News roundup - Wednesday, 10 May

Foreign Policy Committee declares Holodomor a genocide

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee backed a declaration that says the Holodomor, a famine with which the Soviet authorities starved to death millions of Ukrainians in 1933-34, was genocide. The document will be put to a vote at a plenary session, and only an MP of the coalition Left voted against it. The document was filed to parliament by three coalition MPs from the Social Democrats (SD) and Freedom Movement in March, and endorsed in a 13:1 vote without any amendment tabled to change it.

Golob pledges to engage in dialogue with small business

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business addressed 125 demands to the government as it held its annual forum in Ljubljana. Addressing the event, PM Robert Golob assured small businesses that the government would be taking all measures based on dialogue. He pointed to a shortage of workers as the most pressing issue. "This is where the government and businesses are on the same side. I'm confident that in the coming weeks and months we'll find solutions that will help everyone."

Most parties in favour of independence monument idea

LJUBLJANA - Four out of the five deputy groups currently in parliament are in favour of former President Milan Kučan's idea to put up a monument in Republic Square to honour Slovenia's independence, while removing the existing monument to the communist revolution. Meanwhile, the Left considers this to be a reckless idea and opposes removing the existing monument to the WWII resistance and the communist revolution. SDS leader Janez Janša said the monument could not replace the Slovenian Independence Museum.

Bishops oppose assisted suicide

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for Justice and Peace of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference expressed its opposition to a bill on assisted suicide presented by Silver Thread, an association campaigning for dignified old age. Commission member Roman Globokar said that even if perfected such a law could not prevent abuse. The people who are ill and suffering require comprehensive care and assistance, as because of their distress they may no longer see the meaning in their existence, he said.

Mufti raises issues of imams in meeting with minister

LJUBLJANA - Mufti Nevzet Porić, the religious leader of the Muslim community in Slovenia, called for equal treatment of imams compared to other religious workers as he visited Culture Minister Asta Vrečko. He invited the minister to visit the Ljubljana Muslim Cultural Centre. The Islamic Community in Slovenia said Porić presented the community's operations, raising issues concerning the status of imams and unequal treatment of imams who do not have Slovenian citizenship. He supported the view with a legal opinion.

Committee okays bill on alternative fuels infrastructure

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Committee on Infrastructure, the Environment and Spatial Planning endorsed a bill aimed at paving the way for stepped-up infrastructure for alternative fuels and promoting the transition to alternative fuels in transport. The proposal sets out to introduce a network of electric vehicle charging stations. The bill proposes to establish a robust legislative framework to ensure the conditions for the long-term development of infrastructure for alternative fuels in transport.

NGOs say govt not adhering to Paris goals in new plan

LJUBLJANA - More than 60 environmental NGOs associated in Plan B for Slovenia and the Network for Space argue that Slovenia's plans to update the National Energy and Climate Plan do not take into account the binding goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement. In a joint call they urged more ambitious goals and measures. Efforts to update the national plan should be guided by the recently published 6th report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the NGOs said.

State Attorney's Office to lose EUR 12m under revised budget

LJUBLJANA - The State Attorney's Office will have EUR 12 million less available this year than initially planned, while the Supreme Court will get EUR 5 million more under the revised 2023 budget proposed by the government. Reviewing the supplementary budget, the parliamentary Justice Committee heard a total of EUR 118 million is being allocated for the judiciary. The State Attorney's Office proposed the cut itself, having assessed the funds now earmarked would be sufficient giving the damages claims expected this year.

Slovenian economy affected by inflation last year

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian economy as a whole improved its performance in 2022, but the high inflation rate pushed many indicators down in real terms. Net profit was down by a percentage point in real terms compared to the previous year, and net value added per employee fell even more, show data from the AJPES agency for public records. In 2022, Slovenian companies posted a net profit for the ninth consecutive year, at almost EUR 6.1 billion, which is 7% more than in 2021.

NLB management proposes 10% higher dividends

LJUBLJANA - The management of NLB bank proposed a total dividend payout of EUR 110 million for 2022 in two instalments of EUR 2.75 per share, an increase of ten percent compared to the year before. The shareholders will vote on the first dividend instalment on 19 June, and the second shareholder meeting will be held towards the end of the year. NLB almost doubled net profit last year to an all-time high of EUR 447 million, largely thanks to the fire-sale acquisition of the Slovenian arm of Russia's Sberbank.

