Sinfo December 2012

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06ISSN 1854-0805 December 2012

• INTERVIEW: Vojmir Urlep • ART & CULTURE: Autumn in the Spirit o Design• OUR EXCELLENCE: DEWESOF • PEOPLE: Kamila Volčanšek

• SPORTS: EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia less than a year away

Slovenia Elects New Presidentas Borut Pahor Unseats ürk

in Landslide

e latest from Slovenia



3Sinfo – Slovenian information

contents

editorial contents

Best Wishes or the New Year

Slovenia elected its ourth President o the Republic on 2 December. In thesecond round o the th presidential elections, marked by the lowest ever voter

turnout, Borut Pahor won a convincing victory over the incumbent Presidento the Republic, Danilo ürk. Pahor, the youngest president in the history o

the independent state, understands his election victory as a responsibility andtrusts he will be able to cope with it successully. He described his victory as the

beginning o a new period, one which he hoped would be agreed upon by a broad

sweep o Slovenian politicians: “I and in as much as the party leaders think that Ican participate in this arrangement and even oster it, I will do so with the greatest

pleasure and bring all my experience to bear.”We write about the events that marked the Government’s work in the

previous year. When starting its term o oce in February 2012, the Janez JanšaGovernment set itsel two major goals – ensuring nancial sustainability and

promoting economic growth. Te new Ministers, conronted with lack o unds intheir ministries’ budgets and the unrealistic budget or 2012, were well aware that

immediate action was in order; consequently, the Government adopted a serieso austerity measures as well as a revision o the 2012 budget during the very rst

semester o its term o oce. In parallel it drated measures to promote economicgrowth and enhance the competitiveness o Slovenia’s economy. Te Government

is aware that problems that had been accumulating over a number o years cannotbe eliminated overnight. Also or this reason, the adoption o the Balancing o

Public Finance Act and revision o the 2012 national budget, based on austeritymeasures, was one o the key actions during the Government’s rst six months;

however, this is only the rst step towards recovery.Te Ministry o Economic Development and echnology approved an increase

in the amount allocated to the public tender or the promotion o oreign directinvestments, implemented by the Public Agency o the Republic o Slovenia or

Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments (JAPI). Te public tender amounthas been increased to EUR 6,230,000 to provide co-unding or all investment

project assessed as positive at the tender. Te total amount o approved incentivesamounts to EUR 5.8 million, while the total value o investment projects stands at

EUR 34 million; it is planned that projects will generate 482 new jobs within threeyears o the completion o the investment.

Te European Basketball Championships will take place rom 4 to 2 2 September

2013 in Slovenia, and the draw ceremony was held in Postojna Cave; Slovenia willnow pay hal a million less than previously envisaged to the European BasketballFederation, FIBA Europe. Tis reduction has been achieved by Anže Logar, Director

o the Government Communication Oce, ater lengthy negotiations on behal o the Slovenian Government. Te Communication Oce o the Government o

the Republic o Slovenia decreased its share rom the envisaged EUR 3.5 millionto EUR 3 million and also negotiated a more avourable payment schedule. Fine

wine oers a unique harmony o taste, awakens the senses and connects people,to name only a ew o its qualities. Slovenia has a long wine-making history and is

a country o exceptional natural resources that enable the cultivation o dierentgrape varieties, including several indigenous ones. Making use o rich experience

and keeping abreast o new technology and marketing trends, Slovenianwinemakers are producing wine o competitive quality and entering the global

market. Te year is drawing to an end – so let’s pour a glass o ne wine and raiseit in a toast to a stable and prosperous new year. All the best!

SINFO – SLOVENIAN INFORMATION

Editorial: GovernmentCommunication Oce,

Director: Anže Logar, Gregorčičeva 25, 1000 Ljubljana,tel. +386(0) 14782630, ax+ 386(0) 1251 2312,www.ukom.gov.si

Editor-in-Chie: Valerija ObuExecutive Editor: Vesna Žarkovič, [email protected]: Mateja Malnar Štembal, Polona Prešeren,

Nataša Marvin, Manja KostevcPhoto Editor: JanezVidrih

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GovernmentCommunicationOce: www.slovenia.si

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Governmentothe RepublicoSlovenia:www.vlada.si

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SlovenianChambero Commerceand Industry:www.gzs.si

SlovenianChambero Crat:www.ozs.si

PublicAgencyorEntrepreneurshipandForeignInvestments:www.japti.si

LjubljanaStockExchange:www.ljse.si

StatisticalOceothe RepublicoSlovenia:www.stat.si

StatePortalothe Republico Slovenia: http://e-uprava.gov.si

5In ocus

e priorities of the establishment of theSlovenian Sovereign Holding

Slovenia’s Development Strategy until 2020Events that marked the Government’s work in

the previous year14

Interview

Vojmir Urlep18

Business

20A letter

New Year’s celebrations in BrazilChristmas in Japan

22Art & culture

Lie, or a Time when Everybody is Talkingabout Films

Autumn in the Spirit of Design ...27Our excellence

DEWESOFT – artists in their eld of expertise30

Green corner

e Čadrg Ecovillage32

People

Kamila Volčanšek36

Sports

EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia less thana year away

40Slovenian delights

Culinary Adventures without Limits44

Society

ADRIA AIRWAYS, e Airl ine of Slovenia46

Heritage

In the Kingdom of Wine

Vesna Žarkovič, Editor

In ocus

Green corner

Interview

Art & culture

Heritage

People

Society Sports



Government Communication Ofce 5Sinfo – Slovenian information

Government Communication Ofce, photo: STA

: in focus :

Slovenia Elects New President as Borut Pahor

Unseats ürk in Landslide

Results rom the National Electoral Commission show Pahor won67.4% o the vote. Te turnout was 42%, the lowest on record or apresidential election and six points below that in the rst round. Teresult is no surprise considering the polls beore the run-o, but ürkentered the race in the summer as the clear ront-runner, with Pahorstaging an upset in the rst round on 11 November by upending theincumbent on a platorm o cross-partisanship. In his rst statementollowing the release o exit polls Pahor reiterated his central mes-sage o unity and cross-partisanship, one which he has used as a con-trast to ürk’s perceived divisiveness. “We need trust, mutual respect,tolerance, readiness to listen. Irrespective o how big the dierencesamong us may be, the things that connect us are even stronger,” hesaid. While saying that he was also grappling with many questions,Pahor said that he knew one important answer: “Tat all the worries,ears and lack o trust among us is accompanied by enough hope,strength and courage.”

ürk conceded deeat and congratulated Pahor, but he rerainedrom analysing the reasons or the outcome. Tere are “plenty o qualied people to make political assessments, analysis and polls...Ihave to be modest, I can’t immodestly assess this election”. ürk saidhe would remain an “active citizen” ater his term ocially ends inthree weeks. “I entered politics ve years ago as an active citizen, oneo those who care. My commitment remains u nchanged,” he said.

Te low turnout highlights the apparent loss o trust in politiciansthat has been raised in a wave o anti-establishment protests current-ly sweeping across Slovenia. Pahor said that trust in state institutionsneeded to be restored, arguing that the institutions needed to “earnthis trust with hard work or the common good.” ürk, meanwhile,said the turnout was a “cause o concern”. Te campaigning or thesecond round was ramed by pundits as a battle between the “newlet” o Pahor and the “old let” represented by ürk, but it also pittedürk as a critic o government measures and guardian against gov-ernment excess against Pahor’s perceived excessive willingness toaccommodate Prime Minister Janez Janša. ürk sharpened his rheto-ric while Pahor kept to his message o unity, though he was orced tobacktrack somewhat on support or the government.Te nal stageso the campaign also coincided with massive protests against thepolitical establishment in general, but they appear to have had little

eect on the outcome. Te rst reactions rom politicians underlinethe hope promulgated by Pahor that the “politics o divisions” willend and a new era o unity ushered in. Janša congratulated Pahor onthe “excellent and convincing result”. “I thank him in particular be-cause he talked about things that are not popular but are necessary- winning support in spite o that.” He hinted that with election outo the way, reorms would be back at the top o the political agenda,not just economic reorms but reorms o the political system de-signed to eliminate blockades. He said that the “entire political estab-lishment and the active citizenry” ace the challenge in the “crucialweeks ahead” to implement “corrections to the political system” thatwill enable the elimination o blockades, in particular in the judi-ciary. Parliament Speaker Gregor Virant, the head o the Citizens’ List(DL) and a supporter o Pahor’s, described the outcome as a win orcentre-oriented, moderate and constructive politics. He eels Pahor’selection will have a calming eect on the situation in the country.New Slovenia (NSi) deputy group leader Matej onin hopes Pahor willbe a president o all, while People’s Party (SLS) president RadovanŽerjav said people “consciously stepped beyond partisan and ideo-logical divisions”. Te head o the Pensioners’ Party (DeSUS) KarlErjavec, who had supported ürk, said Pahor had the right qualitiesto be a good president and to bridge the let-right political divide inthe country. Igor Lukšič, the head o Pahor’s Social Democrats (SD),said the message o the election was that people recognise Pahor asa person who will unite Slovenia and help it go orward. Analysingthe outcome, Matevž omšič o the Nova Gorica Faculty o AdvancedSocial Studies said Pahor’s victory will bring a normalisation o re-lations between the presidential oce and the government. omšičtrusts Pahor’s honesty and says that as PM he advocated conciliatorypolicies, but was blocked by his political partners, while he will bemore independent in his decisions as president. Samo Uhan, a lectur-er at the Ljubljana Faculty o Social Sciences, meanwhile thinks thatPahor will be in a tough spot, as he is assuming oce at a time whenthe political elite has serious legitimacy issues. Pahor wanted to showthat he can connect politicians, but “the street has shown that whatwe need most at this point is connection between the political eliteand the common people. Pahor’s task will be much more demandingthan it seems,” he said.

