Weekly review of events involving Slovenia, 17-23 January
Ljubljana, 24 January - Below is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia from 17 to 23 January.
FRIDAY, 17 January
KYIV, Ukraine - FM Tanja Fajon paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv to attend a Ukraine-Southeast Europe ministerial. She offered Ukraine support in efforts to implement reforms that are needed for the country's EU accession. During her visit, three new special-purpose vehicles were handed over to the country's demining units. They were purchased thanks to Slovenia's EUR 1.5 million donation.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Slovenian Steel Group (SIJ) announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Arabian government on its involvement in a EUR EUR 1.5 billion investment in Saudi Arabia. SIJ and its Saudi partner WAHAJ will set up the production of electro steel and premium hot rolled strips under the agreement, which is expected to lead to opportunities for other Slovenian automotive suppliers in the future.
LJUBLJANA - More than a year after Serbia's candidate for ambassador Zoran Đorđević was rejected by Slovenia because of alleged security and intelligence concerns, Serbia decided to put forward career diplomat Ivo Vojvodić for the post, the newspaper Delo reported. Slovenia is expected to put forward Slobodan Šešum as its ambassador to Serbia.
LJUBLJANA - Both junior coalition parties expressed opposition to the push for NATO members to increase the defence spending benchmark from the current 2% of GDP to over 3%. The Social Democrats (SD) said that such an amount would be too high, while the Left wondered whether participating in NATO still makes sense in the first place.
LJUBLJANA - The group around energy trader Petrol presented its 2025 plans. It aims to generate EUR 6.1 billion in revenue, EUR 339 million in EBITDA, and EUR 177.8 million in net profit. EUR 150 million is earmarked for net investments this year, with over half allocated to energy transition projects such as renewables, mobility solutions, and digitalisation.
SATURDAY, 18 January
BRDO PRI KRANJU - National Council President Marko Lotrič, a former successful businessman, founded Focus, a new political party that is seen as a business-friendly project. He was elected its leader at the founding congress while his top aide in the upper chamber of parliament, Monika Kirbiš Rojs, was elected secretary general.
BOVEC - Representatives of Slovenians from the Italian province of Udine and the Slovenian region of Posočje held their annual meeting to confirm the desire to bring the two areas closer together by establishing a European grouping of territorial cooperation.
ZAKOPANE, Poland - The Slovenia men's ski jumping team finished second in a World Cup team event in Zakopane. Lovro Kos, Timi Zajc, Domen Prevc and Anže Lanišek conceded only to Austria to win their first podium this season.
WENGEN, Switzerland - Slovenian Alpine skier Miha Hrobat finished third in the classic World Cup downhill race in Wengen in what was his second downhill podium this season. He was outperformed by two Swiss competitors, Marco Odermatt and Franjo von Allmen.
MONDAY, 20 January
VELENJE - A major accident occurred at the Velenje coal mine claiming the lives of three miners who did not make it out to safety after an inrush of clay hit an operational shaft. Their bodies were found over the course of two days. An investigation into the accident is ongoing, and PM Robert Golob vowed support for the affected families. A national day of mourning for the three is observed today.
LJUBLJANA - PM Robert Golob congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration as US president. "Slovenia and the US are linked with long-lasting friendship and rich bilateral relations. Looking forward to further upgrading relations between our two allied countries and making Transatlantic partnership stronger," Golob wrote on the government's X profile.
NEW YORK, US - FM 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. She also expects a continuation of close cooperation between Slovenia and the US after Donald Trump was sworn in as president.
LJUBLJANA - Coalition MPs tabled 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 would have to administer the lethal drugs themselves as the option of euthanasia was scrapped due to strong opposition by doctors, who nevertheless remain opposed to the bill.
LJUBLJANA - The Democratic Party (SDS) remained firmly on top in the latest Vox Populi poll, getting 24.1%, compared to 16.4% for the ruling party 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%.
