The Left

Ljubljana- Two initiatives to put recently passed changes to the water act to a referendum have collected over 9,000 and 33,000 signatures, respectively, more than enough for the proposals to move to the next stage of proceedings. The motions were tabled in parliament today, both groups of NGOs said on Tuesday.

Ljubljana – The opposition Left launched on Saturday a campaign to collect signatures for a referendum that would block EUR 780 military investments after the parliament adopted changes bypassing the Constitutional Court decision to stay the legislation allowing for the investments.

Ljubljana – Prime Minister Janez Janša has proposed that President Borut Pahor call a meeting of the heads of parliamentary parties and deputy groups with the Health Ministry and its Covid-19 advisory group as soon as possible. Pahor meanwhile said that he had sent out invitations for Sunday morning.

Brdo pri Kranju – Health experts urged politicians on Wednesday to tackle the Covid-19 epidemic as a united front, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said after a meeting at Brdo pri Kranju hosted by President Borut Pahor. Pahor and Prime Minister Janez Janša assessed the meeting, the kind of which are to be held once a month, as useful.

Ljubljana – The Commission for Petitions, Human Rights and Equal Opportunities rejected on Wednesday all opposition-sponsored proposals regarding police procedures against students and their parents who protested in support of the reopening of schools.

Ljubljana – Simona Kustec is staying on as education, science and sport minister as the National Assembly was eight votes short of voting her out of office. 38 MPs voted for her dismissal, while 41 opposed it after a 16-hour debate, which started on Monday and ended just after midnight.

Ljubljana – The National Assembly voted 48:38 in favour of amendments to the act governing the STA that require the STA English Service to report on the work of NGO as a legal requirement.

The English Service already reports on NGOs, but the law on the STA does not stipulate this as an explicit requirement, even as it includes such a provision for the Slovenian-language service.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party submitted a decision to parliament demanding that the National Assembly tasks the Council of Ministers with initiating bilateral talks on the delivery of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against Covid-19.

According to socialist leader Kornelia Ninova, there are many people who want to get vaccinated in the country, but there is a shortage of vaccines:

Ljubljana – Janez Poklukar, the director of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, has been endorsed by the Health Committee as candidate for health minister. The National Assembly vote is scheduled for next week.

Ljubljana – Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj said on Thursday the minimum hourly pay for student work would be raised to EUR 5.89 gross this week. Thus he responded to criticism from the opposition Left and the Student Organisation that student pay had not been adjusted to the minimum wage raise.