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EPPO appoints Slovenian prosecutors for full terms

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The College of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) appointed Tanja Frank Eler and Matej Oštir as Slovenia's European delegated prosecutors for five-year terms, same as all the other delegated prosecutors. This was after the Slovenian government referred the two nominees, picked up by the State Prosecution Council nearly a year ago, to the EPPO last week, as what it described as a "temporary solution". Frank Eler and Oštir said they were pleased with the appointment and eager to start working. The EU Commission has also welcomed the two appointments.

Changes to appointment of EPPO prosecutors proposed

LJUBLJANA - The Justice Ministry put forward amendments to the act on the public prosecution that would give the government greater say in the appointment of Slovenian prosecutors delegated to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). The proposal stipulates that the Justice Ministry would get the power to propose candidates in the event that an insufficient number of prosecutors applied in the public call. The final decision on the appointment would be in the hands of the government, and not the Public Prosecutors' Council.

Janša and Morawiecki note similar views on border protection

LJUBLJANA - Hosting his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister Janez Janša pledged Slovenia's support for Poland in light of the migrant crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border. He said the EU should fund all measures to protect the bloc's external borders, arguing that physical barriers at the borders have proved to be effective in preventing illegal migration and violence. He noted that Slovenia had been striving to drum up major support for Poland in the migration crisis as the country that is currently at the helm of the Council of the EU.

MEPs acknowledge improvements in Slovenia, lament delays

STRASBOURG, France - The European Parliament conducted a debate on fundamental rights and the rule of law in Slovenia. MEPs acknowledged there have been positive steps made recently, but they also criticised the government for delays, in particular in the appointment of European delegated prosecutors. There were warnings that despite progress on certain key issues, in particular the prosecutors, there are still threats to democracy, highlighting issues such as reduced funding of the media, cyberbullying, SLAPP lawsuits, and threats against critics.

Janša says restrictions work if people comply

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša reiterated his call for vaccination against Covid-19 as he indicated in an interview for the Catholic Radio Ognjišče that a tightening of restrictions was not in the cards at present. He said that the closure of certain activities and services, if properly adhered to, can bring relatively quick relief in epidemiological terms. "But if we comply, measures related to the PCT rule can contribute significantly as well," he said in reference to the country's recovered-vaccinated-tested rule.

Logar discusses Bosnia's situation in EU Parliament

STRASBOURG, France - Foreign Minister Anže Logar raised concern about the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina as he addressed the European Parliament on Tuesday evening. Logar, who took part in the debate on behalf of the Council of the EU, called on the country's political leaders to give up provocative and divisive rhetoric and actions, including such that undermine the country's territorial integrity, and to commit to reforms. MEPs also expressed concern about the developments.

Coronavirus infections continue to fall

LJUBLJANA - The number of new coronavirus infections continued to fall on a daily and weekly basis, as 3,144 people tested positive on Tuesday, but the situation in hospitals remains alarming. The government reported that another 11 patients died, while 1,168 continue to be treated in hospitals, including 283 in intensive care. Health Ministry State Secretary Franc Vindišar said hospitals were so badly stretched they could no longer provide adequate level of service in case of a multiple casualty event.

Illegal migration down almost 40%

LJUBLJANA - Police dealt with 8,144 instances of illegal crossing of the border in the first ten months of 2021, nearly 39% fewer than in the same period last year. The most frequently processed illegal migrants were from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, who accounted for almost half of the total number. The police said the rise was currently slower than expected, with the area covered by the Koper Police Department remaining the most exposed.

Long-term care bill passes second reading

LJUBLJANA - The bill on long-term care passed second reading in parliament after it was heavily amended by the coalition. The bill offers institutional care, home care, care for a family member and financial compensation. All beneficiaries but those receiving institutional care would also be eligible for services aimed at strengthening and keeping their independence. It does not immediately solve the issue of financing, which will be dealt with in a separate act to be passed in 2024. Until then, the gradually rising costs of the new regulation are to be covered by the state budget.

Jasmina Cibic wins the 2021 Film London Jarman Award

LONDON, UK - Slovenian artist Jasmina Cibic won the 2021 Jarman Award handed out by Film London, worth EUR 10,000. The jury highlighted her projects NADA and The Gift, which was recently screened at the London Film Festival. Cibic was announced the winner at an event at the Regent Street Cinema on Tuesday. Based in London, Cibic (1979) works in film, sculpting, performance and installation. She broaches issues such as national identity, emergence of a state, soft power and relations within Europe in her works.

Actors urge debate on issues in culture sector

LJUBLJANA - The Association of Theatre Actors (ZDUS) sees the resignation of Igor Samobor as the director of Ljubljana's SNG Drama theatre as an opportunity for the public to get acquainted with issues in arts and culture and to call on politicians to act responsibly for the common good. They say the resignation is a result of "irresponsible cultural policy". Simoniti would not comment on the resignation until he was given the opportunity to appear on the late night news show on TV Slovenija like Samobor. He is due to appear there tonight.

Business sentiment improves in November

LJUBLJANA - Business sentiment in Slovenia improved in November after a brief slump, as the relevant indicator was up by 0.8 percentage points compared to October, and was 15.9 points higher year-on-year, the Statistics Office reported. Contributing the most to the improvement were the sub-indicators for sentiment in manufacturing and retail, which were up 1.1 and 0.4 percentage points, respectively.

Hydrogen filling station launched in Anhovo

ANHOVO/NOVA GORICA - A hydrogen filling station was launched outside cement maker Salonit Anhovo in western Slovenia as part of plans to make it one of the first carbon-neutral cement plants with minimum environmental impact by 2035. Tomaž Vuk, a member of the management board, said the filling station was the first step for the company on the path to carbon-neutral transport of cement. Anhovo is only the second such facility in the country after the first one opened in Lesce in north Slovenia in 2013.

