News roundup - Monday, 10 February

Electricity price regulation not to be extended, minister says

LJUBLJANA - Energy Minister Bojan Kumer announced on Sunday that the full electricity price regulation for households, which was introduced last November and expires at the end of this month, would not be extended. He called on suppliers to reduce their prices by adjusting them to real market conditions. He also said the government had no intention of extending the decree that exempts final consumers from paying the contribution to support electricity production from high-efficiency cogeneration and renewable energy sources. The decree is in place until the end of February. However, the amount of the contribution is expected to be reduced.

Kavač Clan prosecutor says police retaliating against her

LJUBLJANA - Prosecutor Mateja Gončin confirmed for the STA that the Security and Protection Centre, a police unit providing security to politicians and other officials, had again taken security detail away from her and other prosecutors in the high-profile Kavač Clan drugs and murder trials. She sees it as retaliation after she filed last week criminal complaints against a former police commissioner and the centre's two former heads over alleged irregularities at the centre. Responding, the police said it had learned about the criminal complaints from the media, while denying the security detail had been taken away as retaliation. It said the task force coordinating the protection regularly assesses any information that could impact security measures. The complaints or the centre's reorganisation have no effect on threat assessments and security measures, the police explained.

Minister says AI to serve people

PARIS, France - Slovenia remains committed to digital transformation and the development of AI based on ethical principles and sustainable development, Digital Transformation Minister Ksenija Klampfer said during her visit to Paris. She attended the informal ministerial of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) and held talks with representatives of the US Chamber of Commerce, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) ahead of the AI Action Summit.

Two Slovenian MEPs attend opening of foibe exhibition, nine Slovenian and Croatian MEPs oppose it

STRASBOURG, France - Two Slovenian MEPs from the EPP attended today's opening of an exhibition on the post-WWII foibe executions and exodus of Italians from present-day Slovenia and Croatia organised by Italian MEP Stefano Cavedagna from the ECR at the European Parliament. Nine Slovenian and Croatian centre-left MEPs meanwhile urged in a January letter the parliament's President Roberta Metsola (EPP) and the MEP in charge of exhibitions Kosmo Zlotowski (ECR) not to allow it in the envisaged form. They argued it was not in line with the EU's fundamental values such as the respect of human dignity, mutual understanding and reconciliation, and featured maps that may hint at Italy's territorial claims.

Transport companies urge action to address driver shortage

LJUBLJANA - Transport companies have called on the government to take action and address the shortage of drivers in international passenger and cargo transport by handling the administrative work involved in hiring third-country citizens as a priority. Many companies are unable to do their work due to the shortage of drivers, said Peter Pišek from the Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS) after a meeting with the government and representatives of the Employment Service.

Slovenia supports accelerated W Balkan integration into EU

ROME, Italy - Slovenia supports the accelerated integration of countries in the Western Balkans into the EU, the Foreign Ministry said on X as the accession was discussed at a Friends of Western Balkans group meeting in Rome, where the country was represented by Foreign Ministry State Secretary Melita Gabrič. Foreign ministers and representatives of seven EU countries called for a gradual and accelerated integration of Western Balkan states with concrete implementation steps.

Poll: SDS gains record advantage ahead of Freedom Movement

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democratic Party (SDS) has almost doubled its advantage ahead of the ruling Freedom Movement party, a poll published in the newspaper Delo shows. The SDS polled at 23.7%, followed by the Freedom Movement at 12.7%, which is a record high gap in this term. More than half of respondents are displeased with the government. Non-parliamentary parties are well below the parliamentary threshold of 4%.

Fuel prices to drop at midnight

LJUBLJANA - Regulated fuel prices will drop at midnight. Regular petrol sold off Slovenian motorways will be 1.5 cents cheaper at EUR 1.535 per litre and diesel will come 3.3 cents cheaper at EUR 1.586 per litre, according to the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy. The new prices, which only pertain to service stations outside the motorway network, will be in effect until 24 February. Heating oil will also get cheaper, by 3.4 cents, to sell at EUR 1,184 per litre.

Industrial output up monthly, year-on-year in December

LJUBLJANA - Industrial output in Slovenia was up by 1.2% in December 2024 over the month before and by 1.9% year-on-year. Sales revenue in industry and the value of stocks were also up on a monthly basis, the Statistics Office said. Sales revenue in industry increased by 1.5% compared to November and by 0.4% year-on-year, while the value of stocks was up 10.1% on a monthly basis and unchanged year-on-year.

Record-high budget funds for Slovenian film this year

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Film Centre (SFC) will step up funding of film projects this year, having been allocated EUR 12.35 million in state budget funds, almost EUR 4 million more than last year for a record annual budget. Presenting plans for the year, SFC director Nataša Bučar said they were almost doubling funds for open calls for documentary and animated film projects, and substantially raising funds for live action films. They are introducing two new calls, one to subsidise development of genre-specific live action film films and the other to subsidise realisation of low-budget feature films (up to EUR 100,000), which is mainly intended for independent filmmakers.

Ministry finds inappropriate conduct of police officer responding to homophobic attacks

MARIBOR - After having been the target of several homophobic attacks in June 2023, the bookshop Mariborka in Maribor filed a complaint over inappropriate conduct of a police officer who responded to one of the calls of its staff. The Interior Ministry has now approved its complaint in its entirety, the bookshop announced. The verbal attacks that escalated into attempts of physical assault against its employees took place after Mariborka put up a rainbow flag expressing support for the LGBTQ community during Pride Month last year.

Women's team qualifies for EuroBasket in decisive fashion

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian women's basketball team qualified for this year's EuroBasket by decisively defeating Finland 96:47 in Ljubljana on Sunday in the last round of play in the qualifying Group B. Slovenia celebrated their fifth consecutive qualification for the European basketball championship for women in Kodeljevo Arena in front of some 1,500 spectators in what was their fifth win in the six qualifying matches. They secured the first place in Group B to earn a ticket for the EuroBasket.

Italy's Fabio Soli appointed new head coach of men's volleyball team

LJUBLJANA - Italy's Fabio Soli has been officially appointed the new head coach of the Slovenian men's volleyball team. The 45-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the possibility of a two-year extension, the Slovenian Volleyball Federation announced. Soli, who coaches the Italian club Trentino Volley, succeeds Romanian coach Gheorghe Cretu, who led Slovenia between 2022 and 2024.