  And while I’m a very happy guest in this country, my Slovenian is not good at all, which has led to some slight confusion on my part about what I should be doing.  Other than that, and the aforementioned political scheming, I’ve felt safe and like there are grown-ups in charge.

How does that compare with America?

The response in Slovenia is diametrically opposed to what I’ve been seeing coming out of the USA, which, pardon my language, has been a shit-show at the best of times.  It really never was going to be anything but that if you see it as part of a nearly 4-year continuum, but I sincerely hoped that it wouldn’t be as bad as it is.  The steps taken here in Slovenia were decisive, the word of experts was heeded, and there has been a modicum of transparency about what has been happening.  America?  How much time do y’all have?  It’s a prime example of a failure of leadership from the highest people in power.  Luckily we have a more federalized system of government, and states’ governors have stepped in to fill the leadership void left by the blowhole-in-chief, but without that, COVID-19 could (and still can be) an absolute disaster in the USA in terms of loss of life. 

There has been no sense of what we as a nation should be doing.  Furthermore, everything has become so politicized in the United States that if it’s the right thing to do but delivered on the wrong channel depending on how you sway politically, it’s dead wrong.  At the very beginning, in early January, Fox News was claiming that COVID-19 was a leftist scare tactic.  I truly hope things will get better, but I highly doubt it, and that is incredibly depressing and disheartening.

What's the one thing you wish you had taken with you into self-isolation?

There isn’t much we’re lacking for here where I live in Ljubljana, but there’s one thing I do wish I had during self-isolation, and that is a yard.  I live in an apartment, so to have some grass, a bit of space outside, that would be fantastic.  The weather is getting nicer, so to be able to go outside and garden or kick a soccer ball around, that would be most welcome.  Other than that, I feel very fortunate to have so many local delivery services around to get fresh, local produce, a meal every once in a while, and some really nice local wines as well.

One thing you have learned about yourself, and one thing you have learned about others during this crisis?

What I’ve learned about myself is that, when it comes to self-isolation, I’m pretty good at keeping away from others.  I’m a social person, so I thought it would be very difficult to not see friends, but I’ve had some amazing conversations with my cat, and she’s now bilingual in English and Slovene, so apparently I’m a good teacher as well.  I’ve also been impressed with how the vast majority of Slovenians are doing their part to take care of each other.  Sure, there have been some exceptions to the rules, but for the most part, it appears that they’re all taking this very seriously and pitching in whenever or however they’re needed.  Maybe it’s culturally significant that this is Ex-Yugoslavia and collective action might be part of their social DNA, or maybe it’s just because they’re a more neighbourly people, I don’t know, but I’ve learned a lot about solidarity, and I must say that I’m very grateful to be here during these difficult and uncertain times.

All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook

We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Igor Andjelić. You can see more of his work here, and I recommend following him to get more joy in your life.

Contents

Number of coronavirus cases rises by 56 to 897, 16 deaths confirmed

High-school leaving exams delayed, other problems tackled

Ban on road cargo traffic at weekends, holidays lifted

Poll shows increase in those deeming latest measures too strict

Number of coronavirus cases rises by 56 to 897, 16 deaths confirmed

STA, 2 April 2020 - The number of coronavirus cases in Slovenia rose by 56 in a day to stand at 897 by Wednesday midnight. So far 16 people have died from the disease. In the last 24 hours, 1,095 tests were conducted, the government said on Twitter.

A total of 112 patients were in hospitals around the country today, 29 of them in intensive care. Four persons were released from hospital in the last 24 hours and one person died.

So far, a total of 24,857 tests have been performed.

As many as 162 of those infected are elderly persons at care homes, the major virus hotspots in the country, their number increasing by 25 from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Data from the Labour Ministry also show that 32 staff at the facilities are infected, two more than the day before.

The largest outbreaks have been at the nursing homes at Šmarje pri Jelšah (NE), where at least 60 residents and 15 staff are infected according to data as of Wednesday, and Ljutomer (NE), where the infection spread from two to 33 people in just five days.

