Slovenia

Brussels – Three of Slovenia’s four MEPs from the European People’s Party (EPP) did not back changes to the rules of procedure allowing the European People’s Party (EPP) to suspend or exclude a member party from its ranks. Ljudmila Novak, the fourth Slovenian EPP MEP, voted for the changes, having been one of its proponents.

Ljubljana – PM Janez Janša and Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti gladly accept an invitation to an exchange of views on Slovenian media with the European Parliament’s Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, however the discussion should be held in face-to-face format in the European Parliament, the government said on Tuesday.

Ljubljana – Four centre-left opposition parties propose the National Assembly call a consultative referendum on the government-sponsored bill on the National Demographic Fund, arguing its concept is flawed. If their proposal is not adopted, they will initiate a legislative referendum once the bill is passed.

Ljubljana – Musicians and event organisers are pushing for the gradual relaunch of public events and the revival of the events sector after several countries already took steps in this direction. They believe now is the time to save the summer season and the sector, and that their proposals should be included in the next stimulus package.

Koper – The University of Primorska will host the 8th European Congress of Mathematics (8ECM), one of the major events in the field, in the coastal town of Portorož between 20 and 26 June. The congress will be held mostly online due to the epidemiological situation, said the university.

Ljubljana – The first case of the South African variant of the novel coronavirus was confirmed in Slovenia on Friday, Health Minister Janez Poklukar told the press. The person from the area of Maribor in the north-east of the country has recently returned from Africa and was vaccinated against the coronavirus before travelling there.

Ljubljana – Prime Minister Janez Janša has written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with an invitation for the Commission to appoint a fact-finding mission that would visit Slovenia to get acquainted with the state of democracy, rule of law, independence of the judiciary and media plurality.

Twenty-nine years ago, Mirjana Ucakar discovered that she was no longer a resident of Slovenia - the Yugoslav republic in which she was born, grew up, went to school and worked.

Ucakar also found out that suddenly, she no longer had any of the basic rights that other permanent residents of Slovenia enjoyed.

Certain members of the ruling coalition parties and (formal) opposition parties chose not to support Karel Erjavec as the new prime minister.

Erjavec thus received only 40 of the 46 votes he needed. Having survived the no-confidence vote, Jansa can now continue disassembling state institutions and dealing with anyone critical of his government.

Brdo pri Kranju – Slovenia’s political representatives and experts will meet in the first half of March in a bid to find a common ground on the exit strategy and restructuring of healthcare needs in the wake of the Covid-19 epidemic, President Borut Pahor has announced.