06 Oct 2019, 01:42 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 6 October 2019

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

SD president want to ease tension between Left and coalition

LJUBLJANA - Dejan Židan, the president of the coalition Social Democrats (SD), said that the clash between the minority coalition and the opposition partner Left over social security issues was harmful and has called the party threatening to stop supporting the government for a meeting next week which would discuss open issues. In a Facebook post, Židan noted that the coalition and the partnership with the Left was being "broken on the back of the most vulnerable ones", referring to the go-ahead for the abolition of a bonus for welfare recipients engaged in work on the Labour Committee yesterday, which prompted Left leader Luka Mesec to announce an "and of cooperation". "We are quarrelling about EUR 16 million. I too think that abolishing the bonus is a wrong move," he said, adding that the conflict was detrimental to the coalition.

Environment minister wants more ambitious climate change goals

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Environment Minister Simon Zajc attended on Friday a session of the EU's Environment Council dedicated to the bloc's long-term low-carbon strategy, at which he called for a higher ambition regarding greenhouse gas emissions compared to the current one, the Environment Ministry said. The session in Luxembourg was part of the process of drafting of the EU's position ahead of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Chile in December.
Pointing to the commitments from the Paris Agreement and the findings from the IPCC report, Zajc said he expected from the EU as the leader in the fight against climate change at the global level to set its ambition to an appropriately high level.

Agricultural production up 18% y/y

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian agricultural production increased by 18% last year, generating EUR 1.371 billion in revenue. Due to a 27% increase in plant production, factor income was up despite a 7% drop in prices year-on-year, the Statistics Office said. The factor income reached EUR 596 million, a 38% increase over 2017, while income per worker was EUR 7,634, the highest on record. Income was dragged up by the higher production, as well as a 4% increase in intermediate consumption and lower unemployment. Nearly 60% of agricultural production was generated by plant production, which reached EUR 794 million.

Slovenian cyclist Roglič wins Giro d'Emillia

BOLOGNA, Italy - Slovenian cyclist Primož Roglič of the Dutch team Team Jumbo-Visma won the single-stage Giro d'Emillia race to add to his numerous feats this year, which include the overall win at the prestigious Vuelta a Espana. The Giro dell'Emilia is held annually in Bologna, Italy. Since 2005, it has been organised as a second-tier event organised by the International Cycling Union (UCI) as part of the UCI Europe Tour. Roglič won the 103rd edition of the race, a 207-km stage between Bologna and San Luca, finishing 15 seconds ahead Michael Woods of Canada and Sergio Higuita of Colombia.

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05 Oct 2019, 01:56 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 5 October 2019

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Proposal abolishing special welfare bonus cleared for plenary in close vote

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Labour Committee nodded late on Thursday night after a long and heated debate to a government proposal that abolishes a special bonus for welfare recipients engaged in part-time work. The proposal was rendered fit for plenary debate in a 6:5 vote that saw the opposition Democrats (SDS) siding with the coalition, which remained without the support of the junior coalition SocDems and the government's tentative opposition partner, the Left. Labour Minister Ksenija Klampfer defended the proposal by saying it was time to scrap the bonus introduced in 2012 as a corrective to a situation where the general welfare allowance only stood at EUR 230 net.

Left threatens to stop supporting govt, SNS signals support

LJUBLJANA - The Left issued a strong rebuke to the Marjan Šarec minority government, announcing that the tax package put forward by the cabinet, coupled with the go-ahead for a bonus for welfare recipients engaged in work on the parliamentary Labour Committee "marks the end of cooperation" with the coalition. Left's leader Luka Mesec accused the government of leading anti-social policies, and forming alliances with the opposition National Party and Democratic Party (SDS). Meanwhile, Zmago Jelinčič indicated that his SNS party would support budget documents for the coming two years in parliament, despite some grievances, saying the decision was guided by "common sense".

Trade unions stress they are against proposed tax tweaks

LJUBLJANA - The ZSSS trade union confederation stressed it did not support the package of changes to tax legislation adopted by the government on Thursday with the purpose of reducing taxes on labour. The largest trade union confederation in the country wrote that Finance Minister Andrej Bertocelj's claim after the government session that the unions found the package acceptable was "clearly misleading". Moreover, "the reports of some media that the tax changes had been coordinated on the Economic and Social Council (ESS) are a lie", the ZSSS wrote.

DeSUS sets new demands for pension indexation

LJUBLJANA - The junior coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) filed on an amendment to the recently endorsed government bill that envisages an extraordinary 1% indexation of pensions in 2020 under the condition of 3% GDP growth for this year. DeSUS proposes that the indexation be carried out if GDP growth reaches 2.5% as the bill, part of the budget documents package to be fast-tracked through parliament, is to be debated on Monday. "We're talking about EUR 50 million," said DeSUS head Karl Erjavec, who expects other deputy groups to back the amendment. But first responses from the coalition parties point to the contrary, suggesting that it runs contrary to the coalition agreement.

Šuc takes over as Slovenia's ambassador to Croatia

ZAGREB, Croatia - Career diplomat Vojislav Šuc presented his credentials to Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović on Thursday, taking over as the new Slovenian ambassador to the country. According to the office of the Croatian president, Šuc was among the 12 new ambassadors who presented their credentials to Grabar-Kitarović. Having been endorsed by the host country in August, Šuc is assuming the post at a time of strained relations between the countries. He succeeds Smiljana Knez, who now serves as an international relations advisor to President Borut Pahor.

Guilty verdict against militia leader Šiško upheld by Higher Court

MARIBOR - The newspaper Večer reported that the Maribor Higher Court had upheld a guilty verdict against Andrej Šiško, the leader of Štajerska Guard militia. In March, he was found guilty of trying to subvert the constitutional order through armed resistance and sentenced to eight months in prison, but has since been released after having served much of the sentence in detention. Šiško threatened the then PM Miro Cerar in January 2017, established the "state of Štajerska" and founded the Štajerska Guard militia in September 2018. He was tried alongside Matej Lesjak, who was found guilty of aiding Šiško and given to a suspended sentence of three months in prison.

