News roundup - Monday, 18 September

Govt with EUR 847m proposal for public sector wage reform

LJUBLJANA - The government presented to public sector trade unions a proposal to eliminate wage disparities in the sector and adjustment of jobs to a new wage scale worth EUR 847 million. Public Administration Minister Sanja Ajanović Hovnik noted after today's round of talks this does not include the wages of officials and directors. The entire upgrade of the wage system, including the elimination of disparities, is estimated at EUR 1 billion, and the plan is to carry out the entire reform in three years. She believes that 15 October is a realistic date to conclude the talks even if the unions have several reservations.

Prime minster says EUR 640m in flood aid to be paid in coming weeks

LJUBLJANA - PM Robert Golob said that EUR 640 million in flood-related direct payments from the budget will be made available to individuals, businesses and local authorities in the coming weeks. "Never in the history of this country has so much money been paid out in relation to any natural disaster, and so quickly," he said as he answered a question from opposition NSi MP Jernej Vrtovec as part of Q&A in parliament. He also said that a technical office that would help the most affected, those who have suffered more than EUR 30,000 in direct damage, was being set up. There are around 1,000 such cases.

Minister says flood damage in agriculture amounts to EUR 145m

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Agriculture Minister Irena Šinko said that the early August floods had caused some EUR 145 million in damage in agriculture as she spoke to the press ahead of a session of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council. More than 2,700 farms have been affected, she told Slovenian correspondents in Brussels. For this year, EUR 1.2 million is available to Slovenia in the EU's agricultural reserve, while the figure for 2024 is not yet known.

Prime minister says EU tackling migration issue in source countries

LJUBLJANA - PM Robert Golob said the EU is tackling the issue of migration in source countries while the "extreme right" is scaring people as he responded to a question by opposition SDS MP Anja Bah Žibert in parliament. The MP said that more than 4,000 illegal crossings of the border had been recorded by police in the first 12 days of September, that most of the migrants were young men, that crime is rising while the government has lost control of the situation. Golob responded by saying that of the 40,000 illegal migrants who have crossed the Slovenian border this year, 24,000 did so in Rigonce, where no fence has been removed. "I don't know what more proof you need that the fence is not working," he said.

Food safety authority says it acted in line with rules in pesticide scandal

LJUBLJANA - After media reported that several tonnes of Serbian peaches and plums containing the pesticide chlorpyrifos were consumed in Slovenia this summer, the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection said that all procedures had been conducted in line with the law. Fabian Kos, head of the Inspection for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection, said inspectors had been performing their activities in line with the rules, while several additional measures have been introduced to boost food safety.

Minister Maljevac, Maribor mayor, ombudsman condemn Pride Parade violence

MARIBOR/LJUBLJANA - More condemnations followed after Saturday's pride parade in Maribor was marred by violence. Maribor Mayor Saša Arsenovič said that everybody has the right to express their identity, noting that Maribor municipality has zero tolerance policy toward all forms of violence. Simon Maljevac, the minister of solidarity-based future, said that Slovenia as a country must show zero tolerance to violencem while Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina said that prejudice, discrimination and exclusion based on sexual orientation, gender identity and other personal circumstances are unacceptable.

Leading parties down in Dnevnik poll as Freedom Movement regains edge

LJUBLJANA - Both largest parliamentary parties have lost ground in the latest Vox Populi poll for the newspaper Dnevnik, but, after several months in second place, the ruling Freedom Movement returned to the top spot, polling at 22.6%, down a point from August. The opposition Democrats (SDS) shed more than three points to 20.5%. The government's approval rating meanwhile slipped.

Number of self-employed record high in July

LJUBLJANA - Standing at 100,509, the number of self-employed people in Slovenia was the highest on record in July. The figure increased for the sixth month in a row, the Statistics Office reported. The number of people in employment in July reached 933,042, which is 0.3% less compared to June, and 1.2% more year-on-year.