Te Social Democratic ormer Prime Minister Borut Pahor will be the new president o Slovenia, ater he won

presidential run-o in a landslide against the incumbent, Danilo ürk. Pahor will be sworn in on 22 December.

monthly

commentary

Anže Logar, Director o the Government Communication Ofce

In 2008, we repeated the question: “Who would have believedat just our years ater entering the EU we were to hold the EUesidency?”

And in 2010? “Who would have believed that Slovenia, as ard-working EU ollower and an everlasting success story, wascome dangerously close to ranking among the countries with

culties?” A record drop in GDP exceeding 8% in 2009 and pooronomic indicators in all subsequent years led to early elections,hich were held precisely one year ago. Te new Government’sst year in oce is about to end, and the time has come to reviewachievements.Te Government has set out an ambitious package o reormsamend pension and labour legislation, establish a modern

stem or the management o state investments, set up a systemthe stabilisation o the banking sector, and create a sustainable

o-year budget. All the aorementioned reorm proposals bare new labour legislation have already passed the parliamentaryocedure. However, diculties arise in the implementation o ws, because Slovenia has one o the most reerendum-riendly

constitutional arrangements. Te reerendum procedure canbe initiated in respect o practically any law, even the budgetimplementation act. In Slovenia, when it comes to a reerendum,practically all reorms ace procedural diculties, one way oranother. Consequently, there is an increasing conviction amongSlovenian politicians that reerendum legislation should bebrought closer to reality.

At the moment, only the pension legislation among thenew reorms has been put in place. Slovenia is adjusting itspension policy to demographic trends, proving that the currentGovernment is able to reach an agreement with its social partners.Moreover, ater more than hal a year o continuing negotiations,the Parliament managed to adopt the reorm without a singleopposing vote. Who would have believed it?

Who would have believed that the 2013 and 2014 budgets,which are explicitly savings-oriented, would win the support o the opposition Social Democrats Deputy Group? Was it a mistake,a coincidence or an announcement o a better uture? As the yeardraws to an end, our optimism seems well placed.

WHO WOULD HAVE BELIEVED IT?

We were all euphoric when Slovenia joined the EUin 2004. At the time, the phrase most commonlyvoiced by Slovenian politicians was: “Who in 1996,when Slovenia applied for the EU membership,believed that we would enjoy its full membership

just eight years later?”




withdrawal o the state rom the economy will be made easier, withdue consideration to market conditions.

Te change in management o state-owned assets based on theabove Act is a undamental step to improving the credit rating o theRepublic o Slovenia. In this way, the proposed legal solutions are aprerequisite or easier government borrowing on international mar-kets, which will have a avourable eect on the stabilisation o publicnances.

Te Act contains provisions according to which cash ows intothe pension und will increase ater the entry into orce o the Act,since the Pension Fund Management (KAD) will have to remit to thepension und 50 million euros or the purposes o pension indexationno later than 30 September every year; additionally, the SSH, in orderto provide additional assets to the Pension and Disability InsuranceInstitute, will remit to the KAD 10% o the purchase price that will bereceived by the holding rom the sale o its assets.

Te provisions o the Act acilitate a more transparent, non-po-litical and responsible conduct o capital investment management.Te ineective unctioning o the Capital Assets Management Agencyin the past presented sucient evidence that the existing system o management o state-owned assets leads to damage to the value o state property. Such non-economic management o state property,

conducted in an inecient manner, does not yield optimal results,which, moreover, has an impact on the poor economic situation,well-being and employment opportunities.

It is dependent on the wisdom o policies whether they enablea better tomorrow or citizens or make a resolute step towards exitrom the current crisis. By adopting the Act, all the conditions or suchprogress are met. Now is the time to use them.

ACT AIMING TO STRENGTHEN THE STABILITY OF BANKS IS URGENT IN

ORDER TO ELIMINATE THE CREDIT CRUNCH

Te benefts o the enorcement o the Act Regulating Measures to Strength-

en the Stability o Banks

Te banking sector entered the current crisis unprepared, sinceit proved to have severe structural diculties. Tereore the Minis-try o Finance, as a guardian o the stability o the Slovenian bankingsystem and responsible or the preparation o systemic solutions, im-mediately started to design measures which would give an impetusto a long-term strengthening o the banking sector. On the basis o negotiations o all parliamentary parties and the Bank o Slovenia, itprepared the Act Regulating Measures to Strengthen the Stability o Banks, which was rearmed on 23 October 2012 in the National As-sembly as one o these measures.

Te Act provides a new legal basis or the use o measures or strengthen-

ing the stability o the fnancial system, which is lacking in existing legislation.

It urther provides measures to strengthen the stability o banksand, as a consequence, o the entire nancial system, which will helpto increase the credit ratings both o Slovenia and o its banks, enablequicker access to nancing resources and ease the credit crunch. Teobjective o the Act is not only to rescue the banks, since, through theaid to the banks, the economy will improve as it is currently deeplyin debt and is a key problem o the credit crunch and capital crunchand consequently, o low economic growth. Te credit crunch willbe eased since the banks, ater transerring non-perorming loans,will release capital related to non-perorming assets in their balancesheets, and these assets will be used to provide new loans. It is ex-pected that the banks, ater transerring non-perorming loans, willraise their capital adequacy ratio.

In Slovenia, non-perorming loans are mostly related to loansgranted to non-nancial companies or takeovers and the construc-

tion industry. Tereore in the Slovenian context, the most avourableidea is to resolve non-perorming loans outside the banks, as this isthe most suitable, the simplest and the quickest option. Te legalsolutions will be supplementary to the system o control measuresalready applied by the Bank o Slovenia as the national control au-thority.

In pursuance o the law, the Company or Managing Bank Debtsand the Fund or the Stability o Banks will be set up. Te Act providesor the purchase or acquisition against payment o bank assets andmanagement o such assets within the Company or Managing BankDebts. Te state will issue guarantees or strengthening the stability o banks, i.e. or the commitments o a company and or the liabilities o single-purpose companies that may be established by banks in orderto assume the risks. Furthermore, the Act regulates the measure o capital increase rom the assets o the Fund or the Stability o Banksto be managed by the Company or Managing Bank Debts. Te mea-sure o loans granted by the Bank o Slovenia to ensure the necessaryliquidity o banks in cases o extreme urgency is also planned; thestate will issue guarantees or liabilities o banks arising rom suchloans.

A bank eligible or such measures will adopt certain limitationsand will be committed to ollow a solid and rational business policy.

In addition, it will have to prepare a new business strategy. Te Actalso regulates the establishment o responsibilities o bank adminis-trations and supervisors and establishes longer limitation periods orcriminal oences and damage liabilities.

Te proposal or the Act was harmonised with the Bank o Slove-nia and the Securities Market Agency and provisions in line with theproposals o the Commission or the Prevention o Corruption wereadded. Te process o rescuing the Slovenian banking system as en-visaged in the adopted Act has been assessed positively by interna-tional institutions (the International Monetary Fund, European Com-mission and European Central Bank); consequently, we have everyreason to believe that the proposed solution is optimal with respect tothe nature o the problem aced by the banking sector.

Ministry o Finance

: in focus :

Management o state-owned assets in one place

will enable easier access or oreign investments

on the Slovenian market

On 23 October 2012, the National Assembly rearmed the Slove-an Sovereign Holding Act, on which the veto was used by the Na-

nal Council on 4 October.Te Government o the Republic o Slovenia prepared the Act be-

use o the lack o transparency o the current system o managingte capital investment, to address the loss o Slovenia’s credibilityroad, and to allow the provision o management o state-ownedsets in one place. Te Government is aware that it must urgentlyke decisive structural measures and improve the management o te-owned assets and in this manner contribute to maximising

eir value.Te Act represents a solution or eliminating anomalies that oc-

rred when implementing the Management o Assets Owned by thepublic o Slovenia Act. In changing the system, the ecient man-ement o all state-owned assets in one place will be achieved; this,part o the structural reorms, will stabilise public nances and im-ove the economic environment.

One o the main objectives o the Act is to increase the value o

state-owned assets through active management and consistent set-ting up o a corporate governance system based on management ini-

tiatives as laid down in the Act. Tis may only be achieved by concen-trating all state-owned assets under a single manager – the SlovenianSovereign Holding (SSH). Currently, the state property is owned byseveral legal persons who pursue dierent business objectives. Teassets are, thereore, sometimes managed in a less-than-optimalway, so that the owner’s prot is not maximal and depends on thebusiness objectives pursued by these companies. Te aim o the pro-posed Act is to simpliy the management structure, to clearly denethe purpose and criteria or management o state investments, and tocreate common state reserve assets.

Te holding is, at the same time, an institutional and systemic so-lution that will enable the transparent withdrawal o the state romthe economy. A straightorward and clearly outlined list o state in-vestments by dening target shares will present the medium-termvision o the state to the international public and will thus acilitateaccess o oreign investment to Slovenia’s market. As a result, the

Te priorities o the establishment o the Slovenian Sovereign Holding




entitled in the next programming period to about two-thirds o thepresent level o development aid rom the European Regional De-velopment Fund and the European Social Fund. It is also known thatthe resources rom the Cohesion Fund will be distributed equally be-tween Eastern and Western Slovenia.

o return to the Slovenian Development Strategy, I have men-tioned several times that the Strategy must be a modern umbrelladocument, which contains the ormula or our success, taking intoconsideration global actors and specic national eatures, advan-tages and limitations. We want clear directions on where and whatkind o Slovenia we want to have in ve to ten years’ time. In addi-tion, the current umbrella strategic document (Slovenia’s Develop-ment Strategy 2006-2013) will soon be out o date. When preparingthe new Strategy, we want to apply and consider opinions rom allstakeholders who wish to participate in the discussion, because onlythe experience and ndings o individual experts and publics canpresent a realistic picture o what should be changed in order to cre-ate a brighter uture.

