News roundup - Thursday, 24 October, until 3pm

Public sector pay reform passed into law

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly adopted the most far-reaching reform of the pay system for public sector workers in 15 years. Valued at EUR 1.4 billion, it involves higher pay for both the lowest and top earners and regular adjustments for inflation. The changes, affecting around 190,000 workers, were passed in a 45:3 vote. A few additional documents are still needed to bring the reform into force, which will be phased in in three years, starting in 2025.

Rok Čeferin elected Constitutional Court president

LJUBLJANA - Judge Rok Čeferin has been elected president of the Constitutional Court for a three-year term. He will take office on 16 December, when the term of the current president Matej Accetto ends. Čeferin, a member of a prominent family of lawyers and brother of UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, started his nine-year term on the court in September 2019, serving as a vice-president since 2021. The judges elect the president among their own ranks. The court did not specify how the voting unfolded.

MEP Šarec appointed rapporteur for Montenegro

STRASBOURG, France - Slovenian MEP Marjan Šarec (Renew/Freedom) has become the European Parliament's rapporteur for Montenegro. He will be in charge of monitoring the country's progress in EU integration and report on it annually while collaborating with all key stakeholders. Šarec pointed out that Montenegro's EU accession is of strategic importance, contributing to political, economic and security benefits for both sides. He stressed that enlargement must stay high on the EU agenda.

Mesec acquitted of Snežič defamation

LJUBLJANA - Labour Minister Luka Mesec has been acquitted of defamation, a charge brought against him by tax consultant Rok Snežič. Snežič brought the lawsuit over Mesec's assertion in March 2022 that Snežič was a criminal and that he made staffing decisions in the previous government led by Janez Janša. The court held that both are public persons, whereby the defendant's freedom of expression outweighs Snežič's right to privacy. Snežič said he would appeal.

Slovenia vows continued support on United Nations Day

LJUBLJANA - In statements marking United Nations Day, senior officials pledged for Slovenia to continue to support the organisation. Prime Minister Robert Golob said Slovenia will remain an adamant advocate of multilateralism and a rule-based order that ensures the respect for human rights, and avoids war and conflict. Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon called for a stronger and respected UN as the most important international peacekeeping organisation in the world. She believes, however, that reform is necessary.

Slovenia points to impact of wars in Gaza and Lebanon on Syria

NEW YORK, US - The wars in Gaza and Lebanon have a direct negative impact on the situation in Syria, Slovenian diplomat Ondina Blokar Drobič said a UN Security Council meeting on Syria as she reiterated Slovenia's call for a cessation of hostilities throughout the region. She said tens of thousands of Syrians are fleeing their homes or shelters again, while thousands of children, women and men are crossing into Syria on foot and are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. "We should be under no illusion that Syrians are voluntarily and deliberately choosing to return to Syria."

Turbine maker Litostroj Power changes hands

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana-based hydro turbine manufacturer Litostroj Power Slovenija will change ownership after the Czech DK Holding Investments (DKHI) agreed to sell its stake in Energo Pro Industries to the Czech industrial group Wikov Industry. Wikov Industry agreed to acquire the industrial part of Energo-Pro Industries with subsidiaries Litostroj Power Slovenia, Litostroj Engineering, Czech Republic, Litostroj Hydro, Canada and Litostroj US to expand into the supply of renewable energy equipment.

University of Maribor hamstrung by cyberattack

MARIBOR - The University of Maribor suffered a serious cyberattack yesterday evening that has affected e-services for students and staff, including email. All services requiring a digital identify are currently unavailable. The university did not reveal exactly what kind of attack this was. It is now trying to restore its computer systems in collaboration with competent authorities and IT experts.

China's Dongfeng opens first showroom in Slovenia

PRESERJE - Chinese car maker Dongfeng has opened its first sales and technical centre in Slovenia. Located near Preserje, some 10 kilometres southwest of Ljubljana, the new centre is operated by importer Plan-net Avto. Four electric and three petrol models are currently available. Dongfeng expects to sell some 800 cars this year, but then a doubling or even a tripling in sales is expected over the course of the next five years, Xie Qian, the general manager of Dongfeng EU regional headquarters, told Chinese news agency Xinhua.

Works through which Maksim Gaspari helped create Slovenian identity put on show

LJUBLJANA - Artist Maksim Gaspari (1883-1980) was interested in how Slovenians lived and made a number of works which became instrumental in creating Slovenian national identity. Gaspari is credited with promoting the image of traditional customs, clothes, dances, beekeeping, and even Father Frost, which he created based on a Soviet model in the 1950s. The Slovenian Ethnographic Museum launched today an exhibition of 120 of his paintings, drawings, postcards and other items related to Slovenian ethnographic heritage.