Datalab takeover successful, delisting to follow

LJUBLJANA - A group of investors which already held a 70% stake in Datalab Tehnologije, a developer of software solutions for business, increased its stake in the company to 85% in a takeover bid that valued the company at EUR 24 million and now plans to delist the company from the Ljubljana Stock Exchange. The takeover bid was published in early August by the Luxembourg-based company Rucio Investment and Datalab founder and CEO Andrej Mertelj together with the company's current management and employee shareholders.

Bisol gradually relaunching production

PREBOLD - Photovoltaic modules maker Bisol is gradually relaunching production a month and a half after it was hit by devastating floods, which brought operations to a complete halt, the group said in a press release. The floods caused damage of more than EUR 30 million, but in a lucky break, a new laminating machine was spared from the floods due to delay in delivery. Bisol is now striving to make up for the delays in supply of products.

LTH Castings expanding production

ŠKOFJA LOKA - Castings, a Škofja Loka-based manufacturer of aluminium castings and products for all-electric cars, recently told the STA it would be able to go ahead with a production-expansion investment after the city council approved zoning plan changes for the Trata industrial zone, where the company is located. In 2023, the company's revenue is expected to reach EUR 450 million, a 20% increase over last year.

Steel group SIJ profit in H1 lower than initially estimated

LJUBLJANA - The steel producing group SIJ, which reported a profit of EUR 14.2 million for the first half of this year at the beginning of the month, announced that the figure was actually EUR 1.5 million lower than the first estimate. SIJ said it had expected a drastic drop in demand in the first half of the year, so it reduced its production and supply. But the situation on the market changed quickly and demand was much higher, to which production could not adjust so quickly.

Emil Frey donates vehicles to flood-hit communities

LJUBLJANA - Emil Frey group, the importer and seller of a number of automotive brands, donated cars and a lorry to six municipalities that were hit by devastating floods in early August. Keys of a car each were handed over to the mayors of Črna na Koroškem, Luče, Mežica, Prevalje and Ravne na Koroškem. Meanwhile the municipality of Ljubno ob Savinji received a lorry to use free of charge for the next six months.

Printmaker Sonawane wins Grand Prize at Ljubljana graphic arts biennale

LJUBLJANA - The Indian artist Tejswini Narayan Sonawane is the winner of the Grand Prize of the 35th Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts, while School of Mutants, a collaborative art and research platform, was awarded the research and residence prize. A special mention went to the Ljubljana-based Krater Collective and the Indian artist Soghra Khurasani. The awards were given out at the opening of the biennale on Friday evening.

European Heritage Days bringing 450 events

BELTINCI - The 33rd European Heritage Days and the 11th Cultural Heritage Week will bring together nearly 500 organisations offering 450 events across the country and among Slovenians in neighbouring countries between 23 September and 10 October. Events will be held under the banner Rare and Valuable Knowledge, Skills and Abilities to join the broader Europe-wide theme of Living Heritage. The European Heritage Days in Slovenia annually attract around 50,000 people. The opening event will be held in Beltinci, north-east.

Former Slovenian cultural hub in Fontana, California, to be razed

LOS ANGELES, US - The Slovene Hall, the former cultural centre of the Slovenian community in Fontana, California, will be demolished as the city council decided against renovating the 1937 building, which the community sold to the local authorities a couple of years ago, the local paper Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reported. The now vacant building served as the cultural hub for Slovenian Americans who started moving to Fontana from the greater Cleveland area in the 1920s.

Slovenia getting military aircraft and helicopter from Montenegro for museum

Podgorica, Montenegro - Montenegro is to donate a military aircraft, the Super Galeb G4, and the HN 45M helicopter to Slovenia to be exhibited at museum. The donation, worth nearly EUR 1 million, is envisaged in a draft agreement between the two countries' defence ministries published by the Montenegro government. Once refurbished, the aircraft and the helicopter will be put on display at the Park of Military History in Pivka, south-west.