We have so ar prepared the starting points or discussion anddened the key thesis o the strategy: or development, we requirebetter competitiveness and a boost in economic growth. Te start-ing points were prepared on the basis o internal material rom the

Ministry o Economic Development and echnology, the Instituteo Macroeconomic Analysis and Development, interim results o the development working groups and contributions rom exter-nal experts who were invited to participate in the preparation o theStrategy. Te establishment o umbrella and measurable goals o theStrategy will take place through urther discussion. However, we areaware that we must nevertheless also consider our commitments tothe Europe 2020 Strategy, the requirements o European governance,the National Reorm Programme and the Stability and Growth Pact.

I believe that, when implementing the Strategy, we must rst sat-isy certain prerequisites or it will be impossible to attain the goals.Te establishment o prerequisites is the result o analyses o the stateo, and reasons or, the present public nancial and economic situa-tion. It is thus necessary to ensure the more ecient operation o in-dividual systems, particularly in exposed elds, which are considereda hindrance to the unctioning o the state or an exit rom the crisis. Atthis point, I wish to particularly emphasise ensuring eciency in thepublic sector, where I see basic impediments to the eciency o theoperation o institutions, complicated rules and unclear legislation.Te second prerequisite is a normally unctioning banking system;the third is public nancial consolidation and the restitution o a suit-able rating or the country; the ourth prerequisite is the restorationo trust in the country in the sense o shared values and ethical stan-dards. Tese prerequisites cannot be achieved in a day; we are awareo that, but we must nevertheless join orces and make a change ora better tomorrow.

By identiying the prerequisites or establishing the situation, we

will clearly determine the potential o our country that we will thenput in the oreront. Within the ramework o analysis and presentdeliberations, we have so ar identied potential or change particu-larly in the structure o products, natural resources (water, renewablesources, wood, biotic diversity), human resources, the search or op-portunities in new markets, direct oreign investments and the geo-strategic position o Slovenia. We must be aware o our potential andtake ull advantage o them. It is or this reason that we paid specialattention to our key priorities – knowledge, entrepreneurship, greengrowth and quality o lie.

Te starting points or the preparation o the Strategy have thusbeen ormed, and in the coming months we will ocus mainly ondiscussing the preparation o this important document. I will doeverything in my power to ensure that the Strategy does not be-come a wish list or a dead letter. It has to be brie and to the point,with clearly dened goals which should be ambitious, but also

easible. We must hereby take advantage o the knowledge and ex-perience o various stakeholders and prepare the documents witha broad social consensus. For this purpose, the Ministry o Eco-nomic Development and echnology has prepared a web ques-tionnaire, ormed expert working groups and also engages in ac-tive dialogue with regional representatives. Te regional aspect isundoubtedly a useul element in the preparation o the document,and we conducted the rst round o visits to regions, with whichwe wish to encourage discussion on the development possibili-ties, opportunities and needs o individual regions. Te secondround o discussions in the regions will take place at the begin-ning o 2013, as the preparation o development documents at thenational level coincides with the preparation o regional develop-ment programmes coordinated by regional development agencies.Tese are substantive documents that will dene the investmentareas in which investments will be made in the next programmingperiod on the basis o the evaluation o the situation in the regionand identied development potential.

An exceptionally demanding task lies ahead, as all the aoremen-tioned documents, which have to be prepared and adopted, will es-tablish the guidelines or Slovenia’s development until 2020. We thushave to be certain on where we want to go and how to get there.

On 26 October 2012, the Ministry o Economic Devel-opment and echnology approved the increase in the valueo the Public tender or the promotion o oreign direct in-vestment in Slovenia, which is implemented by the PublicAgency o the Republic o Slovenia or Entrepreneurship andForeign Investments. Te value o the tender has been raisedto 6,230,000 euros, thus enabling the co-nancing o all in-vestment projects, which received positive evaluations in thepublic tender.

Te promotion o direct oreign investment is one o keypriority tasks o the Ministry. We are pleased that the responserom oreign investors to the tender exceeded the initially ex-pected response and unds provided. Our response was quickand exible, and we did our best to ensure additional unds tosupport all investments which acquired at least a minimumnumber o points within the tender. I there were more suchinvestments, we would support even more o them. Te valueo the tender was increased to 6,230,000 euros, thus enablingthe co-nancing o all teen investment projects which re-ceived positive evaluations in the public tender. Te agree-ments on co-nancing were concluded with ourteen recipi-ents o incentives; one investor withdrew rom the agreement.

Te total sum o approved incentives amounts to 5.8 millioneuros, and the total value o investment projects amounts to34 million euros. Te projects will have generated 482 newjobs no later than within three years ater the conclusion o the investments. When publishing the tender, we set twogoals, and we are pleased to see that both – it is anticipated– will be exceeded. Te rst goal was to create 200 new jobsno later than within three years ater the conclusion o the in-vestments – 482 new jobs will have been created. Te secondgoal was to achieve a threeold return rom the investmentsin projects with regard to the value o allocated incentives nolater than within three years rom the date o concluding theagreements – the anticipated return is six times higher.

Radovan Žerjav, MSc, Minister o Economic Development and Technology

: in focus :

Slovenia’s Development Strategy until 2020

Te umbrella group which is harmonising the preparation o theategy is led by Boštjan Vasle, MSc, Director o the I nstitute o Macro-onomic Analysis and Development and I. We have also establishedvelopment working groups responsible or the harmonisation o velopment planning and the preparation o strategic and support-g documents which will serve as the basis or drawing unds rome European cohesion policy in the next programming period. Teection and emphasis on correct and easible goals in the Strategyd in all other programme documents which will serve as the ba-or drawing European unds in the ollowing several years’ periodll be o the utmost importance. When dealing with strategies, we

peatedly discover that implementation proves to be the most chal-nging aspect. On the basis o selected goals, it will be easier to de-mine key priorities according to individual elds and to direct the

nds in ‘the right direction’. We are also preparing a supporting doc-ment o the Strategy, i.e. the Programme o Development Priorities

d Investments, and the programming process or the preparation

o a partnership agreement and operational programmes or drawingEuropean unds has also been initiated.

Tus the European cohesion policy remains the key EU develop-ment policy and the Member States will be entitled to a total o 336billion euros. Details on the conditions or accessing the resources o EU structural unds have yet not been nalised, so it is thus impos-sible to calculate precisely the reduction in the amount o unds allo-cated to Slovenia considering the current programming period. In thenomenclature o territorial units or statistics in the European Union(i.e. NUS), Slovenia will be divided into two cohesion regions, East-ern and Western. According to the currently published data, WesternSlovenia will be classied as a so-called developed European regiondue to its level o development and Eastern Slovenia will be classiedamong the less developed regions.

It is estimated that, due to the proposed transitional regime orregions which in the current programming period are entitled tothe most avourable orms o EU aid, Western Slovenia may also be

At a time when the economic and nancial crisis greatly determine the

ormation o policies, the Government ocused its eorts in the rst ew months

o its mandate particularly on the consolidation o public nances and revising

the budget or this year. We adopted three packages o measures to stimulate the

Slovenian economy, and a ourth package is being prepared. However, we did

not orget development and are thus actively working on an umbrella strategic

and development document, Slovenia’s Development Strategy, which will

establish the guidelines or our development until 2020.




approach adopted by the Government, line ministries are prepar-ing a legislative package that will allow or a third stage o merg-ers and the rationalisation o certain bodies aliated to ministries,public institutes and agencies. Comprehensive reorganisation willenable these institutions to operate in a new way that will be lessragmented. Numerous administrative barriers will be eliminatedand, most importantly, sta, material and inormation sources willbe brought together to ensure an optimal and more rational provi-sion o public services.

ADOPTION OF THE PUBLIC FI NANCE BALANCE ACT

One o the priorities o the Government is to achieve scal bal-ance; the Government understands that without drastic short andlong-term structural action Slovenia will not be able to restore itsscal balance; which would mean that the government debt willcontinue to rise at a rapid pace.

Fiscal balancing is urgent, says the Government, in order toprovide a stable and sustainable national macroeconomic envi-ronment, and also to honour the commitments made at the EUlevel. By adopting emergency amendments to the legislation theGovernment achieved, or the st time, a drastic reduction o thescope and structure o public expenditure; all this with the aimto promote economic growth which is the key condition or long-term development.

Te goals o the Act, as set by the Government, are: scal sus-tainability, creation o a legal ramework or eective manage-ment o public nances, ensuring macroeconomic stability andsustainable and sound economic development, and ormulationo rules providing or a greater scal discipline.

Te principal goal o the act is to reduce the expenditure o thebudgets under public nancing (i.e. central government budget,local government budgets as well as public health and pensionunds).

PACKAGES FOR PROMOTING ECONOMIC GROWTH

Tis year the Government adopted three packages o measuresor promoting economic growth.

Te rst package, adopted in March, resulted in major reduc-ing the tax burden or economic operators; it introduced unlim-ited relie on investments o 40% aimed at stimulating enterprisesand company owners to invest and achieve higher added valueand greater competitiveness. ax relies or R&D were increasedas well, clearly demonstrating to investors that the Governmentsupports a society o development and knowledge. When thesemeasures were adopted, the President o the Management Boardo Krka d.d., which is one o the most successul Slovenian en-terprises, said that the investment environment ‘has probably notbeen as avourable in years’.

