News roundup - Thursday, 1 February, until 3pm

PM ignoring SD's decision on Švarc Pipan could become issue for coalition, Fajon says

LJUBLJANA - Unless Prime Minister Robert Golob respects the decision of the Social Democrats (SD) that their own Dominika Švarc Pipan should resign as justice minister, the coalition could have a serious problem, SD head and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon told late night news shows on Wednesday. Fajon reiterated the SD expected Golob to follow SD's example after the party's top body called on Švarc Pipan to resign, but did not answer a question about whether this could spell the SD's exit from the coalition.

Coalition wants ministry to look into doctors' work for private providers

LJUBLJANA - Coalition MPs urged the Health Ministry to review whether there was still valid legal ground that allowed doctors employed in public healthcare to work for private providers in their spare time. This comes after reports that doctors on strike referred their patients to private practices they work for, while they have also decided to start revoking their consents to work overtime.

Golob: Slovenia for balance between environmental standards, agricultural reality

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia is making efforts to balance stricter environmental standards with the reality in agriculture, PM Robert Golob said in response to demands by Slovenian and other EU farmers amid protests as he arrived for the EU summit. He expressed support for Wednesday's proposal by the European Commission under which farmers would be exempt from having to leave some land uncultivated in 2024 while they would still receive financial support as part of the Common Agricultural Policy.

Subscription of domestic retail bonds starts

LJUBLJANA - Subscription started of a EUR 250 million, three-year bond reserved for domestic retail investors. Individuals can buy the bonds at 249 subscription points across the country. Individuals aged at least 18 with a permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia are eligible. They will need a trading account to be able to invest between a minimum of EUR 1,000 and a maximum of EUR 100,000. The subscription period will end on 16 February at noon.

Long-serving director of marble company wins lifetime achievement award

LJUBLJANA - Branko Franc Selak, long-serving director of marble production company Marmor Hotavlje, was honoured with the lifetime achievement award, as the Manager Association conferred its annual awards on Wednesday. The 2023 Young Manager is CEO of Corwin Slovenija Michal Maco, while the Artemida award for women managers went to Vita Godec, director of Lenis Farmacevtika, and Eva McLellan, director general of the Slovenian subsidiary of Swiss giant Roche.