News roundup - Wednesday, 12 July

PM says Slovenia can do more for peace than security assurances for Ukraine

VILNIUS, Lithuania - Prime Minister Robert Golob, speaking at the conclusion of the two-day NATO summit, said Slovenia could contribute more to the efforts for peace in Ukraine than security assurances made by the G7. "I believe the key at this moment is to do everything in our power to attain a just and lasting peace. As a future member of the UN Security Council Slovenia will do everything in our power to get to that peace as soon as possible," Golob said. If the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee supports the proposal, Slovenia will sign on to the G7 security package, he indicated.

Golob talks APCs with Poland's Duda

VILNIUS, Lithuania - Prime Minister Robert Golob met Polish President Andrzej Duda on the sidelines of the NATO summit, discussing the option of Slovenia buying Poland's Rosomak armoured vehicles. The day before he broached Slovenia's plans to purchase APCs with the Finnish President Sauli Niinistö. Addressing the press at end of the two-day meeting in Vilnius, Golob said "we have reiterated our call on the Polish authorities to ensure that their bidder makes the best or most competitive offer".

Military airspace control centre gets new premises

BRNIK - A new underground facility and operations room were launched at the military section of Ljubljana airport. Performing the ribbon-cutting privileges, Armed Forces Supreme Commander President Nataša Pirc Musar underlined the need for constant modernisation of military equipment. Airspace control centre commander Lieutenant Colonel Aleš Umek said that after 32 years his unit now has a centre comparable to those in Slovenia's allies.

More money allocated for police counter-terrorism efforts

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian government has decided to allocate around EUR 1.1 million over 2023-2026 to strengthen the capacity of the special police unit to deal with terrorist threats, the Government Communication Office said. The money will be invested in specialised technical resources, a special vehicle and training, which will help improve the quality of police work and the safety of the bomb disposal unit.

EIB green-lights up to EUR 250m in loans for new track to Koper port

LJUBLJANA - After a delay of over four years, the European Investment Bank (EIB) gave the final approval for an up to EUR 250 million loan for the Divača-Koper rail project. 2TDK, the state company managing the project presently valued at EUR 1.11 billion, is expected to start drawing the loan in 2025, the Infrastructure Ministry said. The EIB had already approved the loan to 2TDK in May 2019, but set a number of additional conditions for the final approval.

MPs check intel agency's data collection, counter-intelligence activities

LJUBLJANA - Three members of the parliament's Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services paid an unannounced visit to SOVA on Tuesday to check how the intelligence and security agency collects data and conducts counter-intelligence activities. The MPs examined warrants based on which the agency conducts covert data collection, the agency's counter-intelligence activities, and compliance with regulations governing the protection of confidential data, commission chair Viktor Žakelj said in a press release.

Training pilots for firefighting aircraft priority for Defence Ministry

LJUBLJANA - The first two of four Air Tractor firefighting aircraft Slovenia has ordered after last year's devastating wildfire in Kras will be operational this wildfire season, the Defence Ministry told the STA. The two-seaters will be able to arrive to the site of a fire within 15 to 20 minutes. The Slovenian pilots are currently undergoing training carried out by foreign instructors to be able to operate the aircraft. The ministry sees training of their own pilots as one of its priorities in the 2023-2024 period.

Court ends right to non-profit rent for tenants of denationalised flats

LJUBLJANA - Breaking with court practice applied since the massive privatisation and restitution of denationalised housing stock in the early 1990s, the Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional legal provisions committing owners to honour indefinite non-profit rent contracts afforded by law to the tenants of privatised flats. The court gave the legislator one year to remedy the situation, during which time the present provisions will remain in force.

Opinions clash over animal protection bill

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Agriculture Committee hosted a debate about changes to the animal protection act drafted by a group of coalition MPs, once again showing many differences in opinion about a number of solutions proposed. The bill was passed at first reading in late May. The most contentious is the introduction of what are called authorised advisors, laypeople authorised to inspect the treatment of animals at farms after a 40-hour training course. Farmers and veterinarians object the proposal.

New draft bill ready on recourse for those affected by 2013 bail-in

LJUBLJANA - The Finance Ministry published a new draft bill meant to secure legal recourse for roughly 100,000 potential plaintiffs, both shareholders and holders of junior bonds, who were wiped out during the 2013 banking sector bailout. The changed proposal was needed as the Constitutional Court annulled in February this year the previous bill on the matter because it made the Slovenian central bank responsible for all potential damage payments stemming from the EU-instructed bail-in valued at EUR 960 million.

PM condemns attacks on police officers

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Robert Golob condemned in the strongest terms the recent attacks on police officers. He finds it unacceptable that they should be subjected to verbal or physical violence while doing their work. The response comes after two officers were injured in two separate incidents, including one at a rally on Saturday following the Balkan Anarchist Book Fair for trying to prevent a participant from spraying graffiti on a city bus.

