Weekly review of events involving Slovenia, 26 April - 2 May

FRIDAY, 26 April

LJUBLJANA - The Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) initiated a constitutional review of two of the three referendums scheduled to take place alongside the 9 June EU election, on assisted dying and cannabis use. Both referenda could be delayed if the court grants the request for a temporary suspension.

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed with 63 votes in favour and none against changes to the public sector pay system allowing for indexation of salaries to inflation. Under an agreement with trade unions, public sector pay will increase by 3.36% in June.

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly rejected an opposition-sponsored motion to hold a consultative referendum on cultural rights of ethnic communities from the former Yugoslavia. Nineteen MPs voted in favour and 45 against.

LJUBLJANA - The Nationally Assembly confirmed changes to the Excise Duty Act that raise excise duties on cigarettes and other tobacco products and introduce stricter controls over unprocessed tobacco and lubricating oils. The changes enter into force in June.

LJUBLJANA - Monika Pekošak, an MP for the senior coalition Freedom Movement, resigned citing personal reasons. She is reportedly going to work as a consultant to the management board of the motorway company DARS.

LJUBLJANA - The national motorway company DARS announced it has picked construction companies CPK and Kolektor CPG to build a long-awaited 11.4-kilometre Sermin road on the outskirts of Koper that will connect the Sermin junction - where vehicles leave the motorway to enter the expressway - with the port of Koper.

SATURDAY, 27 April

LJUBLJANA - Former President Borut Pahor announced on X that he was working on a draft outline for the continuation of dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtina as part of his efforts to vie for the role of a special representative of the EU for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and other Western Balkan issues.

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry condemned vandalism of monuments commemorating fallen Slovenian and Italian Partisans and anti-Fascist near Rome and in Trieste on the eve of the Italian Liberation Day, observed on 25 April. Slovenia expects that the relevant Italian authorities will find the perpetrators and take appropriate action.

SUNDAY, 28 April

CELJE - Celje won the national premiere football league after they emerged champions once before, in the 2019/2020 season. Three rounds before the end of the season, the team beat defending champions Olimpija 1:0.

MONDAY, 29 April

LJUBLJANA - Justice Minister Andreja Katič presented a follow-up appraisal of the dilapidated building the Justice Ministry bought under her predecessor Dominika Švarc Pipan in December for EUR 7.7 million, which shows it is worth EUR 6 million. The police are already investigating the case.

LJUBLJANA - The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption decided to refer the case of Constitutional Court judge Klemen Jaklič's side activity as sole proprietor to the National Assembly. It said parliament, being the body that appoints top court judges, is the competent authority.

LJUBLJANA - The European Association of Judges adopted a resolution on Slovenia calling on the government and National Assembly to immediately implement the 2023 Constitutional Court ruling under which judge pay should increase to ensure alignment with salaries of the most senior officials in the other two branches of government.

BRNIK - Norwegian launched a route between Ljubljana and Copenhagen. The new twice-weekly service is the third secured as part of a state subsidies scheme to enhance Slovenia's air connectivity.

TUESDAY, 30 April

LJUBLJANA - In the 20 years as EU member state, Slovenia has proved to be a voice of reason and an advocate for peace, said Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon ahead of the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's EU membership. In the future, Slovenia should form even closer connections in areas where it shares interests with other countries.

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's annual inflation rate fell by 0.6 percentage points to 3% in April, while the monthly inflation was 1%. Such a low annual inflation rate was last recorded in October 2021. Since last April, service prices went up on average by 4.5% and goods prices by 2.3%, the Statistics Office said.

LJUBLJANA - Glovo, the Spanish delivery service for food and other products, announced it is leaving the Slovenian market on 10 May. The decision was made on the basis of a "reassessment of the company's priority investments".

WEDNESDAY, 1 May

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Robert Golob stressed in his message marking the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's EU accession that Slovenia's accession was the best possible decision. "In the two decades that Slovenia has been a member of the European family, the world has changed considerably. Slovenia has changed with it," he said.

LJUBLJANA - President Nataša Pirc Musar noted in her address at the 20th anniversary of Slovenia joining the EU the many benefits. "Our economy is more successful as our companies can more easily, with less red tape, offer goods and services across the EU," she said.

LJUBLJANA - Representatives of several trade unions, students and civil society organisations gathered for a Labour Day anti-capitalist protest. A crowd several hundred strong carrying banners with slogans such as "Return 1 May to the worker" and "Workers rule - capitalism must fall".

THURSDAY, 2 May

KRŠKO - The Krško nuclear power station was brought back online after a month-long scheduled maintenance shutdown during which 53 of 121 fuel rods were replaced, the main generator serviced and all components, systems and structures checked.

PARIS, France - The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) upgraded the outlook for Slovenia's growth. It expects the economy to expand by 2.3% this year, a 0.5 point increase on its previous forecast, and by 2.7% in 2025, the same rate it forecast late last year.