Te Government gave a clear signal to investors that it supportsa society based on knowledge and development.

At the end o June, the second economic stimulus packageconsisting o 16 laws was adopted with the aim o creating a morebusiness-riendly environment and reducing administrative bar-riers. Te package contains 75 dierent measures or the promo-tion o economic growth, including elimination o administrativebarriers and reduction o nancial burdens. o this end, the Gov-ernment will allocate EUR 377.5 million through calls or tenders:EUR 148.5 million or subsidies, EUR 50 million or guarantees andEUR 179 million or public investment projects.

Te third package, adopted in autumn, introduces certain sys-temic changes aimed at increasing the competitiveness o Slove-nia’s economy. Te proposed amendments o acts and regulationsin the area o labour legislation, rehabilitation o the banking sys-tem, the overall business context, and agriculture and the envi-ronment, propose 155 concrete changes.

With this third package within the Programme o measures orthe promotion o the economy, the Government honours its com-

: :

Finance Minister Janez Šušteršič: It is essential that key measures are adopted in the rst year o the term.

Government Communication Ofce, photo: STA

: in focus :

Events that marked the Government’s work

in the previous year

DETERMINATION AND A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

When starting its term o oce in February 2012, the Janeznša Government set itsel two major goals – ensuring nancialstainability and promoting economic growth. Te Ministers,nronted with lack o unds in their ministries’ budgets and therealistic budget or 2012 were well aware that immediate action

as in order; consequently, the Government adopted a series o sterity measures as well as a revision o the 2012 budget duringe very rst semester o its term o oce. In parallel it dratedeasures to promote economic growth and enhance the competi-eness o Slovenia’s economy.Te Government is aware that problems that had been ac-

mulating over a number o years may not be eliminated over-ght. Also or this reason, the adoption o the Balancing o Publicnance Act and revision o the 2012 national budget, based onsterity measures, was one o the key actions during the govern-ent’s rst six months; however, this is only the rst step towardscovery.

Te long-term and key objective o the entire term o oce o e Government remains the scal consolidation by way o reduc-g public expenditure and gradually balancing the budget.

Te Government considers that the adoption o the 2013 and2014 budgets, the budget memorandum and associated docu-ments is only one o the ve key steps Slovenia has to make inorder to exit the crisis. In order to commence recovery it will benecessary to rehabilitate Slovenia’s banking system, put order inthe chaotic management o state assets and adopt pension and la-bour market reorms by the end o the year.

Te Government not only acknowledges but openly proessesthat it values social dialogue and is committed to it, but only to thepoint when any urther procrastination with necessary decisionswould result in harming the country.

INSTITUTIONAL REORGANISATION OF THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Te government embarked, immediately ater taking the o-ce, in the process o institutional reorganisation o the publicadministration: it reduced the number o ministries by our, thenumber o government oces by six, aliated bodies by threeand directorates within ministries also by three.

It drated proposals or organisational changes and the ratio-nalisation o the operation o public administration, and a reduc-tion in the number o employees. Based on the drated uniorm

When starting its term o oce in February 2012, the Janez Janša Government set itsel two major goals – ensuring nancial sustainability andpromoting economic growth.




Slovenia’s Prime Minister Janez Janša at the presentation o

2012 and 2013 budgets in the National Assembly:

Adoption and implementation o measures by the end o this year will enable autonomous and regular repayment o the debt, and normal unctioning o the public nance sys-tem. Tis adoption goes hand in hand with revived optimismin economic and business circles, sorely damaged by the cri-sis; these measures will, both directly and indirectly, enablethe expansion o investments and create new jobs.

Our uture is at stake. What will this uture be depends onus alone, on the decisions we will be taking. For the secondtime in 20 years we have the opportunity to rearm our de-termination to be sovereign in our decisions.

PENSION REFORM

In early December, the Slovenian Parliament passed the re-ormed Pension and Disability Act without a single opposing vote.Te new law will be applicable rom 1 January 2013. Minister An-drej Vizjak said in a statement ater the vote that the unanimousadoption o the reorm represented good oundations or its im-plementation. He expressed the hope that the reorm would yieldthe anticipated results ‘in particular in terms o decent pensions,a stabilised pension und and getting the message across to peoplethat it pays to remain active or longer’. Te positive eects o thereorm should start to show as early as in the rst year o the law’simplementation, with the expected savings o EUR 150 millioncoming not at the expense o pensions themselves but rather as aconsequence o slightly stricter retirement conditions.

Te proposed modications o the current pension and inva-lidity insurance system aim to provide adequate pension benetsin line with the country’s scal capacity, through three key novel-ties: elimination rom the pension budget o all expenses that arenot based on paid contributions; provision o grater transparencyor the ensured person; the length o the contribution period is thedecisive element or calculation o benets. Te central goal o the

reorm is to return to the pension its primary role which is equi-table remuneration or past work.

Another important novelty is also the establishment o “inor-mative personal pension accounts”. Each insured person will havea personal account where to monitor the amount o contributionspaid by the employer.

Te drat pension legislation is based on the assumption that 40years o service and 60 years o age is a sucient criterion or a ullpension, in sharp contrast to the proposal which had been reusedin the reerendum last year. Te current reorm also equalizes thestatus o men and women; with, however, dierent transition pe-riods. Te goal and, hopeully, the result o the adopted reorm areto prevent any urther reduction o pension benets.

LABOUR MARKET REFORM

Te government has also been conducting lengthy negotiationson labour legislation with social partners.

According to ndings o national (UMAR) and oreign institu-tions (European Commission, OECD) the labour market in Slove-nia urgently needs regulation o the status o permanently em-ployed workers in relation to those with temporary contracts, inorder to reduce the segmentation o the labour market and highlabour costs.

Negotiations on modications o labour legislation ocus onthe concept o exicurity in connection with a more adequateprotection o workers’ rights, a reduction o burdens or busi-

nesses in terms o administration, time and costs, more ecientcontrol o breaches o legislation, more ecient judicial protec-tion, harmonisation with national and international regulations.Tese modications are expected to contribute, within the overallramework o the labour market reorm, to reduce the segmenta-tion o this market.

BUDGETS FOR 2013 AND 2014

Harmonisation o 2013 and 2014 budget proposals within thelines set up by the plan or balancing public nances is a ratherdemanding task, but the Government is condent to be up to it.Te main goals o the economic and scal policy are: reduction o decit below 3% o GNP in 2012, achieving structural balance o public nances by the end o 2015, strengthening the stability o the nancial system, implementation o labour market and pen-

sion benets structural reorms, promotion o economic growthand creation o jobs.

Unyielding action or the balancing o public nances and re-ducing government expenditure is important or maintaining thecountry’s credibility in the international environment. Ratingsmade by international credit rating agencies conrm the Govern-ment’s rm belie that prompt action is necessary. Political con-sensus concerning the need to take action and the direction o such action is one o the preconditions or economic recovery andrestoring the condence o international markets. In this regard,the inclusion o the golden scal rule in the Constitution withinthe shortest possible time and the adoption o the Slovenian Sov-ereign Holding Act, together with measures or the rehabilitationo the banking system, are crucial measures.

: : : :

This year the Government adopted three packages o measures or promotingconomic growth.

tments written in the Agreement or Slovenia 2012-2015 and ine National Reorm Programme and responds to the challenges o e economic and nancial crisis.

Te crisis unveiled the key weak points o Slovenia’s develop-

ent model, such as lack o labour market exibility, nancial sys-m issues and insuciently competitive business environment.e Government understands that comprehensive and prompt ac-n is paramount to exit the crisis and to build sound oundationssustainable economic growth and welare in Slovenia.

ADOPTION OF THE SLOVENIAN SOVEREIGN HOLDING ACT

Te implementation o the Slovenian Sovereign Holding Acta matter o utmost urgency, yet it seems that, in spite o hav-g been approved both by the Government and the Parliament, itay end up as a reerendum.

Te aim o the act is to concentrate management o state in-stments so as to establish a stable ownership and attain a sus-nable maximisation o return on investment and o the value o mpanies in order to attain economic and development objec-es, and to establish a transparent system o assets managementth the lowest possible operating costs.

Currently, the assets o the Republic o Slovenia are managedby several legal persons with diverging business objectives. Teassets are, thereore, sometimes managed in a less-than-optimalway, so that the owner’s prot depends on the business objectiveso such persons and is, oten, quite below the maximum pos-sible. Te new act envisages transorming the current Slovenskaodškodninska družba (Slovenian Compensation Company (SOD)into a new company, the Slovenski državni holding (SlovenianSovereign Holding (SDH) that will unite all companies with stateinvestments under one roo, and manage them centrally.

Te holding is, at the same time, an institutional and systemicsolution that will enable a transparent withdrawal o the state romthe economy. A straightorward and clearly outlined list o stateinvestments will not only show what the short-term intentions o the Government are, but will also acilitate access o oreign in-vestment to Slovenia’s market. As a result, the withdrawal o thestate rom the economy will be acilitated, in due consideration, o course, o market conditions.

ACT AIMING TO STRENGTHEN THE STABILITY OF BANKS

Tis act, which, in spite o having been approved both by the

Government and the Parliament, may also end up as a reeren-dum, is crucial or Slovenia’s exiting rom the crisis, as it denesthe legal basis or the implementation o measures or strengthen-ing o the stability o the nancial system, so ar absent rom thenational legislation.

