POLITICS
KESZTHELY, Hungary - Prime ministers Borut Pahor and Gordon Bajnai agreed that Slovenia and Hungary have no open political issues as the governments of the two countries held a joint session in Keszthely on Friday, adding that they however do have shared challenges for a joint future within Europe. At their second meeting of this sort, the Slovenian and Hungarian governments discussed a number of topics, including minority issues, the integration of Western Balkan countries into the EU and NATO, economic cooperation, energy and transport. Slovenia and Hungary took the opportunity to sign a number of state agreements. Pahor and Bajnai met representatives of the respective minorities before the government session, who highlighted the issue of funding of minority TV programmes.
BRUSSELS, Belgium, LJUBLJANA - EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso nominated Slovenia's Janez Potocnik as environment commissioner in his future line-up. Economist Potocnik (51) has been serving as the commissioner for science and research in Barroso's incumbent commission. PM Borut Pahor already welcomed Barroso's decision, saying Potocnik's new job was important both in terms of legislation and as dealing with one of the most topical issues of contemporary Europe. Potocnik commented on the news by saying that this was a recognition of his work so far and that this portfolio was definitely close to his views on the world. Environment Minister Karl Erjavec and environmental NGOs Greenpeace and Umanotera also welcomed the nomination.
LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Archbishop Alojz Uran is to resign for health reasons on Saturday, STA learned from unofficial sources at the Roman Catholic Church. Uran, who was appointed Ljubljana archbishop and metropolitan in 2004, is to be succeeded by Maribor Auxiliary Archbishop Anton Stres. The Ljubljana Archdiocese refused to comment on the news.
LJUBLJANA - Verica Trstenjak, advocate general at the European Court of Justice, is the latest in a series of acclaimed Slovenian jurists who have expressed their doubts about the border arbitration agreement with Croatia. Trstenjak believes that Slovenia has achieved too little in the negotiations with Croatia and that the country is in no hurry to ratify the arbitration agreement.
CELJE - Representatives of the defence, foreign and interior ministries are to visit Slovenian troops in Afghanistan in the following days to examine the situation on the ground and the possibilities for restructuring Slovenia's participation in the NATO-led ISAF international mission. The delegation will meet NATO commanders and representatives of local authorities in the region around Herat, where Slovenian soldiers are stationed.
LENDAVA - President Danilo Tuerk, the keynote speaker at a ceremony on Friday marking 50 years since Slovenian-Hungarian primary education was introduced in the region of Prekmurje (NE), underlined that the unique bilingual education system is something to be proud of. "Developing linguistic skills and capabilities in two languages...and discovering the cultural traditions of your own and the neighbouring nation, is an important value and also has a practical use, as both languages are equal both within the school and outside," Tuerk stressed in his speech in Lendava.
ANKARAN - Radio journalist Gojko Brvar received in Ankaran on Friday the lifetime achievement award Consortium Veritatis (Fellowship of Truth) conferred annually by the Slovenian Association of Journalists (DNS). Brvar is a long-time journalist at public broadcaster Radio Slovenija who deals in human rights issues. He is also a member of the journalist ethics panel and an expert on journalist ethics and deontology. The jury wrote that Brvar is an activist in journalism and journalistic professionalism as well as in human rights.
LJUBLJANA - Boris Sustar, a former Economy Ministry state secretary sentenced in 2007 to six years in prison for corruption, has decided to file a lawsuit against the state. According to reports, Sustar is demanding between EUR 180,000 and EUR 750,000 in damages caused by the trial. According to daily Dnevnik, Sustar's lawsuit is related to the part of the lawsuit where Sustar was sentenced in 2001 to three years in prison for receiving kickbacks from companies that he helped win grants in Economy Ministry public tenders.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) expressed on Friday its concern over the mass workers' protest announced for Saturday and the end of the social dialogue as has been led until now. Commenting on one of the workers' demands - raising the minimum wage -, the chamber's Director General Samo Hribar Milic reiterated today that employers supported the idea of gradually increasing the minimum wage, however an instant raise would be a shock for business. The coalition Social Democrats (SD) and Zares and the opposition Democrats (SDS) meanwhile said they supported the protest.
LJUBLJANA - The council of the Securities Market Agency (ATVP) decided to propose to the government to appoint its incumbent boss Damjan Zugelj as acting director, after the Administrative Court annulled his 2008 appointment. The court ruled that Zugelj's appointment was flawed because it was not clear whether he met the requirement of ten-year work experience required for the post.
LJUBLJANA - The National Council vetoed on Friday amendments to the chambers of commerce and industry act which address the division of assets held by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) before its 2006 transformation among the new GZS and other representative chambers. According to the councillors, the amendments do too little to secure that breakaway chambers receive their fair share, since they continue to allow the GZS to present itself as the legal successor to the original GZS as well as a representative chamber.
LJUBLJANA - The state-owned postal company, Posta Slovenije, generated over EUR 17m in profits in the first nine months of 2009, exceeding plans by about 7% despite unfavourable economic conditions, the company said in a press release on Friday. The company's supervisory board has also reviewed the 9-month operating results, projecting that the plans for 2009 would be met.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian blue chips registered their tenth consecutive day of losses on Friday, with the SBI 20 benchmark index dropping 0.26% to 4,177.27. The SBI TOP index of the top ten biggest blue chips meanwhile fell 0.36% to 1,008.34 points on paper-thin volumes. Total turnover stood at EUR 875,000.
ARTS & CULTURE
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia launched in Brussels on Friday the initiative for allowing member states to introduce zero value added tax rate for books, Culture Minister Majda Sirca said. Seven countries supported the proposal in principle, however the final decision is in the hands of finance ministers, she noted. Sirca highlighted the idea as a way of helping the languages of small nations to survive. In Slovenia VAT on books stands at 8.5%.
LJUBLJANA - Poet, playwright and translator Milan Jesih was elected on Thursday the new president of the Slovenian Writers' Association for a two-year term, daily Delo reported on Friday. Jesih (1950) has replaced Slavko Pregl, who served a two-year term.
