News roundup - Thursday, 13 February

Defence ministers sign letter of intent for Patria armoured vehicles

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Defence Minister Borut Sajovic signed a letter of intent with his Finnish counterpart Antti Hakkanen based on which the Finnish Defence Ministry will provide support to Slovenia in a planned purchase of eight-wheeled armoured vehicles from the Finnish company Patria.

Minister: Peace talks cannot be held without Ukraine and its NATO allies

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Peace talks cannot take place without Ukraine and all NATO members that support the country in its fight against the Russian aggression, Defence Minister Borut Sajovic said after a meeting of NATO ministers in Brussels. Peace in Ukraine must be long-lasting and just, he added. Sajovic echoed what a number of EU officials and member states have been saying since US and Russian presidents agreed to start talks to end the war in Ukraine.

Govt adopts new bill on fiscal rule tied to core expenditure

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a new fiscal rule bill that determines a new manner in which state budgets are balanced in the medium term. The fiscal rule would be determined in the form of a limit on the growth of core expenditure, and the government would be preparing a medium-term fiscal plan every four years. The fiscal rule was introduced after an initiative of the EU leaders in 2011 by which they wanted to limit the borrowing of member states and the deepening of the debt crisis in the eurozone at the time.

Exemption from RES contribution for households extended

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a decree by which household electricity consumers will be fully exempt from paying the contribution to support renewable energy production at least until July. The decree also eliminates the negative consequences of the new network charge system on certain seasonal consumers. The decree actually extends the exemption for household consumers for the payment of the contribution to support electricity production from high-efficiency cogeneration and renewable energy sources, which was set to expire at the end of February.

Energy Agency also under pressure from electricity distributors

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's electricity distributors called on the Energy Agency to increase financial resources for grid investments, warning that rising financing and operational costs threaten essential green transition upgrades. The agency has yet to take a stance on the proposal, which could result in higher grid fees despite efforts to reign them in.

Economy Ministry regrets US decision for additional tariffs on steel and aluminium

LJUBLJANA - The Economy Ministry expressed regret over the additional steel and aluminium tariffs announced by the US. It argued the tariffs are inconsistent with international trade rules and economically counterproductive, especially given the deeply integrated supply chains the EU and the US have established through transatlantic trade and investment.

Han visits Salzburg to talk efforts to boost economic cooperation

SALZBURG, Austria - Minister of the Economy, Tourism and Sport Matjaž Han met tourism and business representatives in Salzburg to discuss efforts to strengthen economic cooperation between Slovenia and Austria. The talks focused on efforts to boost business ties and investment and cooperation opportunities in logistics, retail and tourism. He also visited the Austrian company Palfinger, which is planning a new investment in a town in northeastern Slovenia.

Government appoints acting director of Spirit agency

LJUBLJANA - The government dismissed Rok Capl as the director of the investment promotion agency Spirit and appointed Tamara Zajec Balažič acting director. Capl offered his resignation last month over the selection of EU funds recipients under an open call for the restructuring of coal regions. It came in the wake of media reports casting suspicion on the selection of recipients in the call promoting restructuring investment in the Zasavje and Savinja-Šalek regions.

Slovenia posts current account surplus for 2024

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia posted a current account surplus of EUR 3.3 billion in 2024, which is EUR 400 million more than the previous year. Trade in goods and services generated EUR 4.3 billion in surplus, an increase of EUR 300 million, the Bank of Slovenia said. Exports of goods increased by 1.9% year-on-year and imports went up by 1.3%. The export-import ratio stood at 101.6%.

MPs adopt amendments scrapping distribution of free laptops

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly voted in a 44:16 vote to scrap the mechanism for the distribution of free laptops. The amendment to the Digital Inclusion Promotion Act had the support of the coalition, the Democratic Party (SDS) was opposed, while New Slovenia (NSi) abstained. The mechanism was first introduced in March 2023 but it turned out to be too rigid and too slow, Digital Transformation Ministry State Secretary Miroslav Kranjc said.

Education development funding to be tied to GDP

LJUBLJANA - The government discussed the changes to the Organisation and Financing of Education Act, which would gradually increase funding for development of education from 0.25% of GDP or EUR 187 million to 0.5% of GDP in 2036, and change the appointment process for head teachers and limit the powers of school councils.

EUR 2.4m for municipalities with Italian, Hungarian minorities

LJUBLJANA - The municipalities populated by members of the Italian and Hungarian ethnic minorities will receive a total of EUR 2.37 million in 2025 to finance bilingual projects and implementation of constitutional rights of the two minorities, the government decided. Under the law, municipalities with the Italian or Hungarian ethnic minority are entitled to 0.15% of total municipal expenditure every year, the Government Office for National Minorities said after the government session.

Prison staff protest against overcrowdedness, low pay, understaffing

LJUBLJANA/DOB - Prison guards staged a one-hour protest urging the government to immediately address severe overcrowdedness at prisons, low pay and a severe shortage of staff. Justice Minister Andreja Katič said she regretted the protest, adding that she understood it. Zoran Remic, the boss of Dob prison, the largest in the country, expressed support, saying it was an urgent cry for help. The situation at Dob is "truly unbearable", he said. "For instance, the maximum security ward is at 136% capacity today, while some other wards are at up to 175% capacity."

Slovenian officials express solidarity after attack in Munich

LJUBLJANA - Top Slovenian officials have expressed support to all those injured and their families after a man drove his car into a crowd in Munich, injuring at least 28 people. President Nataša Pirc Musar said she was deeply shocked by the attack, while Prime Minister Robert Golob said his thoughts were with the people of Bavaria. Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said she was deeply saddened by the tragic news.

Govt declares 2026 year of modernist poet Kosovel

LJUBLJANA - The government declared 2026 the Year of Srečko Kosovel (1904-1926), commemorating the 100th anniversary of the renowned poet's passing. The initiative, first proposed by the city of Sežana, received backing from the Writers' Association and has been recognised by the Culture Ministry as a key national cultural project. Kosovel remains one of the most influential figures in Slovenian modernist poetry. Despite his untimely death at the age of 22, he left behind a vast and powerful literary legacy that marked 20th-century Slovenian literature.