News roundup - Thursday, 21 September

Investor wants higher capacity for Krško 2

KRŠKO - The state-owned company slated to invest in a second reactor at the Krško Nuclear Power Station want to double its capacity from the originally planned 1,100 MW and is even considering building two new units. Legislative changes no longer limit capacity to 1,100 MW, the demand for electricity is rising, interest of countries nearby in being co-investors has increased, and bigger capacity expands the possible scope of suppliers, Gen Energija chairman Dejan Paravan told the STA.

Municipalities to get EUR 234m in advances for flood damage

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. The government has set two criteria for the advance payments to municipalities - the minimum individual damage estimate is EUR 20,000, and the maximum payment is the double of the appropriate expenditure of an individual municipality.

President echoes UN demands for end of invasion in Ukraine

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 in New York on Wednesday. She believes that justice must be served to achieve peace in the long-term, which includes punishments for those responsible. Slovenia condemns the Russian aggression against Ukraine, she said, noting there were 55 conflicts worldwide in 2022. All of them are important and require attention, she added.

Interior minister discusses migration with Bosnian security minister

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.

UK official highlights Slovenia's diplomatic role in W Balkans, Security Council

LJUBLJANA - 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, British Europe Minister Leo Docherty told the STA. "We recognise that Slovenia does have an important role to play and we are very pleased to have very strong relationships," said Docherty, who assessed UK-Slovenia relations as "extremely good", "very strong and very warm" with "lots of potential".

Key coal phase-out laws expected next year

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, Andreja Katič, state secretary at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, told a conference dedicated to the restructuring of the region. The legislation will be accompanied by the creation of a just transition project office. One key consideration will be how best to use the coal mine infrastructure, she said.

Slovenian battery recycling project in Hungary put on hold

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. The company said that the new application would address the demands of the local community, NGOs and other stakeholders regarding environmental protection. The aim is to achieve the "highest safety and environmental standards".

Better pay demanded for support staff in higher education, research

LJUBLJANA - Employees in higher education and research staged a rally to demand better pay for support staff. They said staff such as lab technicians, system administrators, maintenance technicians and administrative staff are in an unenviable position in the ongoing talks on public sector wages. And while the government's last offer for this group is better, the proposed time frame of pay rises is "so stretched out that public sector wages will have declined by 6-7% by 2027," said Gorazd Kovačič, president of the Trade Union of Higher Education.

Slovenia complies with Court of Justice ruling as last dangerous dump site closes

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia closed the last of the 21 potentially dangerous dump sites it was ordered to close by the EU Court of Justice in 2018, the Environment Ministry said, expressing hope that the European Commission will now close the case. The EU Court of Justice found in 2018 that Slovenia failed to take appropriate measures in the case of 20 dump sites by June 2009 and one more site by July 2016 after environmental licences for the sites had not been renewed.

Slovenska Bistrica council opposes wind farms on Pohorje

SLOVENSKA BISTRICA - The local council of Slovenska Bistrica urged the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning to stop the procedure to issue a building permit for 35 wind turbines that the company Energija na Veter is planning to set up at two locations on Pohorje hills in the north-east of the country. The council discussed the municipality's opinion that the documents submitted for the building permit are not in line with municipal rules or the national legislation.

Police officers assaulted in altercation with Roma

DOBRAVA - Police will press charges against five people after two police officers were assaulted yesterday 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. Novo Mesto police were called to Dobrava when a landowner was prevented from doing work on his land by a group of men. He called the police and when they arrived at the scene, two officers and the landowner were assaulted, with the officers sustaining light injuries.

Half of Slovenians earned less than EUR 1,230 a month last year

LJUBLJANA - Over 63% of employees in Slovenia received lower monthly net wage last year than is the national average of EUR 1,424, shows data released by the Statistics Office. Half of the employed population earned less than EUR 1,229 net on average. Average monthly net pay of women in 2022 amounted to EUR 1,382, which is 5.1% less than men. A tenth of employed persons received less than EUR 830 a month on average, while 1% received more than EUR 4,051 net per month.