News roundup - Monday, 23 January, until 3pm

Fajon says failure to appoint Constitutional Court judges could pull Montenegro off EU course

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said expects Montenegro to appoint Constitutional Court judges in early February. If this does not happen, the country could "seriously derail from its EU path", she warned as she arrived for a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. Fajon, who visited Montenegro twice in recent months and will report on her visits to the council today, told the STA that the sixth attempt at filling the vacant posts in Montenegro's Constitutional Court was crucial for the country's progress towards EU accession.

POP TV poll: Support for govt continues to drop

LJUBLJANA - The support for the government of Robert Golob continues to drop, shows a poll conducted by Mediana for commercial broadcaster POP TV. But half of respondents continue to support the cabinet and the senior coalition party Freedom Movement remains the most popular party. The support for the government dropped by almost three percentage points to 50.6% in January, which POP TV said was the lowest rate since last year's election. Meanwhile, 35.5% of respondents oppose the cabinet and 13.9% are undecided.

A1 next telco to face class action lawsuit

LJUBLJANA - After bringing a class action lawsuit against market leader Telekom Slovenije, an association of small shareholders is now also suing the telecommunications services provider A1 over what it argues are unjustified unilateral price hikes of subscription plans. The VZMD claims EUR 52.3 million in damages from A1.

Average wage up 11.3% in November, mostly due to bonuses

LJUBLJANA - Extraordinary payments to employees such as 13th salary and Christmas bonuses expectedly increased the average monthly wage in Slovenia for last November to EUR 1,479.56 net, which is nominally 12.3% more than in October, and 11.3% higher in real terms, the Statistics Office reported on Monday. The average gross wage for November 2022 amounted to EUR 2,244.35, which is 10.9% higher on a monthly basis nominally and 9.9% in real terms.

Snow and wind causing traffic disruptions, power outages

LJUBLJANA - The majority of Slovenia being under snowfall and a strong bora wind blowing in the west of the country, traffic disruptions are being reported from around the country, forcing the closure of some sections of the coast-bound motorway and other roads in the area. Power outages are also reported due to the snow and wind. The port of Koper being partially closed due to strong winds. The port authority treats every departure and arrival of ships depending on the priority.

Croatians flock to Slovenia to shop cheaper

BREŽICE - After Croatia joined the Eurozone on 1 January, Croatians are increasingly shopping in Slovenia, especially in the eastern town of Brežice, finding cheaper deals there. Store owners welcome them with open arms and the locals hope this will boost tourism in the area. Croatian customers have been keeping Brežice store owners busy in the first month of the new year as their numbers increased significantly. Most come to do their shopping on Saturdays, said Brežice Mayor Ivan Molan.

Bled hosting Winter Swimming World Championships

BLED - The lakeside town of Bled is hosting its second Winter Swimming World Championships this week. Some 1,000 participants from 31 countries have registered to brave the chilly lake water. Most competitors come from Finland, the UK, Germany and Denmark, but there are participants from all over the world, including Argentina, Mongolia and Morocco. The oldest among them will turn 88 shortly.