News roundup - Tuesday, 1 October

Money saved from TEŠ restructuring to be invested in energy, PM says

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Robert Golob told the National Assembly more than a billion euros will be saved if the restructuring of the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant (TEŠ) and the Velenje coal mine begin in 2025 and not in 2033 as planned. The money saved will be used for the restructuring of the coal region and for investments in new energy sources, he added, as he answered a question from an MP from his own party.

PM says sanctions for attacks on police officers too mild

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Robert Golob told MPs during questions time that the sanctions for attacks on public office holders were too mild, as he responded to a question from an opposition MP about tackling Roma issues. He added that several measures are being implemented to boost Roma integration. Golob said that only in some Roma settlements, perhaps 10 out of 92, the security situation "has got out of hand". In these, a different policy has to be implemented.

Slovenia wraps up one-month presidency of UN Security Council

NEW YORK, US - As Slovenia wrapped up its presidency of the UN Security Council on Monday and handed over to Switzerland, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon assessed that the tenure was successful. She told the STA that Slovenia performed its role exceptionally, as also recognised by foreign delegations. It received praise for being operational, innovative and efficient, and for its exceptionally principled positions, which was also mentioned by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, she said.

CIA director visits Slovenian intel agency

LJUBLJANA - US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director William Burns paid an unannounced visit to Slovenia and met with the head of the national intelligence and security agency SOVA Joško Kadivnik. The pair affirmed excellent cooperation between the agencies and exchanged views on current security challenges. They agreed that the partner relations between the agencies and the countries are very important for the shared security goals and interests, SOVA said.

Slovenia calls for restraint over possible invasion of Lebanon

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Marko Štucin called for restraint regarding a possible land invasion of Lebanon by Israel as the EU foreign ministers held an informal videoconference on Monday to reiterate their call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Štucin condemned the violence that further destabilises the region and claims civilian lives and all types of terrorism, adding that the fight against terrorism does not justify civilian casualties, the Foreign Ministry said.

Fajon sees Berlin Process as a success

BERLIN, Germany - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon highlighter the role the Berlin Process has played in promoting regional cooperation and stability in the Western Balkans as she attended a meeting marking the 10th anniversary of the German-led initiative. "The Berlin Process not only strengthened the ties between the Western Balkans and the European Union, but also underlined the importance of close cooperation for a peaceful, prosperous and united Europe," she said according to the Foreign Ministry.

Parliament president visits Algeria

LJUBLJANA - National Assembly President Urška Klakočar Zupančič was in Algeria for an official visit on Saturday and Sunday, saying that there was still a lot of room to boost cooperation between the two countries. A lot of potential exists above all in renewables, artificial intelligence, tourism, car parts, satellite technologies, agriculture and ICT. While in Algiers, Klakočar Zupančič met Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Plane carrying dangerous cargo makes emergency landing at Ljubljana airport

BRNIK - An Airbus A300B4-622R en route from Frankfurt to Tel Aviv transporting dangerous cargo made an emergency landing at Ljubljana Airport due to technical problems. The crew issued a mayday alert, a distress signal indicating imminent danger or a life-threatening emergency situation, airport operator Fraport Slovenia said. Emergency services, including firefighters and rescuers, and a medical team, arrived at the airport before the landing but their services were not required.

New system of electricity network charges takes effect

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia rolled out on 1 October a new system of electricity network charges for both businesses and households, dropping the current scheme of peak and off-peak charges in favour of multiple time bands under which the charge fluctuates depending on time of day and season. The new system is necessary to prepare the network for higher loads due to the accelerating electrification of transport and heating, says Duška Godina, the director of the Energy Agency. Slovenia currently has so far had of peak and off-peak prices, but the new system is much more fine-grained and introduces five time bands in which the rate changes every several hours based on demand.

TEŠ not closing down just yet, lay-offs not planned, HSE head says

LJUBLJANA - The Šoštanj thermal power station (TEŠ) and the adjacent Velenje coal mine will continue to operate in the coming years, Tomaž Štokelj, CEO of the state-owned power group HSE, which controls both companies, told the STA in an interview after he announced the transformation of TEŠ and its gradual gradual winding down. The loss-making TEŠ will be transformed on 1 January 2025 into a public service. Its role will gradually become primarily limited to a heating provider, but it will also produce electricity and sell it on the market.

