News roundup - Monday, 2 September, until 3pm

Hope returned to Črna, von der Leyen says as she revisits flood-stricken town

ČRNA NA KOROŠKEM - Accompanied by PM Robert Golob, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Črna na Koroškem, a good year after the municipality was hit by devastating floods. Von der Leyen, who visited Črna five days after the August 2023 floods, said today's visit was very emotional for her but she could see hope had returned to the town. Mayor Romana Lesjak was happy the Commission president and prime minister revisited, seeing it as proof the municipality has not been forgotten. Slovenia must spend EU funds allocated for the post-flood reconstruction within a year and a half of approval.

NGOs protest about EU's non-action on Palestine before BSF

BLED - About a dozen people protested in Bled against the EU's inaction regarding Israel's violence against Palestinians as the annual Bled Strategic Forum got under way. They urged concrete measures to prevent deaths, and criticised the Slovenian government for inviting former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Prior to the start of the event, the activists read speeches in support of Palestine in front of the event's main venue, the Bled Festival Hall, and as the guests started arriving they played recordings of loud explosions and children screaming, chanting "Shame" and "Free Palestine" just metres from where the guests were greeted by FM Tanja Fajon and PM Robert Golob.

Fajon stresses importance of youth in politics at Young BSF

POKLJUKA - Young BSF, an event held before the Bled Strategic Forum and dedicated to future policy-makers, wrapped up on Sunday. Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon met the participants of the three-day event to discuss the divides currently present in the world. She stressed the importance of youth involvement in policy-making around the world. Fajon told the participants that "in the divided world we live in it is very important to listen to each other, to hear each other and to work together".

EIB provides EUR 50m loan for extensive power grid upgrades to Elektro Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's largest power distributor Elektro Ljubljana and the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a EUR 50 million loan agreement. The funds will enable grid upgrades and consolidation, with Elektro Ljubljana CEO Urban Likozar saying the investments will play a key role in reliable power supply. The funds will go toward a project worth EUR 164.2 million entailing extensive upgrades and new medium- and low-voltage overhead lines, underground lines and transformers, as well as new EV charging stations, among other things.

EIB honours Slovenia's EU anniversary with open air exhibition

LJUBLJANA - The European Investment Bank Group launched an open-air photo exhibition in Ljubljana city centre to mark the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's EU membership, displaying a number of projects funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF). Running between 29 August and 30 September, the exhibition Slovenia - 20 Years of Progress in the EU features 17 large photographs along the Ljubljanica river bank in Gallusovo Nabrežje, representing projects funded by the EIB.

First human West Nile virus infections confirmed in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Three people have been infected with the West Nile virus in Slovenia in what are the first cases of the disease in the country this year and the first since 2018, the National Institute of Public Heath (NIJZ) said. All three cases were reported in the northeast of the country. Two of the infected persons were admitted to UKC Maribor, and both were infected in Slovenia."One had milder symptoms and has already been discharged. The other has a slightly more severe disease, with certain complications, which are however not life-threatening," head of the hospital's infection ward Božena Kotnik Kevorkijan said. The virus is transmitted by mosquitoes.

Primary and secondary schools reopening after summer holidays

LJUBLJANA - A new school year started for around 84,000 secondary school and around 192,770 primary school students, of whom 20,173 will be in year one. Primary school children will see several changes this year as the national exams are expanded to year three and the first foreign language is introduced in year one. However, many schools have been offering a foreign language course as part of the curriculum to first graders for years. There are also some changes to better integrate primary and secondary school children whose mother tongue is not Slovenian, who will have to take Slovenian language classes or courses.

2024 summer hottest on record in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - This summer was the hottest on record in Slovenia, the Environment Agency said. Nights and mornings were warm, which means that the average daytime lows were very high. Moreover, this August was the highest on record as well, while the highest September temperature was recorded yesterday. The average summer temperature deviated from the average in the period 1991-2020 by 2.5 degrees Celsius, Renato Bertalanič of the Environment Agency told the STA. The average was pushed up by warm nights and mornings. Meanwhile, the average daytime high average was the second highest on record.