Addressing the central Independence and Unity Day ceremony on Tuesday, President Danilo Tuerk highlighted the respect Slovenia enjoys in the international arena. He also called for a responsible and concerted response to the financial crisis and for dialogue that will help overcome historical divisions in the country.
Prime Minister Borut Pahor, who was visiting Slovenian troops in Kosovo on Friday, told the soldiers at a ceremony marking Slovenia's Independence and Unity Day, 26 December, that small countries usually have to fight for their statehood, it is not simply given to them. "We can only achieve great things together, if we are united," said Pahor. He warned that soon the country will be forced to face another issue, which will demand its unity - the economic crisis. Slovenia can overcome the crisis and continue its path toward the most developed and compassionate countries, however, only "if we can count on one another".
Interior Minister Katarina Kresal has told STA that the issue of the erased has all too often been abused for political means. The ministry plans to put an end to this by strictly observing the 2003 Constitutional Court ruling and issuing decisions that retroactively reinstate permanent residence. More »
He would go to the end of the world looking for justice for the poor and suffering children and hard-working women, Argentina-born Slovenian missionary in Madagascar Pedro Opeka has said in an interview for STA. He believes the financial crisis was to be expected. "The egocentric economy ran up against a wall." More »
Journalist Rosvita Pesek has told an interview with STA that only Demos, the winning coalition of parties in the first multi-party elections in Slovenia in 1990, was capable of making such a fast and clear cut from Yugoslavia 18 years ago. More »
A survey has shown that 83.3% of people living in Ljubljana are satisfied with the work of Mayor Zoran Jankovic, while 14.6% think that he is doing a poor job. On a scale of 1 to 5, Jankovic received an average grade of of 3.7. More »
There is a great gap in the analysis of an important part of Slovenia's history, a respected Slovenian politician and the speaker of Slovenia's first parliament, France Bucar, said at Tuesday's presentation of a new book on independence by Rosvita Pesek, a journalist and editor of public broadcaster TV Slovenija. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor and representatives of NGOs discussed future cooperation, as they met on Tuesday. The government and civil society representatives agreed on the points that NGOs expect from the cabinet, especially in the coming year, which will be marked with growing economic and social tensions, Pahor said. More »
The coalition parties said Tuesday they wanted an extraordinary session of parliament to analyse a recent Court of Audits report on the phasing of EU funds and debate ways to improve the channeling of money from the EU's budget. More »
Addressing the central Independence and Unity Day ceremony on Tuesday, President Danilo Tuerk highlighted the respect Slovenia enjoys in the international arena. He also called for a responsible and concerted response to the financial crisis and for dialogue that will help overcome historical divisions in the country. More »
Former Prime Minister Janez Jansa, who was reportedly groomed for the top job at NATO, told the freesheet Zurnal24 on Wednesday he does not intend to accept a job abroad. More »
The government appointed on Wednesday a seven-member Staffing and Accreditation Council, which will help cabinet members in the appointment of supervisory and management board members at majority state-owned companies. More »
As the economy struggles to weather the crisis, the government decided Wednesday to do some belt-tightening itself. The salaries of ministers and state secretaries will be cut by about EUR 200 gross while the 2,350 public sector directors will not get a 0.5% pay increase in 2009, which is expected to save some EUR 500,000. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor, who is visiting Slovenian troops in Kosovo on Friday, told the soldiers at a ceremony marking Slovenia's Independence and Unity Day, 26 December, that small countries usually have to fight for their statehood, it is not simply given to them. More »
After the government announced it would seek to freeze pay rise for public sector employees, a trade union association representing half of them said on Saturday it would insist on the agreed rise in January. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor spoke of his ambition to change the standard of governance in Slovenia and of political pressure he is facing from the ruling coalition in an interview with Saturday's daily Dnevnik. He said people were "managing affairs at supervisory and management boards [of state-owned companies], using my name as an alibi". More »
Salaries in the public sector were expected to increase by an average of nearly 10% next year, but the government and public sector trade unions agreed Monday to start renegotiating the sectoral collective agreement and restrain wage growth in the face of the deteriorating economic situation. More »
In a response to Friday's final confirmation of the Italian budget for 2009, which envisages drastic cuts in funding of the Slovenian minority, Prime Minister Borut Pahor said on Tuesday he expected from Rome to adequately fill the gap in funds as soon as possible. More »
The Slovenian Foreign Ministry expressed on Sunday great concern over the latest escalation of violence in Gaza and the south of Israel. It said on its website that ending the violence is of key importance for fulfiling the promises that both sides gave as part of the peace process. More »
Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar received in Ljubljana on Monday Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator for the Sudanese Liberation Army Suleiman Jamous, who acquainted him with the humanitarian and security situation in the region of Darfur, the Foreign Ministry said. More »
An association representing the Italian ethnic minority in Slovenia appealed on the Slovenian government on Saturday not to interrupt Croatia's accession to the EU, while urging the Croatian government to enhance its efforts to adapt to European standards. More »
Government Secretary General Milan M. Cvikl on Monday presented the government's work plan for 2009 which includes a list of about 700 legal acts and regulations that the government intends to adopt next year. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor and Defence Minister Ljubica Jelusic visited on Friday Slovenian troops taking part in the NATO-led KFOR mission, EU's Eulex and UN's UNMIK operations in Kosovo. More »
The deputy chief-of-staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Major General Alojz Steiner, visited on Sunday Slovenian troops taking part in the EUFOR peacekeeping mission to Chad. More »
Slovenia's state-owned development and export bank, SID, issued EUR 250m-worth of bonds on Tuesday to secure funds for long term loans to commercial banks and, consequently, provide financing for companies which have problems getting credit. More »
The government adopted on Wednesday a bill that will allow it to subsidise wages at companies which are shortening the working week to cope with shrinking order books. More »
In a bid to help the ailing Slovenian economy, the government instructed the Finance Ministry on Wednesday to amend the regulations on payment terms for the state so that these are reduced to a maximum of 30 days. More »
Small- and medium-sized companies prevailed in Slovenia in 2007. A report from the national Statistics Office shows that fewer than 1% of enterprises in Slovenia had 250 or more employees. Out of 101,031 companies registered in Slovenia in 2007, 270 were large. More »
A spokesperson for Gazprom, the world's biggest gas company, said in Moscow on Saturday that company officials would resume talks with Slovenia within a month to reach agreement on the construction of a pipeline through Slovenia. More »
IUV, the Vrhnika-based leather manufacturer, declared bankruptcy Monday. The company failed to secure fresh funds in a capital increase in December and is now insolvent and illiquid, the management said in a press release. More »
A long crisis at Skimar group, the owner of sports goods maker Elan, culminated Monday in the resignation of the acting boss, Ivan Strlekar, who says he can no longer head a company which faces a "complete management blockade". More »
Stock exchange operator Wiener Boerse has challenged a ruling from the Slovenian Securities Market Agency (ATVP) suspending its voting rights in Ljubljanska borza, the operator of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange. More »
Slovenia's annual consumer price index continued its downward spiral, falling to 2.1% in December, a drop of one percentage point over the month before, the national Statistics Office said Tuesday. More »
The turmoil on the global financial and economic markets is a serious problem also for Slovenian farming, chair of the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry (KGZS) Ciril Smrkolj said on Tuesday. More »
The largest opposition party, the Slovenian Democrats (SDS), established an expert council on Tuesday. According to SDS leader Janez Jansa, the body will above all support the party's deputy group, examine draft legislation and draft proposals for new bills. More »
Transport Minister Patrick Vlacic announced Wednesday an extraordinary audit of the books of Luka Koper, the majority state-owned port operator, quoting "many uncertainties and warnings about irregularities in business practice". More »
Public transport companies carried 38 million passengers by road in 2007, which marks a 1.5% rise on the year before. Air passenger numbers increased by 11.6% to 1.1 million last year, according to a report from the Statistics Office. More »
Slovenian Mufti Nedzad Grabus and Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Jankovic signed on Wednesday a contract for the sale of 11,364 sq metres of land on which the Muslim community in Slovenia wants to build its first mosque. The community bought the land at an auction for EUR 4,579,692 earlier this year. More »
Bishop Geza Ernisa, the leader of the Evangelic Lutheran Church, called for a new ethos and a fairer world order in his Christmas message on Wednesday, noting that Christ was coming to a world in which many were sad, sick and suffering. More »
Slovenia's best cross-country skier, Petra Majdic, on Monday bagged another podium spot in the Tour de Ski cross-country series. She finished 3rd in the third stage of the event in Prague behind Italian Arianna Follis and Aino Kaisa Saarinen of Finland. More »
Schedule of events in the week from 30 December to 4 January: More »
Ljubljana, 30 December
Slovenia News 23 December 2008
Editorial
Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar on Friday defended the government's decision to pull the brakes on Croatia's EU accession. "Slovenia had to protect its vital national interests...The decision was not easy and Slovenia is not enjoying the situation," he said.
The National Assembly confirmed in a unanimous vote on Monday changes to the tax procedure and income tax acts, two of the measures from the EUR 800m bailout package that the government adopted last week. Finance Minister Franc Krizanic said the changes were worth a combined EUR 50m.
President Danilo Tuerk bestowed the Golden Order for Services on Spomenka Hribar and her spouse Tine Hribar for their contribution to Slovenia's independence and democratisation on Monday. Tine Hribar also received the decoration for his work in the field of philosophy.
