Slovenia News - October 2008

Slovenia News 28 October 2008

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, arrived in Slovenia Tuesday for a historic three-day state visit that celebrated the long and rich history of relations between the United Kingdom and Slovenia. President Danilo Tuerk started his official visit to Beijing on Friday by meeting his counterpart Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. Their talks focused on economic and political as well as cultural relations between the two countries. Slovenia is the 15th most competitive economy in the European Union as measured by the EU's Lisbon criteria, according to a report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Slovenia has dropped eight places to 30th on the World Press Freedom Index, which is published annually by the organisation Reporters without Borders, a Paris-based NGO. This year's ranking is the worst in the last five years. More » The Ljubljana Archdiocese and the Culture Ministry have finally reached an agreement on the ownership of the Bled island, one of Slovenia's best known landmarks. The island on the lake Bled will remain state-owned, while the buildings on the island, including the famous church, will be given to the Bled parish. More » Representatives of the two umbrella organisations representing the Slovenian minority in Italy, Rudi Pavsic and Drago Stoka, presented on Wednesday with concern the latest developments in Italy, saying it had declared war on the Slovenian minority. More » Milan Jazbec, former Defence Ministry state secretary, presented his sixth book about diplomacy entitled "Security and Diplomacy in the Western Balkans" in Ljubljana on Monday. The book analyses the role of diplomacy and security in the Western Balkans in the view of Euro-Atlantic institutions, including the role of Slovenia. More » Slovenia will donate EUR 20,000 to Georgia through the Slovenian-run International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) for the demining of areas infested in the recent South Ossetia war, according to diplomatic sources from Brussels. More » Parliament Speaker Pavel Gantar on Tuesday received Canadian Ambassador Pierre Guimond to discuss the visit in December by Canadian Governor General Guimond Michaelle Jean. More » Interior Minister Dragutin Mate met his Moldovan counterpart Valentin Mejinschi at the conclusion of his two-day visit to Moldova on Tuesday. The ministers discussed progress in the implementation of the Declaration on the EU-Moldova Mobility Partnership, the Interior Ministry wrote in a press release. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel on Tuesday met his British counterpart David Miliband, who is visiting Slovenia as part of a state visit by Queen Elizabeth II. The pair discussed bilateral cooperation, EU-Russia relations, the Western Balkans and the fate of the Lisbon Treaty, the Foreign Ministry said. More » Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, arrived in Slovenia Tuesday for a historic three-day state visit that celebrated the long and rich history of relations between the United Kingdom and Slovenia. More » The National Assembly rejected Thursday reports that Slovenia was blocking Croatia's EU accession by failing to endorse the opening of five negotiating chapters, saying that the parliamentary EU Affairs Committee cannot give the go-ahead until the government has submitted its formal position. More » President Danilo Tuerk started his official visit to Beijing on Friday by meeting his counterpart Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. Their talks focused on economic and political as well as cultural relations between the two countries. More » The government's economic think tank believes 13,500 jobs will be wiped out by the end of this year due to the economic slowdown, the daily Dnevnik reports on Monday. More » The largest Slovenian trade union confederation, the ZSSS, welcomed on Monday the adoption of the directive on temporary agency workers, while calling at the same time for effective supervision of its implementation. More » Over 150 kilos of weapons-grade uranium were secretly transported across Slovenia to a processing facility in Russia in late September, but the Environment Ministry said Thursday the transport had all the necessary permits and was properly supervised by Slovenian experts. More » A flotilla of four NATO ships with nearly 800 sailors arrived in the port of Koper on Thursday. Three frigates and a service ship will stay in the port until Monday, when they will continue their tour of the Mediterranean. More » The Vienna Stock Exchange has become the formal owner of 81.01% of Ljubljanska borza, the operator of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, the company said Tuesday. More » The Slovenian Managers' Association on Tuesday called on institutions responsible for the Slovenian financial system to start thinking about providing state guarantees for the foreign liabilities of Slovenian banks. More » The Finance Ministry has decided to provide EUR 8bn in bank guarantees to shore up Slovenia's financial system. The money would be made available to financial institutions on a per need basis. More » Electricity distributors fined by the Competition Protection Office for price fixing have announced they would challenge the decision in court, arguing that the reasoning is flawed and that the fines are too high. More » Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk on Wednesday labelled as unacceptable the conditions set by the UK-based private equity group Apax Partners for the purchase of 30.6% of Slovenia's biggest bank, Nova Ljubljanska banka (NLB), from Belgian banking group KBC. More » High-tech company Instrumentation Technologies is the winner of the 2008 Golden Gazelle award for the fastest growing company in Slovenia. The Solkan-based firm was conferred the award in Ljubljana on Wednesday by Economy Minister Andrej Vizjak. More » Introduction of compulsory insurance for long-term care was a solution presented at a panel on systemic changes in care for the elderly, hosted by the parliament on Thursday. Davor Dominkus of the Labour, Family and Social Affairs Ministry sad that this was a "good, accessible and also financially sustainable system." More » Italy expressed this week concrete interest in working with Slovenia to build a second reactor at Slovenia's only nuclear power plant located near the SE town of Krsko, the Italian daily Il Piccolo reports. More » Slovenian natural gas distributor Geoplin signed a memorandum in Bucharest, Romania, on Wednesday on cooperation together with eight European companies managing pipelines. More » The CEO of Mercator, Ziga Debeljak, has told daily Dnevnik that the retailer's current ownership structure is not stable. It is in a stalemate and not sustainable due to the regulatory proceedings launched by the Securities Market Agency (ATVP), Debeljak added, while outlining three possible