Snowboarder Grilc dies in accident on Sölden slopes

SÖLDEN, Austria - Marko Grilc, one of the most accomplished Slovenian snowboarders, was killed in a snowboarding accident in the Austrian ski resort of Sölden on Tuesday. Media reports say the 38-year-old was part of a film crew inspecting a site for filming as he fell and hit his helmless head on a snow-covered rock in a closed section of the resort. Grilc had four podium finishes in the World Cup, with the sole victory coming in London in 2010 in acrobatic jumps.

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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: 

Justice Minister Dikaučič survives no-confidence vote

LJUBLJANA - Marjan Dikaučič remains justice minister after 42 MPs voted in favour of a motion of no confidence, four short of the required majority. He was endorsed by 28 MPs as several deputy groups, including the junior coalition NSi, abstained. The motion focused on his responsibility for publishing an unlawful public call for applications for the appointment of two European delegated prosecutors, and of tolerating "inadmissible delays by the government, its selective approaches and political motives in the appointment". The minister dismissed all allegations saying his work was not the actual basis for the criticism, rather he was facing the motion only because he is a minister in the current government. He said he now wanted to focus on completing the appointment of delegated prosecutors and Slovenia's EU presidency.

Memorial to Slovenian-Croatia independence efforts unveiled

OTOČEC - A memorial in honour of the period when Slovenia and Croatia were gaining independence was unveiled with both countries' prime ministers Janez Janša and Andrej Plenković in attendance. The memorial commemorates the bilateral meetings and cooperation between Slovenia and Croatia, honouring and celebrating the 30th anniversary of independence of both countries. The prime ministers underlined the importance of cooperation and friendly relations. Janša said that any outstanding issues could be resolved through dialogue, good cooperation and friendship, while Croatia's Plenković said the two countries were the best of neighbours and friends.

Hojs dismisses allegations of politicisation of police

LJUBLJANA - Appearing in a televised current affairs show on Sunday, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs rejected allegations about the police organisation changes being an attempt to politicise the force. Hojs sees the new law as the first step towards a more professional police that would reduce any political interference, whereas the opposition maintains the opposite. He also said that during the previous government, the proposal had been talked about and included lower-rank changes on top of the current ones.

Slovenia lends over 40,000 Pfizer vaccine doses to Croatia

LJUBLJANA - The government decided to lend Croatia 40,950 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 in response to the neighbouring country's request for 40,000 doses. The donation will be made in the form of a dual donation - first by Slovenia to Croatia and the other in the form of Croatia returning the vaccine to Slovenia by 31 December, a release issued after the government's correspondence session said. The donation is in response to Croatia seeing a big increase in interest in vaccination.

Pahor congratulates Bulgarian president on re-election

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor congratulated Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on his re-election. The presidents also discussed the Covid-19 pandemic and stressed the importance of efforts by both Slovenia and Bulgaria to raise vaccination rates. They also discussed potential further steps in the search for a compromise solution on Bulgaria's blockade of North Macedonia's EU accession talks that would be acceptable to both sides.

Slovenia wants Belarus to remain high on EU's agenda

VIENNA, Austria - Foreign Minister Anže Logar said Belarus should remain high on the agenda of the EU and the international community as he condemned the Belarus regime and expressed support for democratisation of the country at a conference in Vienna. Logar called on the Belarus authorities to end the violence and persecution, immediately release all unlawfully detained political prisoners, investigate all human rights abuses, and make sure perpetrators are brought to justice.

New infections down for 3rd day running

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw its daily coronavirus count drop on the week before for the third straight day as 1,389 cases were confirmed on Sunday. However, more than half of the PCR tests were positive, and beds available for intensive treatment of Covid-19 patients are all but full as 1,162 Covid patients were treated in hospitals this morning, including 275 in intensive care, after 16 more patients died. Should the ICU figure top 288, a state of extreme emergency would be declared in healthcare, said Health Minister Janez Poklukar.

Most schools compliant with Covid rules

LJUBLJANA - The Education and Sport Inspectorate carried out 121 inspections in November to find 11 cases of irregularities in compliance with measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Chief Schools Inspector Simon Slokan said on Monday. Five schools were non-compliant but corrected things before re-inspections, and one school was temporarily shut down for non-compliance. It will be allowed to reopen once everything is found to be in order.

Court says reading Constitution at protest was minor offence

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Local Court has dismissed a case against author and comedian Andrej Rozman Roza over his involvement in a protest reading of the Constitution in front of Parliament House in June 2020. The court said that this was minor offence that did not endanger anyone. It ruled on the matter after Rozman, who was fined for reading the Constitution at the anti-government protest along with several other intellectuals, lodged an appeal on a point of law.

Ljubljana drama theatre director resigns

LJUBLJANA - Igor Samobor, the director of Ljubljana's SNG Drama theatre, resigned due to what he described as government foot-dragging over the badly needed renovation of the building of Slovenia's largest theatre. In a resignation statement circulated Monday, Samobor says preparations for a renovation and extension of the theatre's building in the centre of Ljubljana had been proceeding since 2012, but then ground to a halt when Vasko Simoniti became the culture minister.

Renovated tomb of General Maister unveiled in Maribor

MARIBOR - After years of controversy and negotiations, the renovated tomb of General Rudolf Maister (1874 - 1934), the decorated Slovene military officer, poet and political activist, was unveiled at the Maister family grave at the Pobrežje cemetery in Maribor. The unveiling took place a day before 23 November, the anniversary of the date in 1918 when Maister's fighters seized control of the city of Maribor and the surrounding region of Lower Styria, thus protecting the northern Slovenian border.

Slovenia's independence subject of award-winning picture book

LJUBLJANA - This year's Kristina Brenk Prize for best original picture book goes to Osamosvojitev (Independence), a book by historian Nataša Strlič illustrated by Damijan Stepančič that deals with Slovenia's independence efforts and was published on the 30th anniversary of independence. The book offers an insight into the life and developments in Slovenia between 1980 and 1992.