Minister of Labour, the Family and Social Affairs, Ivan Svetlik, is not pessimistic in the face of the ongoing economic turmoil. In fact he is confident that Slovenia's welfare system is good and fit to respond to the crisis, and says that Slovenia has shown it can cope in a much worse economic situation. More »
Slovenia's new defence minister has promised a thorough review of Slovenia's defence strategy at the outset of her term. Ljubica Jelusic emphasises that changes are necessary, including those related to Slovenia's commitments to NATO. More »
Eight Constitutional Court rulings have not been implemented yet by parliament, including the ruling on the erased, while the deadline for ten rulings has not expired yet. Among the latter is the ruling on judges' salaries, which will be a burning issue in the future, Constitutional Court President Joze Tratnik has told STA. More »
The Constitutional Court has ruled that several articles of the public sector wage system act regulating the salaries of judges are not in line with the Constitution, in what is a nod to grievances coming from Slovenian judges. Justice Minister Ales Zalar said he was not surprised by the ruling. More »
Like the citizens of all countries included in the US visa-waiver programme, Slovenian nationals wanting to travel to the United States will be required to apply online for a Travel Authorisation as of 12 January. The travel authorisation is valid for two years, and for unlimited number of trips. More »
New Education Minister Igor Luksic said on Thursday that there would be no major changes in the educational system, because it was good in its present form. "We will only consider how to improve the existing situation with minimum corrections," he added. More »
President Danilo Tuerk called on the government and parliament to move to deal with his initiative for constitutional changes concerning the Constitutional Court as he addressed a ceremony marking Constitution Day, which Slovenia observes on 23 December. More »
Tine Hribar, a respected philosopher and public intellectual, has announced a reform of the Slovenian Constitution, which will be prepared by a group of independent intellectuals and non-partisan experts headed by former parliament speaker France Bucar, but under the aegis of the parliament. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor, who has come under fire from the opposition for staffing in the public administration and state-owned companies, is not entirely satisfied about the results of his efforts to change staffing policy, but he told TV Slovenija on Monday that new rules would be strictly followed next year. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor said Monday the government would strictly follow the 2003 Constitutional Court ruling on the erased, nearly 18,000 people from the former Yugoslavia taken off the permanent residence registry in 1992. More »
President Danilo Tuerk bestowed the Golden Order for Services on Spomenka Hribar and her spouse Tine Hribar for their contribution to Slovenia's independence and democratisation on Monday. Tine Hribar also received the decoration for his work in the field of philosophy. More »
The premier of Italy's Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, Renzo Tondo, signed on Wednesday a decree of the Slovenian minority protection act, which will enable the use of the Slovenian language in public. Some of the 32 municipalities populated by the minority however failed to give the green light for the implementation of bilinguality. More »
An organisation representing the Slovenian minority in the Austrian province of Carinthia protested with Austrian President Heinz Fischer on Thursday against a resolution of the Carinthian parliament calling for a stop to additional bilingual signposts in the province. More »
In a response to Friday's final confirmation confirmation of the Italian budget for 2009, which envisages cuts in the Slovenian minority budget, the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it expected from the Italian government to adequately fill the gap in funds as soon as possible. More »
Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar on Friday highlighted the defending of Slovenian economic interests in the world, development, and humanitarian aid as the priorities of Slovenian diplomacy in 2009. He also announced a redefining of foreign policy and the creation of conditions for stable relations at the ministry. More »
Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Jankovic met his Moscow counterpart Yuri Luzhkov on Thursday. The pair agreed that the relations between the cities were very good, they however intend to strengthen cooperation, especially in transport, infrastructure, housing and welfare, and culture. More »
A controversial new law on golf courses that the Croatian parliament passed on Monday has been met with dismay in Slovenia, with the main parties in parliament saying that the move came at an inopportune time when the two countries are trying to solve their border dispute. More »
Slovenia will raise the red flag as Croatia and the EU hold the next round of accession negotiations on Friday. Slovenia agrees to the opening of one and the closure of three policy chapters, but it has reservations about the remaining chapters, Prime Minister Borut Pahor announced Wednesday. More »
The European Commission regrets Slovenia's decision not to accept the proposal of the French presidency that would end the deadlock in Croatia's EU accession talks, Krisztina Nagy, the spokesperson of the Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, said in Brussels on Thursday. More »
President Danilo Tuerk voiced support Thursday for the decision of the Slovenian government to withhold support for the continuation of Croatia's EU accession talks. He said this was "necessary for the protection of national interests". More »
The government has confirmed it would pull the brakes on Croatia's EU accession due to reservations related to the disputed border. Slovenia is protecting its national interests and preventing problems from piling up and possibly leading to a referendum on Croatia's EU entry, Prime Minister Borut Pahor said Thursday. More »
Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor said Friday he wanted to meet his Croatian counterpart Ivo Sanader as soon as possible in order to discuss Slovenia's reservations which caused the holdup in Croatia's EU accession talks. More »
The parliamentary committees on EU affairs and foreign policy backed at a joint session on Friday government's decision to block Croatia's EU accession talks due to reservations related to some documents which Croatia had submitted and in Slovenia's opinion prejudge the border between the countries. More »
Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar on Friday defended the government's decision to pull the brakes on Croatia's EU accession. "Slovenia had to protect its vital national interests...The decision was not easy and Slovenia is not enjoying the situation," he said. More »
