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Deals reached on carcinogens and TEN-E as Slovenia presidency draws to close

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Just before Slovenia hands over the presidency of the Council of the EU to France, member countries reached final political agreements to update the carcinogens and mutagens directive and to revise the Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) regulation, but failed to agree on a proposal to update rules for social security coordination.

Member states ready to talk Daisy Chain proposal with Parliament

BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU member states reached an agreement on a mandate for negotiations with the European Parliament on amending the EU bank resolution framework. The move took place under the auspices of the Slovenian EU presidency. The new framework would be better at ensuring that loss-absorbing and recapitalisation of banks are carried out with private funds.

Patron cap in shops imposed from Thursday

LJUBLJANA - In the wake of Omicron concerns the government decided to impose a density limit in shops by allowing entry to one customer per every ten square metres of available floor space. The rule will be effective from Thursday. Under the decision shops are also required to put up a sign at their entrance informing customers of the maximum density limit.

Mandatory quarantine scheme made stricter

LJUBLJANA - The mandatory quarantine regime in Slovenia was tightened up, as the government decided at a correspondence session to make people who have received a booster jab the only exception to mandatory self-isolation after a high-risk contact. The new scheme, recommended by epidemiologists, will apply from Thursday.

Legal basis passed to overhaul school councils

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a controversial coalition-sponsored bill under which the number of staff represented on school councils will be reduced to level with those of parents and municipality or state as the school's founder. Under the bill, which was passed by 46 votes in favour and 42 against, school and kindergarten councils will have nine members, three each representing employees, the school founder and parents or in the case of secondary school one of students.

Municipality funding act amended over Roma settlements and IT

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly voted 67 to eight to amend the financing of municipalities act in order to secure additional funds to municipalities with Roma settlements, and money for IT services provided by joint administrations of several municipalities. In the first case, the municipalities will be able to decide autonomously how to spend the money.

Mes says govt should focus on regional routes after renovating core rail corridor

LJUBLJANA - The state should focus on regional rail tracks, particularly around the capital of Ljubljana, after it completes renovating the country's core rail corridor, Dušan Mes, CEO of the national rail company Slovenske Železnice (SŽ), told the STA in an interview. He says regional tracks, particularly around Ljubljana, do not allow for quality public railway transport. "They must be modernised, upgraded and electrified."

Digital Centre proves good networking, promotional platform

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Digital Centre, the main business project of Slovenia's EU presidency, drew to a close, with all stakeholders labelling it as a success, as it had served as a platform for promotion of 124 companies and organisations and had been visited by almost 60,000 visitors in person or online. The centre was launched at Ljubljana's BTC shopping area in July as a partnership between the Economy Ministry, SPIRIT Slovenija, the Digital Innovation Centre of Slovenia, and the BTC company.

Pahor calls for revival of consensual politics

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor called for a renaissance of consensual politics in his address to a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary since Slovenia adopted its constitution. He highlighted the importance of dialogue, cooperation and sensible compromises, whereas former PM Miro Cerar, who was involved in the making of the constitution, lamented the loss of political and legal culture, calling for civic courage and active citizenship in defence of constitutional values.

Slovenia transfers ex-Yugoslavia Trieste flat to fellow successors

TRIESTE, Italy - An apartment in Trieste that has in recent years been used by the Srečko Kosovel student dorm has been allotted to Serbia and North Macedonia under an agreement reached by the countries successors to the former Yugoslavia, the Foreign Ministry announced. The property has been in Slovenia's possession since the breakup of the former federation.

Meat industry says animals treated ethically at Slovenian abattoirs

LJUBLJANA - The meat processing industry responded to a recent video showing mistreatment of pigs and cattle at the Košaki TMI abattoir in Maribor, emphasising that an ethical attitude to animals was the standard at Slovenian abattoirs. The GIZ association of meat producers said in a written statement that a licenced vet was present at large abattoirs, all procedures were in line with the law, and trained staff were obliged to prevent any unnecessary suffering of animals.

Primož Roglič extends contract with Jumbo-Visma

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Slovenian cycling star Primož Roglič has extended his contract with the Dutch cycling team Jumbo-Visma until the end of 2025, which means that he will have completed a full decade in the team's jersey. Roglič started his professional cycling career with Jumbo-Visma when he signed in 2016, and had a contract until 2023.

Coronavirus cases continue to drop

LJUBLJANA - The epidemiological curve continued to drop in Slovenia, as the number of newly detected cases fell to 1,255, down in both daily and weekly comparisons. The number of active cases is around 17,000, data by the National Institute of Public Health shows. Hospitalisation numbers decreased, with 649 Covid patients still in hospital, 16 fewer than the previous day, including 206 in intensive care, down by one. Six patients died, the government said.

Tech company LIT Transit acquired by Estonia's Ridango

LJUBLJANA - LIT Transit, a Slovenia-based company providing IT solutions for public transportation, has been acquired by Estonian tech company Ridango to form a group that provides its services to transport agencies and operators in more than 25 countries. The value of the deal has not been disclosed. Ridango, which specializes in development of systems for public transport ticketing as well as payment solutions, sees the acquisition as a major milestone.

Magna gets environment permit to expand Hoče factory

MARIBOR - Austrian automotive company Magna Steyr has received an environmental permit from Slovenia's Environment Agency to expand its Slovenian factory in Hoče near the city of Maribor. The company told the STA that the permit had been issued on Monday and was final, meaning it can no longer be challenged. The permit allows Magna to continue the project by seeking a building permit for two new main buildings that will be added to the existing paint shop.