All defendants in sawn-off hand case plead guilty

LJUBLJANA - The retrial in the infamous sawn-off hand insurance fraud case saw Julija Adlešič - the woman whose hand was sawn off - her partner Sebastien Abramov, and his parents all pleading guilty and receiving prison sentences. Adlešič and Abramov will spend 19 and 29 months in prison, respectively. Both have already served most of their sentences in custody.

Russia and Ukraine European chess champions

ČATEŽ OB SAVI - Russia and Ukraine were crowned European chess champions, respectively in the women's and open categories, as the European Team Chess Championship closed in Slovenia on Sunday evening. Among women, Georgia won silver and bronze went to Azerbaijan, whereas among men, France was second and Poland finished in third place. Slovenia's women team was 18th and men's team 32nd.

Javelin thrower Ratej withdraws appeal against doping sanction

LJUBLJANA - Martina Ratej, the Slovenian record holder in javelin, has withdrawn an appeal against doping accusations and accepted a two-year ban on competing effective from March 2020. All the results she achieved between 2012 and 2014 have been deleted from official records, in what is now a final decision.

Average gross pay in September decreases

LJUBLJANA - The average gross pay in Slovenia in September stood at EUR 1,873, while the average net pay was EUR 1,210. Both the gross pay net pay were down 1.4% nominally and 1.3% in real terms compared to August, the Statistics Office said. The average gross pay and the average net pay decreased in both the public and the private sector.

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New Covid-19 cases down slightly week-on-week, 19 deaths

LJUBLJANA- A total of 2,245 new cases of coronavirus were recorded on Saturday, a slight decrease week-on-week, with the positivity rate standing at 47.4%. The situation in hospitals is still critical, as the government reported that 1,126 people were being treated in hospitals for Covid-19 this morning, 26 more than yesterday, of which 269 required intensive care, up by three. Another 19 patients died.

Supreme Court says average duration of court proceedings shortened

LJUBLJANA - The average duration of court proceedings decreased in the first half of this year compared to the first half of pre-pandemic 2019, the Supreme Court said, while adding that durations have increased for certain types of cases, such as inheritance proceedings. Last year, courts received 11% fewer total cases than the year before, resolved 13% fewer total cases and held 22% fewer hearings than in 2019.

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Education minister remains in office

LJUBLJANA - Simona Kustec remains the minister of education after 42 MPs voted in favour of a motion of no confidence and 39 coalition MPs voted against. The vote capped more than 14 hours of debate during which the opposition alleged that the minister's management of the portfolio has been disastrous, especially when it comes to dealing with Covid-19 at school. Kustec framed the vote as an attempt to silence women in politics as she dismissed all accusations arguing that the measures that have been introduced are urgently needed and are being implemented all over the world.

Slovenian, Croatian prime ministers meeting on Monday

LJUBLJANA - The prime ministers of Slovenia and Croatia, Janez Janša and Andrej Plenković, will meet in Otočec in south Slovenia on Monday to unveil a memorial celebrating cooperation between both governments during the time the countries were gaining independence. Unveiled in a year when both countries celebrated the 30th anniversary of their independence, the memorial will recognise bilateral meetings and cooperation between two friendly countries, Janša's office said.

Caseload down on weekly basis as 3,232 new infections confirmed

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 3,232 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, down more than a tenth over the week before as the epidemic plateaus at a high level. The positivity rate remained high at almost 40%, level on the week before, and 22 patients with Covid-19 died. The situation in intensive care units remains critical as the number of patients reached yet another record of this morning 266, up by 13 in a single day and very close to maximum capacity.

Iranian film Hit the Road wins main prize at Ljubljana film fest

LJUBLJANA - Hit the Road, a family road trip movie by Iranian director Panah Panahi, is the winner of the Kingfisher Award, the main award handed out at the Ljubljana International Film Festival. Panahi's debut feature is a multi-layered portrait of an Iranian family and Iranian society at large set in a road trip through north-western Iran. The jury lauded the film for its subtle yet penetrating treatment of humanity's woes and for depicting migrations "beyond all cliches".

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Govt proposes fresh stimulus for business, transfers for the most vulnerable

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed a bill on additional measures for curbing the consequences of epidemic, envisaging special pay for the most vulnerable such as pensioners and fresh stimulus measures for business. The self-employed and farmers are to be partly compensated for income lost due to quarantine and force majeure and companies would get refunds for coronavirus tests for their employees. Extension of tourist vouchers until then end-June 2022 has also been proposed. Associations of small businesses and tourism companies welcomed the fresh stimulus, but said they expected more aid in the event Slovenia enters a new lockdown.

Compensation scheme proposed for adverse effects of vaccination

LJUBLJANA - The government proposed a compensation scheme for those who have suffered serious health damage as a result of a Covid-19 vaccine, a step Health Minister Janez Poklukar said was key to maintaining confidence in the vaccines and ensuring the effective implementation of the national vaccination programme. Compensation of EUR 60,000 would be paid to those who suffer a serious and permanent reduction in their vital functions after vaccination. The parents of a child or the spouse or civil partner of a person who died after vaccination would receive EUR 10,000, while underage children of a person who died after vaccination would receive EUR 20,000.

New issues on horizon in wake of govt EDP decision

LJUBLJANA - The State Prosecution Council welcomed the government's decision to refer the council's pick of the pair of candidates for delegated prosecutors to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). Both the council and experts say such an act cannot be temporary because the legislation does not provide for temporary appointment nor does it empower the government to replace or interfere in the council's proposal for the EDPs nomination. However, the government says it invoked a clause in the relevant regulation that says if a EDP's services are no longer necessary, the member state informs the European Chief Prosecutor thereof and nominates another prosecutor to be appointed as the new EDP.

EU Commission keeping eye on appointment of delegated prosecutors until completion of procedure

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The appointment of Slovenia's two delegated prosecutors to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) is a step in the right direction and the EU Commission will continue to follow the developments, Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said. He noted that the Commission had been in ongoing contact with Slovenia at all levels and had repeatedly called on Slovenia to appoint the delegated prosecutors without any further delay. As for the temporary nature of the appointment of Tanja Frank Eler and Matej Oštir on a temporary basis, he said this was now up to the college of the EPPO.