Concerns have been raised in Ljutomer for the safety of the town's 4,000 residents, with the care home there rejecting the allegations that it had put the residents, staff and the whole community at risk through inadequate response to the situation.

The first nursing home outbreak was in Metlika in the south but the situation there appears to have since stabilised because the infected were fast isolated. A total of 39 are infected there as of Wednesday.

Another hot spot is a nursing home in Horjul, a community just west of Ljubljana that saw its tally of cases rise by four to 24 on Wednesday, with 19 at the nursing home.

A further 11 are infected at the Bokalce unit of the old-age facility in the Ljubljana Vič Rudnik borough.

In order to prevent any further spread, the Labour Ministry sent instructions to all care homes today to set up three separate zones: one for healthy residents, one for residents suspected of being infected and one for the resident who have already tested positive.

In case of a Covid-19 infection among the residents at the facility, the staff must not move between healthy residents and those infected or suspected of being infected.

All care homes need to monitor the health of their staff and their families, which means all staff will need to measure their body temperature before coming in to work.

In case of a change in body temperature they will have to notify the person in charge, and will not be allowed to come back to work until the reason for the change in their health condition has been cleared.

In addition, old-age facilities need to form teams to handle residents in case of a Covid-19 outbreak, which should comprise the facility's official, GP, nurse, a public health specialist, a coordinator appointed by the minister and a senior nurse appointed by the Chamber of Nurses and Midwives.

However, the association of care homes is not happy with the proposed solutions, arguing that most homes could not set up such separate zones as proposed by the ministry, and even those who could could only do so when the number of infected was still were small.

The association said that nursing homes were not equipped or qualified to treat a large number of Covid-19 patients, and they oppose moving the healthy residents to other locations or home care.

They find it unacceptable that "part of the sick citizens should be treated at hospitals with all the necessary medical equipment and trained staff, while part of the ill elderly be cared at old-age facilities, which lack the required conditions". They believe thus would be a gross violation of human rights.

The municipalities with the biggest number of confirmed coronavirus cases are Ljubljana (182), followed by Šmarje pri Jelšah (112), Metlika (49) and Ljutomer (38).

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High-school leaving exams delayed, other problems tackled

STA, 2 April 2020 - More than two weeks after schools in Slovenia switched to remote learning due to the Covid-19 epidemic, Education Minister Simona Kustec announced secondary school-leaving exams would not be able to be carried out as scheduled.

Although the National Exam Centre has been reluctant to announce any changes in the dates so as to encourage students to take remote learning seriously, Kustec told the public broadcaster late last night that given the epidemic situation it was clear that the first part of the matura exams could not be conducted as planned.

The date for essay writing will probably be moved from early May to 30 May, she said on the late news show Odmevi.

The ministry later said that the matura exams were scheduled to start on 30 May, with more specific data not yet available.

The National Exam Centre (RIC) has proposed the dates of individual exams to remain as scheduled, with the exception of the Slovenian essay writing being moved to 1 June.

RIC director Darko Zupanc said the plan was for the students to sit the English exam on 30 May as planned, along with all other dates, except the Slovenian language essay.

Only art school performance exams are to be moved to June. The announcement of the matura exams is to be moved on from 13 July be about two weeks.

Zupanc would not speculate what happened if the measures taken to contain the epidemic were extended into May or June, arguing that speculation at this stage would be bad for students. But he said that a reserve scenario solutions were ready.

The minister stressed that both experts and representatives of students agreed that matura should nevertheless be carried out. "All scenarios we are working on, focus on going through with the exams," the minister said.

It will not be possible to meet the original deadlines, but the school year for final graders will conclude on 22 May as usual. "The exact dates and deadlines (of the exams) will depend on the coronavirus situation," Kustec said.

According to her, this means that higher education enrolment deadlines will be adjusted to the changes. If matura exams are carried out in the spring and autumn as usually, no major changes will be necessary, but if no exams will be able to be carried out in the spring then the enrolment deadlines will need to be extended.

Kustec said the ministry was also preparing various scenarios if this happens. "We'll find a way that will be acceptable and suitable in this situation," she said.