Five men suspected of cheating in vaccination

KRANJ - Police have filed criminal complaints against five men from the Gorenjska region and Ljubljana area for vaccination cheating. One of the men allegedly took the shots for the others to get the Covid pass. The man was remanded in custody, the Kranj Police Department said. Together with the two shots he received in his own name, the man was vaccinated seven times and was apprehended as he was about to receive the eighth shot. All five suspects are Slovenian citizens.

Average gross pay in October up nominally, down in real terms

LJUBLJANA - The average gross pay in Slovenia in October stood at EUR 1,886, while the average net pay was EUR 1,218. Both were up 0.7% nominally and down 0.2% in real terms compared to September, the Statistics Office said. The average gross pay was 2.4% higher in October compared to September, but only in the public sector, while it was 0.2% lower in the private sector.

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US welcomes Slovenia's Security Council bid

WASHINGTON, US - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Slovenia's candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2024-2025 during talks with Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar in Washington on Monday. The US sees Slovenia as an appropriate candidate. If elected, the country will be "a credible voice contributing to the preservation of international peace and security", Blinken said as quoted by the US Department of State.

Hojs survives vote of no-confidence

LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition failed to oust Interior Minister Aleš Hojs as only 44 MPs voted in favour, two short of the required majority, whereas 37 were against. The vote came after a 16-hour debate in parliament, during which the opposition reiterated its accusations against Hojs, including the excessive use of force by the police during protests in Ljubljana and politicisation of the force. Hojs dismissed all the accusations, saying he had actually provided police officers with better working conditions.

Family of Ljubljana mayor under investigation

LJUBLJANA - The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) conducted eleven house searches in Ljubljana area targetting five persons over suspected money laundering and abuse of office, police said. Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković said the searches were targetting members of his family, including his wife and both sons, but not him or the municipality. Five persons are suspected of money laundering, of whom two also of abuse or office in business activity, with illegal gains estimated at a million euro.

Epidemiological curve keeps falling, but Omicron spreading

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 1,555 coronavirus cases for Monday, a 9% fall from the same day a week ago as the total of estimated active cases dropped below 18,000 and hospitalisations kept falling. Five more Covid-19 patients died. Meanwhile, Omicron variant cases have been confirmed in all Slovenian regions but one, Goriška, the country's chief epidemiologist Mario Fafangel told the press, noting local transmission of Omicron. Epidemiologists propose a revised mandatory quarantine regime.

Report: Lawsuit filed against protest organiser to collect policing costs

LJUBLJANA - The State Attorney's Office has filed a lawsuit to collect the costs the police incurred as a result of policing unregistered anti-government protests from a protest organiser. While the Office has not revealed against whom the suit has been filed or how much money is being claimed, media reported that the most likely target was Jaša Jenull, one of the most prominent organisers of Friday's anti-government protests, which have been held since the Janez Janša government assumed office.

Speaker Zorčič forming new liberal party

LJUBLJANA - Speaker Igor Zorčič is in the process of forming a new party called the Liberal Democrats (LIDE) and is collecting the signatures formally needed to register a political party. The name makes it clear to liberal democratic voters who represents their interests, Zorčič said. Zorčič would not say who the president would be, nor whether the party will form alliances with other parties. "Let's wait for the party to be formed first," he said.

Damjan Kukovec becomes judge at EU General Court

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Slovenia's Damjan Kukovec joined the EU General Court in Luxembourg as six judges had their terms extended and three, including Kukovec, were newly appointed. Kukovec, whose term ends on 31 August 2025, thus filled the second of Slovenia's two posts at the court alongside Maja Brkan, who started her term in July.

Minister indicates exports ban possible way to curb power prices

LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said the government could intervene in the electricity market by banning exports and administering prices as a way to tackle the high price of energy. "Slovenia produces 85% of the electricity it needs. But the fact is that we export half of what we produce. The state can intervene here - ban the export of our electricity and set the price. We will do that if needed," he told the OZS chamber of small business.

Govt proposes increasing payments into N-plant decommissioning fund

LJUBLJANA - The government has proposed for the payments into the fund for the decommissioning of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NEK) and rad waste disposal to be increased from 4.80 to 12 euro per megawatt hour of power. The payments are made by Gen Energija, the state-owned company that holds Slovenia's stake in NEK, located in Krško on the border with Croatia. Slovenia and Croatia each hold 50% of the plant.

Pahor thanks troops abroad for keeping peace and security

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor addressed Slovenian troops serving abroad in the annual pre-Christmas videoconference, thanking them for their contribution to Slovenia's international reputation and to maintaining peace and security worldwide. He was briefed on the state on the ground by representatives of SAF rotations from Latvia, Mali, Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina. They reported the situation in the areas of deployment was mostly peaceful.

Some retailers withdraw Košaki meat products

LJUBLJANA - Following a recent report about animal mistreatment at the Košaki TMI abattoir in Maribor, some retailers have temporarily withdrawn the company's products from their shelves. Spar Slovenija said it intends to closely monitor further developments and decide on cooperation with Košaki after national inspectors have completed their inspection. Hofersuspended cooperation until Košaki proves to meet all the conditions of Hofer's policy on animal welfare. Tuš will temporarily withdraw Košaki products as well.

