Aleš Hojs

Ljubljana – Prime Minister Janez Janša has reproached Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović for what he sees as her being part of a fake news network. This comes after Mijatović recently warned about the deterioration of media freedom and freedom of expression in Slovenia.

Strasbourg – Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović urged the Slovenian authorities in a memorandum published on Friday to put a stop to the deterioration of the situation regarding media freedom and freedom of expression in the country.

Ljubljana – The Constitutional Court has declared parts of the communicable diseases act allowing the government to restrict movement and public assembly unconstitutional, and effectively annulled the government decrees that were based on this law. The National Assembly has two months to do away with the unconstitutional rules.

Ljubljana – Slovenia’s EU presidency will try to achieve progress in negotiations on legislation under the framework of the asylum and migrations pact. Strengthening the Schengen zone and security are also high on the list of priorities.

Ljubljana – The government eased several coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday, including increasing the cap on gatherings to 50, and easing restrictions on hospitality, tourism, sports, culture and education. It also extended the state of Covid-19 epidemic by another 30 days starting on 17 May.

Brussels – European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson will start a two-day visit to Slovenia on Thursday to discuss the country’s EU presidency preparations. She intends to raise the issue of media freedom and pluralism as well. Slovenia should not underestimate the risk to its international reputation when it comes to this, Johansson has told the STA.

Ljubljana – Gatherings of up to 100 people indoor or outdoor will be permitted under a government decree adopted on Friday in response to a Constitutional Court decision staying the blanket ban on public assembly.

Indoor up to 100 people will be able to gather, assuming there is at least 30 square metres of space per person or per members of one household. Masks will be mandatory.

Ljubljana – National vaccination coordinator Jelko Kacin pointed the finger at Information Commissioner Mojca Prelesnik last night when asked about problems in vaccination organisation on a current affairs show broadcast by RTV Slovenija. Prelesnik denied the accusation, saying the responsibility for delays lay solely with the government.

Ljubljana – The Constitutional Court has stayed a provision of a government decree which restricts travel to countries on Slovenia’s red list of high-risk countries due to Covid-19, pending its final decision.

In a decision published in the Official Gazette on Thursday, the court invoked its right to stay legislation to prevent the occurrence of irreparable damage.

Ljubljana – Slovenia’s latest restrictions on the crossing of borders ban all travel to high-risk countries save for a few exemptions. The interior minister says people not among the exemptions may leave the country – provided they pay a fine.

It is up to the attending police officer to determine whether a person who wishes to leave the country qualifies as one of the exemptions.