The first enrolment deadline for higher education institutions has already been extended from 18 March to 9 April.

Kustec indicated last weekend that the dates for national exams for primary schools might also need to be changed.

She said that the ministry was also working on solutions for other problems students encounter. Students who will not be able to carry out the practical part of their courses will pass if they pass the theoretical part of the course.

Higher education institutions will adjust their requirements and students who will not be able to meet their obligations because of the epidemic will have their status automatically extended for another year.

In research, projects that were due on 31 December will be extended for another year without any cuts to their annual funding, she said.

Kindergartens, which remain closed during the epidemic and can therefore not charge parents for their services, will receive compensation for labour and other costs from the state. The same goes for private kindergartens, which will receive compensation amounting to 85% of what parents pay for a child, Kustec said.

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Ban on road cargo traffic at weekends, holidays lifted

STA, 2 April 2020 - The Infrastructure Ministry has lifted the ban on road cargo traffic at weekends and holidays, with the measure being in force until the end of the coronavirus pandemic in Slovenia is declared.

The ban on cargo vehicles weighing above 7.5 tonnes was in force at weekends and holidays from 8am to 9pm. It would also apply on Friday, 10 April, between 2pm and 9pm because of the Easter holidays.

Announcing the lift on the ban, the ministry also said on Thursday that terminals at the port of Koper operated and other port services provided without disruption.

It added that the port operator Luka Koper had introduced all necessary measures to contain the spreading of new coronavirus and protect employees and other persons in the port area.

According to the ministry, rail freight transport runs smoothly at border crossing. Road cargo transport and transit transport through the port of Koper is also undisrupted despite certain restrictions in other countries and at border crossings.

Passenger transport has been meanwhile significantly reduced as the government also banned non-urgent travel between municipalities. The newspaper Primorske Novice reported today that traffic on Slovenian motorways had dropped by more than 60%.

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Poll shows increase in those deeming latest measures too strict

STA, 2 April 2020 - The latest public opinion survey by Valicon suggests an increasing number of Slovenians deem the latest government measures to contain the coronavirus epidemic too rigid, with the proportion of those who think so increasing to more than 20% from 7% a week ago. A vast majority also believe the situation is improving.

Moreover, the share of those saying that the measures are not strict enough dropped from 40% to 27%. Most respondents (53%) still believe that the measures are appropriate.

Meanwhile, overall optimism is accompanied by feelings of concern though. Some 70% are optimistic, saying that the situation is turning for the better, an increase compared to the previous survey (57%).

More than 40% think that extreme measures, including school closure and bans on movement and gatherings, will last for another two months, while some 20% believe that emergency circumstances will be over in a month.

On average, the respondents expect another 70 days of the current situation - until 11 June. A week ago, the expected deadline was 28 May.

Slovenians are still most concerned for their families (69%), although a bit less so compared to a poll conducted two weeks ago (81%).

Similarly, concern for their health decreased as well, dropping from 44% to 37%.

On the other hand, feelings of worry regarding the economic impact are on the rise, climbing from 43% to 51%.

Following the announcement of measures aimed at mitigating the fallout, the respondents expressed less concern over keeping their jobs, however in the past few days, such distress is again more prevalent, standing at almost 15%.

There has been detected a slight decrease in support for the anti-crisis umbrella bill. Some 40% of those polled find the stimulus package appropriate, while about 50% said the same when the measures were announced a week ago.

The boost is still generally welcomed, but the number of those who find the measures inadequate increased from 3% to more than 8%.

The latest survey also inquired about the changes experienced at a workplace due to the outbreak. The workload of some 20% has increased, while 37% have a similar amount of work as before. Almost 10% is working reduced hours, with some 20% being on furlough.

Moreover, 4% have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus crisis.

The survey was conducted between 31 March and 1 April among 482 respondents.

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Do foreigners in Slovenia feel more or less safe sitting out covid-19 here than in their home country, and what are their experiences? A new series on TSN, starting with the writer Andrew Anžur Clement from America, currently holed up in Ljubljana. All the stories in this series are here

Firstly, how are you? Tell us a little about your situation and sanity levels.