Locals oppose planned wind farm in Kras

SEŽANA - Plans to build up to 30 wind turbines next to a sole one already standing on a plateau that is part of the iconic Kras region in south-western Slovenia have met with opposition from the locals with both municipalities involved set to veto the project. "The municipality has not given its opinion yet, but it will certainly follow the will of the people living in the area," Sežana Mayor David Škabar told the STA on Monday as the plans for a wind farm on Griško Polje were presented to the locals.

Initiative launched to lower tax rate for re-use sector

LJUBLJANA - A number of environmental or socially-aware NGOs have come up with an initiative to reduce the tax rate for the re-use sector. The Focus NGO, Ecologists Without Borders, Fair Trade Slovenija and social enterprise Zavod Knof believe the move would give the sector a fresh impetus, hence strengthening local economies, diminishing consumption of natural resources and reducing waste.

Luka Dončić sends presents to patients at children's hospital

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's basketball star Luka Dončić sent toys and other Christmas presents to two hundred children currently at the children's hospital in Ljubljana, accompanied by a video message and signed photographs. Dončić, of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, donated hundreds of toys, from plush animals for babies to wooden toys for toddlers, as well as doll houses, Lego bricks, toy helicopters, cars and trucks.

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Debate on Hojs ouster motion split along partisan lines

LJUBLJANA - Debate on the motion to oust Interior Minister Aleš Hojs split along party lines with the centre-left opposition accusing the minister of politicising the police force and being responsible for growing repression and unacceptable rhetoric, as the coalition and its tacit supporters in the opposition joined Hojs in accusing the opposition of hampering the government's effort to fight Covid-19 for their own ends. Hojs denied the charges against him, saying he secured police officers with better work conditions. MPs have 17 hours scheduled for debate, with the vote expected to be in Hojs's favour.

Logar and Blinken discuss Slovenia's Security Council bid

WASHINGTON, US - US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he and Foreign Minister Anže Logar would discuss various topics at today's meeting, including Slovenia's candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2024-2025. Logar added that he was happy the bilateral strategic dialogue was continuing, as he started the visit. Logar said he was happy he was visiting Washington, noting that Slovenia and the US started a strategic dialogue during his visit last year to the US.

Vizjak chairs last Council session under Slovenian presidency

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia's EU presidency outlined progress in the Fit for 55 package at a session of the Environment Council, the last Council session before Slovenia hands the baton over to France. Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak said the meeting highlighted balanced climate ambitions, and cost-effectiveness and fairness of the green transition as key challenges in meeting climate goals. He said Slovenia sought to make as much progress on Fit for 55 as possible and to have a coherent approach to all interwoven and connected dossiers.

Some 7,600 jabbed on first day of nation-wide campaign

LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - Roughly 7,600 people got their coronavirus jabs on Sunday as the nation-wide campaign kicked off in a bid to ramp up Slovenia's vaccination rate. By far the largest share got booster shots. Visiting a vaccination centre in Maribor, Health Minister Janez Poklukar was happy with the turnout. "Yesterday, 33 times as many Slovenian residents as the Sunday before were vaccinated," he said. Of those, 486 got their first jab, 561 had their second and the rest got boosters.

New daily coronavirus case count down to 585 on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - The number of new coronavirus cases in Slovenia continued to drop with 585 new infections confirmed on Sunday. The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital declined by five to 696 this morning, with the number of ICU patients down by one to 215. Ten patients with Covid-19 died, government data show. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population declined by 9 to 865 and the 7-day rolling average of new daily cases decreased by 13 to 1,209.

Privacy watchdog launches probe into PM's vaccination letter

LJUBLJANA - The Information Commissioner has launched an investigation against the prime minister's office in regard to the vaccination promotion letters citizens received from Prime Minister Janez Janša. The office will have to explain the way personal data was obtained in order to address the letters and the legal basis used for this. The procedure comes after the data protection watchdog received numerous reports by citizens. The letters were addressed to specific individuals.

Education, attracting new staff main goals of SAF

LJUBLJANA - Maj-Gen Robert Glavaš, the chief of the general staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF), discussed the main future goals with reporters, which include recruiting new, young staff, further developing the system of military education and investing in modernisation of transport vehicles and infrastructure. The main objective is to attract new staff. The long-term plan is to increase SAF numbers from 6,365 to 7,000 permanent members and from 723 to 3,000 contractual reserve troops.

Car chase ends in migrant's death

LJUBLJANA - A car chase ended in a car crash and a death in Ljubljana on Sunday evening as a van transporting six Turkish migrants crashed in the centre of the city, killing one of the passengers. Ljubljana police identified the victim as a 22-year-old Turkish national. Police tried to pull over the van on the A1 motorway near Kozina, but the driver refused to stop and the chase continued on the Ljubljana bypass and Tržaška Street before he crashed into a traffic light. The 18-year-old driver, a Kosovo citizen, was detained along with three fellow Postojna residents who allegedly served as a reconnaissance party.

Cardinal Rode, Bishop Filo and Mufti Grabus to get state decorations

LJUBLJANA - Catholic Cardinal Franc Rode, Evangelical Bishop Geza Filo and Mufti Nedžad Grabus will be honoured with state decorations at a ceremony at the Presidential Ceremony next Tuesday under an order signed by President Borut Pahor. Cardinal Rode, who served as the archbishop of Ljubljana between 1997 and 2004, will be awarded the Golden Order of Merit, while the former leaders of the Evangelical and Lutheran Church and Islamic Community will get the Silver Orders of Merit.