President Danilo Tuerk believes it is time to resolve the border dispute with Croatia. "But we are not in a particular hurry, we have no deadlines," he said in an interview for the Saturday supplement of Delo. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor has reiterated that Slovenia's government had to act to protect its interests in relation to Croatia in EU accession negotiations. The alternative would probably be a referendum on Croatia's membership, whose consequences could be far worse. More »
Slovenian unionists joined thousands of protesters who took to the streets of Strasbourg, France, Tuesday to vent their opposition to the EU working time directive that the European Parliament is expected to pass at the ongoing session. More »
While Slovenian trade unions welcomed on Wednesday the decision of the European Parliament to reject the EU working time directive expanding the 48-hour working week, Labour Minister regretted that the MEPs failed to endorse a compromise proposal reached under the Slovenian EU presidency. Slovenian MEPs were split in the vote. More »
Denmark has decided to open its labour market to Slovenian workers by May 2009, at the end of the second transitional period, the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Vladimir Spidla confirmed in Brussels on Wednesday. More »
Spectacles maker Carrera Optyl from Ormoz will lay off 303 out of more than 1,400 employees in the following three months, while the process of administration has forced the Novo mesto-based apparel maker Beti Moda to make half of its 100 workers redundant. Meanwhile, caravan maker Adria Mobil announced softer measures on Monday. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor and Economy Minister Matej Lahovnik promised the Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS) Tuesday that the government would keep in mind small businesses as it decides what measures to take to alleviate the impact of the economic crisis. More »
The Securities Market Agency (ATVP) called on Wednesday on the Wiener Boerse to publish a takeover bid for the remaining 19.99% stake of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, which is currently held by minority shareholders. More »
Measures that the government intends to take to alleviate the impact of the economic crisis were put to social partners on Wednesday, but the debate at the Economic and Social Council showed that "consensus has been reached on certain areas but not in others," said Development Minister Mitja Gaspari. More »
Trade unions presented on Thursday a joint memorandum containing proposals for measures to tackle the economic crisis. The unions stressed that the crisis must not become an excuse for curbing workers' rights. More »
Newspaper publisher Delo has adopted a single tier management structure at its general assembly on Thursday. Current chief supervisor Andrijana Starina Kosem will head the new management board. More »
The government's proposed measures for dealing with the economic slowdown received a stamp of approval Thursday from the Strategic Economic Council, a group advising the prime minister on economic affairs. More »
The general assembly of KAD appointed on Thursday Borut Jamnik interim chairman of the state-run fund effective on Friday. Jamnik, who was already the boss of KAD between 2003 and 2005, will succeed Uros Rozic, who took over from Tomaz Toplak in June. More »
The Slovenian government adopted on Thursday an EUR 800m stimulus package aimed at dealing with the economic slowdown. The proposed measures will be debated at an emergency session of parliament on Monday, Development Minister Mitja Gaspari told the press. More »
The Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD) downgraded Slovenia's growth forecast for 2009 Friday to 1.1%, down from 3.1% projected in September. This year Slovenia's GDP was expected to expand by 4.8%, but now the IMAD believes it will top out at 4.1% as exports and investment drop. More »
Drasko Veselinovic was appointed Friday the new chief executive of NLB, Slovenia's no. 1 bank. Veselinovic, who holds a PhD in economics and is currently the boss of a small bank, will succeed Marjan Kramar on 1 February 2009. More »
The social partners associated in the the Economic and Social Council endorsed on Friday the government's proposal for measures addressing the economic slowdown. The council believes that the measures aimed primarily at preserving competitiveness and jobs go in the right direction, while certain partners expected more. More »
The parliamentary Finance Committee on Monday confirmed the EUR 800m stimulus package adopted by the government last week, despite criticism from the opposition that the measures are not robust enough. The package is now being debated at the plenary session of parliament. More »
The National Assembly confirmed in a unanimous vote on Monday changes to the tax procedure and income tax acts, two of the measures from the EUR 800m bailout package that the government adopted last week. Finance Minister Franc Krizanic said the changes were worth a combined EUR 50m. More »
The latest Eurobarometer survey shows that Slovenians are relatively optimistic about the EU, national development and the economic outlook. Inflation remains the greatest concern for 57% of Slovenians, though the share has fallen 14 percentage points down from the last survey. More »
The latest Vox populi survey, published on Sunday by commercial station POP TV, shows the support for the incumbent government of almost 56%. The respondents were however more critical of Prime Minister Borut Pahor, who has lost some of popularity. More »
Factory-gate prices in Slovenia dropped by 0.8% at the monthly level in November, but increased by 2.9% since the beginning of the year and went up by 3.1% year-on-year, according to the latest report from the national Statistics Office. More »
Slovenian industry saw its sales revenues drop 3.2% and a decline in orders of 21% in October over the month before, according to preliminary data released by the national Statistics Office. More »
A total of 3,486 second-hand apartments were sold in the first nine months of 2008, which is 33% less than in the same period last year, according to the data published on Monday by the national Statistics Office. More »
Slovenian Agriculture Minister Milan Pogacnik held talks with three European commissioners and his Czech counterpart Petr Gandulovic before the start of a session of the EU's Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on Thursday. More »
A genetic analysis of Slovenia's brown bears commissioned by the Environment Agency has put the size of the population at between 394 and 475 animals, down from previous estimates that put the figure between 500 and 700 animals. More »
The University of Ljubljana on Wednesday signed with the European Patent Office (EPU) and the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office a contract on a multi-year pilot project called "Technology Transfer from University to Industry". More »
The National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously ratified the Stabilisation and Accession Agreement (SAA) with Bosnia-Herzegovina. Slovenia has thus become the first EU member state to ratify the agreement that Bosnia signed with the EU on 16 June and the European Parliament ratified in October. More »
The president of the Slovenian Corruption Prevention Commission, Drago Kos, has been named the co-chair of the European Partners Against Corruption (EPAC), the biggest European association of national anti-graft authorities, the commission said on Monday. More »
Slovenia will donate EUR 30,000 to a NATO fund which will support the formation of security forces in Kosovo, the government decided on Thursday. More »
Slovenian flag carrier Adria Airways will expand its fleet to 14 airplanes Friday with a Bombardier CRJ 900, while another Canadair regional jet of the same type is expected to arrive in Slovenia in the beginning of 2009, the company said Thursday. More »
As the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 draws to a close, the ambassador of intercultural dialogue, Slovenian conceptual artist Marko Peljhan, said on Tuesday that the celebration of such dialogue should not last only for a year but be seen as an endless process. More »
The Sever Awards for achievements in stage acting this year went to Uros Fuerst and Ana Facchini. The awards, conferred annually by the Stane Sever Foundation, were given out at a ceremony in Skofja Loka on Sunday evening. More »
Pianist Marina Horak and the Trutamora Slovenica group have won this year's Betetto Award, the highest recognition for artistic achievement in music and contribution to Slovenia's musical heritage.The award, named after Slovenian opera singer Julij Betetto (1885-1963), was conferred on Monday by the Society of Slovenian Musical Artists (DGUS). More »
President Danilo Tuerk received on Wednesday the families of those who fell in the independence war for Slovenia in 1991. "We should honour and thank them. They had great courage to defend us, you, freedom and the democratic decision of Slovenians," he said at the reception. More »
Parliament Speaker Pavel Gantar on Thursday accepted the Light of Peace from Bethlehem from Slovenian scouts, saying that politicians needed it the most, for it was often them who decide on war or peace. More »
Representatives of the Slovenian Muslim Community and the Catholic Church met on Thursday to discuss human rights and intercultural dialogue, the Slovenian Bishops' Conference said. More »
Archbishop Alojz Uran said in this year's Christmas message on Friday that each year people experience Christmas holidays differently. Everything that happened in the past year "has marked us and changed us," Uran noted. More »
One of Slovenia's most popular actors ever, Zlatko Sugman, died at his home in Ljubljana on Tuesday morning, aged 76. The news was confirmed by Mestno gledalisce ljubljansko (MGL) theatre, the ensemble he had worked with for most of his life. More »
The Slovenian Catholic Church has awarded the best known Slovenian missionary, Pedro Opeka, for his missionary, educational and humanitarian work in Madagascar, where he has helped thousands of children living in extreme poverty. More »
Boris Pahor, a Slovenian writer living near Trieste in Italy, was proclaimed the "Name of the Year" by public broadcaster RTV Slovenija's radio station Val 202 on Thursday. More »
Slovenia's Petra Majdic continued her streak on the World Cup cross-country circuit Saturday. She won the freestyle event in Duesseldorf, edging Russia's Natalia Matveeva and Maiken Caspersen Falla of Norway. More »
Slovenia's field star Primoz Kozmus and swimming sensation Sara Isakovic have been selected Athletes of the Year in the men's and women's categories for 2008. More »
Health Minister Borut Miklavcic said in Brussels on Tuesday that the EU should set up the system of referential centres for cross-border treatment as soon as possible, adding that such centres could be established also in Slovenia. "Slovenia is not only a country that would send its patients abroad, it can also receive foreign patients," he said. More »
The government has decided to reform the health care system to make it more accessible for everybody regardless of social and any other differences, Prime Minister Borut Pahor said after his Friday meeting with Health Minister Borut Miklavcic. Miklavcic meanwhile announced two new bills on health care and health insurance. More »
Changes to health care and health insurance act that will exempt the poor from top-up health insurance payments will enter into force on 1 January 2009, the Health Ministry said on Monday. More »
The European Commission endorsed on Thursday Slovenia's programme under the External Borders Fund for the 2007-2013 period, worth EUR 47m, and Slovenia's annual programmes for 2007 and 2008 under the same fund. More »
On the occasion of the 1st anniversary of Slovenia's entry to the Schengen no-border zone, Danijel Lorbek of the border police department told the press on Monday that Slovenia had been successful in carrying out the external border control and preventing illegal immigration and cross-border crime on the internal EU borders. More »
Schedule of events in the week for 23 to 28 December: More »
Ljubljana, 23 December
Slovenia News 16 December 2008
Editorial
The 60 anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a perfect occasion for Slovenia to examine the situation in the field of human rights, President Danilo Tuerk wrote in a press release on Tuesday, a day before International Human Rights Day, 10 December.
Slovenia did all that was necessary to protect its national interest in Croatia's EU accession talks and showed good will for letting Croatia continue the talks, Prime Minister Borut Pahor said on Saturday. It is now up to Croatia to take the necessary decision, Pahor said.
The government is to adopt a package of measures for alleviating the consequences of the economic uncertainty at its Thursday session, Prime Minister Borut Pahor told the press after the cabinet's meeting on Saturday.
The 60 anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a perfect occasion for Slovenia to examine the situation in the field of human rights, President Danilo Tuerk wrote in a press release on Tuesday, a day before International Human Rights Day, 10 December. More »
Human rights group Amnesty International Slovenija welcomed Tuesday the decision by the new interior minister to suspend with immediate effect the use of tasers by police. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor stressed the importance of solidarity between generations as he met with representatives of youth organisations and pensioners on Tuesday. The meetings rounded off what has been termed a "broad development dialogue". More »
Representatives of religious communities living in Slovenia agreed at a reception held late on Tuesday that intercultural and interfaith dialogue had marked the past year out. A Catholic Church official said the Church did not support a referendum on the construction of a mosque in Ljubljana. More »
A US$ 28m jet that the government bought in 2003 and is believed to have helped usher in a change of government in 2004 is becoming a political issue yet again. A five-year lease that put it out of the public eye has expired and the jet, a Dessault Falcon 2000 EX, is expected to land in Ljubljana to the dismay of the new government. More »
A number of events are being held across Slovenia on International Human Rights Day, which this year marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document that Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk labelled as a turning point in history. More »
The government decided on Wednesday to establish a staffing council which will determine conditions for the appointment of state representatives in management bodies of companies wholly or part-owned by the state. The council will comprise of seven representatives of the business sector and human resource management professionals. More »
Education Minister Igor Luksic discussed on Thursday with representatives of two major trade unions envisaged amendments to the acts on primary education and the organisation and financing of education. He was reserved about the details of the planned changes, but said that the ministry and the trade unions were on the same page. More »
Most influential Slovenian jurists cautioned against rash legislative changes as they offered their opinions on the new penal code, possible constitutional changes or new legislative solutions in Ljubljana on Thursday. More »
The head of the opposition Slovenian Democrats (SDS), former Prime Minister Janez Jansa, on Friday criticised the staffing policy of the new government, saying that there was a great discrepancy between words and deeds. More »
The prime minister's foreign policy adviser Dimitrij Rupel and his Italian opposite number Valentino Valentini agreed in Rome on Tuesday that the two countries and governments needed to uphold the tradition of good relations and thus also care for both minorities. More »
Making his first visit abroad as parliament speaker, Pavel Gantar got acquainted in Szentgotthard on Tuesday with the life of the Slovenian minority in Hungary. More »
Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel and Minister for Slovenians Abroad Bostjan Zeks received on Tuesday representatives of the Slovenian minority living in Austria, Italy and Croatia for talks that were hailed as in-depth and constructive. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor and his Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi discussed the planned cuts in funding for the Slovenian minority in Italy in Brussels on Thursday. Berlusconi promised that there will be no change in the funds available to the minority, as the Italian Senate today confirmed the budget proposal introducing the cuts. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor held a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels on Friday, discussing with his counterparts among other things Croatia's accession to the EU and the funding of the Slovenian minority in Italy. More »
Slovenian officials protested Friday against an incident at a Slovenian school in Trieste, Italy, where the principal has come under fire from local politicians because a ribbon cut at the opening of a new cafeteria Tuesday was in the colours of the Slovenian flag. More »
Edinost, an association of the Slovenian minority in Italy, responded on Sunday to the state symbols incident at a Slovenian school in Trieste, saying it was in fact the Trieste municipality which has for years been violating legal provisions regulating the use of flags in public buildings. More »
Problems, which the Slovenian minority faces in Italy are no coincidence, but a "centrally-led" initiative to diminish the minority, a former Slovenian consul general in Trieste said at a reception in Nova Gorica on Monday. More »
After several Slovenian politicians, including Prime Minister Borut Pahor, contacted their Italian counterparts regarding the proposed cuts in the Slovenian minority budget, Parliament Speaker Pavel Gantar on Tuesday expressed his concern about the issue in a letter to the chair of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Gianfranco Fini. More »
Former Slovenian Ambassador to Austria Ernest Petric received on Friday Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, the Foreign Ministry said. More »
The Friuli-Venezia Giulia regional government gave on Monday the final consent needed for the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at Aquilinia near Trieste, a project the Slovenian Environment Ministry finds unacceptable. More »
Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor has met Croatian opposition leader Zoran Milanovic reportedly to discuss efforts to resolve the current deadlock in Croatia's EU accession talks. More »
Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor told reporters in Brussels on Thursday that unless Croatia meets Slovenia's conditions regarding the question of border in its accession talks with the EU, Slovenia would block Croatia's progress in the talks. More »
Opposition leader Janez Jansa, the president of the Slovenian Democrats (SDS), said Friday there was a possibility Croatia's EU accession could face a referendum in Slovenia. "This possibility exists and Croatia should be aware of it," he said. More »
Slovenia did all that was necessary to protect its national interest in Croatia's EU accession talks and showed good will for letting Croatia continue the talks, Prime Minister Borut Pahor said on Saturday. It is now up to Croatia to take the necessary decision, Pahor said. More »
The Slovenian Pan-European Movement, led by one of the most respected Slovenian politicians France Bucar, on Monday expressed serious criticism of the way Slovenia is handling the situation with Croatia, calling for a stronger role of the National Assembly. More »
Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar said on Monday that Slovenia and Croatia needed to find an agreement on resuming Croatia's accession negotiations with the EU before Friday, when Croatia is scheduled to hold its next round of accession talks. More »
Slovenian MEP Jelko Kacin decided to mention the recent state symbols incident at a school in Trieste at Monday's plenary of the European Parliament, labeling the intervention of the Italian police "a disgrace". More »
The Slovenian and Croatian prime ministers Borut Pahor and Ivo Sanader spoke on the phone on Tuesday about the prospects of Croatia resuming its EU accession talks, but have failed to reconcile their positions. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor defended Tuesday his decision to name Dimitrij Rupel his foreign policy adviser, an appointment that has irked his coalition partners. However, tensions seem to have eased off and a tentative call for an emergency summit has been downgraded to a meeting of party presidents before tomorrow's cabinet session. More »
Slovenia's biggest union confederation, ZSSS, took the opportunity of Human Rights Day on Wednesday to stress that workers' rights are also human rights and that poverty is robbing people of their dignity. More »
Slovenia's Labour Minister Ivan Svetlik has said that the government is drawing up measures to retain jobs during the economic downturn. A key measure will be the financing of working time in companies opting to reduce the working week instead of resorting to job cuts. More »
Slovenia's unemployment statistics are deteriorating as companies cut the workforce to cope with the economic crisis. The registered unemployment rate is projected to remain below 7% this year but rise to 8% or even 8.2% in 2009, Marija Poglajen, the director of the Employment Service, said Monday. More »
Hosting a reception on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Territorial Defence, the predecessor of the modern-day Slovenian army, President Danilo Tuerk said on Friday that Slovenia would lack many things it had now if it were not for the Territorial Defence. More »
The Slovenian subsidiary of Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank International got Tuesday a EUR 35m credit line from the European Investment Bank (EIB) that will be used for the crediting of Slovenian business, the bank said. More »
The Slovenian telecoms watchdog has informed the European Commission that the two-month deadline Brussels set for additional information on the alleged joint market dominance of two mobile operators in Slovenia is too short and that it will make a new analysis of the market. The Commission welcomed the decision on Tuesday. More »
SOD, the state-owned fund in charge of settling financial claims related to denationalisation, said Tuesday it would need additional funds if it is to honour all the obligations due in 2009. More »
The Securities Market Agency has fined four major shareholders of Mercator a combined EUR 670,000 for acting in concert in the acquisition of Slovenia's leading retailer and acquiring a controlling stake in the company without publishing a takeover bid. More »
The government drafted on Wednesday a proposal for an executive act that paves the way for state loans to banks in need of cash because of the financial crisis. The proposal, which will now wander to parliament before a final version is adopted by the cabinet, comes on top of a EUR 12bn state guarantees scheme for interbank loans. More »
The government appointed Wednesday new members of the oversight bodies of KAD and SOD, the state-owned funds which manage assets on behalf of the government. Finance Minister Franc Krizanic said the new people were appointed because the terms of most of the old members were running out shortly. More »
The government appointed on Wednesday a strategic economic council tasked with advising the cabinet on economic issues during the global financial crisis, Prime Minister Borut Pahor told the press. Its ranks are filled by some of Slovenia's biggest names in business. More »
The general assembly of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) on Wednesday discussed the impact of the global financial crisis, concluding that the crisis was already felt by export-oriented Slovenian companies and that it was also hitting the real sector. More »
Chairwoman of SKB bank Cvetka Selsek believes the current global economic situation could not be described as a recession any longer but as a deep crisis. She added that it was good that the state was responding. More »
Industrial group Kolektor and the Maribor-based foundry MLM have cut the working week from 40 to 36 hours in response to declining orders. As an additional measure, Kolektor, whose main line of business is commutators, will put its workers on a three-week leave. More »
The government is to adopt a package of measures for alleviating the consequences of the economic uncertainty at its Thursday session, Prime Minister Borut Pahor told the press after the cabinet's meeting on Saturday. More »
The December Politbaromoter poll showed that 68% of the respondents were critical of the decision of Prime Minister Borut Pahor to appoint former Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel his special foreign affairs aide. However, the government still had support of slightly over a half of the respondents. More »
The latest regular weekly poll of daily Delo shows that most Slovenians believe the government is too slow in responding to the financial crisis. An overwhelming majority also believes that the Slovenian president paid too much for his recent flight to Bosnia. More »
Slovenia's economy grew at an annual rate of 3.8% in the third quarter of 2008, which is substantially down from 5.5% in the second quarter of the year, the national Statistics Office said on Wednesday. Seasonally and working days adjusted GDP increased 3.5% year-on-year. More »
Average net pay in Slovenia stood at EUR 917.64 in October, up 1.4% compared to September and 8.4% more than in October last year, the Statistics Office said on Monday. More »
An international study has found that Slovenian eighth-graders are among the best in the world in science, while their mathematics skills are on the average side. More »
Broadband take-up has been steadily rising in Slovenia. It hit 58% in the third quarter of this year, up 1.9 points over the previous quarter, according to the quarterly telecoms market report by the Agency for Post and Telecommunications. More »
The parliamentary EU Affairs Committee confirmed on Tuesday that Slovenia would give the green light for the closure of two and the opening of one chapter in Croatia's accession negotiations with the EU. Slovenia does not find these chapters disputable, because they do not prejudge the border between the countries. More »
Prime Minister Borut Pahor was happy with the climate deal reached at the EU summit in Brussels on Friday, saying "the cost and benefits of the climate and energy package will be fairly divided among the member states". He sees the agreement as "a good development opportunity for Slovenia". More »
Environment Minister Karl Erjavec has hailed the EU's climate change and energy package, which was confirmed at the recent EU summit, as "relatively favourable". It will allow Slovenia to increase non-tradeable emissions by 4% and it makes provisions for carbon sinks, Erjavec told the press on Tuesday. More »
The government discussed at Wednesday's session a resolution withdrawing two Slovenian instructors serving in the NATO-led mission in Iraq. It decided that it would consult parliament before taking a final decision. More »
President and Commander-in-Chief Danilo Tuerk has welcomed Monday's decision of the government to pull out both Slovenian military instructors from Iraq by the end of the year, the president's office wrote on Tuesday. More »
Transport Minister Patrick Vlacic and European Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani agreed in Brussels on Tuesday that Slovenia's motorway tolling system would be debated at a technical meeting with the European Commission in the near future. More »
Adria Airways will postpone the scheduled construction of a new maintenance hangar because of the financial crisis, the flag carrier's chairman Tadej Tufek has told a daily. Tufek added that the carrier was preparing plans in the event of a major economic downturn. More »
Transport Minister Patrick Vlacic announced on Monday that the government would dismiss the supervisory board of rail operator Slovenske zeleznice (which would in turn replace the management) due to liquidity problems, losses in cargo transport and the news that Christmas bonuses would be paid out even though the company is in the red. More »
Culture Minister Majda Sirca met on Tuesday with her Serbian counterpart Nebojsa Bradic. The ministers discussed future cooperation between the two countries in the field of culture and said they would sign a cooperation agreement that would include the promotion of literary translation from and to both languages. More »
Slovakia's "Four" by Ivana Sebestova and Austria's "Night Still" by Elke Groen won the Grand Prize at the conclusion of the 5th Animateka festival of animated film on Saturday in Ljubljana. More »
An exhibition featuring photos and busts of anti-communist dissident Joze Pucnik and Former President Janez Drnovsek opened on Monday at Ljubljana's National Museum of Contemporary History. Highlights of the display are two controversial busts of the politicians, said Joze Dezman, the museum director and the initiator of the exhibition. More »
The Slovenian section of human rights organisation Amnesty International celebrated its 20th anniversary on Tuesday, the eve of International Human Rights Day, with an exhibition in the Ljubljana Town Hall. More »
Former US Vice President turned environmental activist Al Gore paid a highly publicised visit to Slovenia on Wednesday aimed at promoting the debate on climate change. He met with the highest Slovenian officials, including President Danilo Tuerk and Prime Minister Borut Pahor. More »
The Slovenian Education Ministry on Friday presented new didactic aids for education oriented toward sustainable development. Education Minister Igor Luksic said the project was intended not only for schools, but also for a wider audience, which should be educated on issues that affect the whole world. More »
Interior and defence ministers, Katarina Kresal and Ljubica Jelusic, received on Monday the families of those who fell in the independence war for Slovenia. Jelusic said on the occasion that she would be grateful if the memory of those who gave their lives for Slovenia would be kept. More »
Slovenia's Matjaz Markic won gold in men's 50m breaststroke event at the European Short-Course Swimming Championships in Rijeka, Croatia, on Sunday, while Emil Tahirovic grabbed bronze. Finishing in a time of 26.47 seconds, Markic also set a new national record. Silver went to Norway's Aleksander Hetland (26.64s) More »
Slovenian cross-country skier Petra Majdic won Sunday's World Cup sprint event in Davos, bagging her second win of the season and her first ever in free style. More »
Schedule of events in the week for 16 to 21 December: More »
Ljubljana, 16 December
Slovenia News 9 December 2008
Editorial
Prime Minister Borut Pahor met Tuesday, 2 November, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, who was happy to see Pahor's first trip abroad was to Brussels. This, he said, reflected Slovenia's commitment to the EU. Pahor's experience as one of Slovenia's MEPs would be a precious characteristics in future challenges, he added.
The government adopted on Thursday, 4 November, a regulation setting down criteria for banks which want to use EUR 12bn in state guarantees until 2010. Banks will have to pay fees depending on their rating, while the guarantees will be confirmed by government decree at the proposal of the Finance Ministry.
Slovenia's real economy is in crisis, which is set to deepen, so a summit of business executives urged on Monday, 8 November, quick and prudent measures to improve the climate of trust, access to financial resources, make Slovenian companies more competitive and save jobs. Prime Minister Borut Pahor promised the measures were on the way.
The new Minister of Local Government and Regional Policy, Zlata Plostajner, has stressed in an interview with STA that Slovenia needs provinces, but she does not believe they will be established this government term. More »
The new Education Minister, Igor Luksic, believes that developing a sense of responsibility in children is one of the key roles of schools. Doing this and including pupils in debates would "help resolve many conflicts before they erupt in the form of violence", Luksic said in an interview for STA. More »
Justice Minister Ales Zalar met Constitutional Court President Joze Tratnik Wednesday to discuss ways to reduce the court's caseload. There are two possible solutions: amendments to the Constitution or to the constitutional court act, the officials told the press. More »
The government sat down on Wednesday with the parliamentary Finance and Monetary Police Committee to discuss a regulation enacting its EUR 12bn bank guarantee package. Prime Minister Borut Pahor told the committee that the government was looking for an in-depth debate to improve its proposal. More »
The new president of the Assembly for the Republic, Gregor Virant, announced on Thursday that this influential right-leaning grouping would "closely and critically follow" the work of Slovenia's new centre-left government, and that it expected concrete results. More »
The government adopted on Thursday a regulation setting down criteria for banks which want to use EUR 12bn in state guarantees until 2010. Banks will have to pay fees depending on their rating, while the guarantees will be confirmed by government decree at the proposal of the Finance Ministry. More »
The Justice Ministry will propose to Slovenia's judges to end their months-long work-to-rule strike and to return to the negotiating table, the government decided on Thursday. More »
The Slovenian government on Thursday dismissed the director of the Government Communication Office Anze Logar and named former ambassador to Canada Veronika Stabej the acting boss until a new director with full powers is appointed. More »
President Danilo Tuerk says he is dedicated to consistent implementation of the Constitution, a creed he followed when he failed to appoint some of the nominees for ambassadors. He also urged a reform of all major world institutions in an interview with the latest edition of magazine Mladina. More »
Interior Minister Katarina Kresal has ordered the police to immediately stop using tasers, which have been used on a trial basis since mid-2006 despite vocal protests by human rights groups such as Amnesty International. More »
The parliament's Commission for Slovenians Abroad urged the appropriate authorities Tuesday to take action regarding budget cuts in Italy that will deprive the Slovenian minority there of much-needed funding. More »
The only party of the Slovenian minority in Austria, the Unity List (EL), congratulated the new Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann, his deputy Joseph Proell and Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Spindelegger, urging them to look into topical issues regarding the minority. More »
Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar met his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss the proposed cuts in Italy's funding of the Slovenian minority. If the minority has problems after six moths, it will get additional funds, Zbogar said. More »
Slovenia signed an international treaty banning the use of cluster bombs at an all-day signing ceremony featuring more than 100 countries in Oslo on Wednesday. More »
President Danilo Tuerk appointed former Agriculture Minister Iztok Jarc ambassador to Great Britain, the president's office said in a press release on Friday. More »