All things considered, I’m doing fine. I live in Slovenia full time; my relatives normally spend about half of the year here. Currently, I am alone as they have had to cancel their travel plans. I work from home, writing and selling a product that is bought online, so from that aspect my life hasn’t changed. I’m even having pretty good sales!

True, I’ve had to cancel some lunches. However, I grew up in the US and then moved around to different countries in Europe for my studies. Before moving to Ljubljana to write, I was a researcher in the context of a double PhD program in Belgium and the UK, with supervisors in both countries. While I think that telecommuting and video conferencing have been new or jarring to a lot of people, for me they were an essential part of life for years.

The downside of normally working from home is that I also have very few ‘excuses’ to leave my apartment, other than to run out to Hofer every few days. I underestimated the importance to my sanity – and to my creative juices -- of being able to do something to ‘just get out of the house,’ like taking a long walk when the weather is nice. All things considered, though, that is an annoyance at worst.

When did you realise that coronavirus was going to be a big issue?

I was unaware of the virus’s existence for a lot longer than most people. I was on a plane, flying back to Los Angeles for a visit in mid-February. There was an Asian gentleman with a cough within earshot and the flight attendant made him wear a mask, all the while insisting that he was sure the man wasn’t infected. I remember thinking ‘What is coronavirus?’

I flew back to Slovenia on March 5^th. My mother was worried about me travelling because of the virus. I still didn’t think it was going to be a big issue outside of Asia. I attended the SNG’s performance of the opera Louisa Miller on March 6^th. Within the next day or two large public gatherings were banned; I believe it was the last performance given by the Ljubljana opera to date.

I don’t think that I fully realized that this was going to affect me until President Trump banned all flights between the US and Europe. My family had been planning to come to Slovenia for three months starting in late March. We are now on different sides of the Atlantic for the foreseeable future.

What is your impression of the way Slovenia is dealing with the crisis? How safe do you feel?

Insofar as my personal concerns about actually catching the virus, I feel as safe as can be reasonably expected, given the circumstances and the measures that the government has implemented. I am more concerned about getting sick with something other than coronavirus and not being able to get treatment, given how general medical services have been scaled back. I also worry about needing to get something done and not being able to do it. I have to say that I am less concerned about the latter now, at least in the short term, as public services still seem to be functioning. I had a bit of a scare when my washing machine broke yesterday. The employees at Big Bang were characteristically helpful via online chat and a new one should be delivered to my apartment in a few days.

Still though, I have more general concerns regarding how long this state of affairs is going to persist, or how long it will continue to be sustainable. My business isn’t really that affected by the lockdown in the nearer term, but I have concerns about the longer-term macroeconomic implications of the lockdown. Despite the bailouts in both the US and Slovenia, these can only go so far. At what point will economic pressures make continuing the lockdown undesirable or even unviable? Especially in Slovenia, where the lockdown seems more comprehensive than the US, I also worry about what will happen when so called non-essential services start to become more necessary. For instance, what about when people start to need things like haircuts?

Don’t get me wrong, a number of people are going to die from the coronavirus pandemic. It is serious and that is sad. But part of me honestly wonders if we are kidding ourselves by thinking that we can beat the pandemic in this or any other manner, especially when the only response to the lockdown not working, thus far, has been forcing more lockdown. Where and when does it end? That is probably my biggest worry.

Now compare that to your home country and how they are handling it. What is Slovenia doing better/worse?

Judging by what I’ve heard from family and friends in the States, I would say that the reaction in Slovenia has been more orderly than the response in the US, both on the part of the government and the population. In Slovenia, the government seems to have taken more proactive and calm measures when the outbreak came. People, while somewhat recalcitrant to voluntarily socially distance at first – during the three days between when the epidemic was declared in Slovenia and the start of the lockdown the cafes along the Ljubljanica were completely full -- they calmly complied, with very little panic buying or hysteria once mandatory orders were put in place. In the US, especially during the earlier days of the outbreak, it sounds to me like the government’s measures followed a wave of public panic, in a process that fed on itself. We didn’t have this in Slovenia. My local grocery store has been great and the shelves are even better stocked than usual; my American friends find this shocking.