Ecumenical tradition revived in Prekmurje

MURSKA SOBOTA - Catholic Bishop Peter Štumpf, Bishop Leon Novak of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, and Pastor Daniel Grabar of the Evangelical Pentecostal Church revived an ecumenical tradition dating back to the 1920s where leaders of different churches from the north-eastern region Prekmurje take a stroll together. "The fruit of this is still here, Prekmurje is known to be ecumenical and we would like to preserve this tradition, so we revived it in this pre-Christmas time," Novak said.

Pahor and Prince of Monaco support Triglav Glacier project

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and Prince Albert II of Monaco endorsed in a joint letter the Slovenian Olympic Committee's project termed Mission: Triglav Glacier to Beijing on Saturday. The campaign will see a fraction of ice from the Slovenian Triglav glacier travel to the Beijing Olympics to raise awareness about the consequences of global warming, not only the melting of glaciers but also the disappearance of winter sports and winter Olympics.

SDS remains in lead in Vox Populi poll

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democrats (SDS) continue to top the party rankings in the latest Vox Populi poll conducted by Ninamedia for the newspapers Večer and Dnevnik. Less than a third of the respondents support the work of the SDS-led government. The rating of the SDS was up by 0.7 percentage points to 17.7%, while the opposition Social Democrats (SD) lost just as much to poll at 13.2% in second. The poll projects 27 MP seats for the SDS and 50 for the KUL coalition of centre-left parties.

Slovenia has problems with transposing EU directives in time

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission published the latest Single Market Scoreboard, which shows the number of violations related to the singe market increased last year. Slovenia has difficulties in transposing directives in a timely manner and, in terms of violations, it fares the worst in the environmental policy and transport. By the cut-off date, Slovenia transposed nine of the 17 single market-related directives. The average delay increased by 1.5 months to 8.9 months.

Debate: Know-how, stability key for industrial development

LJUBLJANA - Trained staff, know-how and stability of the business environment are essential for further development of Slovenia's industry and hence a breakthrough in the country's economy globally speaking, heard the closing event of this year's Industry 4.0 and Robotics Month. Cooperation between the economy and the science sector should be strengthened and investment in research and science stepped up, agreed the participants of the conference.

Luka Koper with ambitious plan for 2022

KOPER - Luka Koper, the company operating the port of Koper, released an optimistic business plan for 2022, with both group net sales revenue and transshipment expected to grow. Given the current global situation and economic forecasts for 2022, the company plans a 9% rise in group net sales revenue to EUR 241.51 million and a rise in all segments of cargo transshipment. Net profit is to increase by 23% EUR 32.09 million, mostly as a result of higher than planned net sales revenue and higher financial revenue.

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Nation-wide vaccination promotion campaign kicks off

LJUBLJANA/BLED - A campaign aimed at boosting the Covid-19 vaccination rate kicked off. Taking place until Thursday, 62 vaccination centres across the country will work overtime, some open around the clock. Health Minister Janez Poklukar kicked off the campaign in Bled, where he got his booster shot. In view of the highly transmissible omicron variant that is now on the rise across the world, he urged all residents to get vaccinated. "Omicron is a part our lives and it is right to prepare," he said.

New coronavirus cases, at 767, broadly flat on week before

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 767 new cases of coronavirus for Saturday, down two percent on the week before. The inflow of new cases having flattened in recent weeks, hospital numbers continue to decline. There were 701 patients with Covid-19 in hospital, down two from yesterday. The number of ICU cases declined by seven to 216. Thirteen patients died. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population dropped by 15 to 874.

US Senate confirms new ambassador to Slovenia

WASHINGTON, US - The United States Senate confirmed Jamie Linder Harpootlian as the new ambassador to Slovenia. "I am deeply honoured and grateful for the confidence that President Biden has placed in me. I also want to thank Sen. Lindsey Graham for his support in the confirmation process. I look forward to representing the United States of America in Slovenia," Harpootlian said in a emailed statement to The State, a South Carolina newspaper.

Korean, Finnish dramas win top accolades at LGBT Film Festival

LJUBLJANA - South Korean drama House of Hummingbird by Bora Kim, a coming-of age story about 14-year-old Eunhee, a lonely and awkward teenager struggling to figure out who they are, was declared best film at the LGBT Film Festival. The jury said coming-of-age movies were an important part of LGBTQ+ in that they help youths who are questioning their identity better understand themselves. The Finnish drama Tove, a biography of the children's book author Tove Jansson by Zaida Bergroth won the audience award.

Yaskawa increasing robot production despite supply issues

KOČEVJE - The Kočevje-based factory of Japanese industrial robot producer Yaskawa saw a big drop in revenue last year due to the Covid-19 epidemic, but this year it is seeing production and sales growth. They expect sales to reach EUR 32 million 2021, a 140% increase compared to last year. The company estimates that it will produce and sell 3,400 robots and 2,100 controllers this year, a significant increase on last year, when they only made half as many robots and only 200 controllers.