Forum in Ljubljana seeks to deepen Slovenia-Japan cooperation

LJUBLJANA - A Slovenia-Japan business forum heard that economic cooperation between the countries is good, but there is still ample room to deepen it, for instance in the industrial sector, in energy and in ICT. Participants stressed Slovenia's location at the crossroads of transport corridors and its tech innovation capabilities. representatives of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), which organised the forum together with the Economy Ministry, the SPIRIT agency and Japanese parrners, expressed hope more Japanese companies will recognise Slovenia as a reliable partner.

Judge found guilty of stalking former partner

MARIBOR - Maribor Labour Court president Stanko Omerzu was been given a suspended sentence of six months in prison with a two-year probation period for having stalked his former partner. The trial marred by delays ended on Friday after almost two years, as Omerzu had been avoiding court mail and hearings, citing ill health. He had also demanded the presiding judge be excluded and then filed a criminal complaint against her. The ruling is not yet final, and his defence has already announced to appeal against it.

NGO at risk of paying enormous tax on funds raised for toddler's treatment

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian association which has raised EUR 3.8 million for treatment of a 19-month-old Slovenian boy in the US and the recipients of the funds are at risk of having to pay a combined EUR 1.9 million in income tax because the association is not registered as a charity, several media outlets report. Efforts to avoid paying the tax are under way, with PM Marjan Šarec saying on Facebook "it is definitely not in the interest of any normal person to collect this tax at all costs". The Financial Administration (FURS), the country's revenue service, said a solution is actually on hand by means of transferring the raised funds to a charity.

Koper narcotics officer arrested for alleged drug trafficking

KOPER - An officer of the Koper Police Department who was, according to unofficial media reports, the head of the district's narcotics task force, has been arrested on charges of drug trafficking. He was sacked and banned from possessing his duty weapon at the end of September and is currently in house arrest. The officer, arrested on charges of illegal drug production and trade, was put in preventive detention on Sunday evening. Upon appealing against the decision, he was put under house arrest today and will remain under it until further developments.

Slovenian film about female salt harvesters wins COPEAM award

BUCHAREST, Romania - A documentary about women salt harvesters made from archive material by Helena Pirc was rewarded on Thursday by COPEAM, the Permanent Conference of the Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators, bringing together the biggest audio-visual players from Europe, the Balkans, North Africa and Middle East. Pirc, a contributor to the education programme of the public broadcaster TV Slovenija, won in the category Making a Story From Archives, which this year focused on the heritage of women and girls in the Mediterranean.

Protest held in support of Kurdish activist detained in Koper

KOPER - A group of protesters gathered in front of the Koper prison to express their support for Kurdish activist Ismet Kilic, who has been detained for weeks by the Slovenian authorities on the basis of Turkey's international warrant. The protesters expect the activist's case to be fast-tracked and him to be released as soon as possible.
Kilic was detained while he was on his way back to Germany, where he lives, after spending holidays in Croatia. The protesters believe Kilic is being persecuted for political reasons.

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04 Oct 2019, 02:10 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 4 October 2019

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Sources: Commissioner-designate Lenarčič gets thumbs up

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's EU commissioner-designate Janez Lenarčič received a positive assessment from the EU Parliament's Development Committee, according to unofficial sources in the European Parliament. They say that Lenarčič received the backing of all political groups bar the far-right Identity and Democracy. The committee assessment reports are confidential and will only be made public after they have been discussed by committee chairs in a meeting planned for 17 October.

Pahor argues for EU enlargement at Visegrad summit

LANY, Czech Republic - President Borut Pahor took part in a Visegrad Group summit discussing the importance of the EU's enlargement to the Western Balkans. He warned that the EU not expanding into the region "could have major bad consequences". The summit sought to send out a clear message that the Visegad Four, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, plus Slovenia support the EU's open-door policy. The summit was also attended by Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić.

Govt prepares legal basis to subsidise flights

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed changes to the aviation act that create a legal basis for the state to subsidise crucial air links with the country following the collapse of flag carrier Adria Airways, if this proves necessary. In line with the proposal, the state could subsidise flight connections with Ljubljana if other airlines did not set up commercial flights. Subsidies would be possible for connections that are of vital importance for the country in terms of economic and social development.

Govt confirms package of tweaks reducing labour taxation

LJUBLJANA - The government confirmed a package of tax tweaks that are meant to reduce taxation of labour to increase competitiveness. The list includes increased general tax credit and changes to the income tax brackets to reduce the tax burden on the middle class. To offset for the loss of revenue, the taxation of capital gains and rental income is to rise slightly. The government wants the package passed in fast-track procedure so it can enter into force with the start of 2020. The Left opposes the tweaks.

Govt adopts changes to pension legislation

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a set of changes to the pension insurance act to equalise the pension base for men and women at 63.5% of the salary as of 2025 and regulating the status of pensioners who continue to work. The base is currently 63.5% for women and 57.25% for men. Working pensioners will initially get 40% of the pension they are entitled to, along with the salary, but after three years their pension will drop to 20%, which is how much working pensioners get now.

Govt proposes higher unemployment benefit under stiffer terms

LJUBLJANA - The government proposed amendments to the labour market regulation act that increase the minimum monthly unemployment benefit while stiffening entitlement conditions and penalties in case of grave violations. The minimum monthly unemployment benefit is being raised from EUR 350 gross to EUR 530 gross. The amendments also introduce compulsory Slovenian language classes for non-Slovenian EU citizens registered as unemployed and a basic language skill requirement for the rest.

Bratušek standing in as cohesion minister

LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek will serve as interim head of the Government Office for Development and EU Cohesion Policy after Iztok Purič stepped down over a week ago. Prime Minister Marjan Šarec notified parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan of the handover on Wednesday. Bratušek is stepping in after the leadership of her SAB party decided that it would not propose a minister candidate until after the 2020 and 2021 budgets are passed in parliament, which is expected in late November.

Financial Administration gets new director general

LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Peter Jenko as the new director general of the Financial Administration (FURS) for a five-year term. Jenko, current deputy director general, will take over on 27 November, succeeding outgoing FURS director general Jana Ahčin.

Report: Czech EPH entering Slovenian railways

LJUBLJANA - The news portal Siol.net reported that the Czech EPH group will enter the cargo arm of the Slovenian railway operator as a strategic partner under a deal worth roughly EUR 80 million. According to Siol, the entry of the energy and industrial holding EPH into SŽ-Tovorni Promet is to be discussed in the coming weeks by the supervisory board of Slovenske Železnice, while the final say will rest with state asset custodian Slovenian Sovereign Holding.

