News roundup - Tuesday, 9 May, until 3 pm

State pledges EUR 200m in subsidies for automotive industry

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian automotive cluster will get EUR 200 million in state subsidies over the next five years for digital and green transformation, an effort described by Prime Minister Robert Golob as a key development project for the entire economy. The funds will be channelled into GREMO - GREen MObility, an initiative that includes eleven major Slovenian automotive suppliers that employ more than 14,000 people. Iztok Seljak, the director of Hidria Holding, said the project signalled Slovenia was becoming a hub for the development of new technologies for green and sustainable mobility.

FM promotes Slovenia's UN Security Council bid in New York

NEW YORK, US - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon campaigned for Slovenia's candidacy for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday. She continues her campaign today and tomorrow, also meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo and visiting Guatemala to attend a session of the Association of Caribbean States. Yesterday, she met ambassadors of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Economic Community of West African States, the Caribbean Community and the Asia and the Pacific Group.

Golob, Fajon stress the importance of unity on Europe Day

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Robert Golob and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon marked Europe Day by stressing in their separate messages the importance of the EU's unity. Golob said that "together we can do more" and Fajon asserted she would always strive for the EU to speak with one voice. Slovenia joins Europe Day celebration with a number of events promoting green transition, sustainability and the European Year of Skills.

Slovenian minority elects its representatives in Croatia

ZAGREB, Croatia - The Slovenian minority in Croatia elected its representatives in local communities amidst very low turnout on Sunday. There will be Slovenian minority councils in nine local governments and Slovenian representatives in eight, Croatian Electoral Commission data shows. Under Croatian law, a minority has the right to a minority council in a local community if it accounts for 1.5% of the population of the local self-governing community or if at least 200 of its members live there. If there are under 100 members of a minority in a local self-governing community, the minority has the right to elect one representative.

Triglav fears profit could be 25-40% lower due to capped health insurance

LJUBLJANA - Insurance group Triglav is worried that its planned pre-tax profit of EUR 95 to 100 million for this year could be by 25 to 40% lower due to a recent government decision to cap the monthly top-up health insurance premium at EUR 35.67. It thus urged the government to promptly abolish the existing system of supplementary health insurance. The government intends to replace top-up insurance with a mandatory contribution.

Tolerance and non-violence in focus in Slovenian schools

LJUBLJANA - In light of the recent tragic events in Serbia, relevant ministries will work to ensure schools are a safe environment by drafting new acts on mental health and reducing administrative load of social work centres. Moreover, primary and secondary schools will observe a day of tolerance and culture of non-violence on Friday organising activities focused on civil discourse, emotional resilience and appropriate responses to violence.

Exhibition on Srebrenica widows to open in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian photographer and journalist Meta Krese's exhibition which tells the stories of Srebrenica widows through photographs will open in the Alkatraz Gallery in Ljubljana this evening. The exhibition We're Waiting in Vain will run until 28 May, and a talk with Krese will be held on 26 May at the gallery. Visitors will learn the personal stories of widows who in the wake of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide took shelter in refugee centres. Although they were designed as a short-term solution, some are still operational, the curators of the exhibition Ana Grobler and Sebastian Krawczyk wrote on the gallery's website.