News roundup - Thursday, 28 November

Motion for dismissal of parliament president tabled

LJUBLJANA - The Democratic Party (SDS) formally tabled a motion to dismiss National Assembly President Urška Klakočar Zupančič over alleged repeated abuse of parliamentary procedure, charges that she has dismissed. A long list of grievances includes her decision to put an SDS motion for a referendum on special pensions on artists on the agenda of the first upcoming session instead of waiting for 30 days as stipulated by the rules of procedure. The SDS also says she has abused her office by shutting down a parliamentary inquiry that would have targetted Prime Minister Robert Golob, among other things. The ruling coalition continue to support Klakočar Zupančič and the motion is expected to fail.

NSi files ouster motion against interior minister

LJUBLJANA - New Slovenia (NSi), backed by the fellow opposition Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) and three unaffiliated MPs, filed an ouster motion against Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar. Among other things, the NSi accuses Poklukar of inaction in the face of irregularities the Administrative Court found in the appointment of Police Commissioner Senad Jušić. A report compiled by an independent council of top civil service officials that the government took note of today concluded decisions in Jušić's appointment were lawful. The coalition sees the motion against Poklukar and the one against National Assembly President Urška Klakočar Zupančič as the opposition's attempt to destabilise them.

Fajon discusses Schengen with Austrian, Croatian counterparts

LJUBLJANA - The Schengen zone and cooperation in the energy sector topped the agenda as Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon hosted her Austrian and Croatian counterparts, Alexander Schallenberg and Gordan Grlić-Radman for a meeting. Slovenia is an advocate of a working Schengen area but the current security situation does not allow the border checks on the internal Schengen borders to be removed, Fajon said after the meeting. The trio also discussed EU enlargement in a debate at the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences.

MPs overturn vetoes on income tax and VAT changes

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly reaffirmed with an absolute majority changes to the Income Tax Act and the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act after they were vetoed by the National Council, which objected to several measures, including lowering the threshold for taxing sole proprietors under the flat-rate expenses system, a new tax relief for highly skilled foreign workers, additional administrative burdens on businesses, and a higher tax on sugary drinks.

Budget implementation bill confirmed in revote

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly overturned an upper chamber veto on the budget implementation bill for 2025 and 2026. MPs voted with 50 votes in favour and 20 against, after the government argued that the upper chamber will receive additional funding if need be. The government's original budget proposal, based on the National Council's financial plan, set aside EUR 3.9 million for the National Council for 2025. During committee procedure the earmark was cut by EUR 485,000 at the proposal of the coalition, a move that prompted the National Council to complain about erosion of financial independence.

Govt adopts bill on temporary regime for Šoštanj thermal plant

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a bill to reduce the Šoštanj coal-fired power station to serve as the provider of district heating for the Šalek Valley from the start of 2025 until the end of April 2027. This will enable the loss-making plant to avoid bankruptcy, while giving the valley that is phasing out coal more time to find an alternative source of heating. The state will provide EUR 323.9 million in compensation for losses from the public service of district heating in this period.

National Assembly votes against referendum on pension bonuses for artists

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly voted against holding a referendum on a bill dealing with a system of pension bonuses for exceptional achievements of artists. The motion for the referendum was filed by the opposition Democratic Party (SDS), whose MPs boycotted the vote because they believe the motion should not have been voted on yet. The party tabled a motion to dismiss National Assembly President Urška Klakočar Zupančič over her decision to put the motion on today's agenda.

Govt setting up migrant return management system

LJUBLJANA - The government will set up a foreigners return management system in a project valued at EUR 2 million. The European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund will contribute 75% of the funds and Slovenia the remaining 25% or half a million euros. The government included the project in the 2024-2027 development programme at its session.

Govt approves comparable pay for freelance cultural workers in public institutions

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a proposal partly addressing the precarious situation of self-employed cultural workers by introducing collective regulation of baseline hourly rates when collaborating with public cultural institutions and agencies. The idea is to put them on par with employees in similar positions within those organisations. While comparability is already specified in existing legislation, it has not been systematically enforced due to legal ambiguities.