What about official communications from the authorities, compared to your home country?

I’ve been pleased with the communications from the Slovene authorities, which have seemed calm and orderly. TSN has also been great about proving me with a daily digest of updates.

I have not received anything from the US, but I am not registered with the embassy.

What's the one thing you wish you had taken with you into self-isolation?

A non-temporary internet connection! I am currently connected to the outside world by a phone line clamped to the side of my building with a C-clamp. This was meant to be a temporary fix following some renovations to my apartment and while my street got optical cable installed. If it snaps and everything is still locked down, how do I get it fixed? Can I even get it fixed? Especially during the windy weather last week, this was easily my biggest worry.

One thing you have learned about yourself, and one thing you have learned about others during this crisis.

Like I imagine many writers are, I am almost a total introvert. At first, I found staying at home all the time to actually be somewhat relaxing, if I chose to look at it that way. I enjoyed the peace and quiet along the Ljubljanica, which my apartment fronts on. As this drags on, though, I find the few interactions that I do have with actual humans, which once would have been totally normal, have become more ‘taxing.’ Sounds that I once wouldn’t have noticed outside have started to seem unbearably noisy. Seriously, if everyone is supposed to be on lockdown can someone turn off the hourly Puppet Theatre song? Maybe related to this is the constant ramp-up to social distancing and protective wear orders. After ‘suiting up’ in my ski mask and gloves to go the store today, I felt like a character in some post-apocalyptic, dystopian movie heading out to face mortal peril!

Before I was a writer, I was a migration researcher. I also have had to extensively research things like the siege of Sarajevo for my books. One key take-away from both is that attempting to keep people from moving, or creating a situation where moving is extremely hard and dangerous, will not completely keep people from moving. It will simply make them move differently. I think we are already seeing this borne out by the Coronavirus crisis and predict that the longer this goes on, the more of it there will be, for better or worse.

Anžur Clement is an American of Slovenian descent. Originally from the Los Angeles area, he’s been living in Europe for over ten years. For the past two of them, he’s have settled in Ljubljana’s city centre where he writes historical fiction, fantasy and alternative history novels. Two of his books are available for free here.

If you'd like to add your story to this series, please get in touch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or find TSN on Facebook

All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook

We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Saška Grušovnik. You can see more of her work here.

Contents

Number of coronavirus cases rises by 56 to 897, 16 deaths confirmed

Drive-in testing introduced in Koper

3D printed face masks joining fight against Covid-19 in Slovenia

Hospital director resigns after contentious tweets

Number of coronavirus cases rises by 56 to 897, 16 deaths confirmed

STA, 2 April 2020 - The number of coronavirus cases in Slovenia rose by 56 in a day to stand at 897 by Wednesday midnight. So far 16 people have died from the disease. In the last 24 hours, 1,095 tests were conducted, the government said on Twitter.

A total of 112 patents were in hospitals around the country today, 29 of them in intensive care. Four persons were released from hospital in the last 24 hours and one person died.

So far, a total of 24,857 tests have been performed.

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Drive-in testing introduced in Koper

STA, 2 April 2020 - The Koper Community Health Centre, one of the 16 coronavirus testing points in Slovenia, has introduced the country's first drive-in system for taking swabs from potentially infected persons to significantly reduce the time needed for a single test.

In addition to saving time for employees and patients - one test takes 10 instead of 30 minutes - the centre also saves on protective equipment, Ljubica Kolander Bizjak, the director of the centre, has told the STA.

Under the new system, a person who suspects that they are infected contacts their personal physician, who decides if they should be tested. The person then contacts the community health centre and gets a date for the test.

The person then drives to a dedicated parking and is swabbed, and then instructed to remain self-isolated until the results of the test are known.

The drive in testing has been introduced on proposal from employees, who were taking samples in a designated container, where the process took 30 minutes per person, as the container needs to be ventilated for at least 15 minutes and sanitised.