future scenarios. More » Trends surrounding the ongoing global financial crisis have influenced business sentiment in Slovenia, which dropped six percentage points in October. Confidence has fallen 13 percentage points from October 2007 and is six points under the long-term average, the Statistics Office said on Monday. More » The president of the Slovenian Managers' Association Franjo Bobinac has expressed his faith in the resilience of Slovenia's economy and its entrepreneurs, saying they have already survived many crises. "There will be cutbacks, but I don't expect dramatic collapses of big companies," Bobinac told weekly Reporter. More » Brewer Pivovarna Lasko will challenge in court the decision of the Securities Market Agency (ATVP) to freeze its voting rights in retailer Mercator, the company said on Monday. More » Slovenia is the 15th most competitive economy in the European Union as measured by the EU's Lisbon criteria, according to a report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF). More » An analysis of the freedom of print media by the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences has found that the dailies Delo and Vecer, and the weekly Mag, are pragmatically critical. The business paper Finance is constantly critical, whereas the daily Dnevnik and the magazine Mladina are "ideologically critical". More » A survey on media news reports about Slovenia's presidency of the EU, which was presented to the press in Ljubljana on Thursday, showed that Slovenia's stint at the helm of the EU did not raise the Slovenians' feeling of belonging to the EU. More » The approval of the outgoing government has risen to over 50% ahead of its anticipated handover to a new coalition. According to the Ninamedia poll, 50.6% of Slovenians supported the government, while 41.1% opposed it in October. President Danilo Tuerk and likely prime minister Borut Pahor lead all politicians in terms of popularity. More » The Jeruzalem Ormoz wine cellar picked 2,450 tonnes of grapes at its own vineyards, while 167 co-operatives brought in an additional 2,100 tonnes. The winery will produce 3.1 million liters of the 2008 vintage, which is less than usual but the wine will be of high quality, director of the cellar, Ivan Serec, told STA on Tuesday. More » Member of the European Parliament Ljudmila Novak will probably be the only candidate for president as the New Slovenia (NSi) holds an extraordinary congress in mid-November to elect a new membership after it failed to make the threshold for parliament. More » The third annual Slovenian Forum of Innovation started Tuesday with a presentation of the best innovations of this year. Economy Minister Andrej Vizjak said in his keynote address that the forum was an excellent opportunity for presentation and exchange of ideas, opinions, information and knowledge. More » European Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik told a conference of technology platforms in Ljubljana on Friday that technology platforms had contributed to investment in R&D. Reducing such investment would be a mistake which would made the existing difficulties a structural problem. More » The leading Slovenian search engine Najdi.si has expanded its features to provide a global internet search to mark its eighth anniversary, the company announced on Monday. More » British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and representatives of the Slovenian parliamentary EU Affairs Committee met on Wednesday, discussing cooperation in EU matters, the National Assembly said in a press release. More » British Foreign Minister David Miliband, who accompanied Queen Elisabeth II on her three-day state visit to Slovenia, discussed at Wednesday's forum of the Institute for Strategic Studies in Ljubljana the role of the EU in the world and Slovenia's role within the EU, saying that Slovenia had much to offer to the Union. More » Justice Minister Lovro Sturm expressed pleasure on Friday that EU justice ministers managed to wrap up an agreement simplifying procedures regulating child support obligations for parents living in different EU countries. More » Two Slovenian projects will receive EU funds as part of the Life+ programme which was designed to support environmental and nature conservation projects, the European Commission told STA on Monday. More » The streets of Slovenj Gradec were filled with youth and NGO representatives as the town celebrated its 10th annual Peace Festival entitled "Skupaj - Together" marking United Nations Day on Friday. More » The National Review Commission has annulled the selection of Slovenian construction giant SCT for a EUR 13m project of electrical and mechanical services on the new expressway towards the western city of Nova Gorica. More » The European Commission has rejected Slovenia's request for a one month extension of the deadline for its response to the Commission's reprimand against the system of Slovenian motorway toll stickers, sources close to European Commissioner for Transport Antonio Tajani confirmed on Thursday. More » Luka Koper, Slovenia's sole maritime port operator, passed technical inspection and started the trial phase of its new container shore. The project also includes the extension of the port's first pier to double the port's container load capacity. More » Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" will open the 19th Ljubljana International Film Festival on 12 November. The 11-day festival will feature the usual 100-odd films despite being three days shorter, but this is not the only change compared to previous years. More » The 11th Festival of Slovenian Film will get underway on Wednesday evening in the coastal town on Portoroz, bringing 41 Slovenian made or co-produced films and a rich accompanying programme. More » Slovenia's leading publishing house, Mladinska knjiga, issued a hand-bound Bible decorated with gilt edges, enfolded in leather and packed in a wooden box in a limited edition of only 1,000 copies at a full price of EUR 2,480 a copy. More » "Pokrajina St.2" (Landscape No. 2), the second feature film by Vinko Moederndorfer, was proclaimed the best film of the 11th Festival of Slovenian Film, which ended in the coastal town of Portoroz on Saturday. More » The world-famed Slovenian industrial music band Laibach will present its new album entitled "Laibachkunstderfuge" in an audio-visual spectacle at the Slovenian Philharmonic on Monday evening. The album features Laibach's interpretation of "The Art of Fugue" by Johann Sebastian Bach. More » The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) unveiled on Thursday the latest State of the World's Cities report, which places Slovenian cities among those in which inequality between the rich and the poor is the smallest. More » Ethiopian runner Amare Mulu won the men's competition at the Ljubljana Marathon Sunday with a finish time of 2 hours, 14 minutes and 55 seconds. Ukrainian Tatyana Mesenceva took the women's title with 2 hours, 37 minutes and 13 seconds in near-perfect marathon weather. More » The number of tourists in Slovenia in the first nine months of the year has grown by 3% compared to the same period last year. According to the national Statistics Office, 2.2m tourists visited the country in the period. More » Health care spending in Slovenia increased in 2006, but it dropped as a share of GDP as nominal spending lagged behind the pace of economic growth, reveal the figures for 2006 released by the national Statistics Office. More » Schedule of events in the week from 28 October to 2 November: More »