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Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Parliament debates Vizjak no-confidence motion

LJUBLJANA - The coalition and opposition remained on opposite banks as the National Assembly debated a motion of no confidence in Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak. The centre-left opposition maintained Vizjak lacked understanding of the concept of public interest. Vizjak reiterated that the accusations against him were unjustified and lashed out at businessman Bojan Petan, with whom he talked in leaked tapes that prompted the opposition to initiate the motion. Voting is scheduled early on Saturday, after 16 hours of scheduled debate.

Constitutional Court annuls "forced" retirement provisions

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court annulled the provisions in two laws that allow the employer to retire an employee in an unilateral decision without having to justify the reasons for termination of the contract if the employee meets the conditions for old-age retirement. The country's top court had reviewed the changes to the employment relationships act and the public employees act on proposal of seven representative trade unions and the Advocate of the Principle of Equality.

Janša presents achievements of EU presidency in Brussels

BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša presented the results of Slovenia's six-month EU presidency after the summit in Brussels on Thursday. He noted it was the fourth presidency during the Covid-19 pandemic, pointing to the efforts to hold meetings in person, which contributed to successful closure of some difficult dossiers. He said that 21 trialogues with the European Parliament had been successfully completed, including on some difficult issues.

Norway and Slovenia seek deepening of cooperation

OSLO, Norway - Foreign Minister Anže Logar visited Norway to meet his counterpart Anniken Scharning Huitfeldt. The pair discussed opportunities to further strengthen cooperation. Slovenia's bid for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council was also discussed during what was the first visit by a Slovenian foreign minister in Norway in 18 years. Logar and Huitfeldt expressed satisfaction that the two countries had established excellent relations, particularly in multilateral and security areas.

Vrtovec discusses cooperation in nuclear energy with French counterpart

LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec met French Minister of the Ecological Transition Barbara Pompili on Thursday. The pair reviewed the accomplishments of the Slovenian EU presidency in energy, nuclear energy and the strategic partnership between Slovenia and France in the energy sector.

Central bank upgrades Slovenia's growth forecast to 6.7%

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's central bank upgraded its economic growth forecast for the country, projecting the economy to expand by 6.7% this year, up 1.5 percentage points compared to the June forecast. Meanwhile, it downgraded the growth forecast for 2022 from 4.8% to 4.0%, and upgraded it from 3.1% to 3.3% for 2023.

Vasle says ECB's pandemic exit decisions result of favourable conditions

LJUBLJANA - Banka Slovenije Governor Boštjan Vasle commented on Thursday's decision of the European Central Bank (ECB) for a gradual withdrawal from the pandemic measures, while maintaining the ability to respond quickly to a possible change by saying that the key message was that the economic consequences of the pandemic in the eurozone were calming down.

Booster shot needed for indefinite validity of Covid pass

LJUBLJANA - Those who have been fully vaccinated will see the validity of their Covid pass reduced from a year to nine months from February under a regulation adopted by the government. A booster shot extends the validity of the pass indefinitely. The decision is based on a recommendation by the advisory group on immunisation and is in line with guidance issued by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC).

Janša urges vaccination in a letter to citizens

LJUBLJANA - Many Slovenian households received in their mail boxes a letter in which PM Janez Janša thanks them for getting vaccinated against Covid-19 while urging the unvaccinated residents to kindly consider getting a jab. "Let this be your free yet responsible decision," he says in the letter ahead of the Sunday-to-Thursday Vaccination Days. He urges unity in efforts to successfully resist it because it divides us to those it misses or just slightly affects and those it infects and puts their health or even lives at serious risk.

New daily coronavirus infections down further

LJUBLJANA - The downward trend in new coronavirus cases continued in both weekly and daily comparisons in Slovenia on Thursday, with a total of 1,278 new cases detected. There are now an estimated 19,395 active cases in the country, according to the National Institute of Public Health. Twelve Covid patients died on Thursday. A total of 746 Covid patients are in hospital today, 30 fewer than the day before, including 237 in intensive care, which is the same number as yesterday.

MPs call government to review, report on appointments in Gen-I

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Public Finances debated the opposition's allegations of political staffing in the energy sector, deciding to propose to the government to review the procedure of appointment of the management of the energy trader Gen-I and report back to the commission. It also unanimously endorsed the proposal to urge the government to order Slovenian Sovereign Holding to respect the principle of professionalism and efficient management of state-owned companies.

Ombudsman calls for changes to migration management system

LJUBLJANA - Ahead of International Migrants Day, Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina said that EU countries should take a more determined approach to building a new common migration management system, which would offer reliable protection and in which the human rights of all migrants are respected.

Two-thirds of 2014-2020 EU cohesion funding paid out so far

LJUBLJANA - Under the 2014-2020 European Cohesion Policy, nearly EUR 2 billion, or 65% of the funds available, had been paid out to beneficiaries in Slovenia by the end of November. The government estimates that the figure will rise to 70% by the end of the year. The funds can be drawn until the end of 2023.

Opposition files bill to distinguish between hemp and cannabis

LJUBLJANA - Five centre-left opposition deputy groups tabled a bill to relax conditions to grow hemp for industrial purposes in Slovenia. They propose eliminating what they see a flawed classification of the plant hemp as a drug and clearly stating that hemp is an agricultural plant whereas cannabis is an illicit drug. The changes set conditions under which hemp can be grown for industrial, food and horticultural purposes, and specify which parts of the plant are a drug.

