Weekly review of events involving Slovenia, 15-21 September

FRIDAY, 15 September

LJUBLJANA - Environment, Climate and Energy Minister Bojan Kumer told the STA that a radical shift in the use of renewables must be made in order to decarbonise Slovenia, while the country must not forget about nuclear, which he said is a safe and stable energy source.

LJUBLJANA - Damage to businesses following the early August floods is estimated at EUR 318 million, according to a preliminary programme for post-flood reconstruction adopted by the government. The affected companies will receive advance payments up to a maximum of 10% of the estimated damage.
        
LJUBLJANA - It was reported that a shipment of 18 tonnes of fresh cucumbers from Serbia had recently stopped at the border, as an excessively high content of the fungicide metalaxyl was detected. The Slovenian authorities ordered the shipment destroyed and the cucumbers never hit store shelves.

LJUBLJANA - PM Robert Golob met Qatari Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem Al Ghanim, with the pair urging strengthening bilateral relation, especially in investment and healthcare. Golob also called for a direct air route between Doha and Ljubljana.

ROGAŠKA SLATINA - The Steklarna Rogaška glassworks, part of the Finnish group Fiskars since 2015, said it was planning to lay off up to 140 out of its 830 workers, adding that this was part of a streamlining plan of the entire group.

LJUBLJANA - Over EUR 3.5 million was raised for flood victims in Slovenia with a charity football match featuring a number of legendary names at the sold-out Stožice Stadium. The idea was initiated by Aleksander Čeferin, the UEFA president.

SATURDAY, 16 September

MIREN-KOSTANJEVICA - Slovenia's first president, Milan Kučan, expressed regret that Italy had not apologised for the Fascist violence perpetrated against Slovenians, as he addressed the main ceremony marking the Primorska reunification day. Kučan also called for steps towards peace in Ukraine.

ROME, Italy - Slovenia defeated France 3:2 in the bronze medal match at the Men's European Volleyball Championship, which is the fourth podium finish t the past five European championships for Slovenia.

LJUBNO OB SAVINJI - European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič visited the flood-hit Savinja Valley, pledging the EU's solidarity in the reconstruction. He said that Slovenia enjoyed great solidarity from other EU members.

MARIBOR - More than 300 people took part in the third Pride Parade in Maribor but like in a similar event in Ljubljana in June several violent incidents targeting participants were reported. The violence were condemned by NGOs and the country's top officials.

SUNDAY, 17 September

LJUBLJANA - Ivan Kristan, a constitutional jurist who served as the first president of the upper chamber of the Slovenian parliament after independence, died aged 93. In the 1980s he served as the dean of the Ljubljana Faculty of Law and as the rector of Ljubljana University.

MADRID, Spain - Slovenian cycling ace Primož Roglič took 3rd place overall in the Vuelta a Espana, joining his teammates on the podium in Madrid for a historic hat trick of Grand Tour victories for Jumbo Visma this year. American Sepp Kuss won the general classification for his debut Grand Tour victory, ahead of Dane Jonas Vinegegaard.

LJUBLJANA - Marina Bassols Ribera won the singles competition at the WTA 125 tennis tournament in what is career best for the 23-year-old Spanish player. The doubles tournament was won by the Russian-US pairing Amina Anshba and Quinn Gleason.

MONDAY, 18 September

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 over three years. Public Administration Minister Sanja Ajanović Hovnik said 15 October was a realistic date to conclude the talks although the unions have several reservations.

LJUBLJANA - PM Robert Golob told parliament 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.

NEW YORK, US - Addressing the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, President Nataša Pirc Musar focused on issues such as climate change, the UN Security Council reform, the pitfalls of the digital age, and gender equality. She announced that Slovenia planned to increase its contribution to the Green Climate Fund by 50%.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Agriculture Minister Irena Šinko said that the early August floods had caused some EUR 145 million in damage in agriculture as she addressed the press ahead of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council session. More than 2,700 farms have been affected.

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 an opposition MP in which was also suggested that the government has lost control of the situation.

LJUBLJANA - The two largest parliamentary parties 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, polling at 22.6% down a point from August. The opposition Democrats (SDS) shed more than three points to 20.5%.

LJUBLJANA - Standing at 100,509, the number of self-employed people in Slovenia was the highest on record in July, as the figure increased for the sixth month in a row, the Statistics Office reported.

TUESDAY, 19 September

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The government is not considering reintroducing controls at its border with Croatia despite the number of illegal crossings of the border having surged, Foreign Ministry State secretary Marko Štucin said ahead of a meeting of the EU foreign ministers. Croatia and other Western Balkan countries should instead curb migration, he added.

