News roundup - Wednesday, 24 May

PM upbeat about budget deficit, opposition less so

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Robert Golob was upbeat about the deficit reduction in the revised national budget for 2023 but the opposition warned that the expenditure remains record high, as the National Assembly opened a ten-hour debate on the document. Golob said the document proved the situation was even better than what the optimists expected last autumn. Not only is there no recession, and the energy crisis has successfully been brought under control, the deficit is decreasing, he said. The two opposition parties criticised the document over the high deficit and what they see as insufficient support for the economy.

Golob announces EUR 100m package for pensioners, EUR 700 minimum guaranteed pension

LJUBLJANA - PM Robert Golob announced a EUR 100 million package of measures aiming to support pensioners, which is to include a guaranteed minimum pension of EUR 700 and a Christmas bonus for pensioners. Addressing the opening of the Days of Intergenerational Harmony, Golob announced an early pension adjustment of 1.8% in November "to fulfil the promise of having a minimum guaranteed pension of EUR 700 before the end of the year". Moreover, all widow's pensions will be aligned with the minimum guaranteed pension by January 1 at the latest. According to Golob, this measure will benefit around 10,000 individuals. The head of the Pensioners' Association (ZDUS) Janez Sušnik responded by expressing criticism of the level and timing of the adjustment.

European Commission warns against delays in recovery and resilience plan

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission warned in its country report for Slovenia that the risk of delays in implementing Slovenia's recovery and resilience plan is increasing. Slovenia has been urged to strengthen its governance structure and ensure that decisions on announced reforms are adopted without delay. "The implementation of Slovenia's recovery and resilience plan is underway, however with increasing risk of delays," the Commission wrote as part of the spring European Semester process.

Freedom House democracy report highlights Slovenia's progress

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and Czechia have been highlighted in the 2023 Freedom House Nations in Transit report as examples of voters rejecting populist policies. Slovenia is one of the few countries in the NGO's report to see progress in democracy. Last year, the country saw the most significant deterioration in democracy, above all due to freedom of press violations and the undermining of judiciary under the previous government. Slovenia's democracy score was up from 5.71 points to 5.75 points.

Janša says Slovenia launched UN candidacy upon request by "allies"

LJUBLJANA - A week after Slovenia argued in a debate in the UN that it had decided to file a candidacy for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council on its own, opposition leader Janez Janša tweeted on Monday that the move had been made upon "explicit request by American and European allies in the EU and NATO". With the crucial vote in the UN General Assembly less than two weeks away, seasoned diplomats and the Foreign Ministry have deemed the tweet a conscious and planned attempt to undermine Slovenia's chances, the newspaper Delo reported. Janša rejected allegations that his tweet was harmful to the country, arguing that it could only benefit the candidacy.

After a year on strike, RTV journalists not backing down

LJUBLJANA - Marking a year since they started the ongoing strike, RTV Slovenija journalists participated in a public debate on Tuesday, noting that the strike demands are as topical as they were a year ago, and adding that they will persist until they reach their goals. They were critical of the fact that breaches of programme and professional standards have continued, as have the non-transparent staffing and uneconomical use of funds, while negotiations with the leadership have not brought the desired results.

Ljubljana administrative unit stages token strike

LJUBLJANA - Employees of the Ljubljana administrative unit staged a one-hour token strike to demand higher wages, matching titles to those of ministry employees and a cashier's risk bonus. They will step up industrial action activities if the demands are not met. Low wages have exacerbated the staff shortages as experienced employees are leaving, said the in-house trade union's president Dragan Stanković.

Debate calls for cooperation with Japan in hydrogen technologies

LJUBLJANA - Hydrogen can be an important additional energy source in the transition to a carbon-free society, and Slovenia intends to pay more attention to hydrogen technologies in the future. Japan, which is already successfully developing them, could be an important partner, agreed participants of a Slovenian-Japanese Business Council forum held in Ljubljana. "It is time to start concrete projects of hydrogen production and use in Slovenia," said Aleksander Mervar, CEO of the national electricity grid operator ELES and chair of the Slovenian-Japanese Business Council.