Te act provides measures or strenghtening the stability o banks which will help to increase the ratings both o Slovenia ando its banks, enable smoother access to nancing resources and easethe credit crunch. Te aim o the act is to introduce measures whichwill have an immediate impact on the banking system, consolidatebanks’ stability so as to stabilise the overall nance system, mini-mise the cost o measures implemented in compliance with thisact, to expand loan portolios to the non-nancial sector, to privatisebanks, and to establish responsibility or banks’ bad debts.

Te banks eligible to benet rom such measures will have tosign contracts providing or repayments, and will also be asked toimplement a solid and rational business policy and prepare soundbusiness strategies.

Labour, Family and Social Afairs Minister Andrej Vizjak: The drat pension legislation is based on the assumption that 40years o service and 60 years o age is a sucient criterion or a ull pension.




INTERVIEW

Vesna Žarkovič, photo: Barbara Reya and Lek archives

VOJMIR URLEPPresident of the Management Board of Lek d.d., Manager of the Year:

“We prove time and time again that we canand want to compete with the best in the

world.”

Mister President o the

Management Board, congratu-

lations on such results. How do

you explain them?

Te credits go rst andoremost to the exceptionalknowledge o our colleagues,rich experience in many areas

o operation and a completewillingness to use these assetson projects that are entrustedto us. Beore the takeover o Novartis in 2002, Lek was o-cused on development and wasnot araid o the challenges o entering the most demandingworld markets. At this point, Iwould like to stress particularlythe USA, which we enteredwith generics as the rst com-pany rom Central and EasternEurope in the middle o the1990s. Our rst generics wereollowed by more and morenew products in the ollowingyears. Our courage and enter-prise paid o when we becamepart o Novartis or its gener-ics division, Sandoz. We haveproved time and again that wecan and want to compete withthe best in the world.

Other Slovenian compa-

nies also have knowledge and

the will to succeed.

I dare say that there are noproblems in companies withknowledge, ability and will-ingness. As a rule, these aresuccessul companies. Teproblems are experiencedby those that either lack thenecessary knowledge in theirbranch or that cannot establishtheir knowledge through inno-vative products or approachesto their markets.

Our results show that weare good at managing theseconditions. But we are also

aware that without the con-stant development o newknowledge in new technologi-cal elds, these results will notcontinue or much longer. Welook to the uture and assesswhich knowledge will deter-mine the ate o our branch in

the uture, and we train teamso our colleagues to master theknowledge and the use o ap-plications in everyday prac-tice. I can also mention that inthe rst hal o the year hal o the new products launched bySandoz entered world mar-kets rom our company. Tis isan exceptional achievement,which conrms the high levelo innovativeness in develop-ment projects.

Could your example o suc-

cess also indicate a way out o

the crisis or other managers?

Certainly. Te basic actorsor success are undoubtedlyknowledge, enterprise, courageand capital. At the moment,one o the major problems inour country is access to capi-tal, with which those who haveknowledge and courage couldnance new developmentprojects. Our example shows

that the connection betweenknowledge and oreign capitalis one o the possible ways outo the crisis, but not the onlyone.

It is said that there is

enough knowledge, but ew

oreign investments. What are

the reasons or this situation;

is it ear o oreign capital?

We all agree that there isear o oreign investments,which probably springs romthe act that we are a smallcountry, and we are araid that

oreigners with pockets ull o money will easily buy every-thing that is worth anything.Tis may be true, but this sup-poses that oreigners will ex-ploit what is valuable, and thenwithdraw rom the market, andwe will be let with no jobs. But

this is not so, although there areexceptions. Lek is not the onlyexample o investment in Slo-venia. Tere are many others,and most analyses conrm thatcompanies with oreign capitalare on average more successulthan those that operate withdomestic capital. It has to bestressed that it is not only earo oreign capital which some-how hinders the larger inowo oreign capital in Slovenia;there is the interconnectiono numerous individual socialinterest groups which wantto protect their interests. Mostcases involved ownershiptransormation in the period o transition, which is taking toolong, or some other private in-terests being hidden behind thenotorious trademark o nation-al interest, and which also en-courages the negative attitudeo Slovenian public to oreigncapital. I advocate the inow o

oreign capital, because I thinkthat this is one o the routes thatSlovenia has to explore in glo-balisation, especially because ithas all the advantages neededto attract oreign capital. Ourgreatest attribute is certainlylocal knowledge. But we mustbe clever, and not necessarilyconnect everything with or-eign capital. A correct assess-ment must be made as to whena strategic partner and oreigncapital are necessary and whenwe can ensure enough unds tostart up a company on our own.

We still hear claims that

the sale o Lek was not the best

solution.

I always reply to that in thesame manner: each personmust make the judgement orthemselves. Te act is, and theresults conrm this, that we

are among the most success-ul companies in our branch.A certain move that was madecan be viewed rom variousaspects. However, the situa-tion also has to be viewed romthe aspect o the developmentpossibilities o a branch or acertain economic system. Tepharmaceutical industry, in-cluding the generics industry,is exceptionally oriented todevelopment, which requireslarge injections o capital and aglobal operation. A large, glob-ally active company such asNovartis can give us access tocapital sources and to all globalmarkets, and we make gooduse o that.

Labour market reorm, an

unregulated labour market

- as a good manager, what is

your view o these? Tis is a

hard nut to crack between so-

cial partners and employers,

who are on diferent sides.

Te position o the em-ployer, which was ormalisedby the Chamber o Commerceand Industry o Slovenia andthe Association o Employers o Slovenia, is clear and uniorm.We strive or the Slovenian la-bour market to be regulated ina similar manner as other mar-ket economies, which meansexibility in employment anddismissal, and comparable la-bour costs, particularly romthe viewpoint o payroll tax.Unortunately, we are witness-

Since he became the President of the Manage-

ment Board of Lek d.d., production in key areashas increased by 150 to more than 300 per cent.e number of development projects also grew,especially the share of technologically most de-

manding projects. e Managers’ Association of Slovenia, which awards the title, assessed that un-

der the leadership of Mr Urlep, Lek has achieved

above average business results, high added valueand has a leading position in the Sandoz aliatedgroup. e transformation of Lek, with an explicitfocus on development and production, coincideswith the appointment of Mr Urlep as head of thecompany, stated the Commission for the selectionat the Managers’ Association.




g a dierent situation. Wee especially aware o this,cause we work in a branchat is exceptionally geared

development. More thanper cent o our employees

ve higher education and arethe highest class accordingthe Slovenian personal in-

me tax legislation. Tis ap-es also to those with lowerucation, which is a heavyrden or the company. I wempare ourselves to the sys-ms within Novartis, we arethe very top, which means

at Slovenia is not competi-e in the eld o labour taxa-n. We have pointed this outrepresentatives o public in-tutions, and we thus strivereorm to bring changes. On

e other hand, it is clear thatde unions are protecting

e rights they have acquired.an employer, we also con-

uded an agreement with thede union which denes thetent o rights and obligationsboth contracting parties. Weve never experienced prob-

ms in negotiating, becausee enter the negotiations withason and open communica-n. We have achieved broaderhts that those dened by

e current legislation in Slo-nia, which means that theremore room to manoeuvre ingotiations. However, whenthe room has been used up,

d particularly in a period o sis, action needs to be taken,en i social agreement is nothieved. Te positions relat-g to labour market reormve not advanced to the point

here we could say that a stepward has been taken. Te

mployers have orwarded ouroposals; now let us wait ande what will come o it. I amt certain that a compromiseoposal that would determinee reorm as we wish it will behieved.

Te reputation o manag-

s has been severely reduced

recent years. Among other

ngs, greed and dishonesty

ve contributed greatly to

s. How do you think the

putation o the job could be

stored?

Tere is only one way: withour own positive example, witha eeling or others, and with anappropriate balance betweenthe interests o the stakehold-ers who co-design the businessenvironment. Tere is no otherway.

New-age tycoons prove the

opposite.

Tis is where responsiblebodies were supposed to dotheir job. I it is established thatlegislative amendments arenecessary, then this must bedone by the legislative author-ity. We are acing exceptionaldistrust in everything and ev-eryone, rom public institu-tions to social groups, whichalso include managers, the ju-

dicial system and many others.Until we implement conditionsin which we can successullyace these issues, it is dicultto expect things to change orthe better. In this case, ecientaction in the administration o justice is one o the key actorsin rebuilding trust in the Slove-nian institutional system.

What is it like to manage

a company in oreign owner-

ship, and how do you experi-

ence and perceive diferences

in business operations and

thinking i you compare Slo-

venia with abroad?

Internal relations in a mul-tinational company are basedon knowledge, experienceand results. Tere is no mercyin terms o excuses, on why acertain goal was not achieved.In the external environment,there are no dierences. Terules o the market approach

are the same in our countryas abroad, and the risk is alsosimilar. Another problem inboth environments is in thelack o payment discipline.

It seems that the global cri-

sis bypassed the pharmaceuti-

cal industry.

Unortunately, this is an-other incorrect stereotype. Inact, the crisis has severelyaected the pharmaceuticalindustry. I we review the re-sults o industrial societies inthe recent period, we discover

that the branch has been se-verely aected. Most prescrip-tion drugs are still being -nanced rom public unds, andsince the global crisis aectedthe rich and the poorest coun-tries, both are implementingnumerous austerity measureswith which they want to har-monise possibilities and needs,which thus aects the businessoperation. On the other hand,there are branch-specic rea-sons or the pharmaceuticalindustry being less successulthan it was only a while ago. Itis not recording double-digitgrowth any longer in sales orin prots. One o the reasonsis that several therapeutic ar-eas are already covered by e-cient and sae drugs, and it is

becoming more and more di-cult to produce a drug that isbetter than those already inthe market. It is also becomingincreasing dicult to negoti-ate high prices or new drugs,which are necessary in or-der to cover the high invest-ment costs o developing newdrugs. Tere is a wide range o reasons; one is the nancialcrisis, which aects businessoperations o pharmaceuticalcompanies. Our industry re-acts to all o the above. It takesnew measures, saves up andchanges operational strategies;in short, it adapts constantly tonew circumstances.