New US customs duties not to affect Slovenia, GZS says

LJUBLJANA - The new custom duties the US is set to impose on products from the EU on 18 October will not affect Slovenia, neither directly nor indirectly, according to the analytical department of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS). What is more, because some of the duties will apply only to some member states, cheese, olives and pork from Slovenia might become more attractive for the US, the GZS said in a commentary on Thursday. Duties on these products will be imposed for Germany, Spain and the UK.

Govt and tourism chamber to promote plastic-free business

LJUBLJANA - The government and the Tourism and Hospitality Chamber signed a code vowing to reduce the use of plastic cutlery and other single-use products in hospitality business, urging pub and restaurant owners to do the same. Hospitality businesses who will opt to sign the code of conduct will be obliged to stop providing their customers with plastic straws, plates, cups or cutlery on 1 January 2020. Signing the agreement is voluntary and follows a similar code designed to phase out plastic carrier bags.

Jobless total falls below 70,000

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's registered jobless total fell to 69,834 in September, down 2.4% from August and down 5.3% from September 2018. It is close to the all-time low recorded in September 2008 when 59,303 were registered as being out of a job. Employers registered 13,726 vacancies with the Employment Service in September, 7.6% more than in August, but 5.2% fewer than in September last year. Most openings were for simple jobs in manufacturing.

Car sales in first nine months down after a record 2018

LJUBLJANA - Car sales in Slovenia decreased in the first three quarters of the year compared to the same period in 2018, according to data released by the Statistics Office. A total of 65,613 cars and vans were registered for the first time, a 2.9% decrease. While van sales surged by 7.6%, the sale of cars dropped 4.3% year-on-year. The drop comes after record sales were recorded last year, when 85,540 new cars and vans were sold, which was 3% more than the year before. The number of cars rose by 2.7% to 72,835, while the number of vans was up by almost 5% to 12,700.

More funds for trainee doctors and specialists

LJUBLJANA - The government confirmed legislative changes providing additional funds for traineeships of healthcare workers and specialisation of doctors until the end of 2020. This releases additional funds for the public insurer ZZZS for the payment of healthcare services and shortening of waiting times. The changes cover for the difference between EUR 80 million limited for for the purpose in the budget, and the EUR 91.7 million needed in 2020.

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03 Oct 2019, 02:11 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, 3 October 2019

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Kranj District Court launches receivership for Adria Airways

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

Lenarčič happy with performance in European Parliament hearing

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

PM Šarec denies having intervened in hiring at intelligence agency

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

President not sure whether to push ahead with provinces

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

Top court clears partial pension for working entrepreneurs

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

Slovenia and Italy continue to guard border together

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

Slovenia Business Bridge discusses family business, investment

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

Swiss company buying three Slovenian car dealerships

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

Unistar LC passes into Italian ownership

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

Medicop launches new investment

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

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02 Oct 2019, 02:41 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Wednesday, 2 October 2019

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This summary is provided by the STA:

New players restoring Adria Airways links

LJUBLJANA - A day after Slovenian carrier Adria Airways filed for receivership, Ljubljana airport operator Fraport Slovenija announced that a network of flights comparable to Adria's could be set up within a year and a half. The company is in intensive talks with other air carriers to replace the key connections soon. The Belgian air carrier Brussels Airlines, part of Lufthansa Group, announced it would restore its Brussels-Ljubljana link on 4 November with six flights a week. Travel agency Nomago has also organised several charter flights to mitigate the effects of Adria collapse on conference tourism. The coalition held a first meeting on possible future steps, but PM Marjan Šarec said there was nothing concrete to report yet.

Slovenia, Luxembourg call for multilateralism and rule of law

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar and his Luxembourgian counterpart Jean Asselborn noted the importance of multilateralism and respect for international law, as they addressed reporters during Asselborn's official visit to Slovenia. European values and responsibility and solving problems through solidarity are "the ABC of the European Union", said Asselborn. He and Cerar announced a new Slovenia-Benelux summit for later this year or early 2020. Asselborn also met Slovenia's other top officials.

Krka doubles R&D capacities with EUR 56m investment

NOVO MESTO - Pharmaceutical company Krka inaugurated a EUR 55.6 million research and development centre at its location in Novo Mesto that nearly doubles its R&D, and control and analysis capacities. The Research and Control Centre 4 (RKC 4) has state-of-the-art equipment for laboratories, analysis and technology. The eight-storey building spanning 18,000 square metres is connected with a bridge to RKC 3 and then on to RKC 1. It is especially important for pilot development of solid pharmaceuticals.

Lek moving antibiotics production to Austria

PREVALJE - Lek, the Slovenian subsidiary of Swiss multinational Novartis, announced it would phase out antibiotics production in Slovenia's Prevalje in two years, moving it to Austria, while Prevalje will become part of Novartis's emerging global operative centre. The news comes a month after Lek abandoned its plans to expand production at Prevalje despite having built a new facility there. The facility is to be bought by TAB Mežica, the local battery maker, for production of lithium-ion batteries.

Property valuation act facing constitutional review

LJUBLJANA - A group of 32 MPs has requested that the Constitutional Court review the property mass valuation act. The request, distributed to the press on Tuesday by the opposition New Slovenia (NSi), says that the valuation models used for the estimates, set to serve as basis for a property tax, should have been closely defined by the act. The issues found unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court in 2013 still remain after the act was changed in May 2019, the request says.

Šarec stepping in to restore social dialogue

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec announced he would attend a session of the Economic and Social Council (ESS) in person next Tuesday in an attempt to restore social dialogue. This is after employer representatives announced withdrawal from the industrial relations forum over bills being filed in parliament past the ESS, and the head of the ZSSS trade union confederation resigned as the ESS chair. Šarec said the partners caused "a huge storm in a teacup for no reason".

Demands raised on Int Day of Older Persons

LJUBLJANA - Calls to improve the economic and housing situation of the elderly marked the start of the three-day Festival for the Third Age on International Day of Older Persons. In his address parliamentary Speaker Dejan Židan called on the government to set up a solidarity-based system of long term care before the end of its term. On the occasion, the Pensioners' Association issued a list of demands to the government, including for an annual allowance and an immediate indexation of pensions.

