News roundup - Tuesday, 9 May

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. Fajon told the STA she remains moderately optimistic a month before the vote for the seat, with its only competitor for the regional seat being Belarus.

Senior officials stress the importance of unity on Europe Day

LJUBLJANA - PM Robert Golob and FM 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. President Nataša Pirc Musar and European Commissioner Janez Lenarčič opened the main national ceremony marking Europe Day by acknowledging the achievements of European integration. The EU has a responsibility in fighting climate change, said Pirc Musar.

Junior coalition party with own proposal for health contribution

LJUBLJANA - After the ruling coalition tabled legislation in mid-April introducing an obligatory health contribution in a fixed monthly amount of 35 euros, the junior coalition Left party now proposed a progressive mandatory contribution, which means that the amount of the monthly contribution would depend on the person's income. The party said talks on this were still under way within the coalition, while the senior coalition Freedom Movement said that a fixed health contribution was planned.

First Air Tractor already in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The first of four Air Tractor firefighting aircraft Slovenia has ordered after last year's devastating wildfire is already in the country, the Defence Ministry tweeted. A second plane is expected in June and the remaining two next year. The first delivery comes less than two months after Slovenia signed a EUR 23 million contract with the US company. The government said then that the two aircraft delivered this year will be two-seaters. Each of the four planes will have a capacity of over 3,000 litres.

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.

Coalition comes up with changes to scholarship legislation

LJUBLJANA - The coalition presented changes to the Scholarship Act, with solutions similar to those proposed by the opposition Democrats (SDS) in March, which were rejected today by the relevant parliamentary committee. Both sets of changes would allow state scholarship recipients to also receive the Zois scholarship for gifted students. "Students from deprivileged environments, from poor working-class families who have above-average grades will be able to receive both scholarships," Miha Kordiš of the Left said. Students will thus be able to receive up to EUR 400 a month.

Golob, Slovenia's first PM support idea of independence monument

LJUBLJANA - Lojze Peterle, who served as prime minister when Slovenia declared independence in 1991, supports the idea to erect a Slovenian independence monument in Republic Square in Ljubljana. Hhe said that former President Milan Kučan, who had proposed the monument, was not the first one to come up with this idea. Prime Minister Robert Golob said he supports the idea and that the government will take the initiative to erect the monument.

Minister highlights role of Slovenian logistic companies

MUNICH, Germany - Economy Minister Matjaž Han said as the Slovenian pavilion opened at the biannual international Transport Logistic fair that Slovenia is a good starting point for entry to EU markets. Slovenian logistic companies play an important role in delivering goods to customers throughout the EU, he said. The world is changing, we need to reduce our carbon footprint, but we simply can't make its without hauliers and railways," said Han.

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.

New vote to be held for sports and culture rep in upper chamber

LJUBLJANA - A new election will be held to appoint the representative for culture and sports in the upper chamber of parliament, after the Constitutional Court voided the appointment of Tomaž Horvat, who won the post in the November election. The court has found that Horvat's candidacy was unlawful because he did not meet a legal requirement and therefore cannot be a member of the National Council. Decision on when to call a new vote will be taken on Thursday.

Carinthian Slovenian appointed secretary general of Austria's Green Party

VIENNA, Austria - Olga Voglauer, an ethnic Slovenian from the Austrian state of Carinthia and an MP in the Austrian parliament, has been appointed the new secretary general of the Green Party. Describing herself as "green at heart and soul", she pledged to strengthen the party's political standpoints. Voglauer joined the Greens in 2017 and two years later she she was appointed head of the Carinthian Greens and was also elected member of the national parliament.

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.