Government Communication Office

Ljubljana – President Borut Pahor talked on Monday with Council of Europe (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović about freedom of the press and hate speech in Slovenia. Pahor stressed the importance of supervisory mechanisms of international institutions, including the CoE, and the need of regular and open dialogue with them.

Ljubljana – The police is leading an investigation to determine whether there are elements of suspected criminal acts prosecutable ex officio based on allegations of irregularities regarding the STA. Investigators visited the STA chief supervisor based on a number of reports of these allegations and not based on a government decree, the police has said.

Ljubljana – Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti held an online talk with Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović on Wednesday to discuss media freedom and the freedom of expression, the Culture Ministry said. The pair also discussed the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) and proposed changes to the media legislation.

Ljubljana – Slovenian Press Agency (STA) director Bojan Veselinovič has told the government he is granting it access to all books of account and documents, even though the STA has never received a formal request to that effect. He said the government should say, in writing, who will access the documents on its behalf and in what way.

Ljubljana – Partial wage subsidy for furloughed workers has been extended into May. This is a measure to reduce the risk of companies deciding to lay off workers as they face a reduced demand or negative shocks in productivity related to the Covid-19 epidemic, the government has said.

Ljubljana – The prime minister’s office maintains that the Government Communication Office (UKOM) does not need any special authorisation from the government to act as the government’s representative in relation to the STA.

Ljubljana – The supervisory board of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) has called on the government to immediately settle all of its outstanding liabilities to the STA and to comply with its legal obligations to finance the STA public service.

Ljubljana – The government has extended several measures aimed at helping individuals and businesses get through the epidemic. The measures would have expired at the end of the month, but have now been extended until the end of June. The furlough scheme, which expires at the end of April, has not be extended yet.

Ljubljana – The government has shortened the curfew from between 9pm and 6am to between 10pm and 5pm, and imposed a ban on movement into and out of three regions with the highest coronavirus infection rates.

Ljubljana – The ZRC SAZU, the Scientific and Research Centre at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, is worried at escalating attacks on the STA, urging by the Government Communication Office (UKOM) to stop threatening and financially draining the news agency. UKOM denied the allegations.