Alojz Kovšca

Ljubljana – Lawyer Nataša Pirc Musar has increased her lead in the presidential race after the ruling party’s candidate Marta Kos pulled out, a poll run by the newspaper Delo on Saturday suggests. Pirc Musar gained five percentage points in a fortnight to 31% as Anže Logar, the former foreign minister, stayed at 23%.

Ljubljana – Lawyer and ex-Info Commissioner Nataša Pirc Musar is in the lead in the presidential race, according to a poll conducted by Mediana for public broadcaster RTV Slovenija. She enjoys the support of 23.9% of respondents and is followed by former foreign minister Anže Logar (16.6%) and Freedom Movement vice-president Marta Kos (14.4%).

Ljubljana – Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu will be in Slovenia on Monday and Tuesday, discussing her country’s expectations about joining the EU and NATO, dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtina, and the situation in the Western Balkans.

Ljubljana – Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Olena Kondratiuk thanked Slovenia for its support for Ukraine as she addressed the press with Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon in Ljubljana on Tuesday. Fajon said Slovenia would also support Ukraine in its EU accession efforts and announced the Slovenian ambassador would return to Kyiv next Tuesday.

Ljubljana – Connecting Slovenia, an alliance of five parties, expressed satisfaction with the latest polls as they wrapped up campaigning on Friday, convinced that they will enter parliament and actively shape policy in the next term.

Koper – Under the headline Euros and Concrete Incredibility, the newspaper Primorske Novice comments on Concretely, a new party which emerged from a merger of Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek’s coalition SMC and National Council President Alojz Kovšca’s non-parliamentary GAS, saying its main problem is a lack of credibility.

Ljubljana – Slovenians marked the Day of Remembrance of the Death, or All Saints’ Day, on Monday by visiting graves to pay respects to the dead. Senior Slovenian officials meanwhile laid wreaths at memorials to the victims of wars and war-related violence.

Ljubljana – A delegation of the European Parliament’s committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs (LIBE) visiting Slovenia on a fact-finding mission has expressed concern mainly at the tone of public debate, while also calling for the issues of STA funding and European delegated prosecutor appointments to be addressed urgently.

Ljubljana – Interior Minister Aleš Hojs addressed the National Security Day event on Tuesday to note that Slovenia was somewhere between the fifth and eight place on lists of safest countries. He credited the security system and education from the earliest age for this, as well as people who steer activities and planning in this field.

Ljubljana – An inter-parliamentary conference on the EU’s common foreign and security policy organised as part of the Slovenian EU presidency on Thursday heard calls for a united and active approach by the bloc to global challenges.