News

When starting our term, we promised the citizens a different way of ruling that is based on the observance of the rule of law and constructive cooperation with everyone who can contribute to the stability of the situation and the welfare of the people. Political games and hindrances used by the opposition after its electoral defeat are not part of our policy or values.

The National Assembly adopted the Act Determining Intervention Measures in Education, which includes additional measures to mitigate price increases.

A working meeting between State Secretaries, Jure Trbič and Urban Kodrič, with the representatives of the Institute for Housing and Space Studies and the Legal Information Centre for NGOs took place today at the Ministry of Public Administration. The purpose of the meeting was to listen to opinions regarding the Physical Assets of the State and Local Government Act (ZSPDSLS-1).

Today, the National Assembly is deciding on the adoption of the amendments to the Act determining the aid to the economy due to high electricity and natural gas prices. With the Act, the Government is allocating more than double the aid totalling EUR 86 million to the business sector this year, including a higher level of coverage of eligible costs and an extended circle of beneficiaries.

The international regional conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) on development cooperation in the European region is taking place in Vienna. Slovenia was invited to participate in the conference as an example of good practice and, as a result, the representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology are presenting the Slovenian model of international development cooperation.

Inflation mitigation measures adopted by the Government led by Robert Golob are showing the first concrete results. The Government’s timely and decisive measures have helped to moderate inflation growth by 2.3% percentage points, according to the Office for Macroeconomic Analysis and Development. Without the Government's measures, September’s inflation would have been 12.3% instead of 10%.

The Government took note about the liquidity and business risks of the company, Geoplin.

Today, on Thursday, 6 October 2022, the ministers of defence, the interior, health and infrastructure signed an updated plan for activation and use of state aircraft for emergency tasks of protection, rescue and assistance.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon addressed Diplomatic Academy participants at the start of the new academic year. She spoke about her experience during the first months since taking up the post of Foreign Minister, and went on to mention current foreign policy issues and related priorities for Slovenian foreign policy in the coming period.

State Secretary Marko Štucin met with State Secretary at the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Andreja Metelko Zgombić, in Zagreb. They discussed opportunities for strengthening and further deepening bilateral cooperation and topical issues of the EU.

At a press conference today, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Irena Šinko, and the Acting Director-General of the Agriculture Directorate, Maša Žagar, presented the 2023–2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan for Slovenia.

Dr Emilija Stojmenova Duh, Minister of Digital Transformation, met today with the management of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, the Director-General Aleš Cantarutti and Executive Director Vesna Nahtigal.

According to preliminary data, the state budget recorded almost EUR 9.3 billion in revenue in the first nine months, which is about EUR 1.3 billion or 16.2% higher than in the same period last year. Expenditure fell by almost EUR 837 million or 8%, amounting to around EUR 9.6 billion. Accordingly, the budget deficit amounted to EUR 324 million in the first nine months.

''Slovenia has finally joined the countries in Europe and the world that have already made the status of heterosexual and same-sex couples equal'', said State Secretary Simon Maljevac after the National Assembly confirmed the amended Family Code following decisions made by Slovenia’s Constitutional Court.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tanja Fajon, State Secretary for Economic Development and Technology, Matevž Frangež, and State Secretary for Defence, Rudi Medved, addressed the Business to Diplomacy (B2D) event entitled “Slovenia in Space” in the Noordung Centre. The purpose of the event was to help create new connections and opportunities for cooperation at the national and international level, to present the activities and achievements of the Slovenian space sector to representatives of foreign embassies and the Slovenian economic and defence attachés.

State Secretary dr. Branko Lobnikar inaugurated the eighth annual meeting of the Pompidou Group’s South-East Europe Airports Group with an opening address. The two-day meeting held in Ljubljana was organised by the Council of Europe and the Slovenian criminal police, current holder of the Group’s presidency.

Minister for Development and European Cohesion Policy, dr Aleksander Jevšek, attended the Szentgotthárd/Monošter Forum and underscored the importance of cross-border (Interreg) programmes in overcoming administrative, language and other barriers people in cross-border regions face.

