Latest News from Slovenia
New rules for non-EU students in Slovenia raising dust
Ljubljana – Non-EU students who want to study in Slovenia must prove they have EUR 5,000 per academic year available to obtain a temporary residence permit under the recent changes to the foreigners’ act. This has upset students and universities, while the government says only the manner in which students prove they have sufficient means has changed.
Bauhaus wins first stage of Tour of Slovenia
Rogaška Slatina – German sprinter Phil Bauhaus is the winner of the first stage of the Tour of Slovenia, beating the Spaniard Jon Aberasturi by mere centimetres in the final spring of the 151.5-kilometre stage on Wednesday. Rui Felipe Oliveira of Portugal was third.
Champions had spoken, it’s now time for legs to do the talking
The 27th Tour of Slovenia officially kicked-off today in Ptuj and will finish on Sunday in Novo mesto. 139 cyclists from 20 teams - 4 of them are part of the elite World Tour - are on the start list. Special guests of the yesterday's press conference were Tadej Pogačar, Matej Mohorič & Diego Ulissi, and they all predict an exciting race.
Maribor Theatre Festival to be held in-person in June
Maribor – The 56th Maribor Theatre Festival will be held from 14 to 27 June instead of its usual slot in October, but it will be held fully in-person. Its artistic director Aleš Novak said that while many other festivals decided to go hybrid, they insisted on fully live events.
Hungarian energy group MOL buys OMV’s Slovenian service stations
Ljubljana – Hungarian energy group MOL has acquired a network of 120 service stations operated by Austrian energy group OMV in Slovenia, subject to regulatory approval. The purchase consideration for the outright stake in the company OMV Slovenija is EUR 301 million, MOL announced on Tuesday.
Oversight institutions feel being under political pressure, govt rejects allegations
Ljubljana – Tomaž Vesel, the president of the Court of Audit, is seeking support among independent oversight bodies for a statement that urges against alleged political pressure and attacks on them that are carried out in the media and on social networks. Some government ministers have reacted to the statement, largely not sharing the view.
Proposed regulation redefines STA public service, financing
Ljubljana – The public service provided by the STA would be subject to detailed new rules under a draft government regulation that the agency’s director has described as yet another attempt to bypass two laws that require the government to provide public funding for the agency and as unlawful.
Slovenia’s Zidanšek makes it to semi-finals of French Open
Paris – Tamara Zidanšek continues to make Slovenian tennis history as she has advanced to the semi-finals of the French Open. The 23-year old defeated Paula Badosa of Spain in Tuesday’s quarter-finals in Paris in three sets (7:5, 4:6 and 8:6).
No parliament debate on opposition Left’s political programme
Ljubljana – Speaker Igor Zorčič will not call a plenary session to debate the opposition Left’s party programme after the coalition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) requested this last week, arguing the programme contained elements suggesting the Left could act against the country’s constitutional order.
Slovenia increasingly more attractive for German companies
Ljubljana – Slovenia remains an attractive business location for German companies, shows this year’s survey carried out by the German chambers of commerce in 15 Central and Eastern European countries. German investors are highly interested in further investing in Slovenia, heard a press conference by the German-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce.
Largest investment in Slovenian paper industry in four decades launched
Sladki Vrh – A new production line at the Paloma hygienic paper factory has been officially launched. Worth EUR 41 million, this is the largest investment in the Slovenian paper industry in the last 40 years.
220 new coronavirus cases confirmed on Monday, one death
Ljubljana – Slovenia reported 220 new cases of coronavirus for Monday, a week-on-week decline of nearly a third, as the epidemic situation continues to gradually improve. One person with Covid-19 died, the latest government figures show.
The positivity rate stood at 7.2% as over 3,000 PCR tests were performed, in addition to over 40,000 rapid tests.
Schools not safe spaces for LGBT students, survey shows
Ljubljana – The results of a survey by Legebitra, an advocacy group for LGBTI rights, have shown that schools are not safe spaces for members of the LGBT community. One in four LGBT students reported of having often heard homophobic remarks at school, and in more than half of the cases, school staff did not intervene.
Slovenia Criticised for Delay in Choosing EU Graft-Fighting Prosecutors
Despite repeated calls from EU officials, Slovenia has not yet selected prosecutors to delegate to the newly established EU prosecutor's office, which will investigate fraud, corruption and money laundering involving the EU budget.
On Monday, European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders reiterated his call for Slovenia to appoint prosecutors.
Women's handball: Minaur Baia Mare applies for wildcard for Champions League
Romania's vice-champion in women's handball, CS Minaur Baia Mare, has requested a wildcard for the next season of the Champions League, according to the club's official website. Romania could thus have two teams in the strongest European interclub competition, considering that CSM Bucharest, the national champion, is one of the teams that will play in the League groups.