Borut Pahor

Ljubljana – Slovenian election rules have not been adjusted to the Covid reality yet, says the newspaper Večer on Friday, noting that less than 100 days before the general election, voters should not only be informed of the date of the vote but also of quarantine-related technicalities.

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor has formally informed the National Electoral Commission (DVK) that he will sign a presidential decree for a general election on 9 February, setting Sunday, 24 April, as the election date. This is in line with his earlier announcement that he would call this year’s election at the earliest possible date.

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor has said as he responded to PM Janez Janša’s statements about China and Taiwan that ever since Slovenia and China established diplomatic relations, Slovenia has consistently advocated a one-China principle, a principle the EU is also bound to.

Washington/Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor took part on Thursday in a virtual summit for democracy hosted by US President Joe Biden to draw attention to the crisis of confidence in democratic institutions and the low level of political and legal culture. He called for a respectful dialogue that includes the willingness to reconcile different views.

Strasbourg – President Borut Pahor will attend in Strasbourg on Thursday a ceremony remembering Valery Giscard d’Estaing, who served as the president of France from 1974 to 1981. On the first anniversary of his death, Giscard d’Estaing will be remembered for his role in the creation of the European Union.

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.

Belgrade – Visiting Belgrade as part of the preparations for the next summit of the Brdo-Brijuni Process, President Borut Pahor met his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vučić on Sunday. Pahor said that the process of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans was too slow, which led to renewed policies of nationalism and border changes that threaten security.

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor has congratulated Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on his re-election. He wished him a lot of success in performing important tasks, Pahor’s office said in a press release on Monday.

The presidents also discussed the Covid-19 pandemic and stressed the importance of efforts by both Slovenia and Bulgaria to raise vaccination rates.

Luxembourg – President Borut Pahor is starting a two-day working visit to Luxembourg on Sunday to meet several senior officials, including Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, and Grand Duke Henri. The visit is designed to intensify political dialogue and cooperation, Pahor’s office said before the visit.

Paris – President Borut Pahor bestowed the Golden Order of Merit, one of the highest Slovenian state decorations, on Czech-French writer Milan Kundera in Paris on Saturday. Kundera was honoured for having raised his voice for Slovenia’s independence and for his outstanding contribution to understanding turbulent times in Europe.