News roundup - Thursday, 19 September

Govt confirms Marta Kos as nominee for Slovenia's EU commissioner

LJUBLJANA - The government unanimously confirmed Marta Kos as Slovenia's candidate for EU commissioner. Deputy Prime Minister Matej Arčon reiterated the significance of Kos being assigned the enlargement and European neighbourhood portfolio, highlighting Ukraine's reconstruction as well as enlargement as one of the Commission's priorities. He argued that Slovenia might not yet fully grasp the significance of Kos's role in the new European Commission team.

Commissioner candidate denies allegation of pro-Russian views

LJUBLJANA - Marta Kos, the candidate for EU enlargement commissioner, denied allegations of her pro-Russian views that appeared in the foreign media and were also raised during her interview at the relevant parliamentary committee. Kos, whose portfolio would also include Ukraine, says she has been on Kyiv's side since the start of the war. "Since the beginning of the war I have been on the side of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people ... We must support Ukraine in every possible way - politically, financially and militarily - for as long as it takes," she wrote in her response to the STA.

Slovenia warns settler violence in West Bank increasing

NEW YORK, US - Slovenia condemned settler violence in the West Bank and called for a peace conference to advance the two-state solution as the UN Security Council debated the escalation of tensions in the West Bank in the shadow of the war in Gaza. "We are at a precipice. Almost a year into the war the devastation and immense suffering of civilians continue relentlessly. Hostages have not returned home. Civilians in Gaza continue to endure an unprecedented levels of violation and destruction. The potential to engulf the region in a wider conflict remains at an all time high," Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said.

Govt adopts bill on protection of critical infrastructure

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a new bill on critical infrastructure aimed at enhancing the resilience of vital services and adopting a modern approach to protection in line with the relevant EU directive due for transposition by 17 October. The directive obliges member states to take specific measures to ensure the continuity of services that are essential for the preservation of vital societal functions, economic activities, public health and safety and of the environment.

New cybersecurity centre planned

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will build a Cybersecurity Situational Centre under a decision adopted by the government. The facility is estimated at EUR 33.5 million and is due to be largely completed by 2027. The centre is designed to improve cybersecurity at the national level by providing permanent monitoring, detection and mitigation of cyberthreats. The investment involves purchases of software and hardware that will be deployed across the state administration, and the training of staff.

Defence Ministry to build military-civilian health centre

LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry announced it would build a healthcare centre for national emergencies in the Peter Držaj Hospital in Ljubljana. Worth nearly EUR 87 million, the new facility would serve the dual purpose of providing healthcare for the military and the civilian population. Spanning 18,700 m2, the centre will have 160 hospital beds, said Defence Ministry state secretary Damir Črnčec.

Bill allowing minority MPs to hold dual office enjoys bipartisan support

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for National Minorities endorsed in a bipartisan vote amendments to the Act on Members of Parliament that would allow the two MPs representing the Italian and Hungarian minorities to also hold posts in umbrella minority organisations. Incompatibility between the two posts has been a source of friction for years and both the Administrative Court and the anti-graft watchdog issued decisions against it.

Irregular migration down in first eight months of 2024

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian police processed a total of 32,002 irregular migrants in the first eight months of 2024, a 12% decrease year-on-year. Syrians accounted for almost a third of all cases, with their number up more than tenfold. Afghan nationals follow, but their numbers are down by half, shows data published by the police. The number of migrants expressing the intention to request for international protection fell by around 12% to 30,755 year-on-year. They are usually quick to leave Slovenia.

Jurist Trstenjak appointed to ECB review body

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian jurist Verica Trstenjak has been appointed to the Administrative Board of Review of the European Central Bank (ECB), the Slovenian Bank Association announced in a post published on its website on Monday. The EU law expert is one of Slovenia's four members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and has previously served as advocate general at the EU Court of Justice and a judge at the General Court of the EU, among other things. The Administrative Board of Review has five permanent and two alternate members, all serving five-year terms with the possibility of reappointment.

New logistics centre being built in Logatec

LOGATEC - A new logistics centre is being built in Logatec, a town sitting along the motorway and the railway linking Ljubljana to the port of Koper. The construction is being managed by Atrios, a Slovak company whose website states that LOGspot Logatec is to span 26,000 square metres of storage space and 1,000 square metres of office space. Construction on the project started in May 2024 and is due to be completed in the first half of 2025. The investor is not known, but the business portal Finance reported it was an Austrian company headquartered in Vienna.

Ljubljana gets EUR 16m in soft loans to build 180 non-profit flats

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Housing Fund acquired EUR 16 million in soft loans in a public call from the national Housing Fund. The financing will allow the Ljubljana fund to build 184 non-profit flats, according to a press release from the Ministry of Solidarity-Based Future. The funds will be invested in two projects: four apartment blocks with a total of 87 rental flats in Zvezna Street in the Moste borough and another 97 rental flats on Litijska and Pesarska Streets.

New bill on pensions for artists adopted

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a reform bill on pension bonuses for exceptional achievements in arts, which will more clearly define the eligibility criteria and the amount of the bonuses. According to the Culture Ministry, the existing law is outdated and does not clearly define eligibility, which can lead to discrimination.

Event stresses importance of meeting religious needs with school meals

LJUBLJANA - Most primary schools in Slovenia take into consideration Christian dietary requirements when providing school meals but fail to consider other religious food requirements, shows a study conducted by an Islamic Community task force. The study presentation and discussion on Tuesday heard about the importance of equal treatment in this respect. Most schools have on their menus meals containing pork once per week on average, even though pork is forbidden for Muslims, noted the task force's head Ela Porić.