News roundup - Monday, 8 April

Slovenia guest of honour at Bologna Children's Book Fair

BOLOGNA, Italy - Slovenia is appearing as the guest of honour at the 61st Bologna Children's Book Fair, running until 11 April. The country is promoting its children's and youth literature with a major exhibition of illustration and a number of accompanying events. Addressing the fair's opening, Culture Ministry State Secretary Marko Rusjan said Slovenia is proud of its diverse children's and youth literature. Slovenian publishers have been attending the Bologna fair since its beginnings in 1964.

Pirc Musar and Sakellaropoulou discuss cooperation

ATHENS, Greece - President Nataša Pirc Musar urged closer cooperation between Slovenia and Greece in both politics and economy with her Greek counterpart Katarina Sakellaropoulou as she started a three-day official visit to Greece. The pair also urged close cooperation as part of the UN Security Council, regarding the peace efforts in Gaza and Ukraine, protection of women and children in armed conflicts, cooperation in climate and water diplomacy and the Cyprus question. On this occasion, Pirc Musar was conferred the Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer for her efforts in strengthening bilateral relations.

Slovenia might open consulate in Rijeka, Minister Arčon says

RIJEKA, Croatia - Slovenia is considering opening a consulate in Rijeka, Minister for Slovenians Abroad Matej Arčon said as he visited the Slovenian community in this Croatian port city and the nearby town of Lovran. He said a consulate would bring "extraordinary added value" for the Slovenian community and Slovenia in general. He also outlined plans to help the community face some of its challenges, the main one being lack of Slovenian language courses. In the most recent population census in Croatia, just over 7,700 people identified as Slovenian in 2021, a 30% drop in a decade.

Slovenia can expect rest of EU post-flood funds only after summer

BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Cohesion Commissioner Elisa Ferreira announced that Slovenia can expect to be paid the remaining funds for post-flood reconstruction from the EU solidarity fund only in the second half of the year. The European Parliament will be approving the Commission's proposal, under which Slovenia expects up to EUR 300 million, after the June EU elections. As its maiden session is scheduled for mid-July, she expects Slovenia to be paid the remaining funds after the summer. In December, it received an advance payment of EUR 100 million.

Two banks offer Swiss franc debt holders swap to euros at 2014 rate

LJUBLJANA - As Slovenian courts continue to grind on the cases of thousands of Swiss franc borrowers who ran into trouble when the Swiss central bank stopped protecting the value of the currency in 2015, two banks offered to the socially deprived among them a swap of their loan balances to euro-denominated debt at the rate from 31 December 2014. The offer started being drafted in mid-2022 as part of efforts by the Slovenian Bank Association, the Bank of Slovenia and the Finance Ministry to address the issue. All banks had the option of joining the scheme, but so far only NLB and Addiko have opted for it.

Pirc Musar congratulates new Slovak President Pellegrini

LJUBLJANA - President Nataša Pirc Musar congratulated on Sunday Peter Pellegrini on his victory as Slovak president. "I look forward to working with him for a stronger EU and NATO and in promoting friendly relations between our two countries," she wrote on X. Pirc Musar simultaneously thanked outgoing President Zuzana Čaputova "for all her efforts to maintain and strengthen the friendship between Slovenia and Slovakia".

Freedom's partners don't see Vesel as coalition's EU commissioner candidate

LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement's coalition partners have learned about the party's decision to select former Court of Audit head Tomaž Vesel as Slovenia's candidate for EU commissioner from the media. The Left sees Vesel as a good candidate, but expects to discuss the issue at a future coalition meeting. The SocDems could put forward their own candidate once the time is right, that is after the EU elections. Opposition NSi leader Matej Tonin believes the choice of the candidate should reflect the election result, a view also held by the SD and by Vladimir Prebilič, the top candidate of the non-parliamentary Vesna party.

Interior minister says situation in migration-hit area stable

OBREŽJE - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar and Police Commissioner Senad Jušić visited the area covered by the Novo Mesto Police Department to be briefed on the security and migration situation. Speaking to the press at the Obrežje border crossing with Croatia, Poklukar assessed the security situation in the area, which includes the municipality of Brežice, where the largest influx of migrants is recorded, as satisfactory. Locals meanwhile continue to oppose the government's plan to set up an asylum centre in Obrežje; a few dozen told the minister they would not allow an asylum centre there.

