News roundup - Sunday, 14 May

Slovenia remains committed to CoE values, Fajon says on anniversary

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia supports all efforts that put into practice the fundamental values of the Council of Europe (CoE), which are human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said in a brief video statement on Saunday, 30 years to the day since Slovenia joined the organisation. Following Russia's exclusion from the CoE in March 2022, the CoE remains "the conscience of Europe", the ministry tweeted. Justice Minister Dominika Švarc Pipan pointed in the same video to the role of the European Court of Human Rights, noting that Slovenia consistently implements its judgements, currently ranking fourth in this respect.

Supreme Court, trade union urge addressing pay and staff issues

LJUBLJANA - Supreme Court President Miodrag Đorđević and the Trade Union of Judicial Workers have urged the government yet again to address low pay of court staff and the dire staffing situation at courts. "That the situation is truly alarming is seen from the fact that some first-instance courts are forced to reduce the volume of work," Đorđević said in an open letter to PM Robert Golob in early April. The letter was revealed by the trade union in its own similar call today. The government is curently meeting judges and prosecutors over pay disparities as part of public sector pay talks. They are expected to meet for another round on Monday.

Slovenia's Joker Out disappointed with Eurovision result

LIVERPOOL, UK - Slovenian indie pop band Joker Out finished 21st at the Eurovision song contest, a result the band described as disappointing even though this is the first time after 2019 that a Slovenian act performed in the final. The band got 78 points for their danceable happy-go-lucky anthem to careless youth Carpe Diem in Saturday's final. "The result is really not the best, but we gave it all we got, this is the most we can do," the band told the STA. Sweden's Loreen won the competition.

Beer cans raise awareness of endangered species

LJUBLJANA - To raise awareness about endangered animal species, Slovenian microbrewery Bevog and the National Institute of Biology joined forced depicting eight grassland birds at risk of extinction on beer cans as part of the project Extinction Is Forever. The institute hopes the innovative approach and the message of the project will increase awareness of the vulnerability of nature and encourage everyone to help solve the biodiversity crisis. The Gornja Radgona-based brewery also made a donation to the institute to support research of endangered grassland ecosystems.