New academic year starts

LJUBLJANA - A new academic year started for close to 76,000 Slovenian students. A total of 11,051 freshmen out of some 14,590 applicants have been admitted to the four Slovenian universities and public and publicly-licensed higher education institutions so far. The remaining 18,632 places may be filled by the end of October. In total, more than 48,300 new places are available this year at nearly 820 graduate, MA and doctoral programmes.

Preliminary results of mass real estate appraisal released

LJUBLJANA - The Surveying and Mapping Authority released the results of a preliminary mass real estate appraisal. With a public consultation on the appraisal model under way property owners can submit their remarks by 15 November. The total value of all real estate in Slovenia has increased from EUR 123 billion in 2017 to EUR 160 billion, which means that the estimated value of some properties will be 20-40% higher compared to the previous appraisal model. Prime Minister Marjan Šarec told MPs today that the government in its current form was not in a position to push through a real estate tax.

Slovenia preparing to introduce biometric ID card

LJUBLJANA - The Interior Ministry is working on legislation that will allow Slovenia to introduce biometric identity cards by 2 August 2021 in line with EU rules. The new card will feature a chip with the holder's face and two fingerprints saved as biometric data. The card would also feature data for electronic identification and electronic signature, to allow the holder to use e-commerce services. Now 1.83 million Slovenian citizens have an ID card, with which they can travel to 37 countries.

US-wanted Slovenian hacker arrested in Germany

LJUBLJANA - The father of Matjaž Škorjanc, a Slovenian coder wanted by the US on charges of cyber crime, confirmed he was arrested by German federal police on a US arrest warrant last week. Škorjanc is charged with involvement in a criminal racket that hacked into computers to steal credit card numbers and other data between 2008 and 2013, causing US$4.5 million in damage to the victims. His father Martin Škorjanc noted that Škorjanc had already served the sentence for the crimes in Slovenia.

Feminist contemporary art festival opens in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - The 25th City of Women, an international festival of contemporary arts, opened with a production by acclaimed German theatre collective She She Pop at the Ljubljana Mladinsko Theatre (SMG). The legendary duo, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary as well, will put on Drawers, a production about the German reunification process retold through the eyes of women from West and East Berlin and taking a form of couples counselling. The festival is running until 13 October.

Parliamentary committee backs sports day initiative

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Education Committee endorsed an initiative to honour Slovenian sports achievements by proposing the government designate 1 October as National Sports Day. The initiative for a public holiday celebrating sports accomplishments and the role they play in boosting national identity had been launched by the Slovenian Olympic Committee in the wake of the recent achievements of the national men's volleyball team and cycling star Primož Roglič.

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01 Oct 2019, 01:22 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 1 October 2019

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Adria Airways management files for receivership

LJUBLJANA - The management of struggling air carrier Adria Airways filed for receivership. On news of the receivership proposal, the Civil Aviation Agency stripped the airline of its operating licence and all flights have been cancelled. The Kranj District Court is to decide on the proposal within three days. The government said earlier in the day that receivership was the only option, as the state was not ready to invest in or enter the carrier under the current owner and in its current financial state. Employees expressed outrage, saying that not saving Adria would prove to be the less viable option than the government's idea to incorporate a new carrier.

Internal probe reportedly launched at Foreign Ministry due to leaks

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar has ordered an internal investigation at the Foreign Ministry over the leaking of classified information, in particular the names of ambassadorial candidates, Dnevnik reported. According to the paper, the straw that is believed to have broken the camel's back was Dnevnik's report that Slovenia's Ambassador to Serbia Iztok Jarc is expected to replace Slovenia's future EU Commissioner Janez Lenarčič as the country's ambassador to the EU.

Alternative for top-up health insurance abolition proposed

LJUBLJANA - The coalition agreed that the abolition of top-up health insurance be made in two steps, with the first being the transfer of its collection onto the public health insurance fund ZZZS. The second step would be making what he termed a solidarity scale for the collection of health insurance contributions, Health Minister Aleš Šabeder told the press on the sidelines of the government session. This is an alternative idea prepared by the health and finance ministries after the opposition Left had filed into parliament a bill of its own last week, which the coalition rejected.

PM Šarec to visit North Macedonia next week

LJUBLJANA - The prime minister's office announced that Marjan Šarec will pay a working visit to North Macedonia on Thursday, 10 October, to meet his counterpart Zoran Zaev and Speaker Talat Xhaferi. This will be Šarec's first visit to North Macedonia, while his predecessor in office Miro Cerar was in Skopje in March 2018.

Slovenia, Croatia fail to agree on nuclear waste storage facility

BLED - Slovenia and Croatia failed to agree to build a common repository for nuclear waste from their jointly-owned N-plant, as the inter-governmental commission in charge of overseeing the Slovenia-Croatia agreement on the Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NEK) met for a session in Slovenia. Slovenia is planning a dry storage facility for low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste in the Slovenian town of Vrbina, just off the nuclear power station, while Croatia will continue pursuing its plan to build one in Croatia to store its share of NEK-generated nuclear waste.

General govt surplus at 1%, public debt at 67.7% of GDP in Q2

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia posted a general government surplus of EUR 124 million, or 1% of GDP, in the second quarter of the year but revenue growth was outpaced by growth in expenditure in a first sign of economic slowdown. Consolidated general government gross debt at the end of the second quarter amounted to EUR 31.803 billion, or 67.7% of GDP.

Annual inflation at 1.7% in September

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's annual inflation rate in September reached 1.7%, with the rise in prices of goods and services related to housing contributing the most to the inflation. A deflation rate of 0.2% was meanwhile recorded at the monthly level, the Statistics Office said. The prices of services were up by an average 3.9% in September year on year, and the prices of goods by 0.6%.

Govt adopts bill on public sector costs, pension indexation

LJUBLJANA - The government confirmed a bill which limits certain expenditure on wages of civil servants and introduces an extraordinary 1% indexation of pensions in 2020 under the condition of 3% GDP growth for this year. The bill will be filed together with the remaining budget documents to be fast-tracked in parliament. The bill includes two measures which were agreed with public sector trade unions last year. Performance-related bonus for regular work will not be paid before 30 June, while the highest possible amount of the bonus for increased workload is being decreased.