Centre-left opposition stands by accusations against Kustec

LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition argued in the National Assembly that Education Minister Simona Kustec must go due to mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis in the educational sector as a motion of no confidence in the minister was debated all day. Kustec, staunchly defended by the coalition, framed the criticism of her work as based on "mechanisms for silencing women," as she listed the many ways in which she has been trying to make schools a safe learning environment during the pandemic. The vote was scheduled to take place after midnight.

Number of coronavirus cases up weekly, 20 deaths

LJUBLJANA - Another 3,517 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Thursday, slightly up from the same day a week ago. The positivity rate was up week-on-week by almost three percentage points to 42.5%. 20 Covid-19 patients died yesterday. The rolling 7-day average of new cases increased from the day before by 13 to 3,282 whereas the 14-day cumulative incidence per 100,000 people fell by 12 to 2,141. Hospitalisations totalled 1,127 this morning, up by 23 on the previous day, including 253 patients who required intensive care, up by three.

Govt green-lights capital-intensive investment bill

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted on Thursday a bill to boost capital-intensive investment aimed at supporting the green transition. The proposal enables drawing investment incentives out of the EU recovery and resilience fund. The amendments to the investment promotion act would upgrade the state incentive regime from efforts to create new jobs to the promotion of capital-intensive investment for the green transition. The proposal is one of the first and key measures from the national recovery and resilience plan, as EUR 2.5 billion is set aside for Slovenia in the EU recovery and resilience instrument.

Slovenia hails adoption of water diplomacy conclusions

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The EU's General Affairs Council endorsed conclusions highlighting the strategic importance of water, a move hailed by Slovenia as a landmark in water diplomacy and a major achievement of the Slovenian EU presidency. The conclusions are a milestone in the EU's water diplomacy and in the achievement of progress in the framework of the EU's Agenda 2030, State Secretary Stanislav Raščan said. "I'm glad we've adopted the conclusions during Slovenia's EU presidency. Slovenia has made an important contribution in the preparation thereof and made efforts for their adoption," he was quoted as saying by the Foreign Ministry.

Minority MPs propose higher Italian language standard for teachers

LJUBLJANA - The MPs representing the Italian and Hungarian minority tabled legislation that would raise the language requirement for teachers and other staff working in bilingual schools and kindergartens. Teachers who teach Slovenian or other foreign languages would have to pass an Italian exam equivalent to the C1 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The existing law exempts teachers of Slovenian from having to be proficient in Italian. The required level of Italian would also be raised for other staff at bilingual schools, including administrative and technical staff.

Petrol group's nine-month profit more than doubles to EUR 91m

LJUBLJANA - The energy group Petrol saw its revenue in the first nine months of the year increase by 34% to EUR 3.1 billion, while net profit more than doubled, increasing by 125% to EUR 91.2 million. The group's gross operating profit was up by 54% to EUR 175.7 million, with sales of petroleum products representing a 55.9% share, and sales of merchandise 18.3%. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were up by 54% to EUR 175.7 million.

Sava insurance group ups nine-month profit by 20% to EUR 57.2m

LJUBLJANA - In the first nine months of the year, the Sava insurance group generated EUR 548.8 million in operating revenue, up 11.1% year-on-year, and a net profit of EUR 57.2 million, or 20.3% more compared to the same period last year, showed the unaudited results. Operating revenue and net profit represent 80% and 108% of the full-year target for 2021, respectively. In the period, the group collected EUR 578.1 million in gross premiums, up 9.1% year-on-year, with the growth being largely driven by life insurance business in Slovenia (+55.4%).

State secretary deletes contentious post about judge after settlement

LJUBLJANA - Vinko Gorenak, a state secretary in the prime minister's office, has deleted a post from his blog sharing content critical of Prime Minister Janez Janša that was published by a former Ljubljana judge in a private Facebook group, Dnevnik reported. This comes after the pair reached a court settlement. Gorenak shared the content in which Janša is labelled a "great dictator" on his blog last December, labelling the judge a leftist activist. He pleaded not guilty at the pre-trial hearing, but then agreed in a court settlement to delete the screenshot of the content as well as his related statement.

Illegal migration gang members caught in Slovenia

MARIBOR - The Maribor criminal police have tracked down an international criminal gang involved in illegal migration in what was a lengthy international investigation. A number of suspects were arrested and detained in Slovenia, whereas the gang's leader was caught in Poland. The investigation, which included police forces from Slovenia, Austria, Poland and Hungary and which was coordinated by Slovenian investigators, uncovered an illegal migration route running from Croatia or Hungary to Austria or Italy with Slovenia being a nexus point.

Number of casualties on Slovenian roads up in 2021

LJUBLJANA - Road accidents have killed 105 people in Slovenia this year, already surpassing the numbers recorded in previous years. There were fewer accidents in 2020 due to the closures during the epidemic, but this year's death toll exceeds even those of the previous three years, and there is still a month and a half left in 2021. The police have recorded 14,248 road accidents up until mid-November this year, which is 633 more than the same period last year.

Kozjansko Regional Park receives UNESCO prize

PODSREDA - The Kozjansko Regional Park, a protected natural and cultural heritage area stretching along Slovenia's eastern border, is the recipient of this year's UNESCO Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes. The Kozjansko Regional Park is an extraordinary and diverse natural site, said the award jury. Representatives of the park will receive the US$30,000 prize next Monday in Paris.

Berlin artist Raether wing Grand Prix at Ljubljana Biennial

LJUBLJANA - Johannes Paul Raether, an artist from Berlin, has won the Grand Prix at the 34th Biennial of Graphic Arts in Ljubljana for an installation that explores the relationship between the human body and screens. Entitled Protekto.x.x 5.5.5.1 Precipitation, the installation deals with materiality, the production process, and with the production settings of modern information technologies, the organisers said.

