Morning headlines for Slovenia: Friday, June 17, 2022
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This summary provides STA:
The pigeon supports the status of an EU candidate country
BRUSSELS, Belgium – On the first day of his first official trip abroad after taking office in Brussels, Prime Minister Robert Golob expressed unequivocal support for Slovenia’s granting EU candidate status to Ukraine. He emphasized the importance of EU unity in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and said that Slovenia would help Ukraine “where we can help and where we need help”. He reaffirmed Slovenia’s position in the core of the EU.
Slovenia will demand the first payment from the recovery fund by the end of June
BRUSSELS, Belgium – Prime Minister Robert Golob and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed a pandemic recovery and a plan to reduce the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels. Golob announced that Slovenia would apply for the first reimbursement of funds from the EU Pandemic Recovery Fund by the end of this month. He said the national recovery and resilience plan would be amended later to provide more for digitization and green investment.
Pahor writes to Michel about the status of a candidate for BiH
LJUBLJANA – President Borut Pahor sent a letter to European Council President Charles Michel calling for Bosnia and Herzegovina to be granted EU candidate status unconditionally. Pahor believes that this would strengthen the country’s pro-European forces and the pace of adjustment to European standards. In view of the war in Ukraine, he believes that tangible steps need to be taken to expand the EU to the Western Balkans as soon as possible.
The defense minister says NATO’s commitments remain unchanged
BRUSSELS, Belgium – Slovenia’s commitments to NATO remain unchanged, the state has no plans to reduce defense spending and remains committed to establishing a battalion battle group, Defense Minister Marjan Sarec told reporters in Brussels after the first visit. NATO Ministerial Day since taking office on 1 June. “We do not intend to reduce the funds, but we will have to seriously discuss how to spend them so that they will be well spent,” he said.
The Prime Minister says that the possibility is also the regulation of gas, electricity prices
LJUBLJANA – Prime Minister Robert Golob announced on Wednesday evening the regulation of gas and electricity prices as possible additional measures to combat price increases, adding that the government also intends to announce the prices of basic foodstuffs at individual retailers. Golob told the broadcaster POP TV and TV Slovenia that several measures are planned when it comes to high prices of electricity and gas.
The gas supply to Slovenia is uninterrupted, says the distributor
LJUBLJANA – The gas distributor Geoplin ensured the uninterrupted public supply of gas to Slovenia. While the supply of Russian Gazprom has slightly decreased, Slovenia is compensating for the difference from other sources, the company said that Slovenia has received 25% less gas than planned in recent days. Geoplin said that the amount of gas in the past few days was indeed slightly lower than the agreed contractual maximum, but they are compensating this from other sources.
Ahčin will be nominated for the head of the Court of Audit, and Cvikl for the vice-governor of C-banks
LJUBLJANA – President Borut Pahor announced that he would nominate Jana Ahčin for president of the Court of Audit and Milan M. Cvikl for the new vice-governor of the central bank, after coalition parties chose the couple as their favorite candidates. The coalition has 53 seats in parliament, much more than the 46 it takes for the two candidates to be elected by secret ballot. The deputies of the Italian and Hungarian minorities also said that they would support the candidate proposed by Pahor.
New minister critical of digital vouchers
LJUBLJANA – New Minister for Digital Transformation Emilija Stojmenova Duh is critical of digital vouchers, a measure launched by the previous government, as they say they will not help promote digital literacy and inclusion, but will increase digital and social gaps. As of Wednesday, EUR 150 vouchers for the purchase of computer hardware are available to students from the last three grades of primary school to university. In less than two days, EUR 826,438 vouchers were redeemed.
Professionals working abroad are encouraged to return
BRDO PRI KRANJU – Slovenian scientists and businessmen living and working abroad gathered at the annual meeting. At the event, government officials stressed the importance of sharing knowledge gained abroad and expressed concern about the brain drain. “Slovenians living around the world are a great treasure in the economy, science and diplomacy,” said the president of the Slovenian World Congress Boris Pleskovič. Like him, the ministers of economy and education have expressed a desire for more of those who are leaving to decide to return.