Slovenia News 21 October 2008

The new sitting of the Slovenian National Assembly elected Pavel Gantar of Zares the chamber's speaker in a secret ballot at Wednesday's inaugural session after it endorsed the terms of the 90 deputies elected in the 21 September general election. The European leaders have seriously taken on the consequences as well as the reasons for the financial crisis and defined measures that Europe should take to protect its economic growth and jobs, Prime Minister Janez Jansa said at the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. The head of the Government Commission for Concealed Mass Graves Joze Dezman told the press on Tuesday that important changes had been achieved during the term of the outgoing government. Dezman added that regarding many criteria the Slovenian commission could compare to such commissions in other countries and in many cases achieved better results. More » The 34th annual Days of Slovenian Jurists kicked off in Portoroz on Thursday with an address of the first parliament speaker in independent Slovenia, France Bucar, who said that "to a great extent, we are still prisoners of authoritative belief that an individual an accessory to the society and not the other way around". More » Participants of the regional ministerial conference on illegal migration, organised crime, corruption and terrorism reached a consensus at Brdo pri Kranju on ways to fight organised crime and corruption, which will enhance police cooperation among Southeastern European countries, Interior Minister Dragutin Mate said Thursday. More » A panel of jurists that gathered in the seaside resort of Portoroz on Thursday evening called for a greater independence of the judiciary in Slovenia and for the enhancement of the rule of law. More » Representatives of the two umbrella organisations representing the Slovenian minority in Italy, Rudi Pavsic and Drago Stoka, were to meet an Italian government representative for talks about the minority budget cuts on Wednesday, but the meeting was cancelled last minute, Radio Slovenia reported today. More » Head of the body representing Slovenian minorities in the neighbouring countries, SLOMAK, Rudi Pavsic, said in a letter to parliamentary Speaker Pavel Gantar that representatives of SLOMAK should be present at all plenary sessions of the National Assembly. More » Students of Slovenian secondary schools in the province of Trieste protested on Monday against the planned Italian educational reform that would reduce funding for public schools. The students fear the reform will reduce drastically the education level in Italy. More » Giving and interview for TV Slovenija on Thursday, President Danilo Tuerk commented on the government's last minute appointments of new ambassadors, saying he had expected the government to act in a "more proper" fashion when following the appointment procedure. More » Interior Minister Dragutin Mate met his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic in Ljubljana on Wednesday, prior to a regional ministerial conference on illegal migration, organised crime, corruption and terrorism. On their first official meeting, the ministers praised cooperation in the areas of internal affairs and police. More » President Danilo Tuerk, who is wrapping up his two-day visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina, met on Tuesday the president of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Kristo, the chairman of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Council of Ministers, Nikola Spiric, and Prime Minister of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, Bosnian press agency Fena reports. More » Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader denied on Wednesday Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel's statement that Croatia is predetermining its border with Slovenia in the maps that have been put forward to the EU as part of negotiation for its membership. Rupel meanwhile insists that Croatia's documents contain maps that have clearly defined borders. More » The new sitting of the Slovenian National Assembly elected Pavel Gantar of Zares the chamber's speaker in a secret ballot at Wednesday's inaugural session after it endorsed the terms of the 90 deputies elected in the 21 September general election. More » The National Assembly heeded an appeal by the outgoing Prime Minister Janez Jansa and appointed the parliamentary EU Affairs Committee already at Wednesday's inaugural session. More » Slovenia's new speaker of parliament has told an interview he intends to pressure the government to deal with climate change. Pavel Gantar also promised to be a tough but fair speaker who will promote the independence of the National Assembly. More » Average net pay in Slovenia stood at EUR 909.12 in August, up 2.1% compared to July and up 9.1% on August last year, the national Statistics Office said on Wednesday. More » The biggest trade union representing teachers and scientists, SVIZ, said Wednesday it would demand of the incoming government to embark on negotiations to change the new public sector wage system in order to improve teachers' wages. More » The registered unemployment rate in Slovenia in August remained flat at 6.5% compared to July, the National Statistics Office said on Thursday. More » A trade union representing employees in child care, education and research on Thursday petitioned the Constitutional Court to examine the public sector wage system act and the education organisation and funding act because it deems the new wage system unfair. More » An exercise aimed at testing and improving the preparedness of rescue forces in case of an accident at the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant (NEK) will take place between 20 and 22 October, the head of the Slovenian Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration, Miran Bogataj, told the press on Friday. More » Slovenian soldiers escaped unhurt after a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into a NATO convoy that included a Slovenian vehicle near Herat on Saturday. A number of coalition troops are reported to have been hurt in the blast. More » This year's competition for the best start-up company was launched in Ljubljana on Tuesday. The competition, meant as a boost to entrepreneurship, will look for the best newly founded Slovenian companies