News roundup - Wednesday, 22 January

Ljubljana, 22 January - Below is a roundup of major events on Wednesday, 22 January:

Interior Minister Poklukar survives motion of no confidence

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 ruling coalition parties voiced their misgivings about his handling of problems in the police force, and abstained from voting. After the vote, the minister said he was not worried about the result, with only 35 coalition MPs endorsing him. "The vote is clear, I have remained the minister and we are moving forward," he said.

Three coal mine accident fatalities confirmed

VELENJE - All three miners that went missing in a massive inrush of wet clay at the Velenje coal mine on Monday have been confirmed dead after the rescuers found two more bodies today. "This is a very tragic event for everyone," coal mine director general Marko Mavec said. An estimated 750 cubic metres of material collapsed into the shaft and a third has so far been removed. The mine shut down on Monday but will resume production at one extraction site tomorrow. A criminal investigation is ongoing and mining inspectors are conducting their own inquiry.

Head of investment promotion agency Spirit resigns

LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Matjaž Han accepted the resignation of the director of the investment promotion agency Spirit Rok Capl. The decision was made in the wake of media reports casting suspicion on the selection of EU funds recipients under an open call for the restructuring of coal regions because some of the biggest recipients of EU Just Transition Funds for the restructuring of Slovenia's two coal regions were small companies with just a handful of employees. Han has ordered an audit into the open call and today reiterated that not a single recipient of the funds has actually received any money so far and no contract has been signed.

Foreign policy committee wants trade restrictions for West Bank settlements

Ljubljana, 22 January - The Foreign Policy Committee called on the government to examine the possibility of banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. One of the MPs said that Israel had mocked the international community with its actions in Gaza and despite the ceasefire it continues to attack the West Bank, and that sanctions are needed. Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon and Economy Ministry State Secretary Dejan Židan said the chances of Slovenia taking unilateral measures are slim as trade policy is in the purview of the EU.

Coalition tables bill to temporarily reduce network charge

LJUBLJANA - Coalition deputy groups tabled legislation under which the electricity network charge for households would be lower in January and February. In the most expensive time band the fee would be reduced to the level of the second most expensive time band. One of the two fixed charges for connected load would be waived altogether. The shortfall, estimated at just under EUR 20 million, would be covered from surpluses accumulated by Eles, the grid operator, in the previous years.

New bill to speed up hiring of foreign health workers

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a bill on the recognition of professional qualifications in healthcare in an effort to speed up the hiring of foreign doctors and nurses. Such procedures currently last nine months on average and it is believed that the bill will shorten them to three months. "We expect more interest and a higher number of candidates," Health Minister Valentina Prevolnik Rupel said. Procedures will also be cheaper and they will be handled directly by the Health Ministry.

Criminal complaint against ex-minister Hojs very likely

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary commission of inquiry looking into allegedly unlawful financing of political parties questioned Aleš Hojs, a former interior minister. Commission chair Tamara Vonta intends to propose filing a criminal complaint against him for perjury because his statement regarding money transfers from Nova Obzorja, a published co-owned by his party, did not correspond with official documents.

Parliamentary commission demands new medevac chopper call

LJUBLJANA - The opposition-controlled Commission for Oversight of Public Finances proposed that the Interior Ministry repeat a public call for two air ambulance helicopters amidst claims by New Slovenia (NSi) that the call was tailored to a single provider. Government officials denies that, with Interior Ministry State Secretary Helga Dobrin it had received no complaints from any potential bidders. One bidder responded to the call, the Italian helicopter maker Leonardo.

Slovenia hands over Alpine Convention presidency to Italy

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Slovenia completed its two-year stint as president of the Alpine Convention, handing over to Italy at a ministerial conference. Minister for Natural Resources Jože Novak stressed the role of Alps and outlined the country's achievements over the past two years. The country produced several documents, such as the 10th state of the Alps report on the quality of life in the Alps, recommendations for climate change education in the Alps, and strategic guidelines on biodiversity in the Alps.

Heliport at UKC Ljubljana hospital operational again

LJUBLJANA - The heliport at UKC Ljubljana, the country's largest hospital, used by the medical air service, the mountain rescue service and also by helicopters that transport patients between hospitals, is back in service after it was closed due to repairs since 21 October last year. UKC Ljubljana announced that the heliport reopened at 6am after the firefighting system was tested on Tuesday and now functions flawlessly. During the heliport's closure, emergency helicopters landed within the perimeter of the Edvard Peperko Barracks in eastern Ljubljana, a few kilometres from the hospitals.

Vesna critical of government's real estate tax proposal

LJUBLJANA - The non-parliamentary green party Vesna expressed criticism of the government's proposal for a new real estate tax, saying the funds collected should be used to tackle housing policy issues. Accusing the government of avoiding responsibility, the party said the solutions are partial and the problem would not be resolved before the end of its term. The proposed tax will not contribute to the construction of new housing, Vesna warned, saying it will only be used to "patch up the budget hole". Any attempt to address an issue as complex as housing must start with orchestrated measures, it added.

Deadly avian disease detected in chicken in NE Slovenia

MURSKA SOBOTA - A case of Newcastle disease, caused by a highly virulent avian virus, has been found in a small flock of 14 farmyard chickens in northeastern Slovenia. While the virus only causes mild conjunctivitis in humans, it can wreak havoc on entire flocks, so the outbreak has prompted the authorities to advise protective measures.

Managers honour Franjo Bobinac with lifetime achievement award

LJUBLJANA - Franjo Bobinac, former CEO of home appliances maker Gorenje, received the lifetime achievement award in management for 2024 from the Manager Association. In a global industry where nobody survives without economy of scale and capital to develop new products, Bobinac managed to keep Gorenje afloat, the association about the company's sale to China's Hisense under his leadership.

Average gross pay in November up 4.8% in real terms

LJUBLJANA - The average gross wage in Slovenia in November amounted to EUR 2,518.74, up 5.5% nominally and 4.8% in real terms from October, while the average net wage was EUR 1,610.87, up 6.4% in nominal and 5.7% in real terms. The increase was mostly the result of Christmas or end-of-year bonuses, the Statistics Office said. Such one-off payments accounted for 5.7% of the total gross wage bill for November and only 0.4% for October.

Slovenia secure expected win over Argentina

ZAGREB, Croatia - The Slovenian men's handball team secured a convincing 34:23 (15:8) victory over Argentina in their first match of the main round at the World Championship. Slovenia, which previously beat Cuba and Cape Verde and conceded to Iceland, achieved their goal of collecting two points against Argentina, the weakest opponent in their group for this stage of the competition.

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