News roundup - Thursday, 12 September

Coalition sets priorities until end of term

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Healthcare, housing, climate policy, knowledge, public finances and the rule of law remain the top priorities of the coalition until the end of its term, Prime Minister Robert Golob said as coalition deputies and ministers met to review which commitments from the coalition agreement it has yet to implement. The priorities will be reflected in the supplementary budget to be prepared in the coming weeks, said Golob, adding that the coalition is united and that the trust between the coalition partners is "a lot stronger than it seems".

Stand-off over EU commissioner appointment continues

LJUBLJANA - A stand-off between the government and the opposition that has already led to a delay in the unveiling of a new EU Commission continued. The EU Affairs Committee got only one of two letters its chair says it wants before it states its opinion on Slovenia's candidate, Tomaž Vesel's resignation, but not the second one, a letter allegedly sent by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to PM Robert Golob. Golob said the resignation letter was the only document that served as the basis for the government's decision-making. The EU Commission would not comment on the dispute.

Government forecaster sharply downgrades GDP growth estimate for 2024

LJUBLJANA - IMAD, the government's macroeconomic forecaster, sharply downgraded the GDP growth forecast for this year. It expects the economy to grow at a pace of only 1.5%, down from its spring forecast of 2.4%. For next year it reduced the forecast by just 0.1 points, to 2.4%. The downgrade is based on expectations that export growth will be lower than forecast in spring, and private investment will be soft even as government spending remains strong.

Doctor's trade union appalled by proposal to ban dual practice

LJUBLJANA - The Fides trade union of doctors and dentists is opposed to a government-proposed bill unveiled this week that seeks to ban physicians' dual practice in the public system and for private providers, arguing that this could severely affect the accessibility of healthcare services. It also warned that this could lead to doctors starting to leave the public system, which would undermine accessibility of services.

Slovenia to take in wounded Gaza children for rehabilitation

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will take in eight to ten wounded children from Gaza for health and psychosocial rehabilitation as part of a project between the Foreign Ministry and the Catholic charity Caritas Slovenia, the Foreign Ministry said. The government will provide EUR 700,000 for the project. The children will be treated at the URI Soča rehabilitation centre and other healthcare institutions if needed, the Foreign Ministry said.

Meeting on TEŠ emergency bill calls for transparency, just transition

VELENJE - Velenje and Šoštanj held a meeting of the municipal councils on Wednesday to discuss an emergency bill on the financing of the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant (TEŠ) that was announced last week. The councillors are calling for transparency in the process and for legislation on energy restructuring of the region to be adopted. Velenje and Šoštanj Mayors Peter Dermol and Boris Goličnik do not support the bill.

Parliamentary commission faces proceedings over visit to police

LJUBLJANA - The police have initiated pre-trial proceedings against the parliamentary Commission on Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services (KNOVS) over last year's inquiry at the General Police Administration. The chair of the opposition-controlled commission said the KNOVS had acted lawfully and that the police were being abused for political purposes.

Parliament president rejects criminal complaint allegations

LJUBLJANA - National Assembly President Urška Klakočar Zupančič responded to the criminal complaint filed against her by the opposition for alleged abuse of office related to her refusal to establish a parliamentary inquiry. She dismissed the allegations and said that the opposition's request for the inquiry contained several irregularities, including that the issue in question partially overlapped with an existing parliamentary inquiry.

SDS calls on FinMin to resign

LJUBLJANA - The largest opposition party, the Democrats (SDS), called on Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič to resign after the Court of Audit found several irregularities in last year's budget closing account. Boštjančič dismissed the SDS's call saying that it is an attempt to divert attention from the economic indicators in Slovenia being quite favourable.

NSi wants to exclude gender-affirming surgery from public insurance

LJUBLJANA - The opposition New Slovenia (NSi) urged Health Minister Valentina Prevolnik Rupel to exclude gender-affirming surgery from the list of services covered by the public health insurance. People are waiting for health services for too long and they believe some services should be excluded so that urgent procedures may be financed first.

Mothers of allegedly stolen babies share their stories in parliament

LJUBLJANA - A parliamentary inquiry set to investigate cases of babies allegedly stolen from Slovenian hospitals between 1965 and 1991 heard testimony by three mothers. What they have in common is that they were all very young when their had their babies and that they were told at the Maribor maternity hospital that their babies had died, but they were not allowed to see them. They want the inquiry to produce answers and closure.

Fmr owner suing Sartorius Bia Separations for EUR 83m

NOVA GORICA/AJDOVŠČINA - The Austria-based Bia Separations, former majority owner of what is now Sartorius Bia Separations, is suing its former subsidiary for nearly EUR 83 million, an amount it believes to have been swindled out of when the Ajdovščina-based company was sold to Sartorius in 2020. The Austrian company's receiver claims this is a proportionate share of the sales value. Meanwhile, a criminal complaint was filed against him and an Austrian entrepreneur, alleging they were involved in an attempt at a takeover of Bia Separations years ago.

Slovenia signs tax treaty with Australia

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and Australia signed a tax treaty which eliminates double taxation of income, increases tax certainty, reduces tax rates, prevents discrimination and allows for the exchange of information on taxes. The countries will be able to aid each other in tax collection and will be able to better resolve tax disputes, the Finance Ministry said.

Itabus to launch new routes from Ljubljana to Venice and Milan

ROME, Italy - Italian long-distance coach operator Itabus will provide a link between Ljubljana and several major Italian cities, including Venice, Trieste, Verona, and Milan, starting from 16 October. Passengers will be able to travel by bus to Venice or Trieste and then continue their journey by train, reported the Austrian Press Agency (APA).