News roundup - Friday, 26 April

Opposition ask Constitutional Court to review two referendums

LJUBLJANA - The Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) have initiated a constitutional review of two of the three referendums scheduled to take place alongside the 9 June EU election. They believe that the referendum on assisted dying violates the constitutional provision on the inviolability of human life. The cannabis use referendum is being challenged on procedural grounds. The court has been asked to suspend the referendum decrees until it has reached a final decision.

MPs raise excise duties on tobacco products, step up oversight

LJUBLJANA - The Nationally Assembly confirmed changes to the Excise Duty Act that raise excise duties on cigarettes and other tobacco products and introduce stricter controls over unprocessed tobacco and lubricating oils. The changes, expected to enter into force in June, are to increase revenue from excise duties this year by some EUR 11 million.

Contractor for key road to Koper port selected

LJUBLJANA - The national motorway company DARS has picked construction companies CPK and Kolektor CPG to build a long-awaited 11.4-kilometre Sermin road on the outskirts of Koper that will connect the Sermin junction - where vehicles leave the motorway to enter the expressway - with the port of Koper. The EUR 9.4 million project, just the latest in a series of investments designed to reduce traffic around Koper and improve transport connections with the port of Koper, is to be completed in 2026.

Serbian investor reportedly interested in Kanin ski resort

Ljubljana - Kanin, Slovenia's only true high-altitude ski resort, is reportedly being eyed by Trgovinsko preduzeće Ri-komerc Beograd. Delo reported that government officials had been contacted on behalf of the Serbian company by former Slovenian ski champion Bojan Križaj. Local officials - the resort is owned by the Bovec municipality - have not been contacted yet.

KNOVS chair defends wire-tapping inquiry, coalition not convinced

LJUBLJANA - Janez Žakelj, the chair of parliament's commission for oversight of intelligence and security services (KNOVS), rejected accusations of abuse of the commission for access to data on an investigation involving senior New Slovenia (NSi) members. Later, Aleš Rezar, the chair of another inquiry said he would report to the police unauthorised forwarding of classified information from his commission to Žakelj.

MPs approve 3.36% indexation of public sector pay

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed with 63 votes in favour and none against changes to the public sector pay system, allowing for an indexation of salaries to inflation. Under an agreement with trade unions, public sector pay will increase by 3.36% in June.

Lendava remembers 1944 mass deportation of Jews to Auschwitz

LENDAVA - The city of Lendava marked the 80th anniversary of a mass deportation of Jews from the region with several events, including one at the Lendava Synagogue, which was attended by President Nataša Pirc Musar. While remembering the Holocaust victims, she also urged against radicalisation and anti-Semitism present today.

MPs reject referendum on cultural rights of people from ex-Yugoslavia

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly rejected an opposition-sponsored motion to hold a consultative referendum on cultural rights of ethnic communities from the former Yugoslavia. Nineteen MPs voted in favour and 45 against. The junior opposition party New Slovenia (NSi) proposed the referendum to ask voters whether they agree with the implementation of special cultural rights of members of ex-Yugoslav ethnic communities living in Slovenia, proposed by the coalition.

Permitted state incentives for R&D investment being raised

LJUBLJANA - The government has raised the ceiling values for state incentives for investment in research and development and innovation, adopting a decree earlier this week that brings national provisions on state aid in line with 2023 changes to EU rules. The new maximum incentive is EUR 55 million per company, up from EUR 40 million, as pertains to investment into predominately basic research.

Almost EUR 13 million secured for entrepreneurial training

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved a total of EUR 12.9 million from the European Regional Development Fund for 12 country-wide projects providing four-month training courses for individuals pursuing an entrepreneurial idea. The scheme is implement under the European Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027.

Steklarna Rogaška to get EUR 15m for investment while layoffs continue

ROGAŠKA SLATINA - Fiskars, a Finnish group, announced on Thursday it would invest EUR 15 million in its Slovenian glassworks Steklarna Rogaška between 2024 and 2026 to modernise production and boost competitive edge, while also planning to cut up to 155 jobs. Last September, when Steklarna Rogaška had around 830 workers, Fiskars said it would lay off up to 140 workers. Since then, the number of workers has decreased to over 700.

Unior profit down last year

ZREČE - Toolmaker Unior generated more than EUR 294 million in group sales revenue last year, 2.3% more than the year before. Net profit was down by half to EUR 4.9 million, shows the audited annual report. The company said it had felt the impact of the macroeconomic situation mostly indirectly, through order fluctuation, but also directly, through notably higher financing costs.

Gen-I issues EUR 50m worth of green bonds

LJUBLJANA - Energy company Gen-I issued a five-year green bond worth EUR 50 million with an annual interest rate of 5.20% to finance green transition projects, for which the energy group plans to commit around EUR 100 million by 2026. The bonds were initially offered to selected investors, who expressed interest in EUR 112 million, or EUR 62 million more than was the final nominal issue.

Survey unemployment down in March

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's survey unemployment rate stood at 3.1% in March, down by 0.1 percentage points from the month before and by 0.6 percentage points year-on-year, Statistics Office data shows. The office estimates some 32,000 people aged 15 to 74 were jobless in March, 53% of whom were men and 47% women.

Kočevje and Bucha sign twinning agreement

KOČEVJE - The town of Kočevje in south Slovenia and the Ukrainian city of Bucha signed a twinning agreement to boost connections and understanding between different communities and contribute to peace and cooperation at the global level, the Kočevje municipality said in a press release. The step comes after Kočevje and Bucha signed a cooperation agreement as part of the U-LEAD with Europe programme in October.

Ljubljana wins EU award for addressing violence against women

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana is one of the seven winners of the 2024 European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Awards. One of the Gold Winners of 2024, Ljubljana is celebrated for its efforts to enable a safe environment "for women in all their diversity" by addressing violence against them.

Freedom Movement MP Pekošak resigns

LJUBLJANA - Monika Pekošak, an MP for the senior coalition Freedom Movement, resigned, citing personal reasons. She is reportedly going to work as a consultant to the management board of the motorway company DARS. She is likely to be succeeded in parliament by Dimitrij Zadel, the former chairman of port operator Luka Koper.

Andreja Leški wins bronze at European Judo Championships

ZAGREB, CROATIA - Slovenia's Andreja Leški won the bronze medal in the women's 63kg category at the European Judo Championships, having beaten Austria's Lubjana Piovesana. Leški failed to defend the title she won in 2023, at the previous European championships.