Do you remain an opti-

mist?

I I sum up the statementso several top managers, theperiod o high growth in thepharmaceutical industry isgone. It will still grow, but more

slowly than in the last decade.Te protability o the phar-maceutical industry has alsodecreased, but it is still higherthan in the majority o otherbranches, and it is realistic toexpect that it will remain so.We belong among the mostrisky branches with regard todevelopment and marketing.Te basics o economics saythat the higher the risk, thehigher must be the expectedreturn in order to stimulateinvestments. In the uture, thepharmaceutical industry will

have to achieve higher returnsthan branches with lower risksi it wants to attract investors.However, the golden era o thepharmaceutical industry is un-doubtedly over.

In your opinion, how is

possible to create a better

business environment, and

boost development and export

growth?

With a shared awarenesso the seriousness o the pres-ent situation and by achievinga minimum common denomi-nator in all the key actors inthe unctioning o the country,which will lead us to the de-sired situation. Te Chambero Commerce and Industry o Slovenia has proposed mea-

sures constituting the mini-mum which should be attainedwith joint orces i we wish ourcurve to turn upwards. An in-dividual cannot do much. I we do not reach at least a ba-sic common understandingand action, it will be dicultto avoid the scenario which isconstantly present i.e. that theconditions o our actions willhave to be dictated by someoneelse. Tere is not much timelet, and i we do not succeedin harmonising our opinionson urgent measures, we willbe aced with a similar ap-proach to those o some otherEU Member States.

Does Slovenia display

enough inclination towards

healthy enterprise?

Te act is that we are notvery inclined towards enter-prise, not only to individu-als, but also to large business

systems such as ours. First,the reason lies in great labourtaxation, which I have men-tioned previously, and thesecond reason are rigid andlong procedures or acquiringconsents and permits whichwe ace on a daily basis withregard to the large extent o investments. I believe that thecompany in which I work isenterprising. Our results areproo o that. We ocus on thedevelopment o new technolo-gies and the expansion o pro-duction capacities in the most

demanding technological ar-eas, while we leave marketingto the branched Sandoz net-work, which is present on allcontinents. We develop newdrugs, which we produce andsell all over the world. Tere ispractically no country whereour drugs can not be ound.wenty per cent o Lek em-ployees work on development,

and Slovenia is not a low-costcountry. Te goal is high tech-nological products, which re-quire a high level o knowl-edge. And there is plenty o that in Slovenia. Our students,who equally and condentlycompete in the most demand-ing scientic elds and envi-ronments, where the num-ber o experts is much larger

than in Slovenia, conrm ourknowledge.

Our orientation towardsenterprise is nevertheless alsoconrmed by Lek products,which last year made up oneourth o all development proj-ects and the most importantSandoz products launched onthe market, which is by ar themost in this generic aliated

group. Each year, Lek submitsan average o twenty patentapplications, and has morethan 1,200 patent rights world-wide. It thus also signicantlycontributed to the ten per centin Sandoz global sales growthlast year.

Since 2008, Lek has primarily been transormed into a global de-velopment and production centre or demanding technologies. Lekhad excellent business results in 2011:

• EUR641.8millionincome,whichresultedin9percentgrowth

in comparison with that in 2010,

• EUR117millionEBITDA,• EUR73.8millionofnetprot,whichresultedin54percent

growth in comparison with that in 2010,• AddedvalueperemployeeisEUR95,226(5percentgrowthin

comparison with that in 2010),

• 8to10percentofincomeisinvestedinresearchanddevelop-ment,

• AveragegrossmonthlysalaryisEUR2,987,whichistwicehigher

than the Slovenian average,• Returnoncapitalexceeds12percent,whichplacesLekontopof

the Sandoz network according to eciency.

Payment o dividends in EUR between 2003 and 2012OAL: EUR 651,709Investments in million EUR between 2003 and 2012OAL: EUR 1,252 million

KEY DAA ON LEK BUSINESS OPERAIONS



Government Communication Ofce

BusinessBusinessBusinessBusiness Nataša Bušljeta, photo: STA

Government Communication Oce 19

During the visit o SlovenianPrime Minister Janez Janša tohis colleague Dmitry Med-vedev in Moscow on 15 No-vember, the President o theRussian gas giant Gazprom,Alexander Miller, the Direc-tor o Plinovodi, Marjan Eb-erlinc, and the Deputy Direc-tor o Plinovodi, Sara Izernik,signed the nal investmentdecision o shareholders o thecompany South Stream Slove-nia, representing the nal ap-proval o construction o theSlovenian section o the SouthStream gas pipeline.Tis is a very important strate-gic project or Slovenia, which,in the eld o energy, meansthe diversication o sourcesand routes, increased gas sup-ply security and greater com-petitiveness. Furthermore,the project will have indirecteects including investmentactivities that may ollow. TeRussian investors entrustedthe majority o technical andoperational work to Geoplinor the purpose o carryingout the joint enterprise. Ad-ditionally, Gazprom signed ashareholders’ agreement onsetting up the joint enterpriseSouth Stream elekom withthe company Comita. Slove-nia will also benet rom thetransit. “Tis will be the mon-ey obtained or its geostrategic

location, which will be invest-ed in other inrastructural andsimilar useul investments,”said Prime Minister Janša.Te route o the South Streamgas pipeline will be 1455 kmlong in Southern and CentralEurope. Around 8500 peopleare to be employed in its con-struction, with 770 people atthe operational level. In themain transit countries, eightcompression stations are to beset up, o which two will bein Slovenia. Te constructiono the European section willcommence on 9 Novemberin Bulgaria and the rst pipeshould be completed in 2015,when the rst gas deliveriesare planned. Te value o thepipeline is estimated at 15.5billion euros, and it shouldcarry 63 billion cubic metreso gas per year. Te value o investment in the Sloveniansection o the South Streamgas pipeline will exceed onebillion euros. Around 24 bil-lion cubic metres o gas willow to Slovenia at the point o entry at the Slovenian–Hun-garian border at Pince and atthe point o departure at theSlovenian–Italian border atRateče, 22 billion cubic metreso gas will leave the country.Te activities or the construc-tion o the South Stream gaspipeline across Slovenia are

Within the Government’s en-deavours to restructure andrationalise certain public ser-vices whose aim is, inter alia,to increase the eicient unc-tioning o the public sector, itis proposed that the ax Ad-ministration o the Republico Slovenia (ARS) and the Fi-nancial Administration o theRepublic o Slovenia shouldmerge as the Financial Ad-ministration o the Republico Slovenia. he time-limit orthe merger is 1 July 2013 and isconnected with Croatia’s ac-cession to the EU, which willreduce the scope o certaintasks.he new body will also helpreduce the grey economy.Among the measures beingtaken in this area, two nov-elties are introduced, namely

announcement o tax debt-ors and improvement o theeiciency o labour inspec-tion. he announcement o tax debtors should encourageregular payment o tax li-abilities, while the eiciencyo labour inspection shouldbe provided by an establishedjoint mobile unit aimed atstrengthening the prosecutiono the most serious tax eva-sions or undeclared works inthe ield.Other planned measures incombating the grey economyare the institute or securingtax debt and lat-rate taxationo small business owners andsole proprietors. he changesshould result in simpliicationo administration and thuseasier compliance with tax li-abilities.

already underway, while con-struction itsel will commenceater obtaining appropriatepermits, probably not beore2014 or 2015.Te route o the South Streamgas pipeline in Slovenia wasexamined and determinedin certain alternatives in theeasibility study, which waselaborated in compliance withthe interstate agreement bypartners participating in theproject, the companies Plino-vodi and Gazprom, at the end

o 2010.Te gas pipeline will actually

be located in the area in theprocedure o developing na-tional spatial plans by using,as a rule, the existing energyinrastructure corridors ev-erywhere where this is pos-sible. In implementing theproject, the investor’s prioritywill be given to environmen-tally riendly construction andoperation o the gas pipeline,maintenance o habitats andeconomic eciency.

