News roundup - Saturday, 2 September

Asta Vrečko new leader of the Left

LJUBLJANA - Culture Minister Asta Vrečko is the new leader of the Left, replacing Luka Mesec, who bid farewell after leading the party from the start nearly 10 years ago. In her first statement in her new role, she said her two-year term will focus on consolidating the party on the ground. One of the first steps of the new leadership - MP Nataša Sukič was elected her deputy - will be visiting local chapters. Vrečko was Mesec's deputy since 2021 and entered national politics by becoming minister in 2022. Her rival for party leadership was MP Miha Kordiš, representative of the party's most radical wing, while Vrečko is thought to be acceptable for all factions within the party. Vrečko is 39 years old and holds a PhD in art history.

Mandatory military service abolished 20 years ago

LJUBLJANA - 20 years to the day a regulation on voluntary military service entered into force, in what was one of the key steps towards the abolishment of conscription that took the Slovenian Armed Forces closer to a professional army. The regulation enabled citizens aged 18 to 27 to engage in voluntary military training for at least three months for which they would get paid. Seven days after the regulation entered into force, PM Anton Rop and Defence Minister Anton Grizold announced full abolishment of the conscription system. This meant that the last three generations of conscripts did not join any mandatory military training. Experts say the sudden abolishment was a political decision fuelled by a declining interest in military service among young men and the country's integration into NATO, which Slovenia joined in 2004.

Roglič wins stage 8 at Vuelta a Espagna

VALENCIA, Spain - Slovenian rider Primož Roglič (Jumbo Visma) won stage 8 at the Vuelta a Espagna to settle for 7th place overall, advancing from 12th. On the 165km route from Denia to Costa Blanca Interiora, he sprinted for the stage win in his trademark style, beating Belgian Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) and third-placed Spaniard Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) in the last 200 metres. This is Roglič's 11th win at La Vueltas and 78th career win. He won the Spanish Grand Tour in 2019, 2020 and 2021, while he won the Giro d'Italia and the Tirreno-Adriatico, Catalonia and Burgos races this year.

Ajda Bračič wins Maruša Krese Prize for short stories

NOVO MESTO - Writer and poet Ajda Bračič won the Maruša Krese Prize for the best collection of short stories for Leteči Ljudje (Flying People), published by LUD Literatura. She received it at the Novo Mesto Short festival on Friday evening. The jury praised her collection for stylistic diversity and unexpected twits towards the surreal. The prize was this year renamed from the Novo Mesto Prize to to take the name of writer Maruša Krese (1947-2013). It was first given out in 2017.

Ljubljana hosting sport climbing spectacle

LJUBLJANA - Triglav The Rock Ljubljana, a sport climbing spectacle, is being held in Ljubljana on Saturday, with climbers taking on a special wall floating above the Ljubljanica where every mistake is punished by a fall into the river. The line-up of competitors includes France's Mickael Mawem, who has recently claimed the men's boulder title at the Sport Climbing World Championships, and Slovenia's Sara Čopar, junior world champion in the women's lead.