Diaspora writer Zorko Simčič celebrates 100th birthday

LJUBLJANA - Writer, playwright and essayist Zorko Simčič, a recipient of the Prešeren Prize for Lifetime Achievement in literature, is celebrating his 100th birthday today. Simčič emigrated in 1945 and became one of the most prominent Slovenian diaspora authors, before returning to Slovenia in 1994. Born in Maribor, Simčič first established himself as a writer shortly before the Second World War. In May 1945, he retreated to Carinthia, later went to Italy, and then emigrated to Argentina. He returned to Slovenia in 1994.

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Parliament endorses investment-boosting budget documents for 2022-23

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed investment-oriented budget documents for the next two years under which the deficit is to be reduced from EUR 4 billion this year to EUR 2.47 billion or 4.6% of GDP in 2022 and EUR 1.52 billion or 2.6% of GDP in 2023. Centre-left opposition MPs and the Fiscal Council have expressed doubt this is realistic. The overall expenditure for 2022 is budgeted at EUR 13.94 billion, which is to be reduced to EUR 13.36 billion in 2023. This compares to just under EUR 15 billion estimated by the Finance Ministry for this year. Growth is planned on the revenue side, with EUR 11.47 billion in receipts planned in 2022 and EUR 11.84 billion the year later. Over EUR 2.2 billion is earmarked for investments over the next two years, compared to a little over EUR 900 million in each of 2019 and 2020.

Govt appoints Tanja Frank Eler and Matej Oštir as interim European delegated prosecutors

LJUBLJANA - The government decided to put forward Tanja Frank Eler and Matej Oštir, the two candidates who have applied, for Slovenia's two European delegated prosecutors. However, according to the government's decree, their appointment is temporary, in force until the national appointment procedure is concluded. The decision was made as Slovenia is late in putting forward candidates for delegated prosecutors to the European Public Prosecutor's Office, a situation which could cause substantial damage to the country, the government said.

Swiss and Slovenian FMs meet, calling for enhancement of trust between the EU and Switzerland

LJUBLJANA - The breakdown of the talks on the EU-Switzerland cooperation agreement and other possible options for strengthening cooperation topped the agenda in a meeting between Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis. Cassis said that the cooperation agreement was too big a step forward for Switzerland, which wanted to focus on smaller steps forward for the time being. Logar said the Slovenian presidency would do everything in its power to "restore trust".

Slight weekly increase in new coronavirus cases, 24 deaths

LJUBLJANA - Another 3,662 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Wednesday, slightly up from the same day a week ago. Nearly 40% of the PCR tests came back positive. The rolling 7-day average of new cases thus rose from the day before by 44 to 3,269 whereas the 14-day cumulative incidence per 100,000 people fell by 40 to 2,153. The number of hospitalised Covid-19 patients increased slightly to 1,104, including 253 in intensive care units, according to government data. Another 24 people died of Covid-19, the largest number since late January.

Penal code changes on threats to senior officials passed

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed the bill changing the penal code to introduce prosecution of suspects who have threatened the country's senior officials or their relatives ex officio, without the injured party initiating proceedings. The bill, adopted by the government in early September, comes after such a solution was proposed in February as the justice and home affairs committees discussed mounting hostility in society.

EU Parliament to discuss rule of law in Slovenia next week

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Parliament will discuss at its plenary session next Wednesday the rule of law in Slovenia, and the delay in the appointment of European delegated prosecutors. A resolution is planned that the Parliament will vote on in December, according to the agenda of the session. The situation in Slovenia will also be discussed by the Parliament's LIBE committee based on a fact-finding mission report. The latter session was supposed to take place today but was then pushed back to 29 November.

Italy to help Slovenia tackle Covid with army medical teams

LJUBLJANA - The Italian Army plans to help Slovenia with up to 30 doctors and nurses as the country battles an increasing number of Covid-19 patients. The Italian Army healthcare workers will be joining the medical teams of the Slovenian Armed Forces, who started helping hospitals at the beginning of the week, after Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin asked his Italian counterpart Lorenzo Guerini for assistance with medical staff. According to the ministry, Guerini said he understood the situation in Slovenia, as Italy had had a similar experience. Tonin later told the press that he was hopeful the Italian health workers would arrive in Slovenia soon. The aid agreement covers the period until the end of the year, he added.

MPs pass bill on erasing of legal persons

LJUBLJANA - MPs passed in a 52:30 vote a bill to remedy the injustice caused by erasing legal persons from the court register in 1999-2008. The bill was drawn up by the National Council, the upper chamber of parliament, but heavily amended by the parliamentary Economy Committee. National Council member Mitja Gorenšček said at the committee session that both the initial proposal and the amended version allowed for remedy of the injustice caused to shareholders.

Parliament secures money for source of clean water for Anhovo

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the budget bills for the next two years to ringfence funds for a source of clean water for Anhovo, a community in the Soča Valley that relies on supply from a water treatment plant operated by a cement factory. The cost of a new water distribution system is estimated at EUR 1.2 million in a project that the proponents say can be completed in two years. The MPs secured a further EUR 1.6 million for water supply in the Kanal ob Soči municipality, which also includes Anhovo.

Parliament passes scientific research and innovation activities act

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed in an 80:0 vote the scientific research and innovation activities act. The government-sponsored legislation is to promote the development of quality and globally comparable scientific research. It is also intended to facilitate better integration into the European and global research area. The law is to set up stable funding of public research organisations, create opportunities for rewarding excellent researchers and enable open access to scientific publications.

MPs endorse changes to pharmacy legislation

LJUBLJANA - The parliament green-lit the amendments to the pharmacy act that would lift the ban on vertical integration of pharmacies and drug wholesalers under a certain condition, as 55 MPs voted in favour of the changes. Since the bill was vetoed by the upper chamber of parliament, the proposal needed at least 46 votes of support to get the go-ahead. The bill had been proposed by the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), but was then considerably amended.

Pahor warns against cutting funding to some institutions

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor attended a session of the Judicial Council, focussing on the passing of the 2022 budget bill, which cuts funding to some independent state institutions. Pahor said the way in which budget funding had been reduced could be seen as efforts to weaken these institutions. He said he would strive to raise the issue with those in charge and call for a solution, the president's office said.