with innovative ideas and global market potential. More » The supervisory board of reinsurance company Sava Re on Tuesday appointed Zvonko Ivanusic, the deputy CEO, to the top executive post effective on 31 December. The long-time chief executive Dusan Cec has tendered his resignation and intends to retire, the company said Wednesday. More » Bars and restaurants established Tuesday a hospitality services chamber to achieve better conditions for the sector and effect legislative changes. The association will tackle all the issues restaurant and bar owners in Slovenia are facing and it will create a strong and well informed network, the chamber's press release reads. More » Mexico can be a good opportunity for Slovenian companies, primarily because of its geographical position and low labour costs, agreed the participants of a panel on doing business with Mexico, which was held in Ljubljana on Wednesday. More » The Competition Protection Office (CPO) has fined the five electricity distributors which have been found guilty of price-fixing, the watchdog's boss Jani Sorsak confirmed for STA on Thursday, while declining to disclose the sum. Unofficial information has it that Elektro Ljubljana was hit with the highest possible fine of EUR 2.6m. More » For the economy to be competitive, it is crucial that it connects with science, while the state should provide necessary services and funds, participants of a conference dubbed "Nanotechnology Day" agreed on in Ljubljana on Thursday. More » The Novo mesto-based drug maker Krka ranks the highest among five Slovenian companies included in the 2007 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, released by the European Commission in early October. More » The first reactions of Slovenian companies to the global financial crisis are marked by reserved optimism, they however also contain warnings that the impact may become more serious if the turmoil persists. Some companies are already feeling the impact of the crisis and are looking for solutions. More » Slovenia's biggest retailer, Mercator, announced on Thursday its plan to challenge the prevention of the restriction of competition act at the Constitutional Court, pending a decision in anti-trust proceedings against the country's three leading retailers. More » Slovenian footwear manufacturer Alpina opened a new factory of its Bosnian subsidiary Alpina Bromy in the town Vukovo, northeast Bosnia, on Friday. The investment in the 4,000 sq. metre factory that currently employs 100 workers is estimated at EUR 2m, the company said. More » The Slovenian plant of US tyre giant Goodyear says it is ready to adapt to the conditions on the market brought about by global economic turmoil. More » Tus Holding, the group around the third biggest Slovenian grocer, has invested more than EUR 60 million this year in expanding its retail network in the markets of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Macedonia. More » The Slovenian Employers' Association has addressed an open letter to the government, the environment and economy ministries and the biggest deputy group in the parliament (SD), supporting Germany's proposals aimed at toning down the changes to the directive on the emission trading scheme (ETS) proposed by the European Commission. More » Attending a meeting of EU environment ministers on the energy-climate package in Luxembourg on Monday, Slovenia's Janez Podobnik highlighted the impact that the package could have on economy. More » The farms hit hardest by the freak weather this summer will get paid 50% of the direct farm subsidies for 2008 as early as next week. Agriculture Ministry officials said on Friday the ministry would pay out more that EUR 4m to some 3,200 farms. More » This year's harvest in Slovenia has yielded 160,000 tonnes of wheat and spelt, the most important bread cereals. This marks a 20% rise on the previous year, although areas under wheat and spelt increased by only 10%. More » Slovenia's biggest vineyard owner, the Koper-based Vinakoper, has reported a record harvest of 5,700 tonnes of grapes this year. The company expects to produce four million litres of the 2008 vintage. More » The European Commission responded on Tuesday to Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel's statement that Croatia should strip its EU membership negotiation positions of all elements that could in any way predetermine its border with Slovenia, saying that the border issue between Slovenia and Croatia is purely a bilateral issue. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel commented late on Wednesday on talks about the Russian-Georgian conflict held in Geneva, saying they had shown that the solution is still far away. He believes the group examining the causes of the conflict could go one step further and propose a solution. More » The European leaders have seriously taken on the consequences as well as the reasons for the financial crisis and defined measures that Europe should take to protect its economic growth and jobs, Prime Minister Janez Jansa said at the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. More » A Slovenian will take the post of secretary-general in the "reflection group", a group of experienced EU statesmen, who are to help shape the bloc's future and study the challenges it will face between 2020 and 2030. According to diplomatic sources, Slovenia will provide a name within a week. More » EU leaders confirmed on Thursday, the second day of the EU Summit in Brussels, the proposed goals and timetable for the adoption of the climate and energy package. Prime Minister Janez Jansa said, however, that wishes of a group of countries strongly affected by the financial crisis would be considered in the implementation of the ambitious goals. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa welcomed on Thursday the endorsement by EU leaders of the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum, which commits member states to push for a just, effective and consistent response to challenges and opportunities brought by immigration. More » The Slovenian government confirmed on Monday the reply to the July launch of proceedings by the European Commission at the European Court of Justice against Slovenia. The explanation states that the National Assembly passed a law encompassing most the Environmental Liability Directive a day after the suit was filed. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel received in Ljubljana on Tuesday representatives of the Slovenian-run International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF), who thanked him for years of support and cooperation with the fund. More » British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has called for reform of international institutions as a means of tackling the challenges facing the modern world in an op-ed for Saturday's edition of the daily Vecer. He believes the existing international institutions do not play the role required of them by the world. More » The government rejected at its Tuesday session the resignation offered by the management of the national motorway company, DARS, in the aftermath of problems surrounding a newly-opened motorway tunnel. More » The coordinators of priority projects envisaged as part of the Trans-European Transport Network presented their annual reports in Brussels on Tuesday. Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, responsible for the railway axis that crosses Slovenia, said the period since July 2007 had seen tangible progress in the cross-border part between Slovenia and Italy. More » Slovenian flag carrier Adria Airways celebrated the 20th anniversary of its in-flight magazine on Wednesday and presented its new uniforms on the occasion. More » The introduction of ten-day motorway toll stickers at a price of EUR 15 without increasing the prices for half- and one-year stickers would cut the income from the vignettes by some 20%, deputy chairman of the national motorway company DARS Zan Jan Oplotnik told the financial supplement of daily Delo. More » The spelling-book "Abecedarium", which along with "Catechism" represents the first Slovenian book, is now available in modern Slovenian. 458 years after Primoz Trubar (1508-1586) it was published by Trubarjev forum. More » The Slovenian Film Fund, which has been headed by acting directors for almost two years, finally got the director as the government appointed Jelka Stergel to the post on Tuesday. Her four-year term starts on 1 November, the Government Communication Office said. More » "Summer Hit", a TV film by acclaimed Slovenian director Metod Pevec, will be among the six Slovenian productions in the running for awards at Prix Europa, the festival for television, radio and emerging media, in Berlin and Potsdam until 25 October. More » "Darfur - Vojna za vodo" (Dar Fur - War for Water), a documentary film by human rights activist Tomo Kriznar and director Maja Weiss, will be screened next month in the Polish Parliament. The idea comes upon an initiative by the Polish Amnesty International. More » Poet Andrej Medved will receive this year's Jenko Award for the best poetry collection in the past two years, the Slovenian Writers' Association revealed at a press conference on Monday. The awarded Priblizevanja (Closings Up) is a "peak of a creative gradation, always skimming through poetic landscapes", the explanation reads. More » Peter Lang international publishing group has published the first comprehensive history of Slovenians in English - "The Land Between". The book is an accurate scientific work giving special attention to cultural history, the project manager Oto Luthar told the press on Monday. More » The government on Tuesday decided to earmark EUR 3,900 to a project by the Slovenian-run Together Foundation - Regional Centre for the Psychosocial Wellbeing of Children, and to co-fund a seminar on movement of goods in the area of the EU, Western Balkans and Turkey. More » The IEDC Bled School of Management opened on Friday a centre for innovative learning of management staff, which will be housed in a 838 sq. metre annexe. The EUR 3.3m investment was founded mainly by Slovenian companies. More » The government designated the Ljubljana Botanical Gardens a national heritage site on Monday. The garden is the country's oldest cultural, scientific and educational institution, operating continuously for nearly 200 years. More » The Slovenian national football team was defeated in Teplice on Wednesday 0:1 by the Czech Republic in game 4 in the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. This is Slovenia's first loss in Group 3. More » Slovenia's male gymnasts took three podium places in a World Cup meet in Glasgow on Saturday. Mitja Petkovsek continued his reign on the parallel bars, while Alen Dimic beat the competition on the horizontal bar and Aljaz Pegan finished third in the same event. More » Access to transplants is improving in Slovenia, Danica Avsec Letonja, head of Slovenija Transplant, told the press a day ahead of the 10th European Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation. In 2008, 18 liver transplants, some 40 kidney transplants and seven heart transplants were performed in Slovenia. More » The Electronic System of Travel Authorisation (ESTA), a US visa-waiver programme which allows visa-free travel to the US for up to 90 days for citizens of 15 of the 27 EU members, will get a Slovenian version on Wednesday, the US embassy said in a press release on Tuesday. More » Schedule of events in the week from 21 to 26 October: More »

Slovenia News 14 October 2008

Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk, who is attending the annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, told the press on Saturday that he remained optimistic about Slovenia's ability to cope with the global financial crisis, which is in the focus of the meeting. Prime Minister Janez Jansa said after Sunday's eurozone summit devoted to the global financial crisis that action was necessary immediately, which is why Slovenia, even though its banks were not involved and hurt by bad investments, would take measures on the basis of the plan coordinated at the meeting in Paris. A poll has found that the majority of Slovenians have not been scared by the financial crisis gripping the world, although they do expect to feel its The British monarch's upcoming visit to Slovenia is a high point in bilateral relations. British Ambassador to Slovenia Tim Simmons regards it as a celebration of the close cooperation the countries have had over the past 17 years and a demonstration of the commitment to their further close relationship in the future. More » Human Rights Ombudsman Zdenka Cebasek Travnik on Tuesday presented the report for 2007 to President Danilo Tuerk. The report says the number of claims increased by 10%, while court backlogs and Constitutional Court decisions that have not been implemented remain the biggest concerns. More » Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk expects the new government to demonstrate sensitivity to social issues, to what happens to people. He also expects it to support creativity and enterprising spirit. "I expect certain boldness in reforms, but I would not want to go in the content," Tuerk said in an interview with Saturday's Dnevnik. More » Justice Minister Lovro Sturm said on Monday that the government had adopted the final wording of a bill on WWII restitution, which would allow some 150,000 people to claim compensation for war damage to property. The bill puts the sum that is to be made available for compensation at EUR 520m, but can no longer be debated under the current term. More » The National Council of Carinthian Slovenians (NSKS) warned on Thursday of the rise of the far right in elections in Austria. The Slovenian minority organisation called on the Social Democrats (SPOe) and the People's Party (OeVP) to take ruling seriously and assume