Today, we celebrate World Animal Day. It is intended to raise awareness among the general public about animals as sentient beings and the necessity of caring for them responsibly and in a way that does not cause them pain, suffering and fear.

With today's successful tourism-promotional, cultural and culinary event entitled "In Honor of Slovenia", which took place after the screening of the film "Emerald Paradise" at the opening of the Chagrin Falls Documentary Film Festival 2022, we concluded this year's "Slovenian Days in Cleveland 2022".

Prime Minister Robert Golob visited the Maribor First Grammar School today. With students he discussed the energy crisis, the war in Ukraine, energy self-supply, renewable energy sources and investments in solar panels. The discussion, for which the students were well prepared, took place in a relaxed atmosphere. After a pleasant conversation with the students, the Prime Minister signed the memorial book in the school library. He encouraged the students, "Trust in yourself and in your virtues. Then only the sky will be your limit."

The UN has published the latest global E-Government Survey. This is a regular and respected publication that the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) has prepared every two years since 2001. According to the E-Government Development Index (EGDI), Slovenia comes 21st out of 193 countries, and progress is evident in all components of the survey.

The Prime Minister, Dr Robert Golob, today addressed the participants of the For a Better Future for Children consultation at the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia. At the consultation, various stakeholders, from NGOs to deputies and representatives of ministries, discussed solutions to improve the situation of children with special needs and children living in poverty and threatened by violence.

Development council of cohesion region Vzhodna Slovenija today met at the Rajhenburg Castle in Brestanica and approved Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027.

After 18 months of safe and stable non-stop operations, a scheduled overhaul will take place at Krško Nuclear Power Plant (NE Krško) from 1 October to 2 November.

As part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of Europe, a conference entitled 'No safe haven: Integrated prevention measures to end domestic, sexual and gender-based violence' was organised in Dublin between 29 and 30 September 2022. The conference was attended by Minister Luka Mesec who, in his message, highlighted as the central objective, "A Europe with zero tolerance for violence against women, whether taking place publicly, at work or within the family."

Heavy rainfall, which again hit Slovenia in recent days, caused additional damage to the already affected and waterlogged areas in south-eastern Slovenia. Minister of Defence Marjan Šarec and his colleagues visited the Municipality of Osilnica, which was among the most affected by the flash floods in mid-September. The Slovenian Armed Forces will again help to remedy the consequences of the rainfall, the swollen Kolpa River and torrent streams.

In the first half of September, the Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Agricultural Markets and Rural Development (ARSKTRP) started paying aid to the agricultural and fisheries sectors, which are facing increasing costs of production and processing due to the rising prices of fuel, electricity and intermediate goods. By 30 September, almost EUR 22.2 million of aid was paid out from the anticipated EUR 22.3 million.

This year’s International Day of Older Persons, celebrated on 1 October, is dedicated to the resilience and contributions of older women. The discrimination and inequalities that women face can increase with age. For this reason, the contributions and experiences of older women, who play an important role in social, political, economic and cultural life, often remain disregarded.

An international research group has succeeded in identifying the most distant globular star clusters ever discovered using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Switzerland has retained its top spot among the world's most innovative countries, a position it has held for almost a decade. Slovenia has dropped one place in this year's ranking to 33rd out of 132 countries.

Every friday the Slovenian Weekly Newsletter brings you the latest updates on the work of the Slovenian Government.

At its meeting by correspondence, the Government again discussed the draft Implementation of the Republic of Slovenia Budget for 2023 and 2024 Act. As per the draft Act adopted on Wednesday, the Government restructured the article referring to the payment of the annual allowance for pensioners. The amounts of annual allowance will increase by EUR 5 as per 2021 in all grades.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the international conference in Gorizia held under the title European Cultural Links - Cross-border cities as European meeting points. In a panel entitled How to further define cross-border cooperation and remove barriers: policy instruments and territorial perspectives, he highlighted the European Capital of Culture 2025 project and the successful partnership between Nova Gorica and Gorizia as outstanding examples of cooperation between the two border towns.

Today, Sanja Ajanović Hovnik, head of the Government negotiating team and the Minister of Public Administration, and the heads of negotiating teams of representative public sector unions, Branimir Štrukelj and Jakob Počivavšek, initialled the agreement after several negotiating sessions.

The EU Competitiveness Council met today in Brussels, attended by State Secretary Matevž Frangež on behalf of Matjaž Han, the Minister of Economic Development and Technology. The meeting took place in the light of the exacerbated energy crisis and the Member States displayed a great degree of unity in all key decisions. The ministers supported the proposal of the new crisis instrument to protect the internal market.

As per the Partnership Agreement with the European Commission and the Operational Programme for the Implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy in the 2021–2027 Period that was confirmed yesterday, Slovenia will earmark a proportion of funds for the activities implemented by the Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief.

Secretary of State, Ms Tatjana Buzeti, participated in the 13th OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) Rural Development Policy Conference. The 3-day Conference, “Building sustainable, resilient and thriving rural places”, organised by the Irish Government, exposed a number of burning issues, relevant to coherent rural development.

The National Assembly adopted amendments to the Copyright and Related Rights Act and the Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights Act. With the amendments, Slovenia transposes the provisions of two European Directives into the Slovenian legal order.

In March 2022, the successor states of the former Social Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) signed the joint sale contract and in September 2022, the closing documents for the sale of the real estate of the former SFRY Mission to the United Nations. Slovenia will receive EUR 7.3 million from the sale of the property at 854 Fifth Avenue, New York, which is 14 per cent of the total purchase price.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tokyo is opening a job position for the Personal Assistant to the Ambassador to start work on 1 December, 2022. For the details, please see the attached file. (The application has been closed. Thank you for your interest.)

At today's session, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia approved the European Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027. This is a document that, together with the Partnership Agreement - signed in Ljubljana today by Minister Dr. Aleksander Jevšek and European Commissioner Elisa Ferreira - represents the basis for drawing down European funds within the financial perspective 2021-2027, which expires in 2029.

Minister for Development and European Cohesion Policy, dr. Alexander Jevšek, and European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, signed a partnership agreement between the Republic of Slovenia and the European Commission in Ljubljana. With the approval and signing of the agreement, Slovenia has opened the way to EUR 3.26 billion of European funds in the future programme period.

The Slovenian Prime Minister, Robert Golob, today received the European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira. Prime Minister Golob and Commissioner Ferreira exchanged views on the current situation in the European Union and agreed on the importance of European cohesion policy in addressing the current economic, social and environmental challenges in Europe.

Acting Director-General for Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation Eva Tomič took part in the meeting of EU development directors-general in Brussels. The directors-general discussed the implementation of the Global Gateway strategy, global food supply and preparations for the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15).

At today's session, the government approved the budget for 2023-2024. The government aims to ensure stable public finances for the well-being of citizens and to maintain the normal functioning of the economy upon considering the uncertainty and unpredictability of the further development of the energy crisis. Moreover, it has adopted the draft amendment to the Slovenian Sovereign Holding Act, the 2023-2027 Common Agricultural Policy strategic plan for Slovenia and the European Cohesion Policy 2021-2027.

In the article, the Washington Post journalist Michael Birnbaum describes the actions of firefighters, members of the rescue forces and the Slovenian Armed Forces during the big fire in July that raged in the Goriska Karst.

At the initiative of the United Nations General Assembly, we are celebrating the third International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. On this day, we call for rational food management.

The Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning, Uroš Brežan, and the Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Luka Mesec, participated in the ceremony to mark the opening of the new modern Pod Pekrsko gorco neighbourhood in Maribor. The aforementioned neighbourhood is one of 34 projects to be developed under the auspices of Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia, which is supported by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) and financed by the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB).

At today's government committees, the government included two new projects in the 2022-2025 Development Programme Plan as in force, and reallocated funds in the state budget for 2022.

State Secretary Marko Štucin attended the opening session of the workshop "ERP and IPA Coordinators as Inspired Leaders" in Bled. The event has been organised as part of the EU-funded project "Structural Reforms Better Integrated Within Fiscal Frameworks - FIR 2".