Spartan C-27J to arrive in Slovenia in a year and a half

LJUBLJANA - The Spartan C-27J tactical transport aircraft that Slovenia will buy from Italy under an agreement signed by the two defence ministers on Wednesday is expected to arrive in Slovenia in about a year and a half, Defence Ministry officials told reporters. The aircraft, which will cost the country roughly EUR 72 million, will be used both for military and civilian purposes.

EU ministers stress importance of cohesion policy in recovery

BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU cohesion ministers highlighted the role of cohesion policy in the post-pandemic recovery and realisation of the bloc's key strategic goals. The ministers agreed that cohesion policy instruments and recovery mechanisms should be used together to achieve a green, digital and more resilient EU, highlighting that such efforts should also strive to reduce or eliminate development gaps. Slovenian Minister of Development and European Cohesion Policy Zvonko Černač noted the importance of region-specific use of cohesion instruments.

Hojs advocates unity in migration response in Sarajevo

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs took part in a regional ministerial conference in Sarajevo, advocating the strengthening of cooperation and partnership in the Western Balkans region regarding migration management and maintaining security, said the Interior Ministry. As migration is a global phenomenon, Hojs believes that migration management should be seen as a collective responsibility.

Govt adopts supervision of space activities bill

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted at a correspondence session the supervision of space activities bill, which is to regulate space activities in the country and set up a register of space objects. According to the Government Communication Office (UKOM), this is the first piece of legislation to deal with space activities in Slovenia. In line with international rules, all objects launched into space must be entered into a space objects registry. Since Slovenia has no such registry, the bill sets it up and defines which objects should be entered into it.

Slovenia's first children's house gets acting head

LJUBLJANA - The government appointed psychoanalytic therapist Igor Okorn acting head of Slovenia's first Barnahus for children involved in criminal proceedings as victims, witnesses or perpetrators. As of Friday Okorn will lead the new public institute until it gets a full-fledged head but not longer than a year. The government also appointed four representatives of the founder on the institute's council for a four-year term with the possibility of reappointment.

Slovenia donates EUR 10,000 to Strasbourg Court

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will give another donation to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) under a decision made at the government's session. The Justice Ministry will donate EUR 10,000 to the court in what will be Slovenia's fourth such donation to date, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) said. In the light of efforts to speed up the court's work and support the court in general, it is sensible for Slovenia to keep up the financial support, reads a press release by UKOM.

Drug maker Krka's nine-month profit up 14% to EUR 240 million

NOVO MESTO - Drug maker Krka reported a group net profit of EUR 240.1 million for the first nine months of 2021, a year-on-year increase of 14% and the highest nine-month profit in the company's history, on the back of revenue that increased by 1% to EUR 1.18 billion. Chief executive Jože Colarič said the company's priorities remained to ensure sales growth and place itself among the leading branded generic pharmaceutical companies on individual markets and in selected therapeutic classes.

STA gets overdue funds for public service for 2021

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Press Agency (STA) confirmed receiving EUR 676,000 from the Government Communication Office (UKOM) for public services performed between January and April, as part of a broader deal on the restoration of public funding for this year. The amount had been disputed by UKOM for months and the STA sought recourse in court. Just before a court decision was expected, the new STA director Igor Kadunc and UKOM director Uroš Urbanija hammered out a far-reaching agreement on financing for 2021.

Bad bank denies allegations of impropriety in biogas plant sale

LJUBLJANA - The Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) has denied allegations that its current board chairman Franci Matoz has been involved in a conflict of interest in the sale of a biogas plant in eastern Slovenia to a Hungarian company. They said that the decision to sell was taken before his time at the bad bank and that a profit was made in the process, unlike what was suggested in media reports by the news portal Necenzurirano and a local paper.

Indictment filed against suspected attacker on Maribor judge

LJUBLJANA - After a brutal attack on judge Daniela Ružič in front of her home near Maribor in June 2019, her partner at the time is now facing charges of attempted murder, according to media reports. Ružič and the man were in the process of splitting up at the time, and although it was speculated that the judge might have been attacked in relation to her work, the police also looked for the perpetrator in Ružič's private circle. A week after the attack, the judge's former partner was put in custody, and after an extensive investigation, the prosecution filed an indictment against the man last week.

La Doctora and Eco triennial win ICOM Slovenia awards

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition on a Slovenian anthropologist in Paraguay by the Ljubljana-based Ethnographic Museum (SEM) and an environmentally-oriented international arts triennial held by the Maribor Art Gallery won the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum and the Maribor Art Gallery accolades from the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Slovenia.

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

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: 

Planned Covid capacity fully established as cases keep climbing

LJUBLJANA - Hospitals have secured the full planned intensive care capacity for Covid-19 patients, meaning 288 beds. Health Minister Boštjan Poklukar announced that a state of extreme emergency would be declared in healthcare if the number of ICU patients exceeded this figure. There are now 236 Covid-19 patients in intensive care, out of a total of 1,074 hospitalised. The Slovenian Armed Forces jumped in to help hospitals with four medical teams featuring a total of 20 members. This was as 3,763 more people tested positive on Monday in a continued week-on-week increase and five patients died.

Slovenia pleased with EU Strategic Compass

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia "must be pleased" with the EU's Strategic Compass, a shared vision for EU security and defence, Defence Minister Matej Tonin said after EU defence ministers launched debated the draft document. The first responses to the document, prepared by the presiding trio of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia, are good and confirm that the direction is right, but some details are yet to be hashed out, said Tonin. The goal is to confirm the Strategic Compass in March next year.

LIBE mission expresses concern over climate of hostility in Slovenia

BRUSSELS, Belgium - A delegation of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) that visited Slovenia on a fact-finding mission in mid-October expresses deep concern over the climate of hostility and deep polarisation in Slovenia in a draft report that will be discussed by LIBE at a session on Thursday. In the draft report that has been obtained by the STA, the delegation finds the climate has eroded trust in and between various public bodies in the country.