responsibility for democracy in Austria. More » The body representing Slovenian minorities in the neighbouring countries, SLOMAK, called for dialogue with the new government after a meeting in Klagenfurt on Friday that was dedicated to cooperation with Slovenia after the general elections. More » President Danilo Tuerk has told the Belgrade-based press agency Beta and Bosnia-Herzegovina's public broadcaster that a decision of the Hague International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Kosovo's independence is unlikely be decisive for Kosovo. More » Representatives of ethnic Slovenians living in Italy addressed the press in Trieste on Saturday to voice their concern about the cuts in funds for minority institutions envisaged in a draft state budget bill crafted by Italy's centre-right government. More » The government and emigrant associations have officially launched www.slovenci.si, a portal for the Slovenian diaspora around the world. The portal offers up-to-date information on Slovenians abroad and the work of the Slovenian government and emigration NGOs, State Secretary for Slovenians Abroad Zorko Pelikan said Tuesday. More » Marking World Day Against the Death Penalty, the Foreign Ministry called on Friday for the abolition of death penalty as the most cruel and inhumane way of punishment. The implementation of the moratorium on death penalty as the first step towards the complete abolition is a long-term priority of the EU, the ministry said. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa sent a cable of congratulations to Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari on Friday, expressing high appreciation for the former Finnish president's "efforts in resolving several serious and long-lasting conflicts in different parts of the world". More » National Assembly Speaker France Cukjati received outgoing Croatian Ambassador Mario Nobilo on Thursday. Cukjati stressed that Slovenia supported Croatia's accession to the EU and NATO and expressed a wish that open issues between the two countries would be resolved soon. More » Slovenia's Dimitrij Rupel, who is attending a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, said on Monday that Croatia should strip its EU membership negotiation positions of all elements that could in any way predetermine the border between Slovenia and Croatia. More » Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk said at a meeting with members of the presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday that the relations between the two countries are very good and promised Slovenia's help in Bosnian accession to the EU and NATO, Bosnian press agency Fena reports. More » While parties had a tough time agreeing on the seating order in the National Assembly after the 2004 general election, things ran more smoothly on Wednesday when the positions were being determined for the 2008-2012 term. The two biggest parties will be seated at the opposite ends of the chamber. More » The Slovenian central bank Tuesday raised its GDP growth and inflation forecast for 2008. It expects the economy to expand by 4.5% this year, up from its previous estimate of 4.2%, while inflation is to average 6.1%, up from 5.6% in its April forecast. More » A survey commissioned by the Competition Protection Office has shown that the power relationship between retailers and suppliers in Slovenia clearly privileges the retailers and involves potential competition hampering elements and unjustified demands for additional bonuses. More » Slovenia ranks 42nd in the Global Competitiveness Report for 2008-2009 published on Wednesday by the World Economic Forum. This is 3 places down compared to last year's report. Despite the crisis, the US remains the most competitive economy in the world, followed by Switzerland and Denmark. More » The biggest challenge that the Slovenian retail sector will have to face in the future are the changeable shopping habits of domestic buyers, participants of a conference dubbed "Triangle of Growth: Buyers, Retailers, Suppliers", which was organised by The Chamber of Commerce, agreed on Wednesday at Brdo pri Kranju. More » Representatives of British private equity group Apax are reported to have visited Slovenia on Wednesday to discuss their interest in the stake held by Belgian financial group KBC in Slovenia's largest bank, NLB. The Finance Ministry was tight-lipped about the talks. More » Slovenia introduced unlimited guarantee on deposits as of Wednesday, Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk announced in Ljubljana in the evening. The measure is temporary and will remain in place just until the end of the financial crisis. More » International rating firm Dun&Bradstreet finds in its September report that Slovenia's export performance has remained surprisingly robust given the current global conditions, and is optimistic in its risk assessment for the country. More » The Slovenian Competition Protection Office has formally approved the takeover of the Slovenian exchange operator Ljubljanska borza by the Vienna Stock Exchange. More » Slovenian export-oriented companies claim that they still do not feel the pinch from the global financial crisis, having been able to compensate reduced demand in the West with better sales in other countries and by moving up the value chain with investment in innovation and green technologies. More » Industrial output increased by 1.2% in August compared to July and decreased by 2.5% year-on-year, according to the seasonally adjusted data published on Friday by the national Statistics Office. More » A 25-member business delegation wrapped up a three-day visit to Montenegro on Friday focusing on possibilities for investment partnership in energy, urban development and construction, according to a press release from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS). More » Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk, who is attending the annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, told the press on Saturday that he remained optimistic about Slovenia's ability to cope with the global financial crisis, which is in the focus of the meeting. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa said after Sunday's eurozone summit devoted to the global financial crisis that action was necessary immediately, which is why Slovenia, even though its banks were not involved and hurt by bad investments, would take measures on the basis of the plan coordinated at the meeting in Paris. More » The global financial crisis will not bypass the Slovenian corporate sector, but most companies are still relatively upbeat about its true impact. This is however not true of the car industry, which is already feeling the pinch. More » A poll has found that the majority of Slovenians have not been scared by the financial crisis gripping the world, although they do expect to feel its consequences. More » The council of the Slovenian People's Party (SLS) has rejected the proposal by the party executive committee for an early election congress. The SLS said on Wednesday that party leader Bojan Srot would now probably propose a vote of confidence also at the session of the main committee, scheduled for early next week. More » Slovenian deputy in the European Parliament Lojze Peterle was on Wednesday selected MEP of the year in the area of health and safe food and thus became one of 16 Europran legislators awarded for achievements in their fields. More » Slovenian MEP and European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin said on Wednesday that the arrests of several helpers of war crimes suspects in Serbia were a convincing proof of Belgrade's cooperation with the Hague tribunal and Serbia's political will to continue its way towards the EU. More » It is highly unlikely that Slovenia would lose its place in the European Commission in the next term, Slovenian Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik said Thursday, adding that the possibility was "more theoretical than practical". More » The government approved on Thursday the final version of the Lisbon Strategy implementation programme, which must sent to Brussels by 15 October. The programme contains an action plan for implementing EU recommendations, a report on the realisation of the reform programme for 2008 and a strategy implementation programme for 2008-2010. More » Prime Minister Janez Jansa has called on the incoming parliament to appoint the parliamentary EU Affairs Committee as soon as possible so as to enable Slovenian officials to represent Slovenia's harmonised positions in the EU institutions. More » The new agreement on strategic partnership with Russia will benefit the EU, so negotiations should start as soon as possible, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said on the margins of a meeting of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council in Luxembourg on Monday. More » Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel participated in Brussels on Thursday in a high-level debate about how to polish the EU's tarnished image. He put forward as a case study the Slovenian general election, saying a "European moment could not be felt in the election and its result". More » Slovenian Defence Minister Karel Erjavec said after an informal meeting of NATO defence ministers in Bucharest on Thursday that the stability in Kosovo was strategically important for Slovenia and that Slovenian troops would remain in the region. More » An engine carrying motives representing the Alpine Convention, an international agreement aimed at preserving the Alpine ecosystem and promoting sustainable development in the Alps, was inaugurated in Ljubljana on Tuesday. More » A study by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) found that traffic safety in Ljubljana deteriorated between 2001 and 2007 even as it improved in almost all other European capitals. Ljubljana also topped the list in terms of the number of victims of traffic accidents per 100,000 inhabitants. More » The government will decide on the resignation offered by the management of the national motorway company, DARS, in the aftermath of problems surrounding a newly-opened motorway tunnel, at one of its following sessions. More » Motorway toll for trucks weighing over 3.5 tonnes will go up 10% in early November, the government decided on Thursday. That way the motorway company, DARS, will raise EUR 11m more per year, helping it to pay off debt. More » Ballet company SNG Maribor will open an international festival in Pittsburgh, US, on Friday with ballet "Radio and Juliet" by head of Maribor Ballet Edward Clug. More » The eminent Trieste-based Slovenian writer Boris Pahor, versatile author Milan Dekleva and Gottschee Germans will be at the forefront of Slovenia's presentation at the world's biggest book fair, to be held in Frankfurt between 15 and 19 October. More » Polish advertising agency Change Integrated won the Golden Rose Award for the agency of the year as the 15th annual Golden Drum international advertising festival came to a close at the seaside town of Portoroz late on Friday. More » American publisher North Atlantic Books has published an anthology of Slovenian short prose entitled "Angels Beneath the Surface". The book brings a selection of 19 stories by 13 authors from the younger generation. More » Amnesty International Slovenia (AIS) and a Krsko-based youth support group have published a three-lingual picture book about a Roma girl named Jagoda. Created by Roma children from a small village in Dolenjsko, this is the first picture book written in the Romany idiom used in this southeastern Slovenian region. More » The trade union of Slovenian NGOs, which was established in March, held its first regular assembly on Monday, voting in the members of the executive and supervisory boards and adopting its programme for the 2009-2013 period. More » Slovenia defeated Northern Ireland 2:0 (0:0) to the thrill of the home crowd in Maribor on Saturday in their second consecutive win in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. More » The municipalities of Brezice and Murska Sobota are setting up a faculty for tourism in cooperation with the Maribor University. Based in the eastern city of Brezice, the faculty could offer Master's degree studies as of next academic year, while the first regular students could enroll in the autumn of 2010. More » Slovenian ski lift operators are in the final phase of preparations for the 2008/09 season, hoping for cold temperatures and skier-packed slopes. Ticket prices at different resorts are expected to go up 5-15% compared to last year. More » Slovenian spa resorts recorded 2.1 million overnight stays in the first nine months of 2008, 3.9% more than in the same period last year. The number of guests rose 4.5% to 488,848 for the same period, the Association of Slovenian Spa Resorts told the press on Monday. More » The European Parliament adopted in a near unanimous vote Thursday the report "Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008-2013" by Slovenian MEP Lojze Peterle (EPP). "The report concerns everybody, both the sick and the healthy," Peterle told STA. More » Schedule of events in the week for 14-19 October: More »

Slovenia News 7 October 2008

