News roundup - Monday, 8 July, until 3pm

SDS builds Stojmenova Duh interpellation on watchdog reports

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) lodged their second ouster motion against Digital Transformation Minister Emilija Stojmenova Duh, citing reports by the Court of Audit and the Competition Protection Agency regarding the purchase of 13,000 laptops and the country's poor progress as per the EU Digital Decade report. Yet another reason for the motion are mobbing and bullying allegations at the ministry, which has also seen many of its staff leave. The SDS also pointed to the recent appeal by experts that the ministry suspend its campaign against peer violence and hate speech, which the experts believe might actually encourage violence and hate speech.

PM defends digitalisation minister in wake of audit report

LJUBLJANA - As the opposition Democrats (SDS) filed a second no-confidence motion against Digital Transformation Minister Emilija Stojmenova Duh, PM Robert Golob defended her ministry during questions time in parliament. He said the ouster motion will provide an opportunity to go over the department's achievements. "Slovenia is one of the more respected EU and UN members states when it comes to digitalisation," he said, pointing to the supercomputer centre in Maribor and AI projects.

Golob says courthouse purchase was problematic in many ways

LJUBLJANA - The purchase of a dilapidated building in Ljubljana meant to house a number of courts was problematic in many ways and it already had political ramifications for the government and the coalition, PM Robert Golob told MPs during questions time in parliament after the Court of Audit established that the purchase went through without preparation.

DARS selects builder to complete Šentvid motorway tunnel

LJUBLJANA - The natonal motorway company DARS has selected the builder to complete the missing entry and exit to the Šentvid tunnel, a key motorway section that links the Gorenjska motorway to the Ljubljana ring road and the rest of the country's motorway network. The EUR 12 million project was awarded to the Kranj-based builder Gorenjska Gradbena Družba (GGD).

Summer Animateka honouring female creators

LJUBLJANA - Summer Animateka, a festival of animated film, is starting tonight, brining three evenings of free screenings at Ljubljana's Town Square. The 20th iteration of the festival will show films by predominantly female creators, ranging from established names to fresh voices. The opeing film is After Apples by Polish film maker Marta Pajek, which she made in 2004 while still a student.

Falco's Rock Me Amadeus remade in Carinthian Slovenian

EISENKAPPEL, Austria - Bališ, a rock band bringing together ethnic Slovenians from the Austrian state of Carinthia, has recently released a cover version of Rock Me Amadeus, the 1985 hit by Austrian popstar Falco. Like all their songs, the latest one is in a local dialect. The band, who have been active for almost 25 years, sing in the Ebriach (Obirsko) dialect, which is spoken by only about 500 people in Carinthia today, the band's drummer and songwriter Marko Stern told the STA.

Ljubljana Zoo loses oldest resident

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Zoo has lost its oldest resident, the 50-year-old Western Chimpanzee Mojca, who was mother to six chimpanzees and grandmother to four. Most chimpanzees in zoos live up to around 40 years, with females usually outliving the males. Two weeks ago, the staff noticed Mojca had suddenly grown weak. The deterioration was caused by a heart problem and the chimpanzee was put down in late June, the Ljubljana Zoo said in a press release.