Andrej

Ljubljana – The National Assembly is meeting for its first regular session this year Monday to tackle some contentious bills, including amendments to the gaming act, a bill to tackle the issue of Swiss franc loans and changes to the communicable diseases act. The MPs will also decide whether to withdraw the much criticised amendments to the penal code.

Ljubljana – The supervisory board of the NLB bank appointed on Thursday Hedvika Usenik, Antonio Argir and Andrej Lasič to the management board to expand it from three to six members. Their five-year terms will start after approval from banking regulator, and they will continue to serve as assistants to the management board until then.

Ljubljana – Rudi Medved, an opposition MP heading the inquiry into alleged political interference in police work, summed up a series of witness hearings on Monday by saying these confirmed the Slovenian police commissioners under the current government were “but obedient executors of ruling politics” while experts had no say in the force.

Ljubljana – Just days after the government imposed a ban on the serving of food and drinks at outdoor stalls, these reopened in the square by Ljubljana’s main produce market on Wednesday, having been given the go-ahead from the city authorities.

Brussels – At a meeting chaired by Slovenian Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj in Brussels on Tuesday, EU finance ministers reached political consensus to upgrade the EU rules on reduced VAT rates, updating the list of goods and services for which reduced rates or exemptions are allowed.

Otočec – A memorial in honour of the period when Slovenia and Croatia were gaining independence was unveiled at Otočec on Monday with both countries’ prime ministers Janez Janša and Andrej Plenković in attendance, along with the first Slovenian Prime Minister Lojze Peterle and his then-counterpart Franjo Gregurić.

Ljubljana – The National Assembly has passed investment-oriented budget documents for the next two years under which the deficit is to be reduced from EUR 4 billion this year to EUR 2.47 billion in 2022 and EUR 1.52 billion in 2023, although opposition MPs and the Fiscal Council have expressed doubt this is realistic.

Ljubljana – The National Assembly is in for a busy session this week as the draft budgets for 2022 and 2023 and ousting motion against Education Minister Simona Kustec will be discussed. The plenary will traditionally start with questions time with the cabinet on Monday.

Ljubljana – Following his dismissal as the chairman of the country’s largest electricity distributor Elektro Ljubljana, Andrej Ribič announced on Monday that he will challenge the decision of the supervisory board in court. He believes Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec is behind the dismissal, which Vrtovec denied.

Ljubljana – The supervisory board of Elektro Ljubljana, Slovenia’s largest electricity distributor, dismissed on Friday the company’s chairman Andrej Ribič, reported the N1 portal, quoting the Pozareport portal’s Twitter post. The reason for the dismissal is not known, and the current chief financial officer Marjan Ravnikar is to take over the management of the company, N1 said.