News roundup - Wednesday, 12 June

Slovenia to collect parachutes for Gaza aid airdrops

AMMAN, Jordan - Slovenia will join a new initiative and run a campaign to collect parachutes for aid airdrops into Gaza to continue providing humanitarian assistance to the area, Prime Minister Robert Golob announced on a TV Slovenija show late on Tuesday evening. Slovenia will not only support the initiative to provide parachutes but also run a campaign in the region to collect them, the prime minister told the Odmevi current affairs show.

Launch of new network charge system postponed to October

LJUBLJANA - The Energy Agency has decided to postpone to 1 October the launch of a new electricity network charge system that was supposed to enter into force on 1 July, the third time the launch has been pushed back. The decision is "based on an in-depth report on the readiness of information systems for invoicing," the agency's governing council announced on Wednesday.

Slovenia's flood relief request initially not detailed enough, Commission now appeased

LJUBLJANA - The European Commission had a number of remarks on Slovenia's request for aid from the EU Solidarity Fund in the wake of the August 2023 floods, the newspaper Dnevnik reported. While shortcomings were reportedly noted, government officials responded by saying the Commission has already been appeased with additional explanations and would propose that EUR 428 million be secured to Slovenia.

Staff shortage highlighted as parliamentary body discusses 2023 state prosecution report

LJUBLJANA - State prosecution continues to face a shortage of staff, said state prosecutor general Katarina Bergant as the Justice Committee examined the annual report of the State Prosecutor's Office for 2023. She believes the office, which received 10% more criminal complaints than the year before, performed well. The prosecutor's offices solved 26,167 cases, of which 88.2% ended in a decision of conviction and 5.3% in acquittal.

Top court's caseload smaller in 2023, fewer pending cases

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court recorded a slighly smaller caseload in 2023 compared to the year before when the figure was at a record high, shows the court's latest annual report. They solved somewhat fewer cases last year but they managed to reduce the number of pending cases. The number of cases recorded in 2023 was 2,034, which is 9.8% less than in 2022. Despite reducing the number of pending cases by 17% to 1,931 at the end of 2023, the average time of dealing with a case remained long - more than a year or 542 days, but still shorter than the year before.

Head of Ljubljana Administrative Unit sacked amid strike

LJUBLJANA - Minister of Public Administration Franc Props dismissed Andreja Erjavec as head of the Ljubljana Administrative Unit, one of 34 of Slovenia's 58 administrative units that stepped up their strike on 15 May from one day a week to every day. Marko Grujičić will take over as acting head on Thursday. Props said the goal of the swap was to ensure that citizens get the services they need despite the strike.

Left's MP Vatovec calls for ban on Nazi symbols following Ljubljana rally

LJUBLJANA - The deputy group leader of the coalition Left, Matej T. Vatovec, responded to Friday's march of a group of about 50 masked men through Ljubljana by calling on the government to make the use of Nazi symbols a criminal offence. "Right-wing extremism is unacceptable," Vatovec was quoted as saying by the Left following the rally by members of the so called Slovenian Defence Guard, who chanted neo-Nazi and anti-migrant slogans and carried a flag with an SS skull on it.

My Voice, My Choice initiative half way to million signatures in record time

LJUBLJANA - The My Voice, My Choice initiative for the right to safe abortion in Europe, coordinated EU-wide by the 8 March Institute NGO, has collected 500,000 signatures in a month and a half. To succeed, the campaign needs one million signatures within a year and meet the minimum thresholds in seven countries, with the latter already secured.

Honey, fruit self-sufficiency down significantly last year

LJUBLJANA - Poor weather conditions considerably reduced honey (by 76 points to 13%) and fruit (by 13 points to 16%) production in Slovenia last year. The self-sufficiency rates for vegetables went down by 6 points to 33%. The rates in animal balances increased only for eggs, and decreased for meat.

SDS's request for witness hearings puts in question PM Golob-related inquiry

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry into energy companies Gen-I and Star Solar in relation to PM Robert Golob and the financing of his Freedom Movement party met for its maiden session. However, the opposition SDS demanded that five of its Freedom Movement members, including its chair Tomaž Lah, be interviewed as witnesses, meaning they cannot remain members of the body.

Panvita building greenhouse for lettuce

MURSKA SOBOTA - Panvita, one of the largest agri-food groups in Slovenia, has launched a EUR 9 million investment to build a lettuce greenhouse. Four million heads of lettuce could be grown annually in what is a two-hectare facility, starting next June, the group announced.

Radio station in Austria to feature content of Slovenia's public broadcaster

LJUBLJANA - AGORA, a non-commercial radio station in the Austrian state of Carinthia which broadcasts largely in Slovenian, will from now on feature content produced by Slovenia's public radio broadcaster Radio Slovenija. A contract to that effect was signed on Tuesday by Radio Slovenija director Mirko Štular and AGORA manager Gabriel Lipuš.

Dutch sprinter Groenewegen wins 1st stage of Tour of Slovenia

ORMOŽ/OTOČEC - Dylan Groenewegen, the Dutch sprint specialist from the Jayco AlUla team, won the opening stage of the Tour of Slovenia cycling race, which covered just under 190 kilometres from Murska Sobota to Ormož. Groenewegen won the bunch sprint, beating Norwegian Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility) by just a few millimetres, while German rider Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain - Victorious) took third place.

Ljubljana opera and ballet weaves tradition and future vision in new season

LJUBLJANA - The SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana has unveiled the new season's programme with the slogan Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. Four operas and two ballets will premiere, as well as a ballet production for children. The opera's artistic director Marko Hribernik said that they recognise their tradition while looking into the future.

Kranj film festival focuses on Turkish TV series

KRANJ - Kranj will turn into a Slovenian capital of film and film actors between 15 and 22 June, as it hosts the 4th Krafft film festival, which brings feature films distinguished by outstanding performances and several well-known actors from abroad, including Turkey, whose TV series will be one of the highlights.