Hojs calls for stronger police cooperation between EU, W Balkans

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs called for stronger cooperation between the police forces of EU member states and Western Balkan countries as he addressed a virtual meeting of the board of the EU border agency Frontex. "The Western Balkans is undoubtedly a priority partner. But I wish to emphasise that cooperation must be mutual and that each partner must contribute their fair share," Hojs said. He urged for countries in the region to sign status agreements as soon as possible.

Slovenia urged to hold discussion on EU's eastern border

LJUBLJANA - A group of Slovenian NGOs called on the Slovenian government in its capacity as the EU presiding country to launch in-depth discussion on the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border at the ongoing meeting of the EU foreign and defence ministers. The Coordination of Slovenian NGOs for Migration and Refugees pointed to violations of human rights along the EU's eastern border and expressed deep concern over migrants being prevented from accessing asylum and international protection.

Slovenia embarking on energy transition with mix of renewables, nuclear

LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said Slovenia was counting on nuclear in its energy transition since renewable sources alone would not suffice to cover the production shortfall once coal was phased out given that the country had missed many opportunities already. "There is potential for more photovoltaic plants and four hydro power plants. We also have some wind potential that we have to harness... But renewables will not be enough," he said.

Green, digital transition at core of tourism recovery

BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU ministers in charge of tourism agreed at a virtual informal meeting that the green and digital transition must form the core of the tourism sector's post-pandemic recovery if the sector is to be put on a sustainable footing. "I'm glad that we have the same general positions on the recovery of the tourism ecosystem," said Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who chaired the session.

Slovenia welcomes decisions on new strategy for forests

BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU agriculture ministers adopted on Monday decisions on a new EU strategy for forests until 2030, stressing the importance of forests in combating climate change and biodiversity loss. Slovenia's Jože Podgoršek labelled the decisions as a great achievement of the Slovenian EU presidency. The ministers agreed that forests should make a greater contribution to the European Green Deal and the global goals of the Sustainable Development Agenda until 2030.

Progress on EU health and digitalisation under Slovenian presidency

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU has achieved progress in some of the key dossiers in negotiations with the European Parliament on legislation in areas such as health and digitalisation. It hopes for further progress by the end of the year, including on the minimum wage. One of Slovenia's key tasks in the role of the EU presiding country has been representing EU member states in legislative talks with the European Parliament.

NBI director no longer in acting role

LJUBLJANA- The acting director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), a police unit specialised in white-collar crime, has been named fully-fledged director on a temporary basis under recent changes to the act on the organisation of police that critics said would emaciate the special unit. Petra Grah Lazar was "temporarily assigned to the post of director" for a period of three months on 13 November, the Interior Ministry said as it rejected a report by POP TV that she received a full term as director.

Minister Jaklitsch visits Slovenians in Austria

GRAZ, Austria - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch visited the Slovenian community in the Austrian state of Styria on Monday to talk about its challenges during the pandemic. Jaklitsch said at a meeting with officials from the Faculty of Arts of the Karl Franz University in Graz that the attitude of the university to the Slovenian department was important not only from the point of view of studying but also on a symbolic level, as the Slovenian language has been present in the area for centuries.

Top officials get booster shots

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's top officials have received booster shots of coronavirus vaccines nearly nine months after they received their first shots in the early stages of the vaccination campaign. President Borut Pahor received his booster shot on Tuesday and Prime Minister Janez Janša on Monday. Speaker Igor Zorčič was vaccinated last week. A total of 176,740 people in Slovenia have so far received booster shots, just over 8% of the entire population and roughly a third of those aged 70 or more.

Surgeon fired over opposition to hospital's Covid bed plans

NOVA GORICA - Danijel Bešič Loredan, the head of the Nova Gorica general hospital's orthopaedic ward, received a termination due to his opposition to moving patients from his ward to expand the hospital's capacities for Covid-19 patients. He said the management had closed the ward three times in two years, while there had been no talks in the summer on what to do with Covid patients should the situation deteriorate. The management said legal proceedings were initiated against the doctor because he jeopardised the hospitals's ability to cope with the epidemic.

New acting director appointed at Commodity Reserves Agency

LJUBLJANA - The government has relieved Tomi Rumpf of his duties as the director of the Commodity Reserves Agency, as Rumpf recently tendered his resignation, and appointed Andrej Kužner as the acting director. The government said after Monday's correspondence session that Rumpf had tendered his resignation on 11 November, and that his term ended on 15 November.

Atlantic Grupa sells Slovenian baby food production facility to Gittis

MIRNA - Atlantic Grupa, a Croatian multinational that owns Slovenian food producer Droga Kolinska, has sold its production facility in the Slovenian town of Mirna to Austrian baby food company Gittis Naturprodukte as it continues divesting its non-core businesses. Atlantic Grupa said it had signed the contract with the Pöll family, which owns Gittis Naturprodukte, thus completing the process which started last year with the sale of baby food brand Bebi to Serbian group Nelt.

Police get first hybrid patrol vehicles

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian police force got its first hybrid patrol vehicles which officials said would reduce noise pollution in settled areas and contribute to cleaner environment. A total of 56 new vehicles were formally handed over to the police at a ceremony at the Tacen Police Academy compound by Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and Deputy Police Commissioner Danijel Žibret. The new fleet comprises 41 hybrid speciality patrol cars, ten hybrid speciality cars and five speciality patrol 4WDs.

Controversial stadium renovation project extended by five years

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana city council has extended by five years the contract for the Bežigrad Sport Park project, which includes renovation of the dilapidated landmark stadium designed by Jože Plečnik. The contractors have welcomed the decision, while a civil initiative opposing the project said private interest had outweighed public interest.

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Number of Covid beds rising to 1,200

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian hospitals are increasing their bed capacities for Covid patients to around 1,200, of which 280 in intensive care units, as they are coping with an increasing number of patients amid the fourth wave of the epidemic. Covid hospitalisations rose to 1,008 with 229 treated in intensive care as another 1,815 people tested positive on Sunday and 11 patients died. According to the National Institute of Public Health, the 7-day average of new cases rose by 76 from the day before to 3,224, and the 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 people is up by 27 to 2,030.