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian and Italian defence ministers, Marjan Šarec and Guido Crosetto, signed an agreement under which Slovenia will buy a second C-27J Spartan transport aircraft, based on the government-to-government model. Slovenia purchased the first such aircraft two years ago.

LJUBLJANA - In the first seven months of the year, banks in Slovenia generated EUR 636.5 million in pre-tax profit, which is more than double year-on-year, while net profit also more than doubled to EUR 557.9 million, the central bank said.

MARIBOR - The fate of MLM, a fully state-owned foundry from Maribor, hangs in the balance after it was revealed that the latest attempt to find a strategic partner failed. The company has not managed to break even since 2016 despite carrying out a comprehensive restructuring plan, while EU rules prevent it from receiving more state aid.

LJUBLJANA - Chef Ana Roš's restaurant Hiša Franko became the first Slovenian establishment to be awarded three Michelin stars, the highest accolade conferred by the veritable restaurant guide. This is the "recognition of our creativity, innovation and dedication to culinary art," Hiša Franko said on becoming only the 140th restaurant in the world with the accolade.

LJUBLJANA - Police statistics of property crime for 2023 and 2022 showed considerable annual rises in thefts and burglaries in Ljubljana, especially in the city centre and the borough of Vič, which houses the overcrowded main unit of the national asylum centre.

WEDNESDAY, 20 September

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed a bill to grant amnesty for fines people received for breach of Covid rules during the pandemic. The bill provides for the reimbursement of fines imposed in proceedings initiated during the previous government's term on grounds that were later found to be unconstitutional.

LJUBLJANA - The MPs passed changes to the Animal Protection Act, over which issue has been raised by farmers, veterinarians and the parliament's legal service. The most controversial provision is the introduction of special "qualified reporting persons" that can check on animal welfare on farms.

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the Religious Freedom Act that lowers the state coverage of social contributions for religious workers from 100% to 60%. While the coalition insisted that the changes addressed an unlawful situation, the opposition finds the changes amount to an inadmissible encroachment on the religious workers' rights.

NEW YORK, US - President Nataša Pirc Musar agreed with demands urging Russia to end its invasion of Ukraine during the UN Security Council's open debate. She believes that justice must be served to achieve peace in the long-term, which includes punishments for those responsible.
        
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will donate EUR 400,000 to Morocco and EUR 600,000 to Libya, which were respectively hit by an earthquake and heavy flooding, the Government Communications Office said. The aid will be channelled through the International Red Cross, the Slovenian Caritas and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

THE HAGUE, the Netherlands - Slovenia took part in the oral hearing in the proceedings before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case Ukraine v. Russia as one of the 32 interveners. Slovenia's representative noted the integrity of the operation of the ICJ, the fulfilment of contractual obligations and respect for the Genocide Convention.

THURSDAY, 21 September

KRŠKO - Gen Energija, the state-owned company slated to invest in a second reactor at the Krško Nuclear Power Station wants to double its capacity from the originally planned 1,100 MW and is even considering building two new units, director general Dejan Paravan said.

LJUBLJANA - The government confirmed three aid packages to eliminate the consequences of the natural disasters that hit Slovenia this summer, which come in the form of advance payments for direct damage to property in the total amount of EUR 234 million. The bulk will go for reconstruction related to the early August floods.

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar discussed migrations and border management with Bosnian Minister of Security Nenad Nešić as the pair spoke over the phone. Poklukar thanked Nešić for the aid that Bosnia-Herzegovina offered to Slovenia post-floods. The pair agreed that Nešić will visit Slovenia in November, the Interior Ministry said.

LJUBLJANA - British Europe Minister Leo Docherty told the STA that Slovenia has a very important role not only as a member of the UN Security Council but also as a regional player in SE Europe with connections with Western European economies. Docherty assessed UK-Slovenia relations as "extremely good", "very strong and very warm" with "lots of potential".

VELENJE - Two key laws on the restructuring of the coal mining region Savinja-Šalek and the closure of the Velenje coal mine are expected to be passed next year, a government official announced. The legislation will be accompanied by the creation of a just transition project office.

LJUBLJANA/BUDAPEST, Hungary - Andrada, a joint venture founded in Hungary by the Slovenian automotive industry, has withdrawn its application for an environmental permit for a recycling plant for electric car batteries in the northeast of the country. The plan is to significantly supplement it following protests from a green opposition party.

DOBRAVA - Police said they would press charges against five people after two police officers were assaulted and lightly injured while called to the scene of an altercation in Dobrava, a small village in the vicinity of a two large informal Roma settlement in southern Slovenia.