News roundup - Saturday, 8 February

European Capital of Culture 2025 officially opened

GORIZIA, Italy/NOVA GORICA, Slovenia - The first-ever transnational European Capital of Culture officially opened with a day-long series of events highlighting the unique collaboration and the power of culture to connect. Thousands of people joined a two-hour parade between the train stations in the two cities, and thousands more were on hand for a series of cultural performances, official ceremony and an artistic spectacle. National and local officials joined some 2,000 performers in the celebration.

Slovenia celebrates Culture Day

LJUBLJANA - Events were be held in virtually every town on Saturday as Slovenia celebrates Culture Day, a public holiday in memory of the great Romantic poet France Prešeren (1800-1849). Museums and other cultural institutions were open to visitors admission-free and Prešeren's poetry was heard in many venues. On the eve of the holiday, the Prešeren Prizes for lifetime achievement and Prešeren Fund Prizes for accomplishments in the past three years were presented.

President Pirc Musar awarded Italy's highest state honour

Nova Gorica - President Nataša Pirc Musar was awarded Italy's highest state honour, the Knight Grand Cross with Collar for Merits of the Italian Republic, by Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella in Vipolže as the pair met ahead of the ceremonial opening of the European Capital of Culture project Nova Gorica-Gorizia.

EPPO reportedly investigating coal region restructuring funds allocation

LJUBLJANA - The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has reportedly launched an investigation into suspected irregularities in an EUR 82 million public call for restructuring Slovenia's Savinja-Šalek and Zasavje coal regions. Unofficial reports suggest that Slovenia's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has already visited Spirit, the public agency overseeing the open call for EU Just Transition Funds, to examine documentation on the selection process and subsidy recipients. The Economy Ministry said it was Spirit itself that reported the case to the EPPO.

Rally held in Ljubljana in support of Serbian protests

Ljubljana - Around 1,000 protesters took to the streets of Ljubljana to express support to the protests in Serbia and demand an apology from Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković for his backing of Serbian President Alseksandar Vučić. The protest began with a minute's silence in front of the Serbian embassy at 11.52 - the exact time, when a railway station canopy collapsed in November in Novi Sad, claiming 15 lives, and ended in front of city hall.

Protest in Velenje targets political, business establishment

VELENJE - Some 500 people gathered in Velenje for a rally they described as "an assembly for culture and morals in politics" that targeted the local and national political and business establishment in the aftermath of a deadly accident in the Velenje coal mine. Led by individuals who spearheaded protests against high prices of district heating last year and call themselves the Velenje Local Initiative, the rally decried political lies and corruption that its leaders said was devastating the entire Šalek Valley.

Vandals desecrate Basovizza memorial to Italian foibe victims

ITALY, Basovizza - Unknown individuals have vandalised a memorial site in Italy's Basovizza dedicated to victims of summary post-war executions, scrawling the slogans Trieste is Ours and Death to Fascism, Freedom to the People in Slovenian at its entrance. The act, reported on by the Primorski Dnevnik newspaper, occurred ahead of Italy's annual Day of Remembrance on 10 February, which honours victims of the foibe executions and the post-WWII exodus of Italians from Istria, Rijeka, and Dalmatia.

Ski jumper Nika Prevc dominates competition in Lake Placid

US, Lake Placid - Slovenian ski jumper Nika Prevc claimed her sixth World Cup victory of the season in Lake Placid on Friday. She finished ahead of Norway's Eirin Maria Kvandal, while Canada's Alexandria Loutitt took third place. With the 13th win of her career, Prevc has extended her overall World Cup lead to 1,033 points, 137 ahead of Germany's Katharina Schmid and 267 clear of third-placed Kvandal, with 11 events remaining in the 26-stop season.