SSH generates EUR 30.4m in net profit in H1

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH), the state asset custodian, reported a EUR 30.38 million net profit for the first half of 2019, a 17% decrease on the same period last year. SSH, which attributes the bulk of the difference to a cancelled impairment in 2018, said all key goals had been met in the first six months of 2019.

Slovenian marine industry suppliers showcased in Florida

TAMPA, US - Nine Slovenian companies will be showcased at the International Boat Builders Exhibition (IBEX) in Tampa, Florida this week at what is the largest technical marine event in North America. Running between Tuesday and Thursday, IBEX will feature 700 exhibitors from 24 countries. The Slovenian providers will be presented in one of the five national pavilions.

Ethnic Slovenian Olga Voglauer elected to Austrian parliament

KLAGENFURT, Austria - An ethnic Slovenian from Austria's Carinthia has been elected to the lower house of the Austrian parliament for the third time ever, as Olga Voglauer of the Green Party made it to the National Council in Sunday's general election. Slovenian minority representatives welcomed the news, hoping the Greens will form a coalition with the ruling People's Party (ÖVP).

Fmr ambassador sees Austria's election result as big ÖVP win

LJUBLJANA - The outcome of the Sunday election in Austria is a great victory of Sebastian Kurz and his conservative People's Party (ÖVP), former Slovenian Ambassador to Austria Aleksander Geržina told the STA. The result also provides a range of coalition options, with Geržina deeming an ÖVP-Greens alliance the most likely scenario.

Tourists figures rising in August

LJUBLJANA - The trend of the increasing number of tourist arrivals to Slovenia continued in August, with the figure growing by 9%. The country also saw a 2% growth in tourist nights generated, shows the Statistics Office data. In the first eight months, the number of tourist arrivals amounted to 4.5 million, up 6.3% over the same period last year, while the number of nights spent at accommodation facilities reached 11.8 million, an almost 3% increase.

Impol group with higher revenue, lower profit in first half

SLOVENSKA BISTRICA - The aluminium producer Impol generated EUR 378.1 million in revenue in the first half of the year, 2.7% up over the same period last year, while volume sales increased by 4.2%. Net profit was meanwhile down by 6.6% to EUR 18.5 million.

Revenue up for Novem Car Interior Design, but profit decreases

ŽALEC - Novem Car Interior Design, a Žalec-based firm owned by the namesake German parent company, generated EUR 121 million in sales revenue in 2018, a 6% increase on 2017. Net profit fell from EUR 3.4 million to EUR 1.1 million. Novem, which manufactures wooden interior trim for luxury cars, wrote that new projects and the company's fast expansion in the past two years had come at a cost and that the result was below expectations.

Slovenians collect EUR 2.3m in seven days for toddler's treatment in US

LJUBLJANA - A major charity campaign underway in Slovenia for the past week saw individuals, charities, institutions, clubs, and associations collect some EUR 2.3 million for the treatment of 19-month-old boy Kris who is suffering from spinal muscular atrophy. Several top athletes and musicians joined the campaign, including basketball star Luka Dončić, the national volleyball team and even Italian motorcyclist Valentino Rossi. Several fund-raising events and concerts have also been organised.

Elderly day focusing on problems with long-term care

LJUBLJANA - As a world day dedicated to the elderly is to be marked around the world, Slovenian organisations are pointing to the problems brought by the population ageing, including the need for better regulation of long-term care, calling for higher pensions to take pensioners above the at-risk-of-poverty threshold. Marked on 1 October, this year's International Day of Older Persons runs under the motto The Journey to Age Equality, aiming to ensure equal opportunities and reduce inequalities of outcome regardless of personal circumstances.

Big crowd in Ljubljana welcomes national sport heroes

LJUBLJANA - Several thousand sport fans gathered in Ljubljana's Congress Square this evening to welcome Slovenia's athletes who had made headlines over the past weeks, including the national volleyball team, which won silver at the EuroVolley in Paris on Sunday. World champions in kayak and canoe Eva Terčelj and Nejc Žnidarčič, as well as Luka Božič, who secured bronze at the Canoe Slalom World Championships in Spain were honoured, as were Vuelta winner cyclist Primož Roglič and third-placed Tadej Pogačar.

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30 Sep 2019, 02:13 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 30 September 2019

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Šarec rejects blame for suspended social dialogue, says 4K Invest trying to milk state

LJUBLJANA - Commenting in a Facebook post on the employer representatives-initiated suspension of the work of the Social and Economic Council (ESS), PM Marjan Šarec rejected any government responsibility, arguing the Left, which filed the bills bothering employers, was an opposition party. Šarec, who added he remained committed to social dialouge, also commented on Adria Airways, saying its German owner 4K Invest maltreated it, but adding the carrier had also had problems before. It would not be fair to only blame the former government, which sold Adria in 2016 to an owner who "treats it like dirt" and obviously perceives the state as a dairy cow "that needs to be milked for every cent that can be squeezed out and then taken nobody knows where".

Slovenia win another EuroVolley silver as they lose to Serbia

PARIS, France - The Slovenian men's national volleyball team won another silver at the European Championship after losing the final match to Serbia 1:3. After making an improbable run in Ljubljana, beating the European champions Russia and world champions Poland in the process, Slovenia had to concede to Serbia even though they won the first set. It was a complete turnaround for Serbia, who eliminated the home team France in the semi-finals in an epic battle which lasted five sets, and then beat Slovenia for their third gold at the European championships, coming after the wins in 2001 and 2011. The team will be welcomed home on Monday together with cyclists Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar at Ljubljana's Congress Square.

Dewesoft going strong

TRBOVLJE - Dewesoft, one of Slovenia's leading tech firms, generated EUR 19.1 million in sales revenue in 2018, a 6.4% increase on the year before. Net profit was up by one million to exceed EUR 5 million, shows the company's business report. The Trbovlje-based company, which employs a 75-strong workforce, is best known as a manufacturer of cutting-edge test and measuring equipment. It expects this year's revenue to reach around EUR 25 million, meaning 30% more than last year.