Ethnography Institute president gets top minority award

KLAGENFURT, Austria - The Slovenian minority in Austria will honour Nužej Tolmaier, president of the Urban Jarnik Slovenian Institute of Ethnography and former secretary of the Christian Cultural Association, with the Tischler Award. The award is given to Slovenians or Slovenian institutions promoting the cause of the Slovenian minority in the Austrian state of Carinthia.

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European Parliament adopts rule of law resolution on Slovenia

STRASBOURG, France - The European Parliament adopted a resolution on fundamental rights and rule of law in Slovenia which expresses concern over deep polarisation in the country and calls on prominent public figures to engage in a respectful and civilised public debate. The resolution was carried by 356 votes in favour and 284 against with 40 abstentions. 33 of the latter were MEPs of the European People's Party the political family of PM Janez Janša. The document had been tabled by the socialists (S&D), liberals (Renew), Greens and the Left.

Janša sees potential for Normandy Format talks with Russia

BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša hinted at possible new talks with Russia within the Normandy Format, which also brings together Ukraine, Germany and France, as he was asked which sanctions against Russia would be discussed at today's EU summit. The leaders are expected to urge diplomatic efforts, particularly within the Normandy Format, to ensure the Minsk agreements are fully implemented. Janša would not speak about specific sanctions but said it was good The EU was prepared in order to avoid surprises such as the Crimea.

Pahor sees Slovenian EU presidency as success

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor discussed a series of issues in an interview with Radio Slovenija on Wednesday, describing Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU as a success, including with respect to the Western Balkans where he regretted Bulgaria's blocking North Macedonia's accession talks. He also regretted Slovenia "squandered" its reputation through delays in the appointment of delegated prosecutors and the STA financing issue, which led to the European Parliament resolution.

Logar meets French counterpart to discuss EU presidency

PARIS, France - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris to present the achievements of the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU and to continue work on key European dossiers. France will take over the presidency from Slovenia on 1 January. The two ministers also discussed bilateral relations and expressed their commitment to further deepening the excellent Slovenian-French relations in the future.

Hojs and Dikaučič take part in EU-US ministerial

WASHINGTON, US - The combat against terrorism, migrant smuggling, instrumentalisation of migrations and cyber crime ranked prominently on the agenda of the EU-US ministerial meeting on justice and home affairs in Washington which was also attended by Interior Aleš Hojs and Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič on behalf of the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU. Hojs said the goal was "to strengthen the cooperation and the resilience of our societies and so contribute to a higher level of security in the EU and the world".

No vote on RTV Slovenija appointments

LJUBLJANA - The coalition walked out of the parliamentary session in protest after Speaker Igor Zorčič refused to put to a vote appointments to the programming council and supervisory board of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija with the argument that the line-up was not in conformity with the law governing RTV Slovenija, which stipulates that the selection must reflect to the maximum extent possible the composition of the parliament as a whole.

Left delays OCCAR deal with referendum request

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly was scheduled to vote on a bill ratifying an agreement between Slovenia and the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) for the purchase of 45 eight-wheeled Boxer armoured personnel carries (APCs). The vote was delayed by a motion filed by the Left demanding a referendum on the bill. Meanwhile, the party's latest referendum motion, targeting a resolution on the long-term development of the Slovenian Armed Forces, was voted down by.

MPs pass changes to the investment promotion act

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the investment promotion act under which the state will no longer provide incentives based on the creation of jobs but will encourage high-capital-intensive, high-productivity and green investments to support Slovenia and the EU's green transition. The amendments, which were passed by 48 votes to eight, create the basis for drawing EUR 88.5 million in grants from the EU mechanism for recovery and resilience.

Fiscal Council line-up endorsed for another term

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed the current line-up of the Fiscal Council for another five-year term. Davorin Kračun serves as president and Alenka Jerkič and Tomaž Perše as members. The trio's current terms expire on 21 March 2021. They were proposed for reappointment by the government. The Fiscal Council's job is to assess the sustainability and compliance of fiscal policies with the fiscal rule. Its members can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.

Anti-graft watchdog opens investigation against Janša

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption opened an investigation against Prime Minister Janez Janša on suspicion of a conflict of interest in management reshuffle at the bad bank. The procedure was launched based on the watchdog's initial findings in regard to appointments at the Bank Assets Management Company, unofficially Franci Matoz, known as Janša's lawyer. The investigation does not mean yet there has been indeed a conflict of interest. Janša in turn accused the watchdog of applying double standards.

Unaffiliated MP Rajić joins opposition SAB

LJUBLJANA - Branislav Rajić, a member of the NeP deputy group comprising four unaffiliated MPs, will join the opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) and its deputy faction, the NeP and the SAB announced. Rajić notified the NeP deputy group of his decision today. "We hope he will find his way in the political party he has chosen," the NeP said. The SAB held a press conference to confirm that Rajić will indeed join the party. The number of SAB deputies will increase to six.

New Constitutional Court head says constitution is means, not an end

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court held a ceremony to mark Constitution Day, 23 December, with its new president Matej Accetto stressing that even 30 years ago the constitution had not been only an end but also a means, which "we have to properly understand and use". Acceto, who started his term today, said in his address that the "Constitutional Court is not the first but rather the last guardian of constitutionality and the fundamental elements of the principle of the rule of law".