Top event for tour operators back in full force

PORTOROŽ - The Slovenian Incoming Workshop, the flagship event of the Slovenian tourism industry, got underway in Portorož on Tuesday, with the main events taking place today, featuring 3,000 meetings between representatives of Slovenian tourism companies and foreign tour operators. The conference is back in full swing for the first time after 2019. Some 150 Slovenian and 150 foreign companies from 33 countries are taking part. Over half are new attendees. Most foreign companies come from Italy, US, China, Singapore, Taiwan and Korea.

Mlinotest opens overhauled dried pasta factory

AJDOVŠČINA - Mlinotest, a leading Slovenian food group, opened on Wednesday a fully renovated dried pasta factory in its home town Ajdovščina, an EUR 7 million investment that almost doubles the facility's production capacity. The factory has been thoroughly renovated and expanded with two new production lines and two packaging lines. Shorter production times will result in significantly higher production output, as the two new lines can produce 1,000 and 400 kilos of pasta per hour.

Wolt and Glovo refuse to enter talks with couriers' union

LJUBLJANA - The newly-founded Trade Union of Food Delivery Couriers received replies from delivery companies Wolt and Glovo in which they reject the appeal to enter talks on a collective bargaining agreement, arguing there was no legal basis for that. The union sees the responses as a clear attack on unionising and will fight against it with all available resources. The union notified the European Trade Union Confederation and other institutions. It is yet to say how it will step up union activities.

Italian wins maintenance payment relief dispute

LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court has sided with an Italian appellant in an administrative dispute over the exercise of maintenance payment relief, ordering the Financial Administration to re-examine the case and enable him to exercise the relief. The court found violations of the provisions on the free movement of workers in the EU in the relevant Slovenian law. The man lives in Italy and earns all his income in Slovenia, where he also makes advance payments of personal income tax. He was unable to exercise the maintenance payment relief in his income tax return in Italy and in Slovenia.

Industrial output up in March

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian industrial output was up 2.3% in March compared to February but down 5.5% in yearly comparison, the latest Statistics Office data shows. Industrial output in the first quarter of 2023 was 4.6% lower year-on-year, largely due to a lower output in energy, gas and steam supply (-39,6%), mining (-34.6%), and manufacturing (-0.5%). Industrial revenue in March fell by 1.2% compared to February. The largest drop in industrial revenue was in mining, at 5.5%.

Textile company covers its liabilities to employees

GORNJI PETROVCI - The textile company Moda Mi&Lan, against which the Labour Inspectorate filed criminal complaints for repeated violations of workers' rights at the end of last month, recently paid out March wages to its staff with more than a two-week delay, and most of the holiday allowance for 2022. Moda Mi&Lan owner and director Milan Mörec thus covered all his liabilities to employees, but the latter fear the violations may repeat, which is why members of the trade unions will meet tomorrow to discuss further steps if violations, including delays in paying out of wages, repeat.

Slovenia becomes member of Instruct-ERIC consortium

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia became a member of the pan-European research infrastructure in structural biology, the Instruct-ERIC consortium. The Slovenian membership in Instruct-ERIC will be coordinated by the national Institute of Chemistry. Greece also joined the consortium, raising the total number of member states and organisations in Instruct-ERIC to 16. Researchers from the two countries can now access the full portfolio of Instruct-ERIC services.

Biking to workplace to be rewarded

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians use cars for 85% of all journeys, but a national initiative has been launched to promote cycling to work. The project dubbed Let's bike to work full of momentum is encouraging participants to bike to work, offering advice, prize raffles and connections with other cyclists. To join the initiative participants can register on the website and track the distance they cycle to enter weekly raffles. Participants will have a chance to win Dutch city bikes.

Exhibition on climate change sends strong warning

BLED - Infocentre Triglavska Roža in Bled is hosting an exhibition on consequences of climate change in Slovenia. Curated by the Slovenian Foundation for Sustainable Development Umanotera, the exhibition will be on display until 11 June, showing potential consequences of climate change that could be felt in Slovenia if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced drastically and quickly.

Leški wins silver at Judo Worlds

DOHA, Qatar - Judoka Andreja Leški won silver for Slovenia at the World Championships in Doha, having to concede to multiple world and Olympic champion Clarisse Agbegnenou of France in the final yet again. Competing in the under 63kg category, Leški had also won silver at the 2021 World Championships in Budapest after being defeated by Agbegnenou in the final. Her feat increases Slovenia's tally of medals at such events to 15.