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29 Sep 2019, 02:14 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Sunday, 29 September 2019

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Počivalšek to present solutions for Ljubljana flights on Monday

LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek is expected to propose to cabinet members on Monday possible steps Slovenia should take to preserve its air links with the rest of the world after the grounding of Adria Airways planes. Počivalšek and Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek had been looking for solutions after Adria grounded most of its planes earlier this week, and the pair agreed Počivalšek will present their proposals at Monday's meeting of the coalition, the Infrastructure Ministry said.

Mercator to become Fortenova's largest retailer, CEO says

LJUBLJANA - CEO of Mercator Tomislav Čizmić said in an interview with Delo's supplement Sobotna Priloga that Slovenia's leading retailer would become the biggest company and biggest retailer of the newly-established Fortenova Group once it is transferred to the group. Mercator is currently a part of the debt-ridden Agrokor, whose healthy assets are in the process of being transferred to the newly-established Fortenova Group. The retailer is one of the last assets slated for transfer pending clearance by creditors and anti-trust authorities.

Leon Novak elected new head of Slovenian Protestants

MURSKA SOBOTA - Murska Sobota Protestant priest Leon Novak was elected the new head of the Slovenian Evangelical Lutheran Church in today's secret ballot in Murska Sobota. He will take over from Geza Filo in December, the Church said in a press release. The head of the Slovenian Evangelical Lutheran Church is elected for a six-year term with the possibility of another six-year term.

Eva Terčelj world champion in kayak, canoeist Luka Božič wins bronze

SEU D'URGELL, Spain - Slovenia's Eva Terčelj won gold in women's kayak race at the 2019 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in La Seu d'Urgell, Spain. Silver went to Australia's Jessica Fox and bronze to Luuka Jones from New Zealand. This is the third medal for Slovenia at the championship, after canoeist Luka Božič won bronze today and the Slovenian kayak team bagged gold on Wednesday.

Slovenia losing EUR 24m annually due to tobacco smuggling

ZAGREB, Croatia - A survey conducted in former Yugoslav republics has revealed that EUR 306.7 million in tax revenue is lost every year due to tobacco smuggling, including EUR 23.95 million in Slovenia. The BalkanSmugg survey carried out by the Zagreb-based Economy Institute focussed on illegal trade in tobacco, the operations on the black market and smokers' habits in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.

Slovenia's wood exports down last year

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia exported 2.64 million cubic metres of roundwood last year, which is 13.9% less than in 2017. Industrial roundwood accounted for the bulk of the exports, or 2.28 million cubic metres, which is 7.6% less than the year before, official statistics show. Slovenia imported a total of 523,619 cubic meters of wood last year, down 6.9% from 2017.

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28 Sep 2019, 01:43 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 28 September 2019

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Šarec makes strong plea for efficient multilateralism at UN

NEW YORK, US - PM Marjan Šarec made a strong plea for efficient multilateralism in his address to the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. He also stressed the importance of fundamental principles such as the rule of law and respect for human rights. He pinpointed the rule of law and human rights, climate change and sustainable development goals, and challenges related to new technologies as the key areas where multilateralism was required. He also called on delegates to back at November's UNESCO general conference Europe's first international AI research centre that would be set in Slovenia's capital Ljubljana.

Lenarčič to seek holistic approach to crisis management

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's European Commissioner-designate Janez Lenarčič, nominated for the crisis management portfolio, believes in a comprehensive approach to crisis management that will integrate humanitarian, development, security and climate aspects of crisis management, follows from his responses to written questions by MEPs in advance of next week's hearings at the European Parliament's working bodies. He commits to three main goals: close cooperation with commissioners in charge of foreign policy, development, neighbourhood policy and security; distribution of humanitarian aid in accordance with international humanitarian law and principles; and strengthening of emergency response and humanitarian aid.

Cerar hosts Green Group ministers in New York

New York, US - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar hosted in New York ministers and high representatives of the Slovenian-sponsored Green Group initiative, uniting six small countries that are promoting green policies, and encouraging the transition to a green economy and the use of renewable energy sources. The Green Group was formed upon Slovenia's initiative in 2009 to raise the profile of green diplomacy. It is an informal forum of foreign ministers from Slovenia, Iceland, Costa Rica, Cape Verde, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.

Slovenia presents resolution on human rights education in Geneva

GENEVA, Switzerland - The 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council wrapped up in Geneva, with Slovenia presenting its resolution on human rights education. The proposal envisages a multi-annual strategy for educating the young about human rights. According to the Foreign Ministry, the council's members addressed a wide spectrum of issues during the three-week session, including the human rights situation in Venezuela, Yemen, Myanmar, Sudan and Ukraine.

Foreign carriers already filling supply gap at Ljubljana airport

BRNIK - The flight cancellations by Slovenia's airline Adria Airways have increased demand for and accordingly the supply by rival carriers already operating the Ljubljana route. The first changes are already being made to the winter schedules, while new carriers are reportedly also expressing interest to start flying to Ljubljana. The airport's operator Fraport Slovenija said several airlines increased the number of flights per week or used larger planes. Meanwhile, Adria announced it would execute two evening flights to Frankfurt this weekend, whereas the plan for Monday is to execute 11 flights. Adria's owner, the German turnaround fund 4K, is still waiting for the government to decide whether to grant it the EUR 4 million in aid which 4K claims can prevent receivership.

Industrial relations forum suspended as partners feel ignored

LJUBLJANA - Employers pulled out of the Economic and Social Council (ESS) in protest of bills being filed in parliament without any regard for the industrial relations forum, whereas the head of the ZSSS trade union confederation Lidija Jerkič followed suit by resigning as ESS chair. What angered the employers was a series of bills the Left, an opposition partner of the minority government, has filed to parliament which have a major impact on companies and workers. Both the employers and unions now expect PM Marjan Šarec to break the deadlock and give the ESS the role it is supposed to play in the process of legislation adoption.

