Latest News from Slovenia
35 coronavirus cases confirmed on Monday
Ljubljana – Out of 1,643 PCR tests performed in Slovenia on Monday, 35 returned positive for the positivity rate of 2.1%. There were no Covid-19 deaths reported for the third day in a row, show fresh official data. The 7-day average of new cases continued to fall and hospitalisations are also down.
In addition, 27,435 rapid antigen tests were also performed yesterday.
Mastercard survey shows increased use of payment cards
Ljubljana – Payment cards are becoming increasingly popular in Slovenia, and debit cards remain the most popular payment method since 2018. Meanwhile, despite seeing an increase, mobile payments have not yet reached the popularity of cards, according to the latest Masterindex survey commissioned by Mastercard.
EBRD upgrades Slovenia’s GDP forecast to 5% growth this year
London – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has upgraded by 1.5 percentage points its GDP growth forecast for Slovenia in 2021 to 5%. The institution expects that Slovenia’s economy will expand by a further 4% next year.
Brussels Airlines returns to Ljubljana airport
Brnik – Air carriers keep returning to Ljubljana airport as, after more than a one-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a Brussels Airlines aircraft touched down at Brnik again on Monday. The flag carrier of Belgium currently operates three flights a week to and from Ljubljana, and the number of flights is expected to increase.
Slovenia at the head of the EU Council: We will seek compromises
One of the priorities will be the preparation of the European Union for possible new crises in the future, said the head of Slovenian diplomacy, Ane Logar.
In a statement for the Slovenian media, Logar said that the role of the state presiding over the EU Council is to try to harmonize and propose compromise solutions for legal proposals and various topics.
International Danube Day: Romania runs #DanubeFloodplain project in view of reducing flooding risk
A project dedicated to the river Danube evaluates three types of scenarios to identify in view of restoration naturally floodable areas of the river and its main tributaries, the Romanian Waters National Adminisration (ANAR) informs, on the occasion of the International Danube Day, marked each year, on June 29.
Speaker advocates accelerating enlargement process in Brussels
Brussels – National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorčič said Slovenia would seek to accelerate the enlargement process during its EU presidency as he took part in the summit between the European Parliament and parliamentary speakers from the Western Balkans in Brussels on Monday, which noted the role of parliaments in the enlargement process.
Health minister unhappy with vaccination uptake
Ljubljana – Health Minister Janez Poklukar made a renewed appeal to the population on Monday to get vaccinated against Covid-19, as he warned of the risk posed by the more infectious Delta variant of coronavirus. He said the country was preparing for the fourth wave of infections even as transmission rates remain low.
Labour Inspectorate receives 28% more reports of violations in 2020
Ljubljana – Slovenia’s Labour Inspectorate received 9,260 reports of violations in 2020, an increase of 28% compared to 2019. 6,867 reports were connected to employment relations, 2,043 in the field of occupational safety and health, and 350 reports were connected to social affairs. The inspectorate carried out 17,334 inspections last year.
Brestanica Thermal Plant inaugurates new gas-fired unit
Brestanica – The Brestanica Thermal Plant (TEB) inaugurated its seventh gas unit on Monday in an investment that Prime Minister Janez Janša said further established the Posavje region as “Slovenia’s major energy region”. He finds it important that the new unit is environmentally acceptable and economically efficient.
Slovenian researchers publish in Nature Communications
Ljubljana, 28 June – Researchers of the biospeleology group of the Ljubljana Biotechnical Faculty have published in the Nature Communications journal an article which, according to the principal author Špela Borko, shows for the first time that “descendants of the ancient explosions of evolution may also be found in Europe, if you look in the right spot – underground”.
15th Mountain Film Festival kicks off
Domžale – The 15th Mountain Film Festival starts on Monday in Domžale near Ljubljana, featuring 33 films from 19 countries in four categories: mountaineering, climbing, mountain nature and culture, and sports and adventure. The festival, concluding on Sunday, will bring a plethora of productions on wild animals and epic stories from the Himalayas.
Statistics shows hospitality and tourism hammered by Covid
Ljubljana – The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on business in Slovenia, but while the impact has not been adverse on all industries, the hospitality and tourism sectors have been hit hard. Fresh statistics show turnover falling by a third in hospitality last year as travel agencies and tour operators saw their revenue slashed by 77%.
Slovenia end up 4th in Volleyball Nations League
Rimini – Slovenia finished 4th in their debut appearance in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Nations League after conceding to France in the match for the third spot 0:3 (-20, -18, -19) on Sunday.
Koroška RV maker strikes deal with Ralf Schumacher
Slovenj Gradec – Robeta, the Koroška-based company specialising in building custom-made camper vans, has been seeing a surge in demand and sales for the past year. Now they expect to expand their presence in the European and global markets further as they enter a partnership with Ralf Schumacher, the former Formula One racing driver.