Morning headlines for Slovenia: Thursday, January 27, 2022
Check out the date at the top of the page and you’ll find all the stories about “morning headlines”. here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.
This summary provides STA:
A new record, as nearly 17,500 coronavirus cases have been confirmed
LJUBLJANA – Slovenia confirmed 17,491 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, which is by far the highest daily number since the beginning of the pandemic and more than 40% growth than the week before. Positive examples come from the largest daily number of PCR tests performed to date, almost 23,000. There were 670 Covid-19 patients at the hospital this morning, more than a hundred more than a week ago, while the number of cases in the intensive care unit fell 24 to 127 last week.
Golob elected new president of the renamed Green Party, Janša says “Janković fixed the exam”
LJUBLJANA – Robert Golob, former president of the Gen-I energy trader, who is generally considered the most serious rival of Prime Minister Janez Janša in the upcoming elections, has become the leader of the extra-parliamentary Green Party, formerly known as Z.Dej, which changed its name to Movement Freedom. Janša commented on Golob, who entered politics, saying that it was a “correction of Zoran Janković’s exam”, referring to the fact that in 2011 Golob became vice-president of Positive Slovenia, the party he founded. Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Jankovic, who won the 2011 election but failed. to form a government. Instead, the government was formed by Janša.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs took note of the new foreign policy strategy
LJUBLJANA – The Foreign Policy Committee was acquainted with the country’s new foreign policy strategy, while State Secretary at the Foreign Ministry Gašper Dovžan said that most of the changes were due to changes in the international environment. The opposition expressed some reservations, especially regarding the fact that Slovenia is no longer mentioned as a core EU member. Dovžan said that more attention was paid to the role of the EU as Slovenia’s main political, economic, legal and value environment.
The minister says the risk is too great to ease Covid’s restrictions
BREŽICE – Minister of Health Janez Poklukar pointed out that the wave of coronavirus outbreaks caused by Omicron has not yet reached a plateau in Slovenia, as the risk is still too great for any easing of restrictions. He said the risk will remain high until the infection and hospital admission curves begin to decline. The epidemic is still spreading and this week alone, 33% more patients and 85% more deaths were hospitalized than the week before, the minister said.
The Prime Minister talks about energy challenges and tourist opportunities in the Posavje region
BREŽICE – Despite the breakthrough in achieving the Slovenian average, the Posavje region still faces many challenges, said Prime Minister Janez Janša during a government visit to the region. He highlighted the challenges in the energy sector as a priority, but also highlighted the role of other efforts, including the development of tourism. Janša pointed out that ten years ago, Posavje lagged behind the Slovenian average by 12 percentage points in terms of development, but today it is at the level of the national average. He also visited the Faculty of Tourism in Brežice and welcomed the faculty’s plans to expand its capacity.
The law on reducing the costs of sick leave to the employer was passed, the law on energy poverty was rejected
LJUBLJANA – The National Assembly adopted a bill that will reduce the employer’s costs of sick leave at the expense of the public health fund, which is opposed by the majority of the opposition due to the expected consequences. The bill, tabled by a group of MPs led by Marko Bandelli of the opposition Alenka Bratusek Party (SAB), shortens the period of sick leave covered by the employer or sole proprietor from 30 to 20 working days and in total in each calendar. year from 120 to 80 days. On the other hand, MPs defeated another opposition-backed energy bill.
MPs oppose referendum on deal to buy APC Boxer
LJUBLJANA – The proposal of the opposition Left to call a referendum on the government’s purchase of armored vehicles (APC) Boxer did not receive sufficient support from the Organization for Joint Armaments Cooperation (OCCAR) in the National Assembly. MEPs can now proceed with the ratification of the agreement with the OCCAR. Only eight deputies voted in favor of the proposal, ie all seven deputies of the Left and MP Željko Cigler, a former member of the Left, who recently left the party’s parliamentary faction and joined the Social Democrats. A total of 42 deputies were against the proposal, while 27 abstained.
Slovenia calls for de-escalation in Ukraine
LJUBLJANA – State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gašper Dovžan expressed concern over the Ukrainian crisis and called for de-escalation. Reason and dialogue are key, he told the Foreign Affairs Committee. “We are monitoring the situation and staying on the side of peace. We are calling for de-escalation.”
Dovžan sees values at the heart of the UN Security Council’s efforts
LJUBLJANA – State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gašper Dovžan rejected fears that the Prime Minister’s recent statements on Taiwan could negatively affect the country’s efforts to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2024-2025. Slovenia is an advocate of respect for human rights, peace and stability, respect for international law and borders, and the candidacy will be a good opportunity to show which of these values are supported by the international community, he said in the Foreign Policy Committee.
The candidate for vice governor highlights inflation as a challenge
LJUBLJANA – Candidate for Vice Governor of the Central Bank of Slovenia Marjan Divjak said that the bank should actively participate in the formulation of monetary policy in the euro area, pointing to rising inflation and climate change as the biggest challenges for the future. “Monetary policy-making will be extremely challenging in the coming years,” he said during a presentation at the presidential palace. Divjak believes that the financial sector will play a key role in the transition to an environmentally sustainable economy.
The Bishop of Celje establishes an office for reporting sexual abuse
CELJE – Bishop Maksimilijan Matjaž of Celje has established an office for the reception and monitoring of victims of sexual abuse committed by priests and other members of religious life in order to help victims and prevent the recurrence of such crimes. . The publication on the website of the Diocese of Celje, which announces the establishment of a new office, refers to the Apostolic Letter of Pope Francis from May 2019, which instructs dioceses to design one or more permanent systems that can be accessed by the public to report sexual abuse by priests oz. members of consecrated life or societies of apostolic life.
Judge Masleša shows his diploma, scolds the Council for encountering media accusations
LJUBLJANA – Supreme Judge Branko Masleša showed his diploma at the request of the Judicial Council and refuted hints from some media that he may not have graduated in law or passed the bar exam, at the request of the Judicial Council to do so, and criticized the body. in some media “, which she says is politically motivated. He said the conduct of the council undermined his reputation as a judge and the reputation of the judiciary as a whole.
Former head of Spar Slovenia Igor Mervič became the manager of the year
LJUBLJANA – The Manager Association chose Igor Mervič as the manager of the year, who transformed the general manager of Spar Slovenija from the company with four stores into the second largest retailer in the country in 28 years. Mervič led Spar Slovenia from 1992 to the end of 2020. He is now a member of the Supervisory Board and a consultant in the multinational Spar.
The judge arrested a man who was stalking and harassing
LJUTOMER – A man was detained for stalking a Ljutomer judge for ten years and recently breaking the windshield of a judge’s car. The prosecution initially claimed there were no grounds for detention, but changed its mind after the perpetrator continued to threaten on social media.