Daily Covid case tally on Wednesday drops 20% week-on-week

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,345 new coronavirus infections were reported in Slovenia for Wednesday, down by 20% week-on-week. The number of currently active cases has fallen below 20,000. Additional eight Covid-19 patients died. Hospitalisations continued to decrease as there were 776 patients in hospital this morning, down by 28 on the day before, as ICU cases rose by six to 237, show government data.

Slovenia sees record number of persons in employment

LJUBLJANA - The number of persons in paid employment stood at an all-time high of 911,820 at the end of October, having increased by 2.4% on the year before and 0.6% on September, the Statistics Office said. The number of those working for legal and natural persons, and the number of the self-employed rose by a similar share year-on-year, by 2.4% and 2.2%, respectively. This is the fourth consecutive month the number of persons in employment hit an all-time high.

Record number of asylum requests this year

LJUBLJANA - A record 4,568 asylum requests were filed from January through November this year. A total of 15 persons were granted asylum status. The reason for such a low share of approved requests is that a vast majority of asylum seekers during the period in question left Slovenia before the procedure was completed. The Interior Ministry said that as many as 98% of the asylum seekers left Slovenia before the entire procedure of processing their requests was concluded.

Public pension fund balanced at EUR 6.4bn in 2022

LJUBLJANA - The council of the ZPIZ public pension and disability fund endorsed the fund's financial plan for 2022, which puts revenue and expenditure at EUR 6.4 billion each. Under the financial plan, EUR 5.1 billion will be collected from social security contributions, up 2.4% than was estimated for this year, said deputy director general David Klarič. The gap to EUR 6.4 billion will be covered from the national budget and the KAD fund. The document still needs government approval.

NLB bank to pay out additional EUR 67 million in dividends

LJUBLJANA - NLB shareholders approved the management's proposal that the bank pay a further dividend of almost EUR 67.4 million. This will give shareholders an additional EUR 3.37 gross per share on 24 December, while NLB has thus earmarked EUR 92.2 million for dividends this year. NLB shareholders agreed to a further distribution of last year's balance sheet profit of EUR 317.2 million, of which EUR 249.8 million will remain undistributed after dividends are paid out.

Slovenia European leader in AI researchers per capita

LJUBLJANA - Minister for Digital Transformation Mark Boris Andrijanič said Slovenia was already a European powerhouse in the field of artificial intelligence as the country already has the highest number of AI researchers per capita in Europe. Slovenia hosts the UNESCO Centre for Artificial Intelligence and has an extremely vibrant AI community, Andrijanič pointed out as he addressed the European AI Forum in Ljubljana.

Telecom operator Telemach plans major mobile network investments

LJUBLJANA - Telemach will invest more than EUR 100 million in its mobile network in the coming years, said Adrian Ježina, the president of the telecommunication company's management board, adding that one of their main goals was to cover the entire country with its own mobile network as soon as possible. While 11 towns had access to Telemach's 5G network in September, this number has now risen to 50. "The coverage is not ideal, but we have covered the main urban centres," Ježina said.

Story about independence-era presidential candidate Kramberger put on film

LJUBLJANA - A feature-length documentary premiered in Ljubljana in which auteur Maja Weiss recounts the story of Ivan Kramberger, an eccentric populist who ran for president in 1990 in the first multi-party elections in Slovenia. Although a man was found guilty of his killing, Kramberger's 1992 death is for many still a mystery. Beli Bojevnik v Črni Obleki (White Warrior in Black Suit) tells about the role Kramberger (1936-1992) played in Slovenia's independence efforts.

Slovenia to play Sweden, Norway and Serbia in Nations League

NYON, Switzerland - A draw for the third iteration of the UEFA Nations League pitted Slovenia against Sweden, Norway and Serbia in Group 4 of League B. The matches will be played in June and September next year. "It's great group, I couldn't wish for a more optimal one," Matjaž Kek, Slovenia's head coach, commented. "These are proper teams and proper fixtures for Slovenia." Slovenia advanced to League B after wining in its group in League C in 2020.

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Janša calls for enlargement plan for Eastern partners

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Attending the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels, Prime Minister Janez Janša said as the EU presiding country Slovenia had been striving for EU accession of Eastern partners and for the enlargement timeline to be set down. "In the next ten years both sides should take concrete steps towards enlargement," he told foreign media. Janša met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Vovayi Pashinyan and Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

Ten Omicron cases confirmed in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Omicron count increased to ten by Monday from the first four cases of the new variant reported the day earlier. The National Institute of Public Health said the cases were in two separate clusters including persons who arrived from Sweden and the UAE and secondary transmissions. The Covid-19 advisory group is debating potential new measures in response to the development. This was as all coronavirus cases kept falling with 1,526 reported for Tuesday to push the 14-day incidence per 100,000 below 1,000. Eight Covid-19 patients died with 804 now in hospitals, including 231 in intensive care.

Vote on income tax cuts moved to next session

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly failed to take a vote on a government-sponsored bill designed to reduce taxation of salaries across the board and cut capital gains tax as a majority endorsed a proposal by an MP for the ruling Democrats (SDS) to move the vote to a next session. Meanwhile, the opposition Left submitted a bid for a consultative referendum on the bill, which its leader Luka Mesec said would drill a "800 million-euro hole in the budget" while rewarding the 1% of top earners.

Forecaster expects end-year growth to exceed projections

LJUBLJANA - The government's macroeconomic forecaster IMAD predicts that Slovenia's end-year GDP growth will have exceeded its latest projection, driven by buoyant private spending and a robust labour market. It estimates the growth rate will be between half a percentage point and a full percentage point above its September forecast of 6.1%, even as it predicts growth will slow in the final quarter.