Kolander Bizjak said that drive-in testing was performed in two locations in Koper. The average daily number is 40, but the number sometimes reaches 60, and if a test would take 30 minutes, the system would get "clogged", she added.

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3D printed face masks joining fight against Covid-19 in Slovenia

STA, 2 April 2020 - Shortages of protective gear during the coronavirus pandemic have prompted that new platforms of providing much needed equipment are opening up in Slovenia, such as creating face masks using 3D printers. An initiative has started developing hospital gear as well as supporting home production.

The Let's Protect Slovenia initiative has printed out the first 3D face shields in Slovenia in cooperation with the Primorska University, Izola hospital and Ljubljana Technology Park.

The university has said that the first prototypes have been already despatched to the hospital where they are being tested in the physical world.

Slovenia has thus actively joined foreign countries where the 3D printing technology is already used to mitigate shortages of the coveted gear during the pandemic.

The masks are printed at the university and are compatible with microbiological filters that are part of medical respirators.

A filter model that has been employed in developing 3D-printed masks is certified to be 99.99% efficient in protecting the wearer. The masks are meant for multiple use to boot.

Apart from providing the gear for hospitals, the initiative has also given guidelines on how to use 3D printers to make masks at home. Last week, it made available an open-source format for the Gladius Friends 3D-mask model.

Any 3D printer can be used to make this type of a reusable mask. The initiative thus launched a campaign titled Mask for a Friend, urging citizens to print masks for themselves and their friends.

Open-source groups in the US and other European countries have started to make use of the prototype of such a home-made mask as well.

It is important to note though that the mask has not been certified as a medical equipment or personal protective gear.

Reservations about the mask for domestic use have emerged as well as warnings regarding its safety. The 3D Slovenija group has warned against using the shield, saying such products are porous and of questionable quality, cannot be sufficiently disinfected, are difficult to fit or seal, with home-made filter systems even posing a potential danger to health.

The platform has thus proposed that it would be more viable to make only the prototype and then use printing modes of higher quality or even industrial devices to make the masks, mimicking the production process of dive masks.

Meanwhile, the Let's Protect Slovenia initiative insists that it is looking for the best possible solutions in the given situation, conceding that non-certified equipment is not optimal and that there is room for improvement.

Temperatures higher than 56 degrees Celsius kill coronaviruses and printed equipment can be disinfected in an oven. "We've tried disinfecting at 60 degrees Celsius, 45 minutes in an oven, and it works. I myself have tried it at even higher temperatures and the material endured," said microbiologist Teja Bajt of the initiative.

On the other hand, concerns have been raised about the material reacting to temperatures of 40 degrees already and the chemicals used in the process. The problem with disinfecting it is thus great, said Matej Auguštin, who works for pharmaceuticals.

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Hospital director resigns after contentious tweets

STA, 2 April 2020 - Slovenj Gradec hospital director Janez Lavre has resigned after finding himself in the limelight over a series of tweets which included threats to withhold coronavirus ventilator treatment to critics of the government.

Health Minister Tomaž Gantar has already accepted the resignation, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

Lavre, a physician who was once considered as potential health minister, published last week a series of politically charged and unethical tweets related to the situation in the country as the nation is fighting the epidemic.

"Great, you are not getting a ventilator," Lavre said in a response to Social Democrats (SD) presidency member Uroš Jauševec expressing satisfaction over the SD deciding not to back a government proposal to give the army certain policing powers.

He also lashed out against investigative journalist Blaž Zgaga over a tweet critical of the government: "You may be positive soon and then let's hear you squeak." He also referred to critical journalists as vermin in at least two of his tweets.

Lavre, a member of New Slovenia - Christian Democrats (NSi) until last year, closed down all of his social media accounts on Monday and issued an apology.

He said he was aware that the statements were inappropriate, offensive and unethical, and blamed them on the workload and mental stress in the face of events related to the handling of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Announcing the resignation "in relation to the inappropriate public communication by the director", the ministry said today that the matter would be "subject of further proceedings".