AmCham event stresses importance of fast response to AI

LJUBLJANA - The development of artificial intelligence (AI) requires quick action and implementation of strategies in practice, agreed the participants of an AmCham business breakfast. Teachers will play an important role in integrating digital skills in school curriculums, they noted. The development of AI will deeply affect the job market, and AI will have the largest impact on jobs related to text creation as it will be used to optimise these services, the event also heard.

Ski maker Elan branching out into electric bicycles

MOJSTRANA - The sports equipment manufacturer Elan launched a new collection of regular as well as, for the first time, electric bikes to boost its presence on the market throughout the year. The move comes after the company, which traditionally produced skis and skiing equipment, re-entered the bicycles market after more than 15 years in 2022. Elan, which also expanded into water sports equipment two years ago, will launch its electric bikes next year.

Court finds dismissal of fmr Forest Service head unlawful

LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court has found that the dismissal of former Forest Service head Damjan Oražem by the previous government in September 2020 had been unlawful. Oražem said that the ruling was final and that he intended to take the state to court. He intends to file a lawsuit against the state at the labour court to fight for pay compensation and a damages lawsuit for libel.

SNG Drama theatre returning to roots in upcoming season

LJUBLJANA - The SNG Drama Ljubljana theatre will stage ten new plays in the 2023/2024 season, the last before the old building will undergo renovation. Theatre director Vesna Jurca Tadel said they are going back to the roots, returning to powerful stories, strong characters and dialogues. On the main stage, the season will kick off with Antigone by Dominik Smole, directed by Janez Pipan, in September. Tadel noted that the text raises eternal moral issues, made only more topical by the current global events.

Protest as nutrias to be removed from Ljubljana Marshes

LJUBLJANA - The plan by the authorities to remove nutrias as an invasive alien species from the Ljubljana Marshes has provoked an angry response from a part of the public who are trying to stop the plan with a petition. Preparations for the complete removal of the fast growing population of the species from the landscape park have been under way since September when the Agriculture Ministry gave the go-ahead for the measure. However, a petition urging a stop to the nutria kill and applying sterilisation as an alternative measure has been signed by more than 19,000 people since last Friday.

Contract signed for Slovenian House at Paris Summer Olympics

PARIS, France - President of the Slovenian Olympic Committee (OKS) Franjo Bobinac has signed in Paris a contract on the lease of premises for the Slovenian House during the 2024 Summer Olympics. The premises are located in La Villette Park, which will be very well connected to the Olympic Village, the OKS announced. "We are returning to France next year, where in 2024 it will be exactly one hundred years since Leon Štukelj won the Olympic gold medal," Bobinac said, referring to the legendary Slovenian gymnast.

Slovenia paying tribute to natural history pioneer Scopoli

IDRIJA - Slovenia is marking the 300th anniversary of the birth of Giovanni Antonio Scopoli, the pioneer of natural history in Slovenia, with a number of events. The municipality of Idrija, where Scopoli worked as physician for local mercury miners, has declared 2023 as the Scopoli Year. The events will reach their peak from 1 and 3 June in Idrija and the Museum of Natural History in Ljubljana and the Botanical Gardens in the capital, where busts of Scopoli will be unveiled.

Golden Bee goes to Serbian researcher Slobodan Davidović

LJUBLJANA - The Golden Bee, the highest national prize for beekeeping achievements, was conferred on Serbian researcher Slobodan Davidović. Agriculture Minister Irena Šinko, who chaired the committee picking the winner, said Davidović was a promising young researcher with advanced ideas and the ability to bring team members together. The winner is hopeful that the award will raise the profile of his research on genetic diversity of wild bee colonies and change the way people look at the management of bees and other pollinators.