Youth across Slovenia protesting against climate inaction

LJUBLJANA - More than a thousand young people took to the streets in Ljubljana, gathering in front of parliament as part of the Global Climate Strike and #FridaysForFuture movement to urge politicians to declare a climate crisis and come up with practical measures. The protest, held by the Youth for Climate Justice, saw young people chanting "we're sick of promises, we demand measures". The young decided not to meet state representatives given that nothing had improved since they held talks during the March strike. but Environment Minister Simon Zajc expressed his support for the protests, deeming the strike a wake-up call and a call for action. Apart from Ljubljana, climate strikes were also held in more than ten other cities across Slovenia.

Manager of the year Berločnik: Petrol on track to meet ambitious targets

PORTOROŽ - Tomaž Berločnik, the general manager of energy company Petrol, received this year's Manager of the Year award, conferred by the Manager Association last evening. During his eight-year stint he is credited with having transformed the company from a traditional oil firm to future-focused group setting new trends in energy and retail. Petrol had its best-ever year in 2018, posting group sales revenue of EUR 5.4 billion, up 20% over 2017 and a near doubling from 2010. Berločnik told the STA the company was now on track to exceeding the revenue target of EUR 5.6 billion for 2019 and beating the profit target.

Extensive constitutional changes from 1989 remembered

LJUBLJANA - 30 years to the day, socialist Slovenia thoroughly overhauled its constitution to facilitate declaring independence from Yugoslavia in June 1991. As many as 81 constitutional amendments were passed in its assembly in a bid to give Slovenia more sovereignty within the Yugoslav federation. The modernised constitution set down the right to self-determination, the freedom of movement and economic independence, enabling the establishment of political parties and the firts free elections. It was a culmination of calls for democracy in the second half of the 1980s. President Borut Pahor marked the occasion with a reception featuring some of the members of the commission which had drafted the changes.

Official Gazette gets new boss, and it's not Šoltes

LJUBLJANA - Denis Stroligo was on Thursday appointed the director of Uradni List, the state-owned company publishing the Official Gazette, which has been recently involved in a scandal surrounding political pressures related to the appointment procedure. Stroligo, a law graduate which has gained managerial experience at various senior posts in his 26-year career, will take over on 1 October for four years. His appointment comes after the scandal which last month swept senior ruling LMŠ party official Brane Kralj out of office for calling up Uradni List chief supervisor to instruct her to appoint former MEP Igor Šoltes.

Govt budget spending on R&D up over 12% in 2018

LJUBLJANA - The funds allocated by Slovenia for research and development rose by 12.4% last year compared to 2017, amounting to EUR 191.7 million. The GDP share of R&D funding after what was the third consecutive increase was 0.42%, up from 0.40% the year before, the Statistics Office said. Like in the preceding years, the bulk of these funds went to the state sector (51.6%), followed by higher education (38.4%), business (7.9%), the private not-for-profit sector (1.1%) and foreign entities (1%).

Ljubljana gets new art gallery

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana is getting another commercial gallery, focussing on Slovenian contemporary fine art, as the SLOART gallery and auction house expanded and opened a new gallery in Trubarjeva Street in Ljubljana's city centre. The gallery is a project carried out in cooperation with SLOART's contemporary art Gallery Y and will showcase works of Gallery Y authors Sašo Vrabič, Arjan Pregl, Tina Dobrajc and Duša Jesih as part of an exhibition dubbed New Positions. It aims to represent a total of ten acclaimed Slovenian artists of younger and middle generations by 2025.

New website promoting Slovenian music launched

LJUBLJANA - A new website was launched by the Slovenian Music Information Centre (SIGIC) presenting the Slovenian music scene to the domestic and international publics. Music Slovenia features a database of musicians, bands, festivals, venues, agencies and organisations connected with the scene. The main purpose of the website musicslovenia.si is to present the scene to foreigners who want to invite Slovenian musicians to perform abroad or get acquainted with the infrastructure enabling foreign musicians to perform in Slovenia.

Roglič's red jersey fetches EUR 30,000 for charity

LJUBLJANA - The red jersey Slovenia's Primož Roglič received as the overall winner of the Vuelta fetched EUR 30,000 at a charity auction, money that will be spent to help talented young athletes. The winning bid of EUR 22,000 came from the DIY chain Bauhaus, with two more bidders chipping in EUR 8,000 despite losing the bidding. The auction was organised by public radio station Val 202, one of the sponsors of Botrstvo, a long-running charity project for children.

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26 Sep 2019, 23:20 PM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 27 September 2019

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Volleyball: Slovenia through to the final in Paris

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia defeated Poland 3:1 in the semifinal of the European Volleyball Championship on Thursday to qualify for the final in Paris. Playing in front of a raucous capacity crowd in the Stožice arena, Slovenia narrowly won the first set 25:23 but lost a hard-fought second set before rebounding to wrap up the game after more than two hours of play.

Šarec pessimistic about Adria prospects

NEW YORK, US - PM Marjan Šarec expressed regret about the developments at Adria Airways, sympathising with the passengers and the employees' families, but also noted that the air carrier is no longer state-owned and that the outlook for its rescue is not good. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek meanwhile told the STA the situation was being examined by several institutions so that the government will take a decision on Friday or Saturday how to rescue the company to preserve Slovenia's air links with the rest of the world. Citing unofficial sources, POP TV reported that BAMC, the bad bank, suggested the government invest between EUR 15 million and 20 million in Adria on condition the company pay out on Friday the reminder of August pay to employees and settle its International Air Transport Association membership fee.

Šarec meets Guterres, backs multilateralism and urges respecting of agreements

NEW YORK, US - PM Marjan Šarec underlined Slovenia's support for multilateralism and the need to honour human rights and agreements as he met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York on Thursday. Šarec's office said the honouring of agreements was particularly important for small countries like Slovenia, which is why the PM stressed the role of the UN in this context too. Šarec, who also stressed the importance of stability in the W Balkans, confirmed for the press Slovenia was sticking to its recognition of Kosovo, but he added it would be hard to revive dialuge between Belgrade and Prishtina if Kosovo does not remove its new tariffs on Serbian goods.

MPs pass Resolution on National Security Strategy

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed the Resolution on National Security Strategy with 46 votes in favour and 29 against. The resolution was passed after two opposition parties succeeded in throwing out an expansion of powers of the intelligence service to fight home-grown terrorism. Defence Ministry State Secretary Nataša Dolenc noted that the currently valid resolution had been passed a decade ago. Meanwhile, the security situation has been changing and worsening since 2013, she said, identifying hybrid threats, cyber threats and migration as new risks.

