Weekly Review of Events Involving Slovenia from 31 January to 6 February

Ljubljana, 7 February - Only a few months before entering the European Union, Slovenia is witnessing heated discussions about minorities' rights. While the political crisis is deepening in the debates on how to solve the issue of the erased, the opponents to the construction of a mosque in the capital Ljubljana have mustered sufficient support to demand a local referendum. The matter has drawn the attention of the international public, as Commissioner of the Council of Europe for Human Rights Alvaro Gil-Robles and UNHCR last week expressed growing concern. Lively activity on the foreign political scene, meanwhile, saw the 10th annual meeting of Slovenian diplomats discuss EU issues, PM Anton Rop visiting Slovakia, and Europe Minister Janez Potocnik presenting himself to the European Commission president as the Slovenian candidate for a post in the "enlarged" commission. Also last week, the country received a notice of warning from Brussels for lagging behind in meeting some of the commitments made in the EU accession talks, notably in the field of taxes and veterinary.