News roundup - Monday, 4 March, until 3pm

Building permit issued for new commercial hub in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - Mendota Invest, which operates on behalf of the Hungarian bank OTP, obtained the final building permit for the construction of the commercial section of the future Ljubljana Passenger Centre. The commercial hub will include retail space, two hotels, business premises and apartments. The construction is due to start this month, the investor said.

NSi wants referendum on cultural rights of ex-Yugoslav communities

LJUBLJANA - The opposition New Slovenia (NSi) lodged a request for a referendum on a bill on cultural rights of ex-Yugoslav communities in Slovenia that was drafted by the coalition Left and is on the agenda of the ongoing plenary session. The bill would among other things provide state funding for primary and secondary school students of ex-Yugoslav background to learn the languages of their communities. NSi leader Matej Tonin said the parliament had recently rejected the NSi's bill under which foreign pupils struggling with Slovenia would attend preparatory language classes before starting school, while the coalition is now proposing a bill encouraging the learning of Albanian and Serbian. "This is a step in the wrong direction," he said.

Local communities oppose asylum centres on border with Croatia

BREŽICE/SREDIŠČE OB DRAVI - The municipalities of Brežice and Središče ob Dravi oppose the government's plan to establish asylum centres at two border crossings located in the two municipalities. The cabinet endorsed this solution last week, with both mayors telling the STA that it had not been discussed with the local communities. Both think the locations are not suitable to house migrants.

Foreign minister released from hospital

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon was released from the UKC Ljubljana hospital on Monday after she was treated for a kidney infection, the foreign ministry told the STA. Her condition has improved but she will stay on sick leave for at least two more days. Fajon was admitted to hospital on suspicion of a kidney infection a week ago after she returned from New York.

Caritas Maribor notices poverty increase, warehouses almost empty

MARIBOR - Representatives of Caritas Maribor, one of the key charities in Slovenia's second largest city, addressed the press to highlight a pressing need for additional aid in the face of an increase in poverty and simultaneous delay in EU aid and by now nearly a halving of the amount of food it suffices for. In total, Caritas Maribor helped 16,850 individuals last year, 7% fewer than in 2022, which Caritas attributes to the drop in the amount of food the organisation is able to secure via EU sources.

Slovenian community in US buys historic church

NEW YORK, US - The Slovenian community in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, has bought the Slovenian-founded St. Joseph's church from the Catholic Diocese of Allentown. This is a step toward keeping the building that has served not only as a religious but also a social centre for the community. Efforts against closing the church started in 2008, when the diocese decided to shut down the church alongside a number of others in the face of dwindling numbers of believers.

Italian festival honours Slovenian film director Metod Pevec

BERGAMO, Italy - Slovenian director Metod Pevec will be presented at the 42nd Bergamo Film Meeting between 9 and 17 March. A retrospective of his films will be screened alongside works by two other European directors in the special segment Europe, Now!, dedicated to contemporary European cinema. The festival will also feature meetings with all three directors in focus - in addition to Pevec, the retrospective segment will feature Danish filmmaker Frederikke Aspöck and Swedish auteur Lukas Moodysson.

Ukrainian ballet dancers perform Swan Lake in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - The Ukrainian Classical Ballet will perform Tchaikovsky's Swan Ballet in Ljubljana's Cankarjev Dom today and tomorrow. Prima ballerina Ganna Muromtseva will perform in the lead role, along with Vladislav Melnik and Ivan Zhuravlev. The Ukrainian Classical Ballet is an internationally acclaimed dance ensemble of top-class dancers, soloists and champions of Ukrainian and European national theatres.