Key minority organisation in Italy celebrates 70th anniversary

TRIESTE, Italy - The Slovenian Cultural and Economic Association (SKGZ), one of the two umbrella organisations representing the Slovenian minority in Italy, is celebrating 70 years with a series of events culminating with a ceremony in Trieste. The SKGZ was established soon after the London Memorandum abolished the Free Territory of Trieste in October 1954, dividing it between Italy and the former Yugoslavia, leaving what historians believe were some 140,000 Slovenians outside Slovenian territories.

Boštjančič discusses digitalisation in Argentina, Paraguay

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina/ASUNCION, Paraguay - Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič, who temporarily serves as digital transformation minister, concluded a visit to Argentina and Paraguay. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen cooperation with the two countries in digital transformation. Boštjančič also attended the OECD forum on tax transparency in the Paraguayan capital, met federal government and local officials in Buenos Aires, as well as representatives of Slovenian communities.

Janša settles litigation costs related to Patria case

LJUBLJANA - Former Prime Minister Janez Janša has settled the EUR 30,260 in litigation costs he was ordered to pay to the Patria case prosecutor and judges he unsuccessfully sued for damages. The deadline for payment was extended from 14 November to 22 November. Janša missed both deadlines, but sources confirmed for the STA that he transferred the money for the prosecutor on Tuesday and for the judges on Wednesday. To help raise the needed funds, Janša auctioned off some of his personal items.

Govt amending ID and passport laws

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted two sets of amendments affecting the issuance of passports and identity cards, including making it obligatory for applicants to submit their digital photographs. The proposals also feature several other safety, automation and simplification solutions. Once the changes are passed, citizens who are abroad for any reason will be able to apply for a passport there and persons will be able to obtain two service or diplomatic passports for justified reasons.

Govt adopts changes to Banking Act

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted changes to the Banking Act, which transpose EU rules and aim to make provisions on loan companies clearer and credit rating oversight more effective in practice. The changes transpose the EU regulations on digital resilience, upgrading internal governance, business continuity plan requirements, risk assessment and reporting. New types of financial services that can be provided by banks are added in the crypto-asset markets section and the auditor's report on sustainability assurance is introduced.

Hrastnik glassworks to halve CO2 emissions by 2030

HRASTNIK - The Steklarna Hrastnik glassworks presented its vision to halve its total carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, including by switching to a hybrid furnace that uses clean electricity instead of fossil fuels to heat glass and thus contribute to the decarbonisation of the European glass industry. The hybrid furnace, which is already in operation, will use a higher proportion of electricity to operate, up to 40%, a remarkable leap from the current industry norm of 5-10%.

Slovenians spend less on online shopping than last year

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians have spent an average EUR 56 per online purchase in 2024, which is EUR 10 less than last year. However, the number of online purchases remained the same, at two to three a month, shows a survey into shopping habits conducted in June and July among 1,000 consumers. The survey, conducted by the country's Agency for Communication Networks and Services (AKOS), also shows that the average total amount of online purchases decreased compared to last year.

Maribor Puppet Theatre celebrates 50th anniversary

MARIBOR - The Maribor Puppet Theatre is marking its 50th anniversary by staging its landmark productions until 3 December. The golden jubilee will also be celebrated with exhibitions and a book launch. The anniversary marks the opening of the theatre company's first professional season on 28 November 1974 with the premiere of The Flying Cow by Bojan Čebulj, the theatre's first director.

Slovenia co-create intl youth fitness monitoring scheme

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Faculty of Sport was among the key creators of the Youth Fitness International Test (YFIT), a battery for fitness monitoring tests for children and adolescents. YFIT aims to establish a foundation for global monitoring of their physical fitness to create a better health policy and improve physical activity and health in the long term. Slovenia's 40-year experience in the field made a significant contribution to reaching an agreement on which physical fitness tests to use around the world, said Gregor Jurak of the Ljubljana Faculty of Sport.