News roundup - Tuesday, 23 April

After months of tense debates, reform energy bill passed

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed in a 53:30 vote a reform energy bill, ending months of heated debates centred on provisions on the burning of natural gas and wood that an opposition party had turned into a major issue in the run-up to the EU election. The legislation sets the framework for national energy policy by providing incentives and limitations as the country transitions away from fossil fuels.

Police search DARS premises, investigating corruption

LJUBLJANA - Police conducted 23 house searches at several locations of the national motorway company DARS, and the homes of its former chairman Valentin Hajdinjak and tax adviser Rok Snežič. Six persons are suspected of abuse of office or giving or accepting bribes. The sting comes six months after commercial broadcaster POP TV reported about alleged corruption in the awarding of contracts.

Slovenia for security partnership with Arab Gulf countries

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Slovenia will strive that a step forward is made in the building of a strategic security partnership between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said after she and other EU foreign ministers met their counterparts from the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf in Luxembourg on Monday evening.

President reaffirms support for Montenegro's EU accession efforts

CETINJE/PODGORICA, Montenegro - President Nataša Pirc Musar assured her Montenegrin counterpart Jakov Milatović that Slovenia remains a firm supporter of Montenegro's EU accession efforts and was willing to it. The Western Balkans must not be forgotten amid the current difficult and unstable global situation, she said, finding the region's integration into the EU to be "an important factor of general European stability".

Social dialogue resuming, ESS could convene in May

LJUBLJANA - Social dialogue is being revived, Labour Minister Luka Mesec said after a meeting of social partners that Prime Minister Robert Golob convened ahead of the 30th anniversary of the formation of the Economic and Social Council (ESS). Mesec hopes Slovenia's main industrial relations forum could hold a session as early as in May.

All three candidates for ECHR judge endorsed

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed all three candidates for Slovenian judge at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) put forward by President Nataša Pirc Musar - Boštjan Zalar, a senior judge at the Administrative Court, Vasilka Sancin, the international law chair at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law, and Aleš Galič, a professor of civil law at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law.

Constitutional Court wants legislation amended after sole proprietor doubts

LJUBLJANA - After it transpired that Constitutional Court judge Klemen Jaklič had held sole proprietor status for the majority of his term, Constitutional Court judges discussed the issue on Monday, calling on the legislature to amend the legislation, but saying they would not be issuing an opinion on the matter. Jaklič and two other judges rejected the call saying that the current rules are sufficient.

Left wants reciprocal measure as Israel summons ambassador

LJUBLJANA - Responding to the Israeli Foreign Ministry summoning the Slovenian ambassador over the country's vote in favour of a draft resolution that recommended that Palestine be admitted to full UN membership, the coalition Left said that Slovenia should take a reciprocal measure, and not hesitate to summon the Israeli ambassador over the attack on Gaza.

MP Sukič Left's top EU election candidate

LJUBLJANA - The Left endorsed the list of candidates for the European elections with MP Nataša Sukič as the lead candidate. The slate also includes Labour Minister Luka Mesec in last place, and state secretaries Dan Juvan and Luka Omladič. The Left is currently the only parliamentary party without an MEP, but party leader Asta Vrečko said it now expects to get one seat.

Health Committee throws out referendum on drug tests for officials

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee voted down late on Monday a motion by the opposition Democrats (SDS) that Slovenia hold a consultative referendum about whether public office holders should undergo mandatory drug tests. The motion was rejected with nine votes against and four in favour.

Slovenian minority party in Italy running in EU election

TRIESTE, Italy - The Slovenian Community (SSk), a political party of the Slovenian minority in Italy, will be taking part in the European Parliament elections in June, with its sole candidate running on the list of the South Tyrolean People's Party (SVP). The SSk has chosen Franka Padovan, the mayor of San Floriano del Collio, as its candidate.

MPs pass amended law to complete energy crisis mitigation

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly unanimously passed amendments to the law on aid to businesses in the wake of the energy crisis which postpone the deadline for the payment of funds that were withheld to allow any modification. The changes also clarify the amount of money the Enterprise Fund will get in 2023 and 2024.

Radwaste silo to start operating in 2028

LJUBLJANA - Construction work on a new nuclear waste repository near Krško will begin in May after the Agency for Radioactive Waste Management signed an agreement with a consortium headed by Slovenian engineering firm Riko. The contractors will build an underground silo to store low- and intermediate-level waste, and several buildings on the surface, while the construction of a special elevator is subject to a separate contract.

Regulator rejects govt appeal to defer new network charge system

LJUBLJANA - The governing council of the Energy Agency, Slovenia's energy market regulator, rejected a call by the government to defer the introduction of a new network charge system for electricity planned for July this year. Having analysed the introduction of the new methodology, the council "found no reasons for the deferral".

Slovenia drops below top ten in World Energy Trilemma Index

LONDON, UK - Slovenia has dropped two places to 11th in the latest World Energy Trilemma Index of the World Energy Council (WEC) and finished just below the top ten countries. Its score has dropped to 78.4 points in 2023 from 78.8 points two years ago, when it took 9th place, the Energy Industry Chamber said.

New train service to link Villa Opicina and Rijeka via Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Railways is launching on Wednesday a new passenger service running from Villa Opicina above Trieste in Italy to Rijeka in Croatia and back via Slovenia. The new service, a result of cooperation with Croatian and Italian partners, will run daily until 30 September.

Consumer confidence highest since February 2022

LJUBLJANA - Consumer confidence reached the highest level since February 2022 in April, climbing 3 points over March and 5 points compared to April 2023, the Statistics Office said. The index was also 7 points higher than last year's average, but it was nevertheless 3 points below the long-term average, a period between 2005 and 2023.

Toddler death case goes to trial

CELJE - The mother of a toddler who died after being left in a hot car in June 2023 in Sveti Lovrenc near Celje, refused to put in a plea at her arraignment hearing at the Celje District Court. This comes after her life partner, who has also been charged in the case, pleaded not guilty on 18 March. The trial is set to start in late May or June.

Noč appointed president of European Beekeeping Association

LJUBLJANA - Boštjan Noč, the long-serving head of the Slovenian Beekeeping Association, was appointed president of the European Beekeeping Association on Monday. Founded in February, the Slovenia-based organisation has so far brought together 18 organisations from 15 European countries, representing nearly 235,000 beekeepers.

Janja Garnbret, best sport climber in the world, gets her fairytale

LJUBLJANA - Sports climber Janja Garnbret has joined an elite group of Slovenian athletes whose success stories have been turned in picture books. Garnbret is the main character in Janja and the Magic Flower, which units fairytale with real facts and biographical details from the athlete's childhood.

Center Rog honoured by European Heritage Hub initiative

LJUBLJANA - Center Rog, the October 2023-launched arts and culture hub located in the revamped central building of Ljubljana's former bicycle factory Rog, has been selected as one of ten European examples of Local Good Practice in the field of cultural heritage provision contributing to the green, digital and social transformation of society.