News roundup - Tuesday, 9 July

Šarec confident defence spending target within reach

WASHINGTON, US - Defence Minister Marjan Šarec rejected suggestions that Slovenia is not meeting its commitments on defence spending, assuring Slovenian correspondents ahead of the NATO summit that the target of 2% of GDP per year will be reached by 2030 as planned. "Our government has taken a serious approach to this issue and we have amended our strategic documents," Šarec said.

Golob to stand in as defence minister

LJUBLJANA - Marjan Šarec will soon no longer be defence minister as he assumes his new job as MEP. Until a new minster is appointed, expectedly in the autumn, the Defence Ministry will be led by Prime Minister Robert Golob, the government said. Šarec was elected MEP in the 9 June election with preferential votes for the ruling Freedom Movement.

Janša property case trial deferred by request for exclusion of jurors

CELJE - A trial in which opposition leader Janez Janša and two co-defendants stand of abuse of office concerning a property deal in Trenta Valley was supposed to start in earnest today but was deferred by a request for the exclusion of lay judges that the Supreme Court will now decide on. The case revolves around a series of transactions piece of land in the Trenta Valley next to the Soča river.

Amnesty claims govt discriminated against protesters in 2020-2022

LJUBLJANA - The latest Amnesty International report on the right to protest states that the Slovenian authorities discriminated against protesters in 2020-2022. Protests were limited, even prohibited, and peaceful protesters were penalised and victims of police brutality. Generally, the report says that, "across Europe, the right of peaceful assembly is coming under severe attack".

MPs agree waste incinerator construction procedures should be facilitated

LJUBLJANA - The MPs from both sides of the aisle shared the view that procedures for the construction of waste-to-energy plants should be sped up in Slovenia as the parliamentary Infrastructure Committee discussed the matter on Monday. However, the coalition did not endorse the recommendations for the government proposed by the opposition, which said that the procedures accompanying waste-to-energy plants are going in the right direction but they are too slow.

Slovenian-owned shipyard in Croatia to expand production capacity

ŠIBENIK, Croatia - Five years after being acquired by Slovenian firm Iskra, the shipyard in Šibenik in Croatia is planning to expand production capacity in a EUR 30 million project. Croatian paper Poslovni Dnevnik reported that Iskra Brodogradilište 1 has got the go-ahead from the Croatian Environment Ministry for expansion.

Insurer Triglav issues EUR 100m subordinated bond

LJUBLJANA - Zavarovalnica Triglav, Slovenia's largest insurer, has completed the issue of a 20.5-year subordinated bond worth EUR 100 million. The issue is part of "regular capital management activities", the company said. The bond was sold to institutional investors and has a yield of 6.75%. It will be admitted to trading on the regulated market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

Slovenia remains moderate innovator, EU scoreboard shows

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia has improved its innovation performance one spot to rank 13th in the 2024 European Innovation Scoreboard, keeping its moderate innovator status. The scoreboard, which the European Commission released on Tuesday, shows that most EU member states have improved their innovation performance compared to last year.

Greenpeace Slovenia calls for ratification of UN Ocean Treaty

LJUBLJANA - Greenpeace Slovenia activists urged Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon and Prime Minister Robert Golob to initiate the ratification process of the UN Ocean Treaty, which Slovenia signed last September. The Foreign Ministry said the EU ratification process was in its final phase and would be followed by a ratification in Slovenia.

Chamber says rules on posted workers costing companies dearly

MARIBOR - The Štajerska Chamber of Commerce and Industry has warned that new rules on posted workers which took effect at the start of this year are causing companies losses due to higher labour costs. The legislative changes have directly affected 2,500 companies in the Podravje region which eploy 27,000 workers, the chamber said.

Far-right figure found guilty of incitement of hatred

LJUBLJANA - Urban Purgar, who rose to public prominence in 2021 with social media posts glorifying Adolf Hitler, has been found guilty of public incitement of hatred, violence and intolerance, Dnevnik reported. Purgar was handed a 16-month suspended sentence with a five-year probation by the Ljubljana District Court for threatening Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, who was an MEP at the time, and activist Jaša Jenull.

Three alleged Kavač Clan members released from detention

LJUBLJANA - All three persons that Slovenian police apprehended in Portorož on Sunday and are believed to be members of the Kavač Clan, a Montenegrin drug trafficking cartel, have been released from detention as there was not enough evidence to even bring them before an investigating magistrate. The Ljubljana Police Department explained that the prosecutor had concluded there was no reasonable suspicion of a specific crime at this stage.

Centenary of gymnast Štukelj's first Olympic gold celebrated

NOVO MESTO - As Slovenians athletes hope to win medals at this year's Paris Olympics, the city of Novo Mesto is remembering the Paris Olympics held one hundred years ago when its native, Leon Štukelj, one of the greatest Slovenian athletes, won his first two gold medals in artistic gymnastics. This was the first Olympic gold won by a Slovenian.