PM says main problem is parallel mechanisms controlling state

LJUBLJANA - Asked in parliament about corruption and allegations that mafia is running the country, Prime Minister Janez Janša told the MPs that Slovenia's main problems today stemmed from "UDBA-mafia or, as is the newly-established term, parallel mechanisms managing large parts of systems and sub-systems without elections and without legitimacy." Janša thus answered a question from Matej T. Vatovec of the opposition Left, who said that the Democratic Party (SDS), when it was in the opposition, had presented itself as the party that would do away with corruption in Slovenia.

PM says tax avoidance not the point in Vizjak tape leak

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša assured MPs in questions time that the government was not supporting tax avoidance as he commented on controversial statements made by a minister in a conversation with a powerful business executive 14 years ago. He said taxes were not at the heart of the matter. Janša was challenged by Marko Bandelli, an MP for the opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), to say what message sent out Andrej Vizjak, the incumbent environment minister whom a leaked tape has exposed for telling the CEO of the spa company Terme Čatež in 2007 that it was "stupid" to pay taxes. Janša said he did not support calls for tax avoidance.

Pahor confirms good bilateral relations during visit to Luxembourg

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - President Borut Pahor met in Luxembourg President of the Chamber of Deputies Fernand Etgen and Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn. Confirming the excellent relations between the two countries, the officials shared similar views on the EU's core values, including the rule of law and media freedom. Pahor stressed that Luxembourg had been an important ally and friend of Slovenia since the latter's independence. On Sunday, Pahor met Jean-Claude Juncker, former president of the European Commission and long-serving prime minister of Luxembourg, and current Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.

Centre-left opposition demands explanations over energy industry staffing

LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition filed for an emergency session of the parliamentary Public Finance Overight Commission over what they described as unprecedented political staffing in the energy industry. They see the fact that Robert Golob failed to get endorsed for another term as CEO of Gen-I without an explanation and without his successor being appointed as a sign that the government is trying to ruin one of the largest and most successful energy companies in the country. Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said in response that in Slovenia, corporate management was structured in a way that prevents politics from interfering in staffing and management of companies, for which supervisory boards were in charge.

Supervisors deny Elektro Maribor boss sacked due to political pressure

MARIBOR - The supervisory board of the electricity distributor Elektro Maribor rejected the allegations that its members had been pressurised by politics to dismiss the long-time chairman Boris Sovič. "The decision was made solely on the basis of facts," chief supervisor Samo Iršič told the press. Citing the corporate governance policy, Iršič said the "supervisory board cannot and must not disclose new facts. However, we can say that no pressure was put on any of the members of the supervisory board, be it political or any other."

Poklukar presents Slovenia's fight against Covid at WHO summit

GENEVA, Switzerland - Attending a virtual WHO summit on evidence-based policy making in health Health Minister Janez Poklukar presented Slovenia's experience in implementing "effective and innovative evidence-based" measures in different phases of the Covid-19 epidemic. Poklukar, who participated in the panel discussion of health ministers on behalf of the WHO European Region and as a representative of Slovenia's EU presidency, highlighted the role and work of the Covid-19 task force and enhanced inter-ministerial cooperation in Slovenia.

Anti-graft watchdog checking drafting of construction act amendments

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption will launch a preliminary inquiry after receiving a report that the Neffat Law Firm firm, which has been contracted to draft amendments to the construction act also represents Branko Simonovič, a DeSUS MP who would be able to use these amendments to legalise a house he has illegally built on the coast. The commission will check whether there are suspicions of violations that fall under its purview.

Steel group SIJ's revenue up a third in first nine months

LJUBLJANA - Steel group SIJ said it had increased its sales revenue by 34.2% to EUR 714.6 million in the first nine months of the year, while EBITDA reached EUR 73.5 million. Almost EUR 41.5 million was channelled into investment in the January-September period. To diversify its financing, SIJ is examining the option of a new, eighth issue of commercial papers. A final decision is yet to be taken.

NGO urges EU to do more in wake of Glasgow conference failings

LJUBLJANA - Umanotera, an environmental NGO, called on the EU on Sunday to increase its carbon emission reduction goal to at least 65% and reach climate neutrality in the decade before mid-century, in the wake of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, which the organisation finds did not meet the great expectations. The measures in the national action plans put forward by the countries will still lead to an increase in emissions by 2030, said the organisation.

Vox Populi poll: Ruling SDS would win election ahead of opposition SD

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democrats (SDS) would garner 17% of the vote if a general election was held this Sunday, followed by the opposition Social Democrats (SD) at 13.9% and the Left at 8.1%, the latest Vox Populi survey shows. The share of undecided voters has however increased to almost a third. The opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) would place fourth at 7.3%, coalition New Slovenia (NSi) polled at 6.6% and the opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) at 4.3%.

Ljubljana budget revised, city to end year with EUR 5m deficit

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana city council endorsed a revised budget for this year, under which the municipality will end 2021 with a EUR 5.3 million deficit instead of a EUR 1.2 million surplus. Saša Bistan, the head of the city finance department, said that revenue was set at EUR 390 million and expenditure at EUR 395 million. This year, EUR 63 million is expected to be earned through the compensation for the use of building land, and revenue from the tourist tax is expected to stand at EUR 2 million, one million less than in the previous budget.

Fraud fugitive found in Ghana after a 17-year search

LJUBLJANA - The search by the Slovenian police for a 61-year-old fugitive sentenced for fraud is over after 17 years as the Slovenian woman was recently found and arrested in Ghana in cooperation with foreign security authorities. She was extradited from the African country to Slovenia on 13 November and taken to the Ig prison. The Ljubljana District Court had been searching for the fugitive since 2004, initially as a witness, and later for fraud, and in another case for her to serve a prison sentence, also for fraud. The woman had been living in Ghana illegally for ten years before the arrest.