Slovenia

A year after the election in Slovenia the two biggest rivals, the Freedom Movement and the Democrats (SDS), are neck-and-neck at the top of the polls. There is unprecedented polarisation, the ruling party's falling ratings show its honeymoon is over and the opposition is in a state of flux, pundits say.

Prime Minister Robert Golob and European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton met in southwestern Slovenia on 20 April to discuss nuclear energy and efforts to boost the European defence industry.

Slovenian forests have welcomed another male lynx from Slovakia. Lukaš was released into the forests in the north-western Gorenjska region on 19 April to join three female and one male lynx in the region.

The European Commission paid out the first €50 million to Slovenia from the Recovery and Resilience Facility on 20 April after the country met the 12 milestones required.

Slovenia's current and former prime ministers, Robert Golob and Janez Janša, clashed over their cabinets' track records during an acrimonious 14-hour debate at the National Assembly on 19 April that wrapped up without conclusions or a vote of no confidence, which would be the usual course of action in an interpellation.

A staffing gap, issues related to transparency of procedures and transport infrastructure were pinpointed as Slovenia's main challenges as a business destination, as the German-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry held its annual German-Slovenian Economics Day at the IEDC Bled School of Management on 18 April.

Lek, the Ljubljana-based pharmaceutical company, has been chosen Slovenia's best employer for the fourth year running. Before that, its Novo Mesto counterpart Krka won the title eight times.

Slovenia signed a contract with the company Air Tractor Europe S.L. on 17 April for the purchase of four firefighting aircraft. The first two water bombers, two-seater aircraft, are due to arrive in Slovenia in June, just in time before peak fire season, and the other two, single-seaters, next year.

German-owned caravan maker Carthago has launched a new production plant at its second Slovenian location in Ormož, northeastern Slovenia. The new facility will specialise in the assembly of Malibu Van camper vans.

Vintgar Gorge, a popular sight near the alpine resort of Bled, has become the first Slovenian natural beauty spot to get a formal visitor capacity limit as more are likely to follow suit.

The gorge has been open to visitors for 130 years and is one of the most popular sights in the country. But increasing visitor numbers pose an increasing challenge, prompting adjustment measures.