Morning headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, August 9, 2022
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This summary was prepared by STA:
Triple murderer Drevenšek was sentenced to 30 years in prison in a retrial
PTUJ – The retrial in the case of a man who murdered his estranged wife and her parents in front of his four-year-old son on Christmas 2020 ended with a sentence of 30 years in prison, as Silva Drevenšek was found guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to 29 years in prison for three murders and another four for neglect and cruelty to a minor. However, the Penal Code allows for a maximum of 30 years in prison in addition to life imprisonment. In the original trial at the Ptuj District Court, which was overturned because the case was decided by six instead of just five judges, Drevenšek was the first to be sentenced to life imprisonment after the re-introduction of the sentence in 2008. Until 1998, the maximum possible sentence in Slovenia was was in prison for 20 years.
Labor survey: Rating of the Freedom movement stable, SDS at the top for the last four years
LJUBLJANA – Voters are somewhat less critical of the government, but despite this, more than half of them assess its performance as negative, according to an August opinion poll by the newspaper Delo. 25.9% of respondents rated the government’s work as positive or very positive (4.6 points more than in July), while 53.3% rated it as negative or very negative (2.7 points less). If the elections were held tomorrow, 30.6% of the respondents would vote for the ruling Liberal Party, which is practically equal to July (30.2%) and June (31%). Meanwhile, the largest opposition party, the Democrats (SDS), performed the best since September 2018.
The government is re-introducing the contribution to energy efficiency
LJUBLJANA – Gasoline and diesel will be slightly more expensive starting August 17, as the government decided on Monday to reintroduce contributions for energy efficiency, which were temporarily suspended due to lower energy prices. Diesel will thus be more expensive by 0.8 cents per liter, and gasoline by 0.736 cents per liter. After the correspondence session, the government announced that the contribution should be reintroduced because it provides funds for the Eco Fund, the country’s sustainable energy development fund. “With these funds, we support investments that increase energy independence, efficiency and increase the share of renewable resources,” the government announced.
Pahor is on a state visit to Turkey this week
LJUBLJANA – President Borut Pahor will begin a two-day state visit to Turkey on Tuesday at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. At the top of the agenda will be bilateral relations and the situation in Ukraine. The situation in the Western Balkans and the Middle East will also be discussed. In addition to Erdogan, Pahor will also meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu. He will begin the visit with an address to the participants of the annual meeting of Turkish diplomats.
Bishop Saje of Novembro is suspected of tax evasion
LJUBLJANA – Delo reported that Novi Sad bishop Andrej Saje is suspected of tax evasion and that a criminal complaint against Saje was sent to the Slovenian tax administration and prosecutor’s office three months ago. In it, he allegedly received payment for helping with Mass on Sundays and holidays in two parishes in the diocese of Gurk-Celovec in the Austrian Carinthia from 2014 until the period when he was appointed bishop in June 2021. On the other hand, Saje told STA, that he does not know about the criminal complaint that was supposed to be filed against him this year, and he cannot comment on it in more detail.
A major drop in real estate prices is not yet expected
LJUBLJANA – According to available statistical data, the Slovenian housing market shows no signs of cooling yet, although real estate agents say that prices have stopped in the middle of the year. Nevertheless, experts believe that no major price drop is likely in the next six months. After last year’s record jump, residential real estate prices rose by a further 4.1% in the first quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter, and by as much as 19.6% year-on-year, according to the latest data from the statistical office.
The summer movie season is starting at Museum Plaza
LJUBLJANA – Tonight’s screening of Charlie Chaplin’s film The Great Dictator will open the curtain on the events that the Slovenian Cinematheque is preparing in Museum Plaza on Metelkova. Events include the three-day festival Summer on the Silver Screen and Between the Covers, mini-festivals of short film and video, and debates on the present and future of print media in the digital world.