News roundup - Thursday, 25 January

Pharma group Krka posts record-high sales for 2023

NOVO MESTO - Pharma group Krka recorded 5% higher sales revenue last year compared to the year before, at EUR 1.81 billion, which is a new record, preliminary unaudited results show. Net profit was down 14% on 2022 due to foreign exchange losses, and amounted to an estimated EUR 311.2 million. "Despite inflation pressures, our operating profit (EBIT) was the highest to date according to estimates, totalling EUR 397.6 million, which is up 4% year-over-year," CEO Jože Colarič told the press. Sales are expected to stand at EUR 1.85 billion and net profit at over EUR 310 million in 2024.

Gen's net profit up nine-fold last year despite revenue dropping 29%

LJUBLJANA - The energy group Gen generated EUR 2.97 billion in revenue last year, a drop of 28.9% over 2022, but net profit increased substantially, reaching EUR 204.5 million, compared to EUR 23.6 million in 2022. Above all, the results were affected by relatively high electricity prices at the start of last year, director general Dejan Paravan told the press. High water levels had a positive impact on Gen's operations, enabling an increase of 70% in hydro power compared to 2022. The group generated 3,433 GWh of electricity last year, which accounted for 28% of Slovenia's consumption.

Tourist figures in Slovenia record high last year

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded some 6.2 million tourist arrivals and 16.1 million tourist nights in 2023, which is up by 5.5% and 3.5% year-on-year, respectively, and a new record, the Statistics Office said. Tourist nights were up 2% compared to 2019, the previous record year. Slovenians generated some 4.6 million nights or 28% of the total figure and foreign guests 11.5 million or 72%. While Slovenian guests generated 17% fewer nights than the year before, foreign visitors generated 15% more. Compared to 2019, tourist nights generated by Slovenians were up 4% and by foreigners by 2%.

President discusses aid to Ukraine on call with Zelensky

LJUBLJANA - President Nataša Pirc Musar had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in light of Slovenia's beginning its two-year stint as a non-permanent member on the UN Security Council. The pair discussed humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine and post-war reconstruction, the president's office said. Slovenia is keeping up its efforts for a lasting and just peace in Ukraine and supports an initiative for a peace summit at the upcoming second anniversary of the start of the war, Pirc Musar told Zelensky.

Mesec critical of Stojmenova Duh over laptops

LJUBLJANA - Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Minister Luka Mesec was critical of what he sees as Digital Transformation Minister Emilija Stojmenova Duh trying to shift onto his ministry responsibility for the distribution of laptops bought in a contentious call over which she is being targetted in an ouster motion. Responding to the motion, which the Democrats (SDS) filed today, the Left, Mesec's party, said they expected explanations from Stojmenova Duh.

EU Commission launches several infringement procedures against Slovenia

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission launched over two dozen infringement procedures against member states that failed to transpose EU directives in time, with Slovenia receiving several formal letters of notice. Slovenia has failed to transpose directives on the EU emissions trading system, legal migrations, motor vehicles insurance and servicing and buying of loans, the European Commission said in a press release.

Furloughed RTV staff offered new contracts

LJUBLJANA - The management of RTV Slovenija has offered new contracts to employees who were furloughed after their daily TV news show Panorama got cancelled, the management said, adding that some of the workers had already signed these new contracts. The parliamentary Culture Committee convened to discuss the issue, with the Democrats (SDS) saying that the public broadcaster had violated workers' rights in the case of the furloughed workers. Management board chairman Zvezdan Martić told the committee members there were no purges at RTV Slovenija, but the situation was difficult due to financial issues.

Pressure on doctors mounting, union determined to continue strike

LJUBLJANA - As negotiations amid the continuing strike of doctors and dentists have failed to bring any headway so far, the rhetoric in the dispute remains strained. Action against the Fides trade union of doctors and dentists was demanded by the Pensioners' Association (ZDUS), and the ZSSS association of trade unions raised some concerns. Health Minister Valentina Prevolnik Rupel expressed concern over the stepping up of the strike. She hopes that the strike will not escalate too much and that agreement will be reached as soon as possible.

Govt secures EUR 2.2m to municipalities for support of minorities

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a decree that provides municipalities with members of the Italian and Hungarian minorities with a total of EUR 2.2 million in co-funding from the state this year for the support of bilinguality and the securing of minorities' constitutional rights. Funds will be secured for the municipalities of Koper, Ankaran, Izola and Piran, which have an Italian community, and for Lendava, Moravske Toplice, Dobrovnik, Hodoš, and Šalovci, home to the Hungarian minority.

NGO says govt wants to sweep violations of Turkish worker rights under the rug

LJUBLJANA - An organisation helping foreign workers, which reported last October to law enforcement two Turkish companies building a railway in Slovenia over severe violations of worker rights, said that the government was trying to sweep those violations under the rug and hire other workers to do the work in the railway project. Despite the NGO's request not to do so, the government later decided that applications for work permits for foreign workers working on the rail project will be given priority treatment. The Infrastructure Ministry does not see the government's decision as an attempt to cover up the situation. "Just the opposite," it said.

Flander resigns, Intereuropa looking for new head again

KOPER - The logistics company Intereuropa is looking for its fourth director general in as many years, as Borut Flander has tendered his resignation after three months on the job. The supervisors of Intereuropa, which is owned by national postal operator Pošta Slovenije and has about 1,400 employees at group level, accepted the resignation. Flander, who will stay on until the end of the agreed notice period, was appointed last August and started a four-year term on 1 November.

Chief defendant in Kavač Clan case to be tried in absentia

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana District Court has decided that the chief defendant in the trial against the Slovenian cell of Kavač Clan, a Montenegrin drug trafficking cartel, who had been declared unfit to stand trial because of a hunger strike, will be tried in absentia. Making the decision on Wednesday, the court said that when Klemen Kadivec recovers he will again be able to attend hearings. Both the defence and prosecution opposed this, media report. Kadivec went on hunger strike on 16 December to protest against the solitary confinement in detention, in which he has been since May 2023 for security reasons.

No podiums for Slovenian snowboarders on home turf

ROGLA - Slovenian snowboarders had a good run at the World Cup parallel giant slalom race in Rogla in the Pohorje Mountains, but did not earn any podiums. Rok Marguč performed the best and placed seventh. The day's winners were Austria's Benjamin Karl in men's competition and Japan's Tsubaki Miki in the women's. "Benjamin was better, [...] even though this track should not suit him. But he showed why he is leading in the world cup standings," said Marguč.