MEPs express support for petition by Slovenian minority

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Four organisations of ethnic Slovenians in Austria's Carinthia presented their petition regarding minority rights to the European Parliament's Committee on Petitions (PETI). Most problematic is the lack of Slovenian language in schooling and courts, said the petitioners, who received the support of MEPs. The document was submitted last October because the organisations see Austria's failure to implement minority rights as a violation of the rule of law, said Rudolf Vouk, the petitioners' legal advisor. "We wish the European Commission would say that Austria is a country based on the rule of law and should act as such and fulfil the promises it has already given," said Valentin Inzko, head of the NSKS minority organisation.

International Romani Day chance to highlight challenges

MURSKA SOBOTA - International Romani Day is an opportunity for the Roma to point to the challenges faced by the community and wider society, Jožek Horvat Muc, head of the Slovenian Roma Association, told the STA. The main cultural ceremony by the association to mark the day was held in Murska Sobota, northeast, on Saturday. There is still no utility infrastructure in many Roma settlements, there are challenges in education and employment. To move forward, some of the measures that have proved to be outdated and ineffective in recent years would need to be replaced with new ones, he said.

Fuel prices continue to grow

LJUBLJANA - Fuel prices outside the motorway network will increase on Tuesday. Regular petrol will go up by 2.3 cents to EUR 1.542 per litre, while the price of diesel will rise by 1.5 cents to EUR 1.542 and that of heating oil by 0.8 cents to EUR 1.180. The prices at petrol stations along the motorway network can be set freely by the retailers.

Govt rating back up

LJUBLJANA - After a months-long downward trend, the government's approval rating went up in April over March in the latest poll released by the newspaper Delo. The senior coalition party, the Freedom Movement, remains in second place with 15% after the opposition Democrats (SDS; 23%). The junior coalition Left has seen the largest drop - from 4.4% to 2.9%. The share of those who see the government's work as positive rose to 16%, while the share of those who said the government was doing a moderately good work rose to 30%. The share of those who view the government's work as negative dropped to 51%.

Kočevje Mayor on top of Vesna EU election ticket

LJUBLJANA - Vesna, a non-parliamentary green party, presented its manifesto and list of candidates for the June EU elections. The slate will be topped by Kočevje Mayor and defence expert Vladimir Prebilič, with both party leaders, Urša Zgojznik and Uroš Macerl, also on it. Being a non-parliamentary party, Vesna also started collecting the 1,000 signatures it needs to submit the candidate list. Its manifesto focuses on a just green transition, housing policy, social justice, agriculture, food, the environment and equal opportunities. Its goal is to win one seat.

Woman killed by husband and his mistress

KIDRIČEVO - A dead body was discovered by a woman out on a walk near the town of Kidričevo in eastern Slovenia last Friday. The police said the victim was a 33-year-old woman reported missing by her husband in March, and the victim's husband and his mistress had been arrested on suspicion of murder. The Maribor Police Department said the husband, 37, brought his wife to an agreed location where his 33-year-old co-worker with whom he has developed a close relationship stabbed her multiple times. According to media reports, the victim left behind four children.

Children's Parliament discusses mental health-related issues

LJUBLJANA - The annual Children's Parliament event, which took place in the National Assembly on Monday, focused on mental health in children and youths. The participants raised the issue of the availability of help, and lack of knowledge about children and youths among adults. In the plenary part of the session, the young parliamentarians repeatedly noted the need to provide appropriate assistance for children in distress. PM Robert Golob said that a bill on psychotherapy is being drafted to address the issue of how to help children in schools and increase the network of counsellors who support children.

Slovenian church in New York hosts International Day of Conscience event

NEW YORK, US - The Slovenian Church of St Cyril in New York hosted on Sunday the Portuguese and Brazilian communities for a ceremony honouring the memory of two diplomats from the two countries who helped thousands, mostly Jews, escape Nazism during WWII. The holy mass and the event, held to mark International Day of Conscience, which the UN declared in 2019, also honoured the memory of Pope John XXIII, who also helped save people from Nazism during WWII while serving as Apostolic Nuncio Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli.

Women's handball team qualifies for Euro, seeking Olympic berth

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian women's handball team concluded its successful qualifying campaign for this year's European Handball Championship with a win against Italy in Ljubljana on Sunday. Finishing second in their group, Slovenia qualified directly, and are now also eyeing their first Olympic berth. They will vie for the ticket at a tournament in Germany, starting next week.

18-year-old earns virtual race with Formula 1 champ Verstappen

LJUBLJANA - Jernej Dovžan, a 18-year-old Slovenian, was declared the best driver of the Player 0.0 campaign as part of the Game Gang Show, a gaming festival organised in Ljubljana at the weekend. This earned him a meeting with the three-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen, with whom he will also race in a simulator. He was the most successful driver of the online racing game among more than 15,000 Slovenians who registered for the campaign. He will compete with Verstappen in the global finals of the campaign.