News roundup - Wednesday, 3 July, until 3pm

OECD recommends measures in public finance, housing market

BRDO PRI KRANJU - In its latest economic review for Slovenia, the OECD recommends the government to carry out further structural reforms, in particular in the pension and healthcare systems, and in the public sector, while it also indentifies challenges on the housing market, in decarbonisation of the economy, and gender equality. OECD Secretary General Mathias Cormann presented the review at an event hosted by the Finance Ministry. He stressed the Slovenian economy had proved to be resilient to external shocks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but the recovery slowed down after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Opposition asks top court to review Palestine recognition

LJUBLJANA - The centre-right opposition parties, the Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi), asked the Constitutional Court to review Slovenia's recognition of a Palestinian state, a move that the National Assembly formalised in a unanimous vote in early June. The opposition MPs, who boycotted the 4 June vote, now challenge the recognition on the grounds of allegations of abuse of parliamentary procedure.

MPs not to discuss security agreement with Ukraine yet

LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement, the senior coalition party, proposed that the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee discuss the draft security agreement between Slovenia and Ukraine, but the committee chair Predrag Bakovič, a member of the junior coalition Social Democrats (SD), turned down the motion on procedural grounds. Bakovič, who comes from the same party as Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, said the committee could not discuss the document because it did not have it. Foreign Ministry State Secretary Marko Štucin said the committee would get the document as soon as it was ready.

Jobless total falls to new all-time low in June

LJUBLJANA - A total of 43,369 people were registered as unemployed at the Employment Service at the end of June, down 1.6% on May and 6.1% on May 2023, and the lowest number on record in independent Slovenia. In June, 3,637 people registered as newly unemployed, 5.8% less than in May and 9.3% less than in June 2023. Meanwhile, 2,716 unemployed people got a job, which is 11.7% less than in May and 13.4% less year-on-year.

National budget deficit drops to EUR 346m in H1

LJUBLJANA - The national budget deficit stood at EUR 346 million in the first half of 2024, down 15% from the same period in 2023. Excluding the direct impact of emergency measures, the figure would be at EUR 60 million, shows preliminary data from the Fiscal Council. Excluding the emergency measures, national budget revenue grew by 7.9% in the first six months of 2024, which is a much brisker pace than in the same period in 2023 when the increase was at 0.5%.

Retailers favour Slovenian products, but buyers decide based on price

LJUBLJANA - Faced with calls to put more Slovenian produce on shelves, retailers claim they put a lot of effort into selling as much Slovenian vegetables as possible. However, the share of buyers to whom price is more important than origin is increasing, which retailers have little influence over. Spar Slovenija told the STA that the share of Slovenian produce was growing and had reached 32%, while Tuš said prices of produce were currently lower with foreign suppliers.

Eviction of Ljubljana day centre for homeless postponed

LJUBLJANA - The pending eviction of the Day Centre for the Homeless from the premises in Congress Square in Ljubljana owned by the Ursuline nuns has been postponed as a settlement has been reached through mediation. The centre run by a Catholic charity will leave the premises in two years at the latest, but its future in the city centre is uncertain.