Twelve days after 21 September general election, the National Electoral Commission announced on Friday official results of the vote. The winner of the election is the Social Democrats (SD) with 29 seats in the 90-member legislative body, followed closely by the outgoing ruling Slovenian Democrats (SDS) with 28 seats. The third strongest party is Zares, which won 9 seats. Fourth came the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), with 7 seats. The National Party (SNS) got five seats, as well as the alliance of the People's Party (SLS) and Youth Party (SMS), and the Liberal Democrats (LDS). The turnout stood at 63.1%. President Danilo Tuerk on Friday called the maiden session of the new sitting of the Slovenian National Assembly for 15 October. Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader congratulated Borut Pahor whose Social Democrats (SD) won the Slovenian general election in a phone call Wednesday morning. Sanader and Pahor both stressed the interest of their countries for good neighbourly relations, Sanader's office said in a press release. More » The government adopted several resolutions on development aid Wednesday, earmarking EUR 20,000 for a Slovenian association of NGOs, EUR 10,000 for the Roma Education Fund and EUR 5,000 for the OSCE's training for elections in Afghanistan. More » Twelve days after 21 September general election, the National Electoral Commission announced on Friday official results of the vote. The winner of the election is the Social Democrats (SD) with 29 seats in the 90-member legislative body, followed closely by the outgoing ruling Slovenian Democrats (SDS) with 28 seats. More » The Slovenian police and the regional UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have signed an agreement on cooperation in processing asylum applications on EU external border in Slovenia. More » Public Administration Minister Gregor Virant gave out three Best Practice Awards on Monday at the beginning of the 8th annual Conference on Best Practice in Slovenian Public Administration at Brdo pri Kranju. The "virus of quality and good practice" in public administration is spreading quickly, he said. More » Slovenia and Switzerland signed an agreement on Friday under which Switzerland would provide EUR 1.5m Swiss francs (EUR 950,000) for technical assistance aimed at enhancing auditing, public oversight and financial reporting. The training will be conducted by the World Bank. More » A meeting of a joint commission dealing with the Slovenian-Croatian border brought Tuesday a proposal from the Croatian side for an agreement. Davorin Rudolf, the chair of the Croatian delegation, said the details were discussed and the commission agreed to seek a compromise which could lead to a solution. More » The European Court of Human Rights on Friday struck out the case brought against Slovenia by three Croatian savers of the defunct LB bank, closing a decade-long process. Setting an important precedent for this issue, the Grand Chamber upheld the ruling in which the court already threw out the case in 2006. More » President Danilo Tuerk on Friday called the maiden session of the new sitting of the Slovenian National Assembly for 15 October. He took the opportunity to receive outgoing deputies and ministers at the presidential palace and thank them for the job done. More » Slovenian Labour Minister Marjeta Cotman pointed to the "lasting and difficult negotiations" on the working time and temporary workers directives at an EU ministerial in Luxembourg on Tuesday, adding that any major changes might endanger the balance of the compromise reached during Slovenia's EU presidency. More » The Slovenian Chief-of-Staff, Lt-Gen Albin Gutman, received in Ljubljana on Tuesday the Austrian golden mark of honour for his merit in cooperation between the Slovenian and Austrian armed forces. More » The Slovenian Armed Forces presented Tuesday the first of the 135 armoured personnel carriers that it has bought from Finnish contractor Patria. The vehicle will undergo a four-week validation test before the military will officially take over the vehicle. More » Slovenia backed a gradual transformation of the EU's military mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina into a civilian operation on the first day of informal EU defence ministerial in France's Deauville. More » EU defence ministers, on Thursday wrapped up a two-day informal meeting in France's Deauville with a discussion on the initiative for the exchange of EU military officers. A source in the Slovenian delegation told STA that Slovenia supported the initiative as it boosted the exchange of know-how and experience among EU soldiers. More » The Association of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia (ZSSS) wants an economically stable, secure and sustainable pension system, ZSSS president Dusan Semolic told the press on Tuesday. Semolic called on the new government to consult the trade unions before making any changes concerning pensions. More » An analysis by the Economic Institute of the Ljubljana Law School (EIPF) suggests that food prices, one of the biggest generators of inflation, have been pushed up by soaring demand on the back of pay rises. Yet in the producer-to-consumer chain, it was retailers that made the biggest profits. More » Application of the act on financial management, insolvency proceedings and compulsory winding-up, which entered into force in January, starts Wednesday. The act introduces two new legal instruments to Slovenian legislation, personal bankruptcy and heritage bankruptcy. More » Development Minister Ziga Turk addressed Wednesday's seminar on energy efficiency dubbed "Efficient with Energy 008", saying that the biggest energy problems included reliability of the supply and sources of energy, fluctuation of energy prices and issues related with the environment and climate change. More » Publisher Reader's Digest has awarded the winners of its second Trusted Brands study in Slovenia, which looks at the most trusted brands by consumers. Among the winning brands are Slovenian home appliances maker Gorenje, car maker Renault and mobile phone producer Nokia. More » The Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD), a government think-tank, has revised the economic growth and inflation forecasts for Slovenia. It expects the economy to expand 4.8% this year, up 0.4 points from its spring forecast, while year-on-year inflation is projected at 5.3%, up from 4%. More » Food prices in Slovenia and profitability in retail and food industries are below the EU average, according to a study commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce. Food prices in Slovenia were well below the EU average before 2000, which is why raw material price hikes have caused them to grow faster than in the bloc since. More » Privatisation in Slovenia and management buyouts were in the focus of Thursday's panel organised by the Manager Association. The panel saw economists and business executives exchanging opinions and ideas, including that MBOs also happen in a wish of the management elite to fight off the influence of the political elite. More » The Managers' Association of Slovenia (MAS) conferred on Thursday in Maribor the Manager of the Year Award on Marijan Jurenec, general manager of Pro Plus, the company owning both leading commercial TV stations in Slovenia, POP TV and Kanal A. More » Krka, the Novo mesto-based pharmaceutical company, launched Friday an EUR 8.5m laboratory for the development of products from the phase of the theoretical study of chemical synthesis to the transfer to an industrial scale. More »