News roundup - Monday, 28 October

FM discusses Middle East at Mediterranean Union forum

BARCELONA, Spain - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon underlined the importance of peace efforts in the Middle East as she addressed the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Regional Forum in Barcelona. She also called for a stronger role for the UfM as a regional player. Fajon said that the Middle East crisis required a united, strong and determined response from the international community, including the EU.

GRECO unhappy with Slovenia's implementation of 2018 recommendations

LJUBLJANA - The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) issued its most recent report for Slovenia, finding that the country has made insufficient progress in implementing anti-corruption recommendations since 2018. "While there has been progress in the implementation of recommendations regarding those in top executive functions, "tangible actions are required on an integrity plan for the government, managing conflicts of interests and carrying out substantive checks of asset declarations," the report underlines, adding that action is also needed to strengthen integrity in government and police.

Slovenia voices support for ICC at UN General Assembly

NEW YORK, US - Slovenia expressed support for the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) during a UN General Assembly meeting. The session was dedicated to the court's annual report. Foreign Ministry official Marko Rakovec welcomed the increase in the number of ICC cases, saying this meant justice for the victims was on its way and was a testament to the court's role as a leading authority in the global fight against crime.

Slovenia concerned by reports of irregularities in Georgia election

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is concerned about irregularities in the general elections in Georgia, which have been detected by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Foreign Ministry said. It expects the Georgian authorities to seriously address the irregularities in order to restore confidence in the electoral process. Slovenia supports the pro-European future of Georgia, the ministry added and called on Georgia to adopt democratic, comprehensive and sustainable reforms, in line with the core principles of European integration.

POP TV poll: Govt support lowest yet

LJUBLJANA - The government approval rating in the most recent public opinion poll of the commercial broadcaster POP TV dropped to the lowest level so far. More than 26% of the respondents said they supported the cabinet's work, while 58% answered in the negative. The approval rating is lower than at the end of the previous government's term. The opposition party the Democrats (SDS) remains firmly at the top of the rankings with a 22.2% support, while the senior coalition party the Freedom Movement is second at 11.7%. The survey was conducted by Mediana on 21-24 October on a sample of 725 respondents.

Group of scholars and scientists backs dual practice restrictions

LJUBLJANA - A group of well-known intellectuals working in the humanities or science, the Academy of Sciences for the Sustainable Development of Slovenia supports the government's efforts to make a clear demarcation between the public and private health systems. It expressed support for the bill restricting doctors' dual practice, seeing it as an attempt to safeguard and strengthen public healthcare. The organisation, which was founded a year ago and brings together more than 50 university professors, scientists and researchers, also supports doctors in their efforts to get a fair pay for their work.

Belgian C-bank governor calls for honest communication about green transition

LJUBLJANA - Belgian central bank governor Pierre Wunsch underlined the importance of not ignoring the negative sides of the green transition as he delivered a talk about the green agenda's effect on macroeconomic policy. "Green transition is not a free lunch but the cost is manageable," he said, adding that communication was the biggest challenge of the green transition in the EU, as excessive focusing on the positive effects had led to protests.

Koper port ready to launch series of infrastructure projects

KOPER - Several major construction projects are in the pipeline at the port of Koper, headlined by a new container terminal expansion reportedly valued at EUR 150-200 million. The expansion, which will increase the port's annual container capacity by over half a million units to 1.75 million containers, and with which Koper wants to maintain its position as the largest container port in the Adriatic Sea, is expected to take until late 2027, which would align with the completion of the new Divača-Koper railway line. A new passenger terminal building is planned as well, due for completion by April 2025.

SDS biggest spender in EU election campaign, NSi with poorest return

LJUBLJANA - The largest opposition party, the Democrats (SDS) were both the most successful party and the biggest campaign spender of the June EU Parliament elections, having invested over EUR 300,000. The ruling party the Freedom Movement follows with EUR 270,000 and the junior opposition party New Slovenia (NSi) with EUR 240,000, the latter recording the poorest return on investment, data provided by the AJPES agency for public legal records and the National Electoral Commission shows.

TEŠ 6 bill upsets two trade unions

VELENJE - An in-house trade union of the country's coal-fired power plant TEŠ criticised a bill serving as a roadmap for the winding down of the loss-making power station. The Mining and Energy Workers' Trade Union also rejected the bill in the strongest terms today. It urged sustainable, long-term solutions and social security for the Šalek Valley that is home to TEŠ and the adjacent coal mine. Echoing the protest already voiced by the Velenje city councillors and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the unions believe the bill, involving an initial reduction of TEŠ's role to a heating source for the region, is inconsistent with the legal and social principles that underpin a just transition.

NGOs urge abolition of nuclear programme state secretary post

LJUBLJANA - Representatives of NGOs Greenpeace Slovenia, Umanotera, and the Legal Centre for Human Rights and Environmental Protection (PIC) called for the abolition of the post of the state secretary for the national nuclear programme and urged a democratic and inclusive debate about Slovenia's energy future. They believe this is the key prerequisite for a broader discussion on Slovenia's energy future.

Slovenia to co-fund the purchase of Italian supercomputer

LJUBLJANA - The government decided on a collaboration with Italian supercomputer centre Cineca HPC as part of which Slovenia will commit to contributing EUR 5 million for the purchase of a new supercomputer. In turn, Slovenia will have access to the capabilities of the supercomputer in proportion to the funds invested. The country expects this will notably increase the chances for Slovenia's independent project to be picked in an EU tender, where a second round of applications is scheduled for February 2025.

Electricity prices in Slovenia below EU average in H1 2024

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Electricity prices including tax in Slovenia were below the EU average in the first half of 2024, according to data released by Eurostat. While only seven EU members saw lower household prices, the electricity prices for non-household consumers were much closer to the EU average. The prices of gas were close to the EU average. The average electricity price for household consumers in Slovenia was at EUR 20.8 per 100 KWh, EUR 0.3 lower than in the second half of 2023.

Municipal funding deal agreed, legislative changes announced

LJUBLJANA - Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič and two associations representing 195 of the country's 212 municipalities signed an agreement raising the per capita state funding for municipalities by 6.3% to EUR 771.33 in 2025 compared to this year. An additional EUR 48 million will be secured to help the most underfunded municipalities. The deal, which needs to be reached annually and has proved elusive frequently in the past, was signed by the Community of Municipalities and by the Association of City Municipalities, while the Association of Municipalities rejected it, saying that the actual basic per capita costs of municipalities will exceed EUR 870.

Top poetry prize goes to Miljana Cunta and Robert Simonišek

LJUBLJANA - This year's Jenko Prize, the country's top accolade for poetry, went to Miljana Cunta and Robert Simonišek in what is the first time that the award went to two recipients. Both of them were praised for the ability to take the reader on a poetic journey. Cunta, 48, was honoured for her collection of poems titled Nekajkrat Smo Zašli, Zdaj Se Vračamo (We Lost Our Way a Few Times, Now We're Going Back), while Simonišek, 47, received the prize for his work Vračanje k Čistosti (Returning to Purity).

Ski lift operators optimistic ahead of new season

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's ski resorts are approaching the 2024-25 winter season with optimism, despite last year's challenging conditions marked by unusually warm weather. According to the Association of Ski Lift Operators, ski pass prices will see a moderate increase of up to 5% due to rising operational costs. The association's head Boštjan Paradiž has explained that following strong investments in infrastructure prior to last winter, ski resort operators have had more time this year to prepare programmes and organise, completing extensive maintenance work and all investment phases.