The Medical Chamber has already launched due proceeding and said the matter would be discussed by its committee for legal and ethical issues.

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STA, 1 April 2020 - Sociologist Valerija Korošec says it is high time to introduce a universal basic income (UBI, or Univerzalni temeljni dohodek – UTD), arguing it is a vital safeguard against the consequences of crises. She thinks Slovenia will introduce it this year to lead the way in a post-corona and post-Brexit EU when it chairs the bloc in 2021.

Although she admits a crisis such as the coronavirus epidemic, when fires are being put out in panic, is not the best time to do that, she believes UBI is urgently needed as the pandemic wreaks social and economic havoc, because it is a means of protection when social systems stop working.

The researcher at the government's macroeconomic think tank IMAD thinks Slovenia will introduce it this year, saying UBI supporters have intensively worked on it since the financial crisis for the past ten years, so they have "ideas and solutions ready".

Korošec says the measures the government is introducing to help the self-employed are not UBI. The government will cover all their social contributions and pay them what a "basic income" of 350 euro for March and 700 euro for April in case of a loss of income.

But the sociologist says these are short-term measures unsustainable in the long run, which do not constitute an optimal use of social resources, are not unconditional and do constitute a subsistence minimum.

She says those who have written the EUR 3 billion fiscal stimulus bill to mitigate Covid-19 ramifications for society "are people who are trying to put the money into preserving the existing system, not into developing a different, more sustainable system".

UBI advocates in Slovenia have been pushing for UBI for the last 15 years, often describing it as a social transfer to give people minimal existential security. But Kroščec says UBI is not just one measure, "it is a broader social paradigm, a way in which society should be organised to be resistant to crises and shocks".

Under the UBI paradigm, society should be organised based on three pillars, which reflect all ideals of the French Revolution: a universal or unconditional pillar, a democratic one and a market one, explains the researcher.

"The universal pillar should become the most fundamental level of social security to strengthen society's foundations, so that a society can survive, or else it can easily be crushed to pieces."

Korošec, Slovenia's representatives on the international and European UBI networks, BIEN and UBIE, says UBIE would like UBI to be introduced in at least one European country by 2020 and in five by 2025.

"Countries are actually competing which one will be the first and best in introducing the most optimal UBI solution." And although Canada seems to be the closest, having experimented with UBI already in the 1970s, Korošec expects Slovenia to be actually the first country in Europe to introduce it this year.

"Perhaps we won't call it UBI, but we will have to introduce policies based on the basic principle of every public policy taking care of all people universally, this will be the starting point."

Korošec believes Slovenia's EU presidency in 2021 is "an excellent opportunity to start developing such a progressive idea and become a beacon for the EU".

Slovenia is small enough, lies "at the crossroads of Slavic, Romance and Germanic nations" and is "in many ways reminiscent of Scandinavian countries", so it could well "unite and lead the way in post-coronavirus- and post-Brexit Europe".

"However, if European society is not clever enough to introduce UBI now, there will be no more EU in ten year's time," the doctor of sociology says.

In 2010 Korošec drafted a proposal to introduce UBI in Slovenia, which was then used by Belgium to introduce a universal child allowance.

In the last ten years Korošec has significantly rethought how it would make sense to introduce UBI. She has started considering not only UBI financed by the state in cash but also the introduction of universal basic resources. Today her thinking thus revolves around local UBI, a universal child allowance for all children in the same amount, as well as energy UBI.

"At a time when we don't know how the world will revolve, this is particularly important. Instead of money we want to give people a warm apartment or guaranteed electricity that must come from renewable sources," she said.

All our stories on coronavirus are here, while those covering covid-19 and Croatia are here. We'll have an update at the end of the day, and if you want newsflashes then we'll post those on Facebook

We can’t have pictures of COVID-19 every day. So instead we’ll try and show the works of Slovenian artists. Today it’s Tjaša Derstvenšek, from the agency Pristop. You can see more of thois series of posters Contents

Extended police powers to be thrown out of anti-coronavirus legislation

No major violations of stricter movement rules

Disadvantaged students to get equipment for online classes