PM: If Croatia Schengen decision political, Slovenia to act politically too

NEW YORK, US - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec commented on the reports that the European Commission would give Croatia the go-ahead to join the Schengen area on 16 October by saying that in case of such a political decision, Slovenia will act politically as well. "I've been taking part in the European Council sessions for a year, and nothing can surprise me any more," said Šarec in New York, where he is attending the general debate of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.

Cerar talks Venezuela repatriation, Iran crisis

NEW YORK, US - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar, speaking with Slovenian reporters in New York, said he expected first Slovenians from Venezuela to be repatriated within a few weeks. He also credited the EU for preventing a complete fiasco of the Iran nuclear deal. "The repatriation of the Slovenians from Venezuela will happen soon," he said noting the government's task force was working hard to hash out all the details for what was not a simple operation. "Things will get started within a few weeks."

Retailer Mercator posts higher H1 revenue, profit up almost 60%

LJUBLJANA - Mercator, Slovenia's leading retailer, saw group sales revenue increase by 0.4% to EUR 1.06 billion in the first half of the year. Group net profit rose by 58.4% to EUR 2.4 million, the company said in an earnings release. Normalised profit before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased by almost 73% to EUR 83 million and operating profit (EBIT) by over 76% to EUR 29.9 million.

Chirac paid tribute as Slovenia's ally

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Foreign Ministry paid its tribute to late French President Jacques Chirac by describing him as an important ally of Slovenia in its accession to the EU and NATO. "Jacques Chirac will remain in our memory as an important ally of Slovenia in accession to the EU and NATO and as a politician who decisively contributed to peace in the Western Balkans and the enlargement policy of the European Union," the ministry said on its Twitter profile.

Erjavec deepening defence cooperation in Montenegro

PODGORICA, Montenegro - Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec started an official two-day visit to Montenegro to discuss with his counterpart Predrag Bošković options to further deepen cooperation. Reflecting on Slovenia's support to Montenegro's entry into NATO, which happened two years ago, the two ministers agreed today that Slovenia sending a defence adviser to Podgorica in 2011 had been among the most tangible signs of support.

MEP Fajon elected chair of Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee

BRUSSELS, Belgium - MEP Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD) was elected chair of the Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee today, her office said in a press release. Another Slovenian MEP, Franc Bogovič (EPP/SLS), was elected one of the two vice chairs, while the other position went to Greek Petros Kokkalis (GUE/NGL). Slovenian Klemen Grošelj (RE/LMŠ) is the third Slovenian member of the delegation.

Fishermen's right to compensation extended until end 2021

LJUBLJANA - Parliament extended by two years the right of Slovenian fishermen to claim compensation for fishing in the Piran Bay being obstructed as neighbouring Croatia refuses to implement the 2017 border arbitration decision by an international tribunal. The right also refers to compensation claims for material damage that their fishing vessels would suffer in incidents with Croatian fishermen, both of which would have expired at the end of 2019.

New indexation of social transfers endorsed, automatic pension increase confirmed

LJUBLJANA - The parliament passed a legislative proposal dealing with the indexation of transfers to individuals and households under which such transfers worth around EUR 1.25 billion will be indexed to inflation once a year. The opposition Democrats (SDS) and the Left were the only parties to oppose the amendment. Meanwhile, the government confirmed at a correspondenace session a 1.5% increase in pensions for December, which is in line with legislative provisions that envisage such a raise for the case of GDP growth in 2018 exceeding 4%. It was 4.1%

Krško plant offline next week for EUR 100m maintenance shutdown

KRŠKO - Having completed the 30th refuelling cycle, the Krško Nuclear Power Station (NEK) will go offline on Tuesday for a one-month scheduled maintenance shutdown that is expected to cost around EUR 100 million. The reactor will be refuelled and standard maintenance works carried out on all systems and structures of Slovenia's sole nuclear installation, technical director Mario Gluhak told the press on Thursday.

BAMC profit down 12% in H1 y/y due to shrunken portfolio

LJUBLJANA - Bank Asset Management Company (BAMC) generated EUR 17.9 million in net profit in the first half of the year, which was 12% less than in the first half of 2018. The company said in the business report that the results were on par with last year's, considering its portfolio has gotten smaller. BAMC generated EUR 116 million in asset management revenue, accounting for 5.6% of cumulative transfer value of assets. The figure is level with the same period in 2018, despite the fact that the portfolio has shrunk by more than 20% since the start of 2018.

Development pact to help face potential new crisis

LJUBLJANA - The two-day Manager Congress got under way at Portorož with optimism despite the talk of a looming crisis with assessments that Slovenian businesses were in good shape and better prepared for a new crisis than the last time around. Representatives of the government, businesses and trade unions taking part in one of the debates agreed that Slovenia needed a new development pact to brave a potential new global crisis. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said the government should put in place a competitive, predictable and stable business environment.

Slovenia gains two spots in IMD Digital Competitiveness ranking

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has gained two spots on the IMD World Digital Competitiveness ranking over 2018, placing 32nd this year. The US remained at the top of the ranking comparing 63 countries, followed by Singapore, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland. In comparison to other EU members who joined the bloc alongside Slovenia or later, Slovenia fared worse than Estonia in 29th place and Lithuania in 30th.

Exhibition on architect Plečnik moves from Vatican to Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition on prominent Slovenian architect and designer Jože Plečnik (1872-1957) and his designs of sacred objects moved from the Vatican Museums, where it was hosted during summer, to the Ljubljana City Museum, displaying 33 selected liturgical vessels as well as video presentations of his work. Opening today and running until 24 November in Ljubljana, the exhibition, entitled Plečnik and the Sacred, is one of the most important projects promoting Slovenian culture this year.

Sovre Prize for translations of novels by John Williams and Jan Nemec

LJUBLJANA - Translations of John Williams's novel Augustus and Czech writer Jan Nemec's A History of Light won Breda Biščak and Tatjana Jamnik the Sovre Prize, given out by the Slovenian Literary Translators' Association. The award, which is named after Slovenia's greatest translator of Ancient Greek literature Anton Sovre (1885-1963), will be presented in Hrastnik on 24 October.

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