News roundup - Friday, 21 February

Golob says higher defence spending a fact of new political reality

LJUBLJANA - Europe must reconsider what it can do under the current circumstances on its own, PM Robert Golob has told TV Slovenija, while stressing the political reality is that defence spending will increase across Europe over the coming years. He dismissed talk of a potential deployment of Slovenian troops to Ukraine as premature and only causing unrest.

Golob and Zelensky talk about further support from Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Robert Golob spoke over the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who thanked Slovenia for its help to Ukraine. They also talked about further support from Slovenia in the international political arena, especially as part of the UN Security Council, where Slovenia holds a non-permanent seat. Zelensky also explained to Golob under what conditions a ceasefire is acceptable for Ukraine.

Fajon says Foreign Ministry putting premium on strategic foresight

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon told an event in Ljubljana on Thursday focusing on strategic foresight that the complexity of today's world requires a different way of thinking and a strategic approach to the future. She is convinced that strategic foresight will only gain in importance.

New Slovenian ambassador to Serbia appointed

LJUBLJANA - Slobodan Šešum has been appointed Slovenia's ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Serbia, as the order signed by President Nataša Pirc Musar was published in the Official Gazette nearly a year after he had been endorsed by the government. However, Slovenia had not given its consent to Serbia's candidate for ambassador, in turn delaying the appointment of its ambassador to Serbia.

SDS demands apology from Golob, Sukič for claims on pensions

LJUBLJANA - The Democratic Party (SDS) demanded an apology from PM Robert Golob and Left MP Nataša Sukič for what it argues are false claims that the 2012 pension reform passed during the term of the government led by SDS leader Janez Janša lowered the pension base rate. If there is no apology, the SDS will file an ouster motion against Golob and a motion to dismiss Sukič as a vice-president of the National Assembly. Both Golob and Sukič responded but did not apologise.

NSi and SDS MEPs part ways in EPP political group

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Matej Tonin, one of Slovenia's nine MEPs and one of five of them who belong to the European People's Party (EPP), has formed his own national delegation within the EPP. While Tonin is leader of the opposition New Slovenia, the other EPP MEPs from Slovenia are members of the fellow opposition Democratic Party (SDS).

Slovenia calls for peaceful, inclusive election in CAR

NEW YORK, US - This year's local elections in the Central African Republic (CAR) must be peaceful and inclusive, and the government must allow all eligible voters to register, Deputy Slovenian Ambassador to the UN Saša Jurečko told the UN Security Council on Thursday. Jurečko expressed her support for Minusca, an UN mission mandated to protect civilians and support transition processes in the CAR, and condemned the recent attack on a patrol that killed Tunisian members of the mission.

Revoz to assemble new Dacia EV

NOVO MESTO - Revoz, the Slovenian-based assembly plant of the French car manufacturer Renault, has been chosen to assemble the new Dacia EV based on Renault's Twingo, Renault CEO Luca de Meo announced on Thursday. The small EV, expected to be priced below EUR 18,000, could hit the streets in mid-2026.

Ex-judge seeks damages for wrongful imprisonment

CELJE - Milko Škoberne, a former Celje District Court judge, is suing the state for EUR 44,000 in damages for wrongful conviction and imprisonment. The first-ever Slovenian judge to go to prison after being found guilty of corruption, he was released on parole in 2018 before the Supreme Court annulled one of his two convictions. The Ljubljana District Court heard his case on Thursday after he took the state to court in 2021. The court will issue the ruling in writing, several media reported.

Judge to face disciplinary procedure over Swiss franc cases

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Higher Court found there are grounds to start a disciplinary procedure against the court's judge Katarina Marolt Kuret who was involved in several cases related to Swiss franc loans between 2017 and 2024 while she also had such a loan, Dnevnik reported.

Mayor resigns after grooming minor for sex

DORNAVA - Mayor of Dornava Matej Zorko tended his resignation to the municipality's council and electoral commission on Thursday, stepping down the same day. The development comes after allegations of grooming a minor boy for sex. In a statement, he wrote that he had "never done anything bad to anyone in my life". Zorko initially announced his plan to resign already last year but than changed his mind.

Care home fees to increase marginally despite notable increase in wages

LJUBLJANA - Minister for Solidarity-Based Future Simon Maljevac has announced that care home fees in Slovenia will rise by 0.7% on 1 March. He, however, stressed that the adjustment is mild considering inflation and a 15% increase in labour costs, the reason being EUR 41 million in support secured by the government.

Successful infant heart transplant new milestone for UKC Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - The UKC Ljubljana hospital successfully transplanted a heart of a six-month old infant in October, the hospital said at a press conference, stressing that it was a team effort and an exceptional achievement of Slovenian medicine. The baby has recovered well, his parents said. Head of the hospital's transplant centre Ivan Kneževič said that this was the hospital's second heart transplant in a child aged under one year and that such transplants are rare. In Europe there are up to five such transplants a year.

Almost EUR 60m available for R&D programmes

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation published an open call to distribute EUR 58.8 million to promote research and development programmes. The aim is to strengthen cooperation between research institutions and businesses and to boost innovation. EUR 31.3 million for the call will come from the European Regional Development Fund.

Slovenians optimistic about life, less so about the country's future

LJUBLJANA - In Slovenia 40% of people believe that Slovenia can grow to be a successful country, while around a third think it does not have a bright future, showed a recent survey conducted by Mediana in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. Slovenians consistently showed the highest level of optimism about life, at around 60%.

Maruša Puhek wins World Nature Photographer of the Year Grand Prize

LONDON, UK/GRAZ, Austria - Maruša Puhek, an acclaimed photographer from Radenci currently based in Austria, has been crowned the winner of the prestigious World Nature Photography Awards 2025 (WNPA), earning the title of World Nature Photographer of the Year. Her winning image, titled Run, captures two deer gracefully sprinting through a snow-covered vineyard.

French adventure film wins Mountain Film Festival

LJUBLJANA - The French film Savage Days (Les Jours Sauvages) by Yohan Guignard has been declared the winner of the 19th Mountain Film Festival. The film about four friends on a journey across Alaska is an excellent example of adventure film, the award jury has said. The winning film presents a 50-day adventure of four friends from France as they walk, ski, row and climb to cross the tallest mountains of Alaska.

Exhibition by photographers-salt workers opening at Sečovlje salt pans park

SEČOVLJE - A photography exhibition, titled We Are Salt Farmers by Francisco Javier Betanzos Lozada, Vianney Lefebvre, and Matjaž Lužnik will open at the Caserma gallery in the Sečovlje Salt Pans Natural Park this evening. The collaboration of three artists and salt workers - a Mexican, a Frenchman, and a Slovenian - will be on view until 4 May.

Celje make it to round of 16 in UEFA Conference League

NICOSIA, Cyprus - The Slovenian champions Celje made it to the round of 16 of the UEFA Conference League by defeating APOEL Nicosia 2:0 on the road on Thursday evening in the second leg of the knockout phase play-offs for an aggregate score of 4:2. Olimpija Ljubljana were meanwhile eliminated by the Bosnian champions Borac Banja Luka.