The question has been raised that people with intellectual disabilities cannot vote
LJUBLJANA – The Ombudsman for Equality assessed that the National Assembly Electoral Act discriminated against persons with mental and psychosocial disabilities and unjustifiably deprived them of their right to vote. The assessment is based on a provision relating to the assessment of the ability to understand the purpose, meaning and impact of elections, which, according to the ombudsman, enabled the deprivation of the right to vote for persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities.
Slovenians generous with donations for Ukrainian orphans
POSTOJNA – Ukrainian orphans living in Slavina near Postojna have aroused affection and generosity among Slovenes, with donations coming from all over the country. According to Cvetka Kernel, director of the Postojna student dormitory, which takes care of the stay of Ukrainian staff caring for children, many donations are unexpected and unimaginable, such as the one from the Association of Nurses and Midwives of Slovenia. .
The management of RTV Slovenia is surprised by the announced strike
LJUBLJANA – The management of RTV Slovenia said that they were surprised by yesterday’s announcement of a strike by internal trade unions and claimed that there was a token in the talks after the 23rd. “The management regrets that the union has strengthened its strike activity by abandoning the search for solutions,” the management said.
Telekom shareholders will receive the same dividends as last year
LJUBLJANA – Telekom Slovenije’s shareholders have decided to distribute 29.24 million euros in dividends, or 4.50 euros gross per share, to be paid on 2 August. The Management Board proposed a dividend of EUR 3.5, but the shareholders supported the counter-proposal of the Association of Small Shareholders. The original telecommunications operator is 62.54% owned by the state, which is managed by the Slovenian State Holding, which also owns a 4.25% share.
The Institute of Tourism reveals the strategy of digital transformation
LJUBLJANA – The Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) presented its digital transformation strategy 2022-2026, which aims to empower stakeholders in decision-making based on data, personalize the guest experience and improve the digital skills of tourism staff. According to the strategy, the organization intends to allocate at least 5 million euros by 2026 for the digital transformation of the tourism sector. Approximately 90% of Slovenian tourism companies do not have an IT department or a person responsible for the company’s digital transformation.
The Spanish group will manage three major hotels in Ljubljana
LJUBLJANA – The Slovenian real estate fund Equinox will transfer the management of three hotels in the center of Ljubljana, including the legendary Grand Hotel Union, to the Spanish group Grupo Hotusa for 20 years with the possibility of two five-year extensions. Under the agreement, the Spanish group will manage the Grand Hotel Union, Hotel Lev and uHotel, with Exqinox being entitled to a minimum rent no matter how well they do, meaning more than € 100 million over 20 years. The variable part of the rent will depend on revenue growth.
The exhibition marks the 50th anniversary of the first motorway in Slovenia
LJUBLJANA – An exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the construction of the first motorway in Slovenia was opened at the Museum of Recent History. The 32-kilometer section between Vrhnika and Postojna on today’s southwestern coastal motorway began on 22 May 1970 and was inaugurated on 29 December 1972. The section was divided into three parts built by companies from the former Yugoslavia.
The largest sporting film event in the world in Rogaška Slatina
ROGAŠKA SLATINA – Rogaška Slatina is hosting the first international sports film festival of the Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs Association in Slovenia until 19 June. Under the flag Culture through Sport, the festival will present more than 35 feature and documentary films, as well as numerous activities, events and presentations.
Groenewegen winner of the 2nd stage of the Tour of Slovenia
ROGAŠKA SLATINA – Dutch cyclist Dylan Groenewegen won the second stage of the Tour of Slovenia. BikeExchange rider Jayco justified his reputation as the best sprinter in this year’s race, as he defeated Belgian Lionel Taminiaux and German Pascal Ackermann in the big group sprint with the help of his teammate Luka Mezgec from Slovenia. Polish cyclist Rafal Majka, who is the main assistant of Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogačar in the UAE Team Emirates, grabbed the leader’s jersey.