Policewoman shooter facing attempted murder charges

ŠMARJEŠKE TOPLICE - The 62-year-old man who opened fire at police officers near Šmarjeta na Dolenjskem in south-east Slovenia, injuring a policewomen last week, will be charged with attempted murder, the head of the crime police sector at the Novo Mesto police department, Matjaž Štern, told the press. The man thus faces at least three years in prison.

Left to elect new leadership in September

LJUBLJANA - The Left, one of the ruling coalition parties, will pick party leadership for the next two years in early September but it is not clear yet whether the incumbent leader Luka Mesec will stand for the top job. Registration of candidates for the party leader, deputy leader and members of the executive committee will be held in July and August. Before the congress Mesec had declared he would seek re-election as party leader, but after the radical left wing win most votes on the council he said he understood the vote as a vote of non-confidence.

Report: Ex-money laundering boss looked into Bishop Saje's bank accounts

LJUBLJANA - The Office for Money Laundering Prevention allegedly checked Novo Mesto Bishop Andrej Saje's bank accounts under its former director Damjan Žugelj last year without having a legal basis to do so, the news site Necenzurirano reported last week. Saje is also the president of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference. Responding, Saje said on Tuesday he had no knowledge of the office's procedures. If the office indeed opened an investigation into his bank accounts, he said this was "a grave violation".

Equality ombudsman: Gynaecologist discriminated lesbian over sexual orientation

LJUBLJANA - The Advocate of the Principle of Equality has established that a lesbian who is in the process of IVF in Austria was discriminated against by her gynaecologist in Slovenia. The gynaecologist had acted on her conscientious objection over medical treatment of lesbians undergoing IVF, filed with the Medical Chamber, which she has now withdrawn, the equality advocates's office said.

Government Twitter posts to also be available on its official website

LJUBLJANA - After Twitter boss Elon Musk introduced the latest limits on using the platform at the beginning of July, the Slovenian government announced it will also make its Twitter posts available on its website. So far, they are not considering cancelling their Twitter account. "In most cases government information is available on several outlets, not just Twitter, therefore there is no increased inequality between users of this social network and other citizens," the Government Communication Office said after an NGO raised the issue of unequal access to information.

Kumer discussing climate and nuclear energy at EU ministerial

VALLADOLID, Spain - Minister of Environment, Climate and Energy Bojan Kumer attended a two-day EU ministerial in Valladolid, discussing climate neutrality, the COP28 climate conference coming up in December, and nuclear power. The EU ministers expressed the view that a more encouraging environment must be created to increase the EU's production capacities of carbon neutral technologies, with Slovenia and several other member states advocating for measures based on principles of technological neutrality.

Slovenian delegation discussing business opportunities in Bavaria

MUNICH - Innovation and business cooperation opportunities for Slovenia and Bavaria were in the focus as a delegation led by Economy Ministry State Secretary Matevž Frangež concluded a multi-day visit to Germany. Frangež met Glenn Schmidt, the vice president at BMW responsible for government and external affairs, discussing the possibilities of including Slovenian automotive industry in the German giant's supply chain during the green and digital transitions. He also met Georg Schmidt of the Bavarian economy ministry.

Slovenian company wins prestigious intellectual property award

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana-based company Aerosol, a leading developer and manufacturer of air quality measurement instruments, is one of the six recipients of this year's WIPO Global Awards for SMEs that use intellectual property rights to make their business ideas a reality and contribute to a better future with innovative approaches and creativity. The company's CEO Mateja Forštnarič said the "award will help our company gain recognition, visibility and added value".

ReCatalyst gets EUR 1.7m in seed money

LJUBLJANA - The startup ReCatalyst specialising in the development of next-generation catalysts for fuel cells has closed an oversubscribed seed financing round, ensuring EUR 1.7 million to strengthen market readiness and accelerate process development for proton exchange membrane fuel cell catalysts. "The funding round was co-led by the Germany-based High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), xista science ventures from Austria and OCCIDENT from Germany," the company said.

Aqualuna fire causes EUR 300,000 in damage

PODČETRTEK - Saturday's fire at the Aqualuna spa complex in Podčetrtek in the east of the country caused EUR 300,000 in damage, according to spa operator Terme Olimia, which runs the complex. The fire broke out at the storeroom of a restaurant in the complex and some 1,500 visitors of the outdoor pool area had to be evacuated, but nobody was injured. The pool reopened the next day. The premises have been cleaned up and are ready for renovation and the restaurant will soon reopen, the company said.

Olimpija start Champions League qualifying with a win

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian football champions Olimpija kicked off their qualifying campaign for the Champions League with a 2:1 win against Latvian side Valmiera, eking out a minimum advantage ahead of the return leg on 19 July.