Conference hears future of Slovenia lies in green, digital transitions

LJUBLJANA - A conference on the future industry and the Slovenian economy's internationalisation heard the pandemic should be an opportunity to change patterns of thinking and focus on strengths and abilities. Slovenia's future lies in the green transition, digitalisation, sustainability, resilience and open-mindedness, the participants, which included PM Janez Janša and Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, agreed. Janša said the ambition to always be better was particularly important in times of crisis.

Slovenia hosts Europol management board meeting

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Slovenia hosted a two-day online session of the Europol management board with Interior Minister Aleš Hojs calling for enhancing the EU law enforcement agency's mandate to make it even more efficient in the fight against international organised crime as a major threat to European security. The board discussed allocation of the 2022 budget of EUR 192.4 million, which is up EUR 23.4 million from the final budget for 2021. It also approved hiring of 71 new staff in 2022.

Law on deployment to civilian missions amended

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the act on deployment in civilian missions and international organisations, legislation designed to make it easier to nominate and deploy Slovenian experts. The amendments were necessary because portions of the existing law from 2006 proved to be unfeasible and sometimes even made it difficult to effectively deploy Slovenian experts to international organisations or civilian missions.

MPs pass changes to audiovisual services law

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the audiovisual services act which were drafted by unaffiliated MPs to transpose a relevant EU directive and which enjoy government support. The bill is very similar to the government's proposal that failed to be passed in a re-vote in September following a veto by the upper chamber. However, it no longer contains a controversial 6% levy providers would pay from their gross annual revenue to finance a special fund for European audiovisual production.

President decorates diaspora organisation

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor bestowed the Order of Merit on the Slovenian Emigrant Association for its invaluable contribution to efforts to preserve the Slovenian identity and culture among Slovenian expatriates. The association marks its 70th anniversary this year. Pahor also bestowed the Medal of Merit on the SDGZ business association of the Slovenian minority in Italy, and on Saša Verbič, the head of the Slovenian community's umbrella organisation in Serbia.

Speaker stresses importance of constitution for democracy

LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič addressed a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the declaration of the Slovenian constitution saying the constitution remained a guarantee for the democratic and free country that Slovenians were longing for today just as they did 30 years ago. Former PM Miro Cerar, who was involved as the constitution was drafted in the early 1990s, said it was still a "good and reliable foundation of our legal and political system" although it could be amended to reflect development.

SMC adamant it will not be affected by latest defection

LJUBLJANA - Gregor Perič, the head of the deputy group of the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), told reporters the group's or the coalition's majority in parliament would not be affected by MP Mateja Udovč leaving the SMC to join the Our Land party of former Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec. The SMC faction is now reduced to four MPs from original ten. Udovč plans to act as independent MP. Pivec said her party would run in the election on its own but did not rule out pre- or post-election alliances.

Watchdog finds integrity breaches in SSH boss sacking

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption has established breaches of integrity in six former or current members of the management and supervisory boards of the Slovenian Sovereign Holding in relation to an agreement to terminate the term of chairman Lidija Glavina in 2019. The findings are not final yet because the six officials have challenged them in court, the anti-graft watchdog said.

Watchdog finds no conflict of interest in biogas plant sale

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption found no breach of integrity in the bad bank's sale of a biogas plant in eastern Slovenia to a Hungarian group, a case into which it looked because of a potential conflict of interest of Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) chairman Franci Matoz. The watchdog established the sale of the biogas plant in Dobrovnik was discussed by BAMC's six credit and investments boards before Matoz joined BAMC.

Closure of Trbovlje-Hrastnik mine pushed back by a year

LJUBLJANA - The deadline to completely shut down the Trbovlje-Hrastnik coal mine was extended yet again, this time until the end of 2023, as the National Assembly endorsed changes to the 2000 law on coal phase-out and restructuring of the Zasavje region. The brown coal mine has not been operational since 2014. The cost of the additional works is now estimated at EUR 11.7 million, of which EUR 8.9 million will come from the national budget. The closure has so far cost an estimated EUR 250 million.

Writer Drago Jančar honoured at Serbian festival

NOVI SAD, Serbia - Slovenian writer Drago Jančar won the Milovan Vidaković International Literary Prize, awarded at the Prosefest international prose festival in Serbia's Novi Sad. This year's 15th edition of the festival, organised by the Novi Sad Cultural Centre, is taking place online between 13 and 16 December. Jančar's novels and essays have been translated into 21 languages and published in Europe, Asia and the US. He has also won several awards and honours for his work in Slovenia and abroad.

First fifty Slovenian books available for bibliophiles

LJUBLJANA - The first fifty Slovenian books from the 16th and early 17th centuries, accompanied by detailed analyses and pictures, have been published by Cankarjeva Založba in a special collection entitled Stati inu Obstati (To Stand and Withstand). Out of the 300 copies issued, only 16 are still available. Author Kozma Ahačič said a major problem ha had grappled with had been how to write a scientific monograph that would not be boring and would be appealing also to the general public.

New additions to the register of intangible cultural heritage

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian register of intangible cultural heritage has been expanded with three new entries: the traditional building of nativity scenes, the traditional Slovenian festive pastry - potica, and the health profession and practice of midwifery.