Latest News from Slovenia
Up to a third of Slovenian caves polluted
Slovenia has a rich underground world with caves large and small dotting the country. They have attracted cavers, visitors and researchers from near and afar for centuries, but also people who used them as a handy way to dump their waste. As a result, 20-30% of Slovenian caves are now thought to be polluted and cleaning them is a major challenge.
Telekom Slovenije faces €123 million class action lawsuit
An association of small shareholders has filed a class action lawsuit against Telekom Slovenije, Slovenia’s leading telecommunications provider, over what it argues are unwarranted unilateral price hikes over the past five years. It is planning similar suits against other providers.
Rising football star takes home player of the year award
Benjamin Šeško, who plays for the Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg and is considered one of the European strikers to watch out for, has won Slovenia’s player of the year award. The 19-year-old also took home the award for best young player.
EU chief celebrates ‘immense achievements’ of member Croatia
The chief of the European Union visited Croatia on Sunday to celebrate the "immense achievements" of the newest EU member nation, which switched to using the euro and joined the world's largest passport-free travel area on New Year's Day.
Joy as border gates open between Slovenia and Croatia
There was celebration and joy on both sides of the Slovenian-Croatian border as Croatia joined the Schengen area and adopted the euro on 1 January. More than 30 years after the countries broke away from Yugoslavia, their citizens are once again using the same currency and can cross the border freely.
Warmest start to New Year on record
Slovenians saw in the arrival of 2023 in the warmest weather on record with temperatures in some parts of the country exceeding 15 degrees Celsius on New Year’s morning. The night was exceptionally balmy, at well over 10 degrees.
Croatia enters the Eurozone and Schengen, Sweden takes over the EU Presidency
As of today, Croatia has become the 20th member of the Eurozone and the 27th member of the Schengen area. More than 70 border points with Slovenia and Hungary and 12 - along the sea border are being removed. On this occasion, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is expected in Zagreb.
Host of events as Ethnographic Museum marks centenary
The Slovenian Ethnographic Museum will be celebrating its centenary this year with a number of events and exhibitions, as well as a new permanent display.
New Slovenian donations to Ukraine
Slovenia has been a major donor to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion and has recently donated ambulances and power equipment as part of a deliberate shift from military to non-military aid.
General government deficit in Q3 lowest since Covid outbreak
Slovenia’s general government deficit in the third quarter of the year shrank to €60 million or 0.4% of GDP, the lowest since the start of the Covid pandemic in the first quarter of 2020.
Slovenia’s bad bank winding up
The Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC), Slovenia’s bad bank, will be wounded up come the new year, less than a decade after playing a key role in a major bank bailout. Its remaining assets, estimated at half a billion euros, will be transferred to Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH), the state assets custodian.
Defence spending target pushed forward by five years in latest plan
The Defence Ministry has proposed a more ambitious development plan for the Slovenian Armed Forces under which the NATO target of spending 2% of GDP on defence would be reached by 2030, five years sooner than currently planned.
Bulgaria is Third in the EU in share of Children at Risk of Poverty
In 2021, in the European Union, residents under the age of 18 who were at risk of poverty or social exclusion represented 24.4 percent of all in this age group. At the same time, this share among the adult population of the Union was 21.1 percent, according to the latest data of the European statistical agency Eurostat.
Research shows Triglav, Skuta glaciers continue to shrink
The latest measurements of the glaciers below the Triglav and Skuta peaks have shown that the only two remaining glaciers in Slovenia have shrunk and thinned significantly this year due to the unfavourable snow and temperature conditions, and that they are under threat of disappearing.
Mutual fund managers continue to record net investments
Mutual fund management companies in Slovenia find that despite the increased uncertainty and drops on stock markets, investors continue to make net investments in mutual funds. They are optimistic in spite of the value of assets under their management having dropped slightly this year from a record-high of EUR 4.3 billion at the end of 2021.