News roundup - Thursday, 10 October

PM says 2025, 2026 budgets accommodate govt priorities

LJUBLJANA - The budgets for 2025 and 2026 continue to follow the priorities of the government, including healthcare, knowledge, innovation, economy, security and resilience, PM Robert Golob said as he presented the budget documents to the National Assembly. The 2025 budget was initially passed in November 2023, with the supplementary version increasing revenue by 4.6% to EUR 15.2 billion and upping expenditure by 8% to EUR 17.1 billion. Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič said the deficit would be at EUR 1.9 billion or 2.6% of GDP next year. In 2026, it is to shrink to EUR 1.2 billion or 1.6% of GDP. The reduction in deficit will be made possible by a 4.5% increase in revenue to EUR 15.9 billion in 2026, while expenditure will remain at the level of 2025, at EUR 17.1 billion.

Pirc Musar meets Zelensky, assures continued support

DUBROVNIK, Croatia - President Nataša Pirc Musar held a bilateral meeting with her Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the Ukraine-South East Europe Summit in Dubrovnik, Croatia, Wednesday evening, once again assuring Slovenia's continued support for the war-torn country. Zelensky posted that the meeting "primarily focused on the implementation of a bilateral security agreement and further defence support," adding he was grateful for Slovenia's continued support.

National Assembly gives green light to Krško 2 N-plant referendum

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly voted in a 65:7 vote in favour of the referendum on the project to construct a new unit at the Krško nuclear plant being held on 24 November. They believe the mandate should be given to stakeholders to continue the preparation of the project but the referendum should not mean a final decision.

NGOs urge parliament to reject nuclear referendum

LJUBLJANA - Several environmental groups and other non-governmental organisations and experts gathered in front of the parliament building to urge MPs inside to vote down the proposal for a consultative referendum on a new unit at the Krško nuclear power station, which they see as a manipulation. The rally took place as the National Assembly is expected to call the referendum for 24 November where voters will be asked whether they "support the implementation of the Krško 2 project, which will ensure a stable supply of electricity together with other low-carbon sources".

Nuclear energy supporters say activists spreading disinformation

LJUBLJANA - A digital platform of nuclear energy supporters going under JedrskaSi rejected today's call by NGOs against a referendum on a new unit at the Krško nuclear power station, saying anti-nuclear activists are spreading disinformation. "Ideological opposition to a clean and reliable energy source is unprofessional and harmful to society," JedrskaSi wrote in a press release. The platform's team mostly comprises marketing and media experts who refer to the expert support of the Nuclear Society of Slovenia.

Govt tax package clears first hurdle in parliament

LJUBLJANA - A package of changes to six tax-related laws, including the Income Tax Act, cleared the first hurdle in the National Assembly as MPs confirmed the bills in a partisan vote. The package includes tax incentives for the hiring of foreign skilled staff, more favourable tax treatment of stock options, the option to carry over tax breaks for the green and digital transition, and tax exemptions for subsidies for farming in less favoured areas.

Govt moves to secure protection from SLAPP lawsuits

LJUBLJANA - The government confirmed the starting points for a bill aimed at protecting publicly engaged individuals from clearly unfounded legal claims or abusive court proceedings. The EU directive-driven legislation focuses on so-called strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPP lawsuits, Justice Minister Andreja Katič explained.

Logar to found a party by the end of the year

LJUBLJANA - A day after quitting the Democrats (SDS), MP Anže Logar, foreign minister in the Janez Janša government in 2020-2022, announced that he will found his own party be the end of the year. He will leave the SDS deputy group before the next plenary session to act as an independent MP until founding his party. In the press statement he said that Slovenia needs a third political pillar, "an area of broad cooperation".

Government activates measures to reduce prison overcrowding

LJUBLJANA - Prompted by a call from the Prison Administration, the government has declared a prison emergency due to overcrowding and set in motion measures including optional suspension of prison sentences, Justice Minister Andreja Katič announced. The legal basis for the decree is provided by legislative changes passed in September.

Renovation of Aliens Centre confirmed

LJUBLJANA - The government has confirmed an EUR 3 million renovation of the Aliens Centre in Postojna, one of the main facilities where migrants are accommodated for the duration of asylum procedures. The financing will cover planning documents, and renovation of interior and exterior spaces, the Government Communications Office said on Thursday.

Municipal debt up by a tenth last year

LJUBLJANA - The total debt of Slovenian municipalities and municipally-owned companies rose by a about a tenth last year to just under EUR 1.3 billion, or 2.05% of GDP, shows a report that the government got acquainted with today. Municipalities hold EUR 962 million in debt and legal entities owned by municipalities EUR 329 million.

Swedish multinational takes over Maribor security equipment company

MARIBOR - The Maribor-based security equipment manufacturer Primat has been sold to the Swedish multinational Gunnebo, a leading maker of certified mechanical security solutions. Primat was owned by its former managerial team before becoming a part of the Gunnebo group this week. While not disclosing the value of the deal, CEO Matjaž Andric told the press that the change in ownership brought better opportunities for future development and easier penetration into international markets.

Slovenian Mahle subsidiary to lay off more than 600 workers

ŠEMPETER PRI GORICI - Mahle Electric Drives Slovenija, a Šempeter pri Gorici-based company which is part of the German group Mahle, plans to lay off 340 workers in 2025 due to optimisation and another 270 after it moves parts of its production to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Hungary. The company said this is necessary due to weak demand on the automotive market in Europe.

Four companies honoured as FDI stars

LJUBLJANA - Four foreign-owned companies were honoured as the annual FDI awards were handed out by the Economy Ministry and the Spirit investment promotion agency to recognise the contribution of foreign investors to the Slovenian economy. Henkel Maribor won in the category for best large company, Avantpack in the SME segment, Ekolat for its impact on the economy, and Lumentum in the smart company segment.

Elastomer producer Siliko named Factory of the Year

MURSKA SOBOTA - A manufacturing facility operated in Sevnica by Siliko, a producer of elastomers and thermoplastics, was declared Factory of the Year for 2024, a title conferred by the business news portal Finance in cooperation with management consultancy KPMG. With 350 employees, the Sevnica location is the biggest plant in the Siliko group boasting 100 elastomer moulding machines, 50 automated machines for thermoplastics moulding, and roughly a hundred robots.

Railway vehicles components maker Kovis to get EUR 4m subsidy

LJUBLJANA/BREŽICE - The government decided to back Kovis, a Brežice-based manufacturer of components for railway vehicles, with a EUR 4.07 million subsidy to support the expansion and automation of its production capacities. Kovis's investment, valued at EUR 13.58 million, will focus on new machinery and equipment for its facilities in Brežice and Štore. The project is expected to create 26 new jobs, including seven highly qualified positions, by 2026.

Industrial output in August up 7.2% year-on-year

LJUBLJANA - The total value of industrial output in Slovenia in August was up by 0.4% compared to July and as much as 7.2% year-on-year. The total sales revenue in industry was also up both on the monthly and annual basis, the Statistics Office reported. The total sales revenue in industry was 2.8% higher on a monthly basis in August.

Ex-judge fined EUR 9,000 in slander case linked to high-profile trial

CELJE - Zvjezdan Radonjić, a former judge, was ordered to pay a EUR 9,000 fine for slandering a judge and prosecutor in April 2019 when he delivered a non-guilty verdict in the high-profile case of the 2014 murder of Chemistry Institute boss Janko Jamnik. The judgement in the slander case against Radonjić was declared by the judging panel of the Celje District Court, with the defendant announcing an appeal even before it was spoken.

Fourth conviction for prostitution at Nova Gorica night club

KOPER - A 40-year-old woman from Moldova received a suspended sentence of nine months for complicity in organising prostitution in a night club in Nova Gorica ten years ago. Cristina C.'s three accomplices at the club Faraon pleaded guilty in 2013 and received suspended or prison sentences. Slovenian criminal police carried out the final operation at Faraon in November 2012, and the three men from the area of Nova Gorica were convicted less than a year later.

Theatre actor, director Waltl receives Croatian state decoration

ZAGREB, Croatia/LJUBLJANA - Theatre actor and director Robert Waltl, who heads the Mini Teater theatre in Ljubljana, received the Order of the Croatian Interlace for outstanding contribution to culture and the promotion of Slovenian-Croatian relations. He was handed the state decoration by Croatian President Zoran Milanović on Tuesday. Waltl has established many fruitful collaborations between Slovenian and Croatian cultural institutions in the last 30 years, Mini Teater noted in a press release.

Radio Slovenija journalist wins EU Commission prize

BRUSSELS, Belgium/LJUBLJANA - Neža Borkovič, a young journalist who works as a freelancer for the public broadcaster Radio Slovenija, is one of the three recipients of this year's Megalizzi-Niedzielski prizes for aspiring journalists given out by the European Commission. "I try to do my job with heart, dedication and a great amount of responsibility. I'm overjoyed and honoured that European Commission representatives in Brussels have recognised this at the very start of my career," Borkovič told the STA. She was awarded the prize for a piece about the importance of big open communal spaces in cities that she prepared specifically for the EU programme giving out the prize, Youth4Regions.

Composer and ethnologist Marolt in focus of new exhibition

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Ethnographic Museum will open today an exhibition on the work and heritage of France Marolt (1891-1951), a prominent Slovenian ethnologist, composer and conductor. Marolt worked as choir director for several choirs and adapted folk songs for his choirs. He collected resources on Slovenian folk songs, dances and traditions and opened the Folklore Institute in 1934, which went on to become the Institute of Ethnomusicology, the oldest research institute of the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Six online shops suspected of evading EUR 14m in tax in Italy

TRIESTE, Italy - Six Slovenian online shops have come under scrutiny of the Italian law enforcement authorities for allegedly failing to report EUR 200 million in earnings on the Italian market to the national Revenue Agency, thus avoiding paying more than EUR 14 million in corporate tax, the Trieste-based Slovenian newspaper Primorski Dnevnik reported. The six Slovenian companies suspected of tax evasion sell cosmetics, personal hygiene products and contact lenses online at very competitive prices, according to the newspaper.

Road casualty numbers continue to drop, EU report shows

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The number of road casualties in Slovenia and in the EU has been dropping, but while Slovenia is doing well, the EU figures fall short of the goal of a 4.5% annual reduction in casualties, according to the 2023 report by the Directorate-General Mobility and Transport. In Slovenia, 82 people died in road accidents last year, which was 20% fewer than in 2019 and 4% less than in 2023. The number of casualties was at 39 per million.