News roundup - Thursday, 27 June, until 3 pm

Janša says SDS remains reserved about support for von der Leyen

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Democrats (SDS) head Janez Janša said upon arrival at the European People's Party (EPP) summit that the party that secured four of Slovenia's nine MEP seats continues to harbour substantial reservations regarding support for a second term of incumbent European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. He said SDS's support would hinge on the composition of the future coalition at the EU level.

German fund completes takeover of Ljubljana department store

LJUBLJANA - The German private equity fund Katera P11 has completed its takeover of Nama, the company owning the Ljubljana department store of the same name, having increased its stake by 12.16% to 99.73% in a takeover bid. Along with the companies it acts in concert with, Katera controls 99.89% of Nama. The German fund offered EUR 25 per Nama share. The offer was accepted by 13 shareholders holding a total of 12.16% of Nama shares, according to the notice published in the newspaper Delo.

Slovenia to play Portugal in Euro 2024 round of 16

HAMBURG, Germany - The Slovenian men's football team will play Portugal in the round of 16 at the Euro 2024 in Frankfurt on 1 July as the third-placed team from Group C and the winner of Group F, respectively. This will be the second match between Slovenia and Portugal this year, after Slovenia defeated Portugal 2:0 in a friendly match in Ljubljana in late March.

Contract signed to build new Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

LJUBLJANA - The University of Ljubljana and the Austrian builder Strabag signed a contract on the construction of a new Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Ljubljana. Worth almost EUR 80 million and co-financed by the EU, the project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2026.

Over 100 performers featured in street theatre festival

LJUBLJANA - More than a hundred performers from 15 countries will take to the streets of 14 Slovenian towns for the Ana Desetnica International Festival of Street Theatre, starting this evening in Maribor. Running until 7 July, the festival will feature 40 performances and 94 other events at 41 venues.

Kamerat film festival kicks off with Laibach concert

HRASTNIK - A concert by Laibach will kick off this year's iteration of Kamerat, Slovenia's only working-class film festival, this evening. One of the few festivals of its kind in the world, this year Kamerat will remember miners' strikes and put French films in focus.

Tolmin's Sajeta Festival to mark 25 years on music's frontiers

TOLMIN - Sajeta, a small but iconic international festival of genre-transgressing and free music that invented the lively festival scene on the confluence of the Soča and Tolminka rivers in Tolmin, is turning 25. The organisers say this year's programme, scheduled from 3 to 7 June, is worthy of the silver jubilee. Visitors, among them a sizeable crowd of regulars loyal to the nature-emersed event, will be treated to about 30 concerts featuring performers from seventeen countries.

Jazz music from US, Finland and Brazil coming to Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - The 65th Ljubljana Jazz Festival will feature 20 concerts by nearly 100 performers from more than 20 countries, starting on 10 July with two concerts reminiscent of New Orleans by Chief Adjuah and Terence Blanchard. The festival will open with concerts by trumpeters Adjuah, formerly known as Christian Scott, and Blanchard, who has won seven Grammys and has two Oscars nominations under his belt.

Film Under the Stars coming back to Ljubljana Castle

LJUBLJANA - The courtyard of Ljubljana Castle will once again turn into an open-air cinema for Film Under the Stars between 11 July and 3 August to host the screenings of 24 films, including six premieres. It will open on 11 July with the Finnish film Fallen Leaves (Kuolleet lehdet) which won its director Aki Kaurismaki the Cannes Jury Prize and The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (Čovjek koji nije mogao šutjeti), a Palm D'Or winning short film by Nebojša Slijepčević.