Explanations to MPs show dorm purchase not problematic after all

LJUBLJANA - Higher Education Minister Igor Papič and University of Primorska Rector Klavdija Kutnar refuted media allegations that the university had strongly overpaid a dorm with 119 beds as the parliamentary finance and education committees discussed the issue with government and university officials. Even opposition MPs who demanded the session ended up satisfied with the explanations. The SDS nevertheless wanted the committees to urge the government to provide a written report on the purchase but the majority voted against.

Amnesty International says Slovenia must not allow docking of Israel-bound ship

KOPER - Amnesty International warned Slovenia and Montenegro they must not allow the docking of the vessel MV Kathrin, which allegedly carries explosives destined for Israel, due to concerns the cargo could contribute to war crimes being perpetrated. Amnesty International Slovenija director Nataša Posel noted that Prime Minister Rober Golob concluded his recent speech at the UN General Assembly by calling for an end to the war in Gaza and urged him to stop the ship suspected of transporting arms to Israel.

Protest by pensioners highlights govt healthcare failures

LJUBLJANA - A civil initiative known as the Voice of Pensioners staged a rally to highlight the government's failings in public healthcare. Several hundred people turned up to hear Pavle Rupar, a former conservative politician, saying the government is not dealing with problems in healthcare, naming as an example long queues of people waiting to sign up for a named general practitioner in Slovenska Bistrica yesterday and today.

Society's debt to elderly highlighted on international day

LJUBLJANA - The elderly are celebrated and their issues highlighted today to mark International Day of Older Persons. The number of older persons has doubled in Slovenia since 1991, with long-term care and pension reform hardly keeping up. For Minister Simon Maljevac, the needs of the elderly are coupled with the need for comprehensive social transformation. The share of those 65 and above has doubled in Slovenia from 11% in 1991 to 22%, and projections show the trend will continue. The number of people aged 100 and over is growing even more. On 1 January, there were 386 of them, almost 15 times as many as in 1991.

Four car repair shops to pay EUR 1m fine over cartel agreement

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's competition watchdog and four out of the five companies that were found in 2021 to be colluding against competition in repair and maintenance of Renault vehicles have reached a settlement in which the companies will pay fines totalling more than a million euros. Renault Nissan Slovenija (now GA Adriatic), Avtohiša Real, Avtohiša Malgaj, Pleško Cars and Avtoservis Kalan were found to have been in collusion.

Restored Carpaccio soon returning to Koper Cathedral

LJUBLJANA - The restoration centre at the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage announced it has restored Mary with the Child on the Throne and the Six Saints by Venetian artist Vittore Carpaccio. The results of the restoration are fantastic, the institute director general Jernej Hudolin told the press. The painting will return to its place in Koper Cathedral in the coming days.

Roma representatives charged with misappropriation of funds, fraud

NOVO MESTO - Representatives of five Roma associations from the Dolenjska, Bela Krajina and Kočevje regions, three men and four women, have been charged with misappropriation of funds and defrauding of several companies, Novo Mesto police said. They had secured funds at public tenders aimed at improving the lives of the Roma community which they then used to buy construction materials, furniture, vehicles and insurance for themselves. They are also suspected of defrauding several companies.

Eurobarometer: Trust in emergency services high among Slovenians

LJUBLJANA - The majority of Slovenians believe emergency services would respond correctly in case of an emergency, according to an Eurobarometer survey published on Monday. Slovenians also trust the information provided by emergency services and other authorities more than the average EU citizen. Slovenians are among the EU citizens that feel most exposed to extreme weather events, with 48% of Slovenians feeling personally exposed, behind only Greeks (61%) and the Maltese (56%).

Ljubljana to get new skyscraper

LJUBLJANA - A 24-floor skyscraper featuring some 290 apartments will be built by the Masarykova Road near the main railway station in Ljubljana by the Slovak project developer Corwin in what will be its third project in the capital. The construction of the Nordika skyscraper will start in 2026. The 82-metre building will offer one- to four-room apartments with big windows and panoramic views and also feature rooftop terraces, Corwin said in a press release.