In January 2013, the SlovenianAgency or Entrepreneurship,Innovation, Development,Investment and ourism, orSPIRI Slovenia, merging thePublic Agency o the Republico Slovenia or Entrepreneur-ship and Foreign Investments(JAPI), the Slovenian ouristBoard (SO) and the Slovenianechnology Agency (IA), willstart to operate. According toplans, the agency will aim toinvite oreign investments, o-er services to oreign direct in-vestors helping them rom thebeginning o their investmentto the issue o building permits,promote Slovenia as a touristdestination, develop entrepre-neurship, and promote inno-vation, technological develop-ment and internationalisationo enterprises, while tenderswill be dealt with at the um-brella ministry responsible orthe economy.In November, the Ministry o the Economy increased theunds within this year’s tenderor promoting oreign direct in-vestments – with around 4.5 to6.2 million euros. According toMinister Radovan Žerjav’s ex-planations, 15 investment proj-ects will be co-nanced with a

total investment value o 36.5million euros, thus creatingmore than 500 jobs.Despite the act that all threeagencies have already beencooperating, the activities o Spirit may be more eectiveand at the same time more ra-tional, and this consequentlyshould reduce operationalcosts and thus cut less deeplyinto the unds or tasks andactivities. Tere are many o these, and the agencies areaware o deciencies andweaknesses in the Slovenianbusiness environment andare taking an active approachto eliminate them. Te com-petitive advantages o Sloveniashould not only be its geostra-tegic position, quality o lieand the reliability, knowledgeand innovation o its labourorce, as emphasised by thisyear’s best oreign investors inSlovenia, but also the labourcode and simpler administra-tive procedures. Tis year’schosen enterprises or bestoreign investors, Boxmark,Belimed, Yaskawa and IBM, areachieving visible and enviableresults despite decienciesand weaknesses in the Slove-nian business environment.

ensive negotiations concern-g the agreement on the nan-l ramework or the period14–2020 are being conductedtween EU institutions andember States. Te proposedrting point was preparedthe European Commission,

hich envisaged EUR 1,033 bil-n or 1.08 per cent o the EUoss national income (GNI) orbilities and or actual pay-ents EUR 988 billion or 1.03r cent o the EU’s GNI. It en-aged over 379 billion euros

the cohesion und, whichcrucial or Slovenia. At thed o October, the Cyprusesidency proposed equal cutsross all sections o the bud-t amounting to at least EURbillion. Te negotiations be-een the Member States arerrently being conducted bye President o the Europeanuncil, Van Rompuy, who in

proposed starting point re-ced the proposal o the Euro-an Commission by 75 billionros.is logically means sharp cuts

in two o the biggest and mostimportant European policies,which represent two-thirdso the European budget: thecommon agricultural policyand cohesion policy. Te lat-ter o these, in addition to ruraldevelopment unds, is o keyimportance to Slovenia. Sinceaccording to the proposal o the President o the EuropeanCouncil, Slovenia would lose alittle more than 40 percent o cohesion unds compared to thepresent multi-annual nancialramework (2007–2012), thisproposal is not acceptable orSlovenia. Slovenia’s two majorobjectives, which will be advo-cated by Janez Janša at the EUsummit in urther negotiations,are to maintain its position o net recipient and to achieve anappropriate treatment in allo-cating unds or cohesion andrural development which willbe comparable with the treat-ment o more developed newMember States and less devel-oped older Member States.

“Slovenia, with regard to theposition in which it nds it-sel, may count on some largerinvestments only by means o European unds and public-private partnership, while inpublic unds in the budget o this manoeuvre space, thereis practically no room or in-vestments,” the Prime Min-ister stated. He added that the

cohesion unds are “a deadlyserious thing” or a hal o the

EU states, including or Slove-nia, so that they will not easilygive in just so that an agree-ment could be reached as soonas possible. Te European co-hesion policy is in particulara main tool or improving EUcompetitiveness as a whole,since it is intended or reduc-ing the dierences between itsmost developed and least de-

veloped regions. ENERGY South Stream Slovenia

THE GREY ECONOMY

Tax and customs administrations

will merge on 1 July 2013.

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS AND TOURISM

Interest for investments in Slovenia

EU’S MULTI-ANNUAL FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK

Priority is to boost economic growthof the entire EU

ntensive negotiations concerning the agreement on the nancial rameworkor the period 2014–2020 are being conducted between EU institutions and

Member States.




Christmas is not a religious holiday inJapan, but rather a secular celebration en-couraged by the commercial sector. Tere-

ore, Christmas is not a national holiday inJapan.

It can be said that because o the tol-erance o the Shinto religion, which is thenative religion o Japan and has millions o gods, the so-called Yao-yorozu no kami,we Japanese have accepted other religions,not only Buddhism but also Conucian-ism and Christianity or many centuries.Christmas has become popular withoutany religious reason. A ew decades ago,commercialism prompted Japanese peopleto celebrate Christmas. Finally, Christmasis just one o estivals in Japan, a jolly timeor Christmas lights and wreaths, SantaClaus, parties, git exchanges, eating an-cy cuisine at restaurants, and Christmascakes. owns start displaying Christmasdecorations at the beginning o December,some even at the end o November.

Rather than a religious occasion,Christmas is a time to spend with amilymembers, partners or riends. ChristmasEve is especially celebrated as a couple’sholiday on which romantic gits are ex-changed over ancy dinners. Just like inSlovenia, Santa Claus brings presents to

children, although there is no Dedek Mrazin Japan.

Japanese amilies typically celebrateChristmas with a Christmas cake, whichis oten a white cake with white rostingtopped with strawberries and some Christ-mas decorations. Cake shops do good busi-ness at this time o the year.

NEW YEAR‘S DAY (OSHOGATSU)

New Year (Shogatsu or Oshogatsu) isthe most signicant holiday in Japan.

Unlike Christmas time, most business-es shut down rom January 1 to January 3,and amilies typically gather to spend the

days together. Tere are two occasions in ayear or typical amily gatherings in Japan:one is Oshogatsu, the other is Obon, an

annual Buddhist event in August or com-memorating one’s ancestors.

Years are traditionally viewed as en-tirely separate, with each New Year’s Dayproviding a resh start. Preparations o Os-hogatsu start in mid-December. o greetthe New Year and the oshigami, deitieso the incoming year, all duties are sup-posed to be completed by the end o theyear, and one’s oce and house are sup-posed to be cleaned and decorated in thetraditional ashion; a sacred rope o straw(Shimenawa) with dangling white paperstrips (Shide) is hung over the ront doorto demarcate the temporary abode o theoshigami and to prevent malevolent spir-its rom entering. Also customary is Kado-matsu, a decoration made o pine, bambooand plum tree springs, placed in pairs inront o homes. Tere are many more orna-ments or Oshogatsu inside the home.

raditionally, amilies make Osechi,special New Year oods, which can be pre-served and eaten or several days, at theyear-end and on New Year’s Day, becausecooking on the rst three days o the NewYear is considered to bring bad luck. Now-

adays, however, most amilies buy Osechior cook ordinary dishes because cookingOsechi takes a long time due to the varietyo dishes composing it.

On New Year’s Eve, toshikoshi soba(buckwheat noodles), symbolising lon-gevity, are served. A more recent customis watching the music show ‘Kohaku UtaGassen’, a highly popular television pro-gram eaturing many o Japan’s most a-mous J-pop and Enka singers in spectacu-lar perormances.

January 1 is a particularly auspiciousday, best started by viewing the New Year’srst sunrise (Hatsu-hinode), traditionallybelieved to be representative or the whole

year that has just commenced. Tereore,the day is supposed to be ull o joy andree o stress and anger, while everything

should be clean, and no work should bedone.

Tere is a tradition called ‘Hatsumode’o visiting a shrine or temple during Os-hogatsu. Te most popular temples andshrines, such as okyo’s Meiji Shrine, at-tract several million people during thethree days. Te visits are most impressiveat the actual turn o the year, when largetemple bells are rung at midnight, once oreach o the 108 earthly desires believed tocause human suering.

Various kinds o estive dishes areserved during Oshogatsu. Tey include os-echi ryori, otoso (sweetened rice wine) andozoni (a soup with mochi, rice cakes).

On New Year’s Day, Japanese peoplehave a custom o giving money to children,which is known as Otoshidama. Relativeshand out money in small decorated enve-lopes called Pochibukuro.

Tere are also a ew games traditionallyplayed on New Year. However, their popu-larity has decreased in recent times. Teseinclude Hanetsuki (Japanese badminton),akoage (kite ying), and Karuta (a cardgame).

A tremendously popular custom is thesending o New Year’s cards, which arespecially marked to be delivered on Janu-ary 1. It is common or one person to sendout several dozens o cards to riends, rela-tives and co-workers.

Tis typical way to spend time inOshogatsu period has been drasticallychanged over the years because economicconditions have improved. You can buyanything during this time as many super-markets and shops are open even on Janu-ary 1. Many people go abroad or travelduring Oshogatsu, because they are able tosecure long vacations.

New Year’s celebrations in Brazil aremilar to those in Slovenia, due to theuntry’s strong European traditions, sincewas colonised by Portugal and popu-ed by waves o immigrants rom the Oldorld, including Germans, Italians, Poles,

mong others. Tere are, however, distinctatures, particularly with regard to the re-ious content o those easts: Christmaseps its traditional Christian traits; Newar’s Eve, being eminently estive, keepsme elements o Arican religious cultures.

What also dierentiates Christmas andw Year’s Eve in Brazil, compared to Eu-

pe, is the season o the year. In Brazil,ese parties occur in midsummer, giving atinct atmosphere to the celebrations.Regarding Christmas, Christmas Eve

more celebrated than the day itsel. It isrtainly an essentially amily celebration,t one assuming broader eatures, sinceople close but not within the amily areore oten invited by the hosts o the househere supper is served. Tis is due to theong and increasing urbanisation o theuntry, what broadens personal contacts

mong residents o large cities.

Regarding year-end Brazilian cuisine,cod served with plums and aroa (Bra-zilian dish with manioc our ried in lardor butter) and turkey breast with pineap-ple are undoubtedly, landmarks. Roastedchestnuts, walnuts and hazelnuts adornthe tables, as well as os de ovos (‘eggs’sthread’ with sugar) accompanying rabana-das (French toast (or ‘beaver tails’) withcinnamon and syrup) are all served. Wineis increasingly common on these occa-sions.

Oering gits is still very common, es-pecially or children. Adults tend nowadaysto join a so-called hidden riend arrange-ment, where the name o the person youshould give the git is drawn rom amongparticipants. Te midnight mass, Christ-mas/New Year’s concerts, and ballets suchas ‘Te Nutcracker’ are part o the culturalprogram o Christmas. Tere are specialprograms on television, oten eaturingpopular singers.

