News roundup - Thursday, 17 October

PM says some EU migration measures should be implemented immediately

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Certain measures from the EU's Pact on Migration and Asylum, which will apply from summer 2026, should be implemented immediately, PM Robert Golob said on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels. Touching on the idea of return hubs for rejected asylum seekers located outside the EU, he said they would not solve all the problems. "Perhaps they would in part contribute to making future migration policies more successful."

Commission says 2025, 2026 budgets should take into account challenges ahead

LJUBLJANA - The opposition-led Commission for Oversight of Public Finances discussed the budgets for 2025 and 2026, warning that Slovenia should prepare better for the challenges it will face due to the problems of its main business partners. While the economy is still in good shape at the moment, the proposed budget bills do not prepare Slovenia for the challenges ahead, Jernej Vrtovec from the opposition New Slovenia (NSi) said.

Budgets for Slovenians abroad in 2025 and 2026 higher

LJUBLJANA - Budgetary funds available for Slovenians abroad will be higher in 2025 and 2026, at EUR 13 million and EUR 12.1 million, respectively, the parliamentary Commission for Slovenians Abroad heard as it discussed the budget documents for the coming two years. As part of the changes to the 2025 national budget, the office will allocate EUR 1 million more to the European Capital of Culture.

Supreme Court responds to report: No. of judges in Slovenia down for years

LJUBLJANA - The number of judges in Slovenia has been consistently decreasing for years, the country's Supreme Court said as it responded to the latest Council of Europe (CoE) report on the judiciary. The report says that Slovenia had 40.7 judges per 100,000 residents in 2022 while the European average was 22. The court also said that it can be misleading to give the number of judges per 100,000 residents without providing all specifics of an individual justice system.

CoE anti-torture committee visits overcrowded and understaffed prisons

LJUBLJANA - A delegation of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment has concluded a ten-day visit to Slovenia with a preliminary report that highlights continuing issues with overcrowding and staff shortages in the country's prisons, the Justice Ministry said. The delegation stressed the need for broader political support in addressing these challenges.

Almost 13% of Slovenians at risk of poverty

LJUBLJANA - Some 264,000 people, or 12.7% of Slovenia's entire population, lived beneath the poverty line last year, 0.6 points higher than the year before. Nevertheless, this is still among the lowest at-risk-of-poverty rates in the EU. The rate was lowest in 2009, at 11.3%, and the highest in 2013 and 2014, when it climbed to 14.5%, the Statistics Office said on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Wars condemned as Islamic community marks key anniversary

LJUBLJANA - The Islamic community in Slovenia marked the 30th anniversary of its governing body Meshihat with a ceremony in Ljubljana which heard an appeal for an end to wars. President Nataša Pirc Musar hailed the Muslims' contribution to multicultural dialogue. Mufti Nevzet Porić believes the situation of the Islamic community in Slovenia is good, but there are still several issues to tackle.

Ljubljana's district heating and electricity provider switching to gas

LJUBLJANA - Termoelektrarna-Toplarna Ljubljana, the capital's district heating and electricity provider, has begun trial operations of a new gas-steam unit. The EUR 145 million investment is expected to reduce coal usage by 70% and double electricity production, the Energetika Ljubljana utility said. The trial operation of the new unit is expected to last about nine months, and electricity and heat will already be generated and fed into the grid during this period.

Climatologist urges changes in construction planning

LJUBLJANA - The urgent need for construction planning to adapt to climate change and stop relying on outdated maps and models that do not reflect today's climate realities was highlighted by climatologist Lučka Kajfež Bogataj at a conference marking the 75th anniversary of the National Building and Civil Engineering Institute. Arguably the country's most prominent climatologist criticised the industry for not taking future scenarios seriously enough in its planning. She stressed that anything being built today - be it dams, coastal infrastructure, or urban structures - must last at least 50 years.

Authorities say valid radwaste handling rules are applied

LJUBLJANA - The Nuclear Safety Administration denied the recent claims by Greenpeace Slovenia that the validity of the rules on handling radioactive waste and spent fuel has expired, saying that currently applied are the rules that entered into force in August 2021. It also notified Greenpeace about this, and the organisation published a correction to its statements.

Govt adopts changes to make bank accounts more accessible

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted draft legislative changes that it says would make it easier for individuals and companies to open transaction accounts in banks, and would stipulate that banks show more transparency in the event of their refusal to open or close a transaction account.

State Secretary Pintar relieved of duties

LJUBLJANA - The government relieved Marjan Pintar of duties as state secretary at the Health Ministry after he resigned on 30 September due to ill health. Pintar will now retire, the government said after its session. The government also cleared the appointment of Zlata Štiblar Kisić as director general of the Oncology Institute, the country's leading cancer treatment institution.

Chamber of Commerce forms council for internationalisation

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (GZS) established a Strategic Council for Internationalisation, saying it will aim to enhance the identification and exploitation of opportunities in international markets and foster closer connections between Slovenian companies and foreign partners. The council will be led by Žiga Vavpotič.

Roma in Dobruška Vas get new multi-purpose centre

ŠKOCJAN - A new multi-purpose centre featuring a kindergarten was inaugurated in Dobruška Vas, a Roma village in the southeastern municipality of Škocjan, after the original centre was burnt down in March. The municipality decided to set up a new centre "primarily to help children", Mayor Jože Kapler said at the opening. The centre consists of three containers the municipality bought and repurposed, while it also provides water and electricity.

Collection of Slovenian Baroque texts available online

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian texts from the Baroque have been put online 310 years after the death of monk and writer Janez Svetokriški, a key figure of Slovenian Baroque literature. The collection of electronic editions, termed Slovenian Baroque Literature, is the work of the Institute of Slovenian Literature and Literary Studies at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU). Available at https://sbs.manuscripta.zrc-sazu.si, it brings more than 20 editions of Baroque manuscripts from all over Slovenia from the 17th to the mid-19th century.

Man gets three years and five months in prison for sexual abuse of daughter

LJUBLJANA - The Higher Court in Ljubljana has sentenced a father who sexually abused his daughter to three years and five months in prison after he was earlier acquitted by the first-instance District Court, the newspaper Slovenske Novice reported. The defendant is appealing the verdict.