TUESDAY, 21 January
LJUBLJANA - Božo Cerar, a retired diplomat and former Slovenian ambassador to the US, told the STA that he was worried that the policies of new US President Donald Trump could create divisions in the EU as possible US tariffs could lead to rifts. Nevertheless, he does not expect Trump to completely turn his back on either Europe or Ukraine.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's chief climate negotiator Tina Kobilšek regretted the decision by new US President Donald Trump that his country withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The move ignores scientific facts and is a risk to everybody, she told the STA, hopeful that the US would rethink its decision.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU finance ministers confirmed the medium-term fiscal-structural plans of 21 member states, including Slovenia's, recommending that the country restrict expenditure growth in the next four years as laid out in the plan. Under the plan, the average annual growth of core expenditure of 4.5% is allowed in this period.
LJUBLJANA - PM Robert Golob hosted a consultation at which representatives of energy firms, scientists and NGOs laid out their views on Slovenia's energy future. While they offered a range of scenarios, there was agreement that a broad consensus in society is needed. Most participants also shared the view that nuclear would have to be a part of the energy mix along with renewables.
WEDNESDAY, 22 January
LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Boštjan Poklukar survived an opposition-sponsored motion of no confidence in parliament, with 29 MPs voting in favour of his dismissal and 35 voting against after ten hours of debate. He remains in office even though the two junior coalition parties voiced their misgivings about his handling of problems in the police force, and abstained from voting.
LJUBLJANA - It was announced that Damir Črnčec, the former director of the national intelligence agency, will be leaving his post of state secretary at the Defence Ministry to join Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH), the custodian of state equity stakes, on 1 February as aide to the chairman in charge of corporate security. The decision sparked mixed reactions as well as an official complaint with the anti-graft watchdog.
LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Matjaž Han accepted the resignation of the head of the investment promotion agency Spirit Rok Capl. This came after media reports cast suspicion on the selection of EU Just Transition Funds recipients in an open call for the restructuring of coal regions. An audit of the funding call is ongoing, and no money has been disbursed yet. Han was later quizzed on this matter by the MPs of the ruling party.
LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Policy Committee called on the government to examine the possibility of banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. FM Tanja Fajon noted the chances of Slovenia taking unilateral measures are slim as trade policy is in the purview of the EU.
LJUBLJANA - Coalition deputy groups tabled legislation under which the electricity network charge for households would be lower in January and February, peak-season months, after weeks of attempts to persuade the Energy Agency to revert to the previous grid charges system. The agency said the bill ran against EU law and constituted an unlawful encroachment on several of its powers.
BRDO PRI KRANJU - Slovenia completed its two-year presidency of the Alpine Convention, handing it over to Italy at a ministerial conference. Minister for Natural Resources Jože Novak stressed the role of Alps and outlined Slovenia's achievements over the past two years.
THURSDAY, 23 January
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The government backtracked on its plan to dismiss the remaining three members of the Energy Agency council in what are the latest developments in the stand-off over the new grid charges system. After holding talks with EU Commission representatives State Secretary Tina Seršen said that her team had discussed other solutions with the Commission.
LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Borut Sajovic told the STA that NATO's push to increase defence spending had not led to any direct demands on Slovenia. "There are no pressures, but there is a clear awareness, which I share, that more security requires more resources." Regarding Ukraine, he noted that a just peace cannot come at the expense of "the weaker, attacked country".
LJUBLJANA - The anti-graft watchdog said it has not found any breaches of integrity legislation in its investigation into the controversial December 2023 purchase of a building in Litijska Road in Ljubljana that was meant to house several courts. However, it has detected a number of corruption risks while also saying the purchase by the Justice Ministry was opaque and uneconomical.
CHISINAU, Moldova - Slovenia will continue to support Moldova on its path to the EU, National Assembly President Urška Klakočar Zupančič said as she held talks with senior officials during a three-day visit. In talks with Moldovan counterpart Igor Grosu, she also welcomed the pro-EU outcome of the Moldovan EU membership referendum last autumn.
STRASBOURG, France - Slovenian MEP Marjan Šarec (Renew/Freedom) was appointed a member of what recently became the full-fledged Committee on Security and Defence of the European Parliament. Previously a subcommittee, the new committee will be in charge of European security and defence policy and the development of relations with strategic partners and third countries.
ZAGREB, Croatia - The Association of Slovenian Organisations in Croatia established a business organisation, the association's head Barbara Antolić Vupora told the STA. Rast (Growth) is based in Varaždin and will focus on implementing projects and distributing financial support so as to assist members of the Slovenian community and promote its development.