News roundup - Monday, 20 January

Ljubljana, 20 January - Below is a roundup of major events on Monday, 20 January:

PM Golob congratulates new US President Trump

LJUBLJANA - PM Robert Golob congratulated Donald Trump on inauguration as US president. "Slovenia and the US share a long-standing friendship and a rich bilateral relationship. It is my wish to build on this relationship between two allies and strengthen the transatlantic partnership with the new US administration," Golob wrote on the government's X profile. He also stressed that the EU and the US should jointly address the global challenges.

FM hopes for lasting peace in Gaza, will visit Lebanon and Syria soon

NEW YORK, US - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon expressed her hope the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will be permanent, as she arrived for a regular UN Security Council meeting in New York. She said she would soon visit Lebanon and Syria. Arriving in New York directly from Kyiv, she said Ukrainians were tired of war as well. She also expects continuation of close cooperation between Slovenia and the US as Donald Trump was sworn in as president in Washington today.

Slovenia, Italy and Croatia step closer to mixed border patrols

NOVA GORICA - Slovenia, Italy and Croatia signed a document establishing trilateral police patrols to be dispatched to the external Schengen border in Croatia as the interior ministers of the three countries met in Slovenia. The document was signed by the police commissioners, while Slovenia's Minister Boštjan Poklukar said it will help remove the need for internal border checks. Poklukar, Italy's Matteo Piantedosi and Croatia's Davor Božinović said the main goal was to re-establish the Schengen regime, which has been disrupted since Italy introduced checks on its border with Slovenia after the start of the war in Gaza. Slovenia followed suit on its border with Croatia.

Coalition submits assisted dying bill in parliament

LJUBLJANA - Coalition MPs filed to parliament a bill legalising assisted dying, a move coming more than six months after nearly 55% of voters endorsed assisted dying in a referendum. Those granted the wish to die due to unbearable suffering - only adults would be eligible - would have to administer the lethal drugs themselves. An earlier version of the bill also entailed an option of euthanasia for those who could not administer the drugs themselves, but it was now omitted due to strong opposition by doctors.

President planing new round of talks on governor, ombudsman

LJUBLJANA - President Nataša Pirc Musar will hold another round of consultations with deputy groups on candidates for central bank governor and human rights ombudsman, after it became obvious in the first round, held on Friday and Monday, that more discussion and coordination is needed. Assessing the talks as positive, the president is making efforts to find suitable candidates as soon as possible, Pirc Musar's office said in a statement.

Vox Populi poll shows Logar, Prebilič could be serious new players

LJUBLJANA - The Democratic Party (SDS) remains firmly on top in the latest Vox Populi poll, getting 24.1%, compared to 16.4% for the ruling Freedom Movement. When respondents were also offered the new players, Anže Logar's Democrats were confirmed as a major new factor, at 12.4%, as was a possible new party of MEP Vladimir Prebilič, at 9.6%. Commissioned by the newspaper Dnevnik, the poll shows the government's approval rating to be stable at 33.5%.

New police commissioner appoints new head of protection unit

LJUBLJANA - Aleksander Perklič was appointed to lead the Security and Protection Centre, a special police unit protecting senior officials, following reports of numerous irregularities, allegations of spying on the people being protected, as well as failure to take action that might have led to a mafia execution. He will take over on 1 February, coming from the operations and communications centre of the Ljubljana Police Department. He was appointed by Damjan Petrič, the new acting police commissioner.

Investor defends Dravograd wind farm plan as locals protest

DRAVOGRAD/MARIBOR - After the Dravograd municipality decided last week to seek a constitutional review of the zoning plan for the Ojstrica wind farm, mostly over concerns about water sources, the investor, the state-owned power producer DEM, said the consistent implementation of the planned mitigation measures during the construction and operation would minimise or even completely eliminate the effect on groundwater. The company said that all officially registered water sources in the broader area had been considered in the impact assessment and the risk analysis regarding the potential pollution of groundwater.

Union says Triglav to lay off hundreds, insurer denies claims

LJUBLJANA - Following reports that Zavarovalnica Triglav plans to lay off 15% of its workforce in the next two years, Slovenia's largest insurance company said the claims coming from the Insurance Trade Union Confederation were untrue and that the company would in fact continue to grow its workforce. Trade union leader Mark Mandossi claims Triglav would be fire several hundred people, including single mothers, new mothers and disabled. He said people had been offered a termination agreement in exchange for an "abysmal severance". The group employs some 5,200 people.

Police bust complex corporate crime ring

CELJE - Celje police uncovered a corporate crime ring that defrauded the state and several companies by over EUR 2 million. The ring included over 15 companies from Slovenia and abroad. In late 2024, charges were filed against 11 suspects, including four foreigners, as well as two companies. The Celje Police Department said the charges included 18 counts of abuse of position in business activity, tax fraud, money laundering and document forgery. The investigation was launched in 2022 on a tip from the Financial Administration (FURS).

Series of events to commemorate 30th anniversary of Srebrenica genocide

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Muslim Cultural Centre, joined by several Slovenian organisations, is putting on a series of events to mark the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, including exhibitions, discussions and a commemoration on 9 July. The events are targetted at young people in particular. The first of the events will be an exhibition opening at Cankarjev Dom on Wednesday under the title Breaking News Unable to Break the Wall of Conscience. The Museum of Contemporary History will open another exhibition in April featuring personal stories and belongings of 15 Srebrenica genocide survivors.

Trump inauguration celebrated in Melania Trump's Sevnica

SEVNICA - Today's inauguration of Donald Trump as US president will also be marked in Sevnica, a small town in eastern Slovenia where Trump's spouse Melania grew up. Several events will be held, including an open day at Sevnica's hilltop medieval castle which will feature a cultural programme and culinary delights. There will be a free guided walk through the town visiting some of the places where Melania Trump spent her childhood, and the Rotary Club of Sevnica is hosting a Slovenian-American gourmet dinner in her honour.

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