New Year’s Eve in Brazil (Reveillon, asthey call the celebration o New Year’s),in turn, has its own characteristics, espe-cially in the cities along the coast, whose

beaches are thronged with people, alldressed in white, oering owers to Ye-manja, ‘the Queen o the Sea’ (Our Ladyo the Conception in Catholicism). Due tothe powerul religious syncretism in Brazil,these celebrations mix traditional Aricanand Christian services. A lavish display o reworks illuminate the beaches at mid-night, preceded by projections o coloursand music played in various parts o thecoastline. In Rio de Janeiro, large yachtsand cruise ships ull o oreign tourists il-luminate the sea, to the delight o over twomillion spectators on Copacabana beach.People dance until the very dawn, adapt-ing, with generous doses o champagne,the resolutions and promises that were notullled during the previous year.

On New Year’s Eve, Brazilians avoideating birds that scratch around whilemoving backwards, because it means thattheir lives could also go backwards nextyear. Lentils, cod, tender ham, roast pigand sweets galore adorn the table. Brazil-ians also skip seven waves ater midnightand make a wish or each o them, thus at-tracting the good waters o the ocean.

Brasilian Embassy

New Year’s celebrations in Brazil

Japanese Embassy

Christmas in Japan

P h o t o : p er s on al ar ch i v e

Ph o t o : p er s on al ar chi v e

H.E. Mr. Gilberto. de Moura, Brazilian Am-bassador to Slovenia wishes all Sloveniansa Merry Christmas and a Peaceul 2013!

New Year’s Eve celebration on Copacabana beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.Credits: Guto Costa/RIOTUR




art &culture

Polona Prešeren, photo: SA

Te Borštnikovo srečanje Festival


Lie, or a ime when Everybody isalking about Films

Te Borštnikovo srečanje estival is a maniestation o Slove-an theatre and all the creators who give it its essence. It is thentral, oldest and most distinguished theatre estival in Slove-a. Every year, Borštnikovo srečanje eatures stage perormanc-by all Slovenian theatre companies.Te estival is based in the Slovenian National Teatre in

aribor. It was named ater Slovenian actor and director Ignacijrštnik (1858–1919), who is considered the ounder o mod-

n Slovenian theatre. Te programme ramework o the estivalives to overcome national borders. Besides the competition o tional shows, there are expert events (international symposia,nerences and exhibitions), and oreign guests take part in they. All this goes to show that Borštnikovo srečanje is a thor-ghly important Slovenian event in the eld o theatre art. Itsost important award is the Borštnik Ring, the prize or lietimehievement o actresses and actors awarded annually by a spe-l estival jury.Te proessional jury decided that this year’s Borštnik Ring

r lietime achievements should be conerred on Igor Samobor, ang-term member o the Slovenian National Teatre Drama Lju-ana ensemble. “Te art o acting, whose high priest or many

year has been Igor Samobor, is in that an actor accomplished

in his calling and in possession o a git can change, transpose,translate himsel into a drama character made solely rom words.I this includes a more or less evident psychology, this is only an(additional) aid, but not a precondition without which an actorcould not make a character come alive. Igor Samobor has proventhis many times,” wrote poet, playwright, essayist, translator and

member o the proessional jury Ivo Svetina in the justication o the award.

Igor Samobor is well known to lovers o stage art, lm andtelevision. He has thus built up a reputation as a convincing actor.At the end o his studies at the Academy o Teatre, Film, Radioand elevision in Ljubljana, he was awarded the student PrešerenAward or his role in his graduation show. Ater graduation hejoined the Drama theatre ensemble, where he has perormed inover 60 major, mostly demanding roles. Samobor has also takenon several lm and television projects.

“As I seem to be nally wed to the theatre, let me just con-clude with the amous ‘I do’ and what goes with it: ‘till deathdo us part’,” were the words uttered upon the reception o theBorštnik Ring by Igor Samobor, who continues to enthuse the au-dience with his interpretations in Drama.

As I was sitting in cinemas this year, as in so many years beore,I was pleasantly surprised. Tis year, too, Lie lled the cinemasand dominated conversations among riends: ‘Seen any lms to-day?’

Tis is no surprise as some screenings had been sold out beorethe estival even began. Tis year’s Lie brought some highly an-ticipated lms, including Argo by Ben Aeck, Beyond the Hills byChristian Mungiu, Hannah Arendt by Margarethe von rotta, Loveby Michael Haneke, On the Road by Walter Salles, Rust and Boneby Jacques Audiard, Sleeping Beauty by Marco Bellocchio and HolyMotors by Leos Carax, and (o course) screenings rom dierentestival sections. Tis year’s Lie oered 97 eature length lmsand 13 short lms. Te honour o the opening lm went to Te An-gel’s Share by Ken Loach.

Lie is not intended to reect the commercial trends o cin-ema. Tis specialised competitive estival endeavours to presentto its demanding audiences lms that would have otherwise been

missed.Te estival brings an overview o the selected contempo-

rary global production and inorms the audience about lms andwinners o important awards, presents generational lms, opensdialogue with low-budget productions and products intended ormass culture, and educates through lm workshops, multimediainteractive projects and accompanying projects. In addition, itopens the door to distinctively unusual lm research. It always o-ers a variety o side events, such as exhibitions and discussionswith invariably interesting authors. Te guests do not include bigand amous names, but talented and creative people who maypresently only stand at the threshold o the art o lm.

Tis year’s programme eatured 97 eature lms and 13 shortlms. Tey were shown at 282 screenings – 258 in Ljubljana and 24in Maribor, which sold 44 800 tickets. Lie is thus a strong regionalestival without any tendencies to become commercial. It ound its

mission such as it is. And its many visitors conrm this. Te ardourwith which they vote or lms ater screenings in the Perspectivessection never ails to delight me.

FESIVAL SECIONS

Perspectives: ocial competitive section o young directors orthe Kingsher Award, sponsored by Mobitel.Avant-premières: major lms intended or later screeningsacross Slovenia.Kings and Queens: works o prominent and award-winningmasters o contemporary lm.World Film Panorama: estival avourites rom all vecontinents.Extravaganza: the so-called ‘midnight cinema’ or ans o daring, bizarre and titillating lms o diverse genres.

Retrospective: this year, it is devoted to the history o the ‘roadmovie’ – lms that take the endless road or travelling as ametaphor o spiritual cleansing or a rite o passage.Author’s Retrospective: this year it ocuses on French directorLeos Carax.ribute: this year’s short, condensed presentation o an authorwho has received a air share o estival and media attention isdevoted to Matteo Garrone who gained acclaim with Gomorraand won this year’s grand jury prize in Cannes or his lmReality.Kinobalon:a selection o lms or children aged 7 to 14, organisedor the ourth time; in co-operation with the Kinodvor cinema.Kino-integral: section devoted to experimental lm production.Te World in Short: competitive programme o contemporaryshort lms.

Igor Samobor




&culture

Polona Prešeren

Four Decades o the most PopularRadio Station – Val 202 Polona Prešeren, photo: Month o Design archives

Autumn in the Spirit o Design it the morning awakening with your avourite speaker, the

oice o music, the trustworthy inormation or numerous dier-t programmes, programme two o the national Radio Sloveniabetter known as Val 202 – has pleased its listeners or as longour decades. It is the most listened-to radio station in Slove-

a which broadcasts exclusively or 24 hours a day and which hasrned, or the th time in a row, the rusted Brand by Reader’sgest awarded to companies whose trademarks are the mostpular among Slovenian consumers.

Te trust o the listeners reects the act that the Val 202 teamsts them and their ears, believes their judgment, expectationsd level o demand. rust cannot be bought and listeners cannotooled, at least not in the long run,” said managing editor Mirko

ular upon the reception o the rusted Brand award.l 202 rst went on the air our decades ago, precisely on 16 June

72. It enthused its listeners back in the old times and this hast changed to the present day. Val 202 is also the most listened-to

dio station in Slovenia; besides the mentioned award, it also wonktor award or the most popular radio station.a way, the success o Val 202 is surprising as it is a non-com-

ercial radio station broadcasting in the ramework o Radio andlevision o Slovenia public institution. Tis is an institution o pecial cultural and national importance which provides public

rvices in the eld o broadcasting with the aim o ullling themocratic, social and cultural needs o citizens o the Republic o

ovenia and Slovenians living abroad, members o Slovenian na-nal minorities in Italy, Austria and Hungary, o Italian and Hun-rian national minorities in Slovenia, as well as perorms otherivities in accordance with the Radiotelevizija Slovenija Act.al 202 is a public radio station and thereore we want to do whatlights us and, o course, our listeners,” is the reection o Jurengyka, author o Izštekani and elstar programmes. Tese areo o the many programmes continuously ollowed by listeners.e station brings more or less provocative and educational pro-

grammes, programmes presenting the latest scientic discoveriesin a comprehensible manner, as well as entertaining contents andtalk shows. And o course selected music.According to Andrej Karoli, music editor and speaker, the principalqualities o the radio are its contents and credibility. “We do notorce any popularisation or sensationalism, as the national radiocannot aord this. Or to sum it up in one word - contents; this iswhat makes Val 202 the most listened-to radio station.”Although the station had its anniversary already in June, the Val202 team prepared a special surprise or its listeners and celebrat-ed the beginning o its th decade at the end o October. Te grandparty consisted o the exclusive concert Dan 202 (Day 202) which,as becomes the national radio, paid a tribute to our decades o Slo-venian popular music, while the event acquired an internationalnote with the concert o trendