News

The rating agency Fitch yesterday affirmed Slovenia's A-rating, upgrading the outlook from stable to positive. This marks an important sign of confidence in Slovenia and sends a strong message at a time of global economic uncertainty.

The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council concluded in Geneva, with Slovenia as one of the key co-creators of initiatives that contribute significantly to the strengthening of international human rights standards.

Due to planned maintenance on the central communication network of the state administration, occasional difficulties may occur in the operation of the online service Virtual Archive Reading Room on Sunday, April 6, 2025.

At today's session, the Government adopted a proposal for the Higher Education Act, which aims to reform the higher education system. It also approved a draft Act Amending the Matura Examination Act, aligning with the expert guidelines and objectives of the public education system, as well as a draft Act Amending the Provision of Foster Care Act, designed to improve the quality of foster care provision.

Today, at a correspondence meeting, the Government adopted a decision to deploy an expert to the EU Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team, as requested by the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) through the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism, in view of the massive earthquake in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the Call for proposals for business infrastructure development (business incubators) projects in the Savinjsko-Šaleška (SAŠA) coal region under the Just Transition Fund 2025-2027.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development informs municipalities that the funding available for 2025 under the first call for proposals for co-financing basic community infrastructure projects in Roma settlements in 2025 and 2026 has already been used, leaving 1,000,000 euros available for 2026.

"Strengthening public healthcare has been and remains one of the key priorities of this Government. This is the promise we made to the people, and today we have taken an important step towards its fulfilment.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the Integrated Territorial Investment project in the Urban Municipality Murska Sobota called Noršinska (ITI MO MS Noršinska).

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended today's signing of the Social Partners' Agreement on the proposed Act Amending the Pension and Disability Insurance Act and addressed the participants on this occasion.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the Call for proposals for the co-financing of projects of youth career centres+.

Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development, Dr Aleksander Jevšek, participated in the Regional policy dialogue on good governance and women leadership in Southeast Europe. The Minister emphasised that the gender gap in decision-making and leadership positions points to the urgent need for effective strategies and measures to enhance women’s participation across all sectors of society.

Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, accompanies President of the Republic of Slovenia Nataša Pirc Musar on her official visit to Kazakhstan with a strong business delegation. Minister Fajon met separately with Kazakh Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu.

In March, Denmark – the first among the new UNSC members – took over the presidency of the Security Council from China. The programme of work included discussions on the Middle East, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Sudan and South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Improving the quality and accessibility of the green urban infrastructure in the Bonifica SRC area.

The new issue of the News from Nuclear Slovenia is published.

The Archivalia of the Month April 2025 with the title Documentary Film Nepal – »Lost« and Found Again.

At the invitation of British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar attended the Border Security Summit: Organised Immigration Crime in London.

Minister of the Interior Boštjan Poklukar hosted the Brdo Process Ministerial Meeting. Alongside Minister Poklukar, the meeting was opened by Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, and Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today received the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, in Ljubljana.

State Secretary Marko Štucin hosted the new Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Family, Claudia Plakolm, for consultations. They discussed the most topical issues currently being addressed in the EU and agreed that Slovenia and Austria share similar views on several EU policies.

At today’s meeting in Brussels, which focused on the soon-to-be-published new Cohesion Policy legislative framework, EU Ministers responsible for Cohesion agreed that Cohesion Policy should adapt to better respond to current and future challenges.

Yesterday, Piotr Serafin, European Commissioner for Budget, visited Slovenia as part of the preparations for the European Union’s next long-term budget. During his visit, he was briefed on the protection and rescue system and the reforms underway in this area.

“Interreg GO! is an opportunity to reflect on the future of European territorial cooperation beyond 2027,” underlined State Secretary Marko Koprivc in his opening address on the second day of the biggest Interreg event. The second day of the event was dedicated to parallel thematic panels on topical issues related to the current Interreg 2021-2027 programmes, as well as visiting the projects on both sides of the border.

At the proposal of the Minister of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, Jože Novak, the Environment Council yesterday in Brussels discussed, among other things, the activities and achievements of Slovenia's Presidency of the Barcelona Convention, particularly in the context of the current and upcoming global negotiations on the protection of oceans and waters.

In the 20th episode of the GOVSI podcast, host Petra Bezjak Cirman talks with Mojca Ramšak Pešec, State Secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration, and Irena Ilešič Čujovič, President of the Health and Social Care Trade Union. They discuss the importance of the public sector for society and the reform of the public pay system, which brings significant changes for more than 188,000 employees within the public wage framework.

Last June, the Council of the European Union adopted a Regulation on nature restoration. The overarching objective of the Regulation is to restore at least 20% of the EU's terrestrial and marine areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning has therefore started to prepare a National Nature Restoration Plan, which will be a key document for the implementation of the Nature Restoration Regulation.

At the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the informal meeting of leaders on peace and security for Ukraine.

State Secretary and National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Helga Dobrin hosted a meeting of the Network of Anti-Trafficking Coordinators of South-East Europe (NATC SEE) at Brdo pri Kranju.

State Secretary Dr Melita Gabrič is in Paris to attend the Nutrition for Growth Summit. There are more than 700 million people in the world who do not eat enough or do not eat the right food. The reasons are mostly rooted in conflict, poverty and inequality. We need to pay more attention to this global challenge and make financial commitments that will accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

On 27 and 28 March 2025, the border cities of Gorizia and Nova Gorica, which hold the title of European Capital of Culture this year, hosted the Interreg GO! event, which was opened by keynote speakers Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Cohesion and Reform, Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, and Aleksander Jevšek, Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development.

At today's session, the Government adopted the proposal for the Act amending the Electricity Supply Act, a decision on consent to the content of the call for enrolment in master's degree programmes for the 2025/2026 academic year, and the decision on consent to the content of the call for enrolment in doctoral degree programmes.

Minister Tanja Fajon met with representatives of the Slovenian minority in Austria at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs in Ljubljana today to discuss topical issues relating to their situation, rights and development.

Minister Tanja Fajon discussed the challenges and future orientations regarding Official Development Assistance (ODA) with the members of the Expert Council for Development Cooperation. She underlined the importance of focused action, predictable funding and the reduction of administrative burdens, and the Council approved the plan to increase funding and strengthen cooperation with the private sector and NGOs.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the projects Renovation of the Bloudek Park in Tivoli, Construction of the Savsko naselje Sports Park and Construction of the children's park by the pool.

Prime Minister Robert Golob attended the opening ceremony of the new Podbreznik residential neighbourhood in Novo Mesto, which will provide 186 public rental apartments. The neighbourhood was developed by the Housing Fund of the Republic of Slovenia in cooperation with the Municipality of Novo Mesto.

Slovenia recorded its third consecutive year of growth in patent applications at the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2024. With growth surpassing the EU average, a strong presence of women inventors and high adoption of the Unitary Patent, Slovenia continues to demonstrate a dynamic innovation environment and the significance of its expertise within the EU patent landscape.

Due to work on the transformer substation and a power outage, the Archives Reading Room and the Information Room will be open only until 15:30 on Wednesday 26 March 2025.

The March issue features an interview with the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ambassador Barbara Žvokelj. It also includes articles on the Ministry’s first strategic foresight document and on Slovenia's participation in the advisory proceedings of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, aimed at clarifying the obligations of States in relation to climate change.

Prime Minister Robert Golob is attending the regular Spring European Council, where discussions will focus on competitiveness, including the issue of high energy prices, reducing administrative barriers, challenges in the automotive industry, and strengthening the overall resilience of the European Union. Leaders will also continue discussions on the situation in Ukraine and European defence.

At today's session, the Government adopted the draft amendment to the Game and Hunting Act, the Decision establishing the Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Healthcare Quality and a framework for issuing green bonds. It also decided that the new regional hospital for Gorenjska will be located in Kranj.

On the occasion of World Water Day - 22 March - the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning (MNVP) organised an event to bring together connoisseurs and experts to share their views on the hydrological challenges posed by climate change and human interventions. Altered water runoff and sediment regimes are greatly increasing water-related risks and hazards.

The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Tehran will be closed during Persian New Year holidays (Nowrooz) from 23 March to 24 March 2025.

Prime Minister Robert Golob was the keynote speaker at the closing session of the National Consultation on Strengthening the Resilience of the Republic of Slovenia today. The opening address was delivered by Vojko Volk, State Secretary for National and International Security at the Office of the Prime Minister.

At the invitation of the Polish Embassy, Petra Bezjak Cirman, Director of the Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia, attended a meeting of representatives of the diplomatic corps of EU member states (EU HoMS). At the meeting, she presented activities aimed at raising awareness and increasing resilience against disinformation, foreign information manipulation, and interference. Information security is one of the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Robert Golob, hosted a working lunch for the President of the Portuguese Republic, Dr Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who is on an official visit to Slovenia.

The Monitoring Committee for Slovenia's EU Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027 held its regular session and approved Programme amendments. It also took note of the progress made in the implementation of the Programme and discussed key challenges and opportunities of Programme implementation.

The Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the SUPER 8 EPK GO!2025 project.

Prime Minister Robert Golob today hosted a meeting of ministers and deputies of the National Assembly from the parties of the government coalition at Brdo pri Kranju. The Coalition Summit reviewed past and planned activities to implement the following commitments: strengthening public healthcare, a sustainable pension system, housing for young people.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon concluded her Asian tour in India, where she participated in the Raisina Dialogue international conference and the Young Raisina Leaders event. She also met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and visited an education centre in Kolkata founded 17 years ago by a Slovenian woman and her husband.