Igor Zorčič

Ljubljana – The National Assembly was expected to take note of the resignation of Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek on Tuesday but did not even convene a session. The college of deputy group leaders, which has the formal power to call a session, was inquorate because coalition faction leaders did not show up.

Ljubljana – Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič told the STA as he cast a ballot in Velike Malence near Brežice today that citizens always made the right decision in election. Prime Minister and Democrats (SDS) head Janez Janša, who voted in Šentilj near Velenje, expressed a similar view. Several other party heads were optimistic as well.

Ljubljana – Slovenia’s officials strongly condemned Russia’s recognition of the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine as independent entities. Prime Minister Janez Janša called for the EU to offer Ukraine the prospect of full membership. Slovenia is also ready to support the country’s membership of the EU.

Ljubljana – The latest Vox Populi poll by Ninamedia sees the Freedom Movement party headed by Robert Golob in leads as it is preferred by 23.9% of the respondents, followed by the ruling Democrats (SDS) with 21.2%.

Ljubljana/Kranj/Vrba – Despite restrictions limiting gatherings and the cancellation of several long-standing events, Slovenians flocked to cultural institutions and points of interest on Tuesday to celebrate Culture Day, a public holiday in memory of the great Romantic poet France Prešeren.

Ljubljana – Freedom Movement, the party of Robert Golob, leads the field among parliamentary and new parties in the latest poll commissioned by RTV Slovenija. The ruling Democrats (SDS) are in second.

One out of five respondents in the poll, conducted by Mediana, said they would vote for Freedom Movement, an increase of 6.8 percentage points from January.

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 – Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič has tested positive for coronavirus and is in self-isolation, the parliament said on Friday, while Defence Minister Matej Tonin, the president of the coalition New Slovenia (NSi), also said on Twitter he has tested positive.

Zorčič tested positive on Thursday and was thus among the 9,858 infections confirmed in Slovenia that day.

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor addressed a ceremony on Tuesday remembering the 1989 Operation North, a police campaign which prevented a Serbian nationalist rally in Ljubljana and is thus seen as one of the first steps in Slovenia towards the country eventually declaring independence. In his speech, Pahor warned against politicisation of police today.

Ljubljana – The SVIZ trade union of teachers has collected over 24,000 signatures among employees in education against amendments to the organisation and financing of education act, which would change the composition of school and kindergarten councils to increase the influence of the founder – the government. Speaker Igor Zorčič has backed the initiative.