News roundup - Wednesday, 27 November, until 3pm

SDS announces motion to dismiss parliament president

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) plans to call a vote to dismiss National Assembly President Urška Klakočar Zupančič over violations of parliamentary rules of procedure concerning a referendum motion that the party recently tabled. Klakočar Zupančič "continues violations of the rules of procedure, the Constitution and the law," the party said in a statement. It plans to formally table the motion in the coming days. The SDS accused her of similar transgressions in the past, and filed a criminal complaint against her.

NSi preparing ouster motion against interior minister

LJUBLJANA - The opposition New Slovenia (NSi) is mounting an ouster motion against Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar because of his refusal to react to an Administrative Court decision that found flaws in the appointment of Police Commissioner Senad Jušić. NSi deputy group leader Janez Cigler Kralj told the Odmevi news show on the public broadcaster late on Tuesday that the party would file the motion against Poklukar for failing to respond to the situation. The NSi needs signatures from at least two other MPs to initiate the motion.

Freedom Movement finds pressure on judiciary inadmissible

LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement condemned Tuesday's rally in support of opposition leader Janez Janša in front of the Celje District Court as an inadmissible form of political pressure on the judiciary, and announced action to stop such rallies. "The political rally ... was of course organised with the intention of pressuring the judiciary," an independent branch of government, MP Lena Grgurevič told the press. Grgurevič chairs the parliamentary Justice Committee and has already scheduled an emergency session for 5 December to discuss the events at the rally and "take certain decisions to immediately stop such actions".

Slovenia welcomes ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia welcomes the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, the Foreign Ministry announced, describing the deal as a key step for stability in the region. It also said on X that "this shows that peace can be achieved with will and commitment - may this also inspire efforts in Gaza." The ministry added that respect for sovereignty, the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and support for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) remain crucial. Minister Tanja Fajon said on Tuesday she hoped that the ceasefire would be followed by lasting peace and security for the people of Israel and Lebanon.

EU's new Enlargement Commissioner Kos feels tremendous responsibility

STRASBOURG, France - Marta Kos, who was appointed the new European commissioner for enlargement, said this was a big sign of trust and that she felt tremendous responsibility. She announced she would travel to Kyiv in her capacity as commissioner on Saturday before officially taking office on Sunday. Kos will be accompanied on the trip by the newly elected President of the European Council Antonio Costa, who will also start his term on Sunday, and the new EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas. Right after the visit to Ukraine, the new enlargement commissioner from Slovenia will pay a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Left suspends party membership of MP Kordiš

LJUBLJANA - The junior coalition Left suspended the party membership of MP Miha Kordiš, saying in a press release that Kordiš was destructive, publicly attacking other members of the deputy group, government ministers and the party. Kordiš's membership was suspended by the party council, whose coordinator Nataša Sukič, also an MP, was tasked to report Kordiš to the disciplinary commission over serious violations of the party's charter. The move comes after months of strife, with the party trying to get Kordiš excluded from all parliamentary bodies he sits on in February after he refused to resign as MP.

SDS demands on RTV Slovenija rejected by Culture Committee

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Culture Committee rejected on Tuesday a set of motions put forward by the opposition Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) after the cancellation of an interview with an anti-abortion campaigner prompted the party to accuse public broadcaster RTV Slovenija of censorship. The SDS wanted the committee to demand the government stop censorship and protect the autonomy of journalists, among other things. The motions were rejected after the parliamentary legal service questioned whether such appeals were admissible, because they in fact target the broadcaster, whose operations are not in the government's purview.

Public broadcaster's car attacked during Celje rally

LJUBLJANA - A car carrying an RTV Slovenija crew was attacked on Tuesday as it was passing through the Celje neighbourhood where opposition leader Janez Janša's supporters were protesting against the "corrupt judiciary". The public broadcaster strongly condemned the attack as totally unacceptable in today's statement, saying that it did not only put at risk the staff's safety but was also an attack on media freedom and democratic values. The broadcaster added that it would use all legal means to protect the safety of their staff.

Črna na Koroškem runs out of funds for post-flood reconstruction

ČRNA NA KOROŠKEM - Črna na Koroškem, the municipality in the north that bore the brunt of the August 2023 floods, has run out of funds to pay the contractors for the reconstruction work put in. Mayor Romana Lesjak thus urged the government authorities to provide additional funds by 15 December. Črna na Koroškem received an advance of EUR 5.8 million, even though the municipality suffered much bigger damage per capita than some other municipalities, and the money has been quickly spent. "Considering that Črna was the worst damaged municipality, that sum is absolutely not enough for work to ensure people's safety and normal road traffic," Lesjak said.

Air pollution in 2023 similar to previous years

LJUBLJANA - Air pollution in Slovenia stayed at a similar level in 2023 compared to previous years. The daily limits of PM10, harmful polluting particulates, were most often exceeded in Murska Sobota, NE, while Ljubljana had the highest annual average value of the particulates, shows a report by the Environment Agency (ARSO). High levels of PM10 particles are still occasionally measured, especially during temperature inversions in winter due to high emissions from household furnaces and traffic, ARSO said.

Lucky winner scoops EUR 11.5m in Eurojackpot

MARIBOR - Slovenia has a new millionaire, as a lucky winner from Slovenia scooped EUR 11.5 million in Eurojackpot, the national lottery operator Loterija Slovenije announced. The winning ticket was purchased at a gas station in Maribor, with the lucky winner correctly matching the 5+1 combination. The winner will split the nearly EUR 23 million pot with a winner from Germany, and will receive nearly EUR 9.75 million after paying the gambling tax. The municipality where the winner has their permanent residence will receive EUR 1.72 million.

Neli Filipić wins short prose prize

LJUBLJANA - Neli Filipić, an author best known for books for children and young adults, has won the Maruša Krese Prize for short prose for a collection that mixes traditional short stories with brief bursts of text. The jury described the collection Srečni Konci (Happy Endings) as a hybrid that "surprises, shocks and blurs the boundary between the seeming and the real". The prize was conferred by the publisher Goga in conjunction with the Slovenian Association of Literary Critics at the Slovenian Book Fair on Tuesday.