Janez Janša government

Just hours before Slovenia was due to mark National Day of Remembrance for the Victims Communist Violence on 17 May, the government revoked a decree by its predecessors that served as the legal basis for the commemoration, triggering sharp criticism from the right and talk of a "new civil war".

After a campaign that saw many twists and turns, Slovenians will head to the polls on Sunday to cast their vote in the presidential election although the country’s fifth president is not expected to be elected until the run-off on 13 November.

Brdo pri Kranju – Slovenia will rescind the EUR 281 million agreement on the purchase of 45 Boxer armoured personnel carriers from the OCCAR programme after an audit of the deal was completed, Defence Minister Marjan Šarec announced after Thursday’s cabinet session. The contractual fine could reach as high as EUR 70 million.

Ljubljana – Last week has shown whose servants are the many journalist who were calling for journalistic autonomy under the previous, SDS-led government, including during the strike at public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, the magazine Demokracija says in Thursday’s editorial, headlined Incest of Journalism and Politics Laid Bare.

Ljubljana – The National Assembly passed in 53:26 vote on Thursday changes to the act on RTV Slovenija with which the government would like to reduce what it sees as the influence of politics on the public broadcaster. The changes come after RTV journalists recently went on strike twice demanding editorial autonomy.

Ljubljana – Marta Kos, vice-president of the Freedom Movement, has officially announced her bid for the presidency of the republic. She will run as her party’s candidate, while the other two coalition parties said following her announcement on Tuesday that they would likely run with candidates of their own.

Ljubljana – The first monthly approval rating of the Robert Golob government stands at 53.1%, about eight points higher than the rating the Janez Janša government had right after it took office, according to a poll run by POP TV.

Almost a third of respondents, 31.6%, oppose the current government, whereas just over 15% are undecided.

New York – International law expert Vasilka Sancin has told the STA that her candidacy for a new term on the UN Human Rights Committee failed yesterday because the former government blocked her nomination. Her candidacy was submitted as the last one, in early June, almost two months after the 6 April deadline.

Ljubljana – Opposition SDS MP Branko Grims has accused the Robert Golob government of trampling on the constitution as soon as it came to power; he cited its demand to compile lists of staff that were hired during the previous two governments and the interior minister’s withdrawal of consent for the suits regarding anti-government rallies.

Ljubljana – Against the backdrop of speculations that the head of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), Milan Krek, will soon be dismissed or will step down, the government changed the rules governing the institution so that Krek will no longer perform the duties of NIJZ medical director.