Latest News from Slovenia
Slovenia’s women’s ski-jumping team wins silver at World Championship
Oberstdorf – Slovenia’s Nika Križnar, Špela Rogelj, Urša Bogataj and Ema Klinec won silver at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, on Friday, missing gold by just 1.4 points. This is first medal for Slovenia’s women’s ski-jumping team at a world championship.
EU much better coordinated and prepared a year into epidemic, debate hears
Ljubljana – About a year into the Covid-19 pandemic, the EU is better prepared to the crisis than at the beginning and better coordinated, agreed participants of Friday’s online debate hosted by the office of the European Parliament in Slovenia. Currently, the EU has high hopes of Covid-19 vaccines but is faced with problems in their supply, they said.
Kustec rejects criticism over distance learning, dialogue
Ljubljana – Education Minister Simona Kustec, who faces an ouster motion, rejected criticism voiced against her by the opposition. She said the Education Ministry had introduced distance learning immediately after school closure in the first wave of the epidemic and had been in dialogue with trade unions and head teachers.
Parliamentary body calls for new concept of demographic fund
Ljubljana – After discussing the government’s Demographic Fund bill at the request of the opposition, the parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Public Finances decided on Friday that the concept did not provide a long-term sustainability of pension funding. It thus called on the government to draw up a new, better solution.
South African variant of novel coronavirus confirmed in Slovenia
Ljubljana – The first case of the South African variant of the novel coronavirus was confirmed in Slovenia on Friday, Health Minister Janez Poklukar told the press. The person from the area of Maribor in the north-east of the country has recently returned from Africa and was vaccinated against the coronavirus before travelling there.
Govt makes public national recovery and resilience plan, opposition calls for debate
Ljubljana – The government has declassified the draft national recovery and resilience plan after pressure from the opposition that a broad debate was required on the document. The parliamentary EU Affairs Committee discussed the plan on Friday, rejecting all recommendations from opposition parties.
Left opposition critical of Janša’s fact-finding letter to EU
Ljubljana – The left-leaning opposition responded with criticism to Prime Minister Janez Janša’s letter to the European Commission that invites a fact-finding mission to Slovenia. The responses range from assessments that he is diverting attention and calls that the situation should be calmed down, to such that he is not fit for the post.
Janša urges Von der Leyen to send fact-finding mission to Slovenia
Ljubljana – Prime Minister Janez Janša has written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with an invitation for the Commission to appoint a fact-finding mission that would visit Slovenia to get acquainted with the state of democracy, rule of law, independence of the judiciary and media plurality.
Slovenia’s GDP down 5.5% in 2020 year-on-year
Ljubljana – Slovenia’s GDP dropped 5.5% in real terms in 2020 over the year before, the Statistics Office said on Friday. Domestic spending saw a considerable drop, while external demand also suffered a blow. Data for the final quarter of last year show a year-on-year drop of 4.5%.
Status Revoked: Slovenia’s ‘Erased’ Recall Long Struggle for Justice
Twenty-nine years ago, Mirjana Ucakar discovered that she was no longer a resident of Slovenia - the Yugoslav republic in which she was born, grew up, went to school and worked.
Ucakar also found out that suddenly, she no longer had any of the basic rights that other permanent residents of Slovenia enjoyed.
Počivalšek discusses implementation of industrial strategy with peers
Ljubljana – Attending a virtual informal session of EU ministers in charge of the internal market and industry on Thursday, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek discussed with his colleagues the role of national recovery and resilience plans as instruments of implementing the industrial strategy. Corporate tax transparency was also on the agenda.
Cantarutti appointed GZS director general
Ljubljana – Former Economy Ministry State Secretary Aleš Cantarutti will take over as Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) director general on 1 April. He was appointed for four years by the GZS management board as it met for an online session on Thursday.
Ikea store opens in Ljubljana amid and despite epidemic
Ljubljana – Swedish furniture group Ikea opened its much-anticipated first store in Slovenia on Thursday. “Although this is not an opening we expected, we are grateful to be here today,” Sara Del Fabbro, the CEO at Ikea South East Europe, said at today’s inauguration event in Ljubljana’s BTC shopping district amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Natural gas-powered vehicles to be exempt from excise duties
Ljubljana – The government has drafted legislative changes under which drivers of motor vehicles powered by natural gas will be exempt from paying excise duties until the end of 2025. The government says this pursues Slovenia’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in transport.
Lampič wins cross-country sprint bronze at world championships
Oberstdorf – Slovenian cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič won the bronze medal in the women’s classical sprint at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Germany’s Oberstdorf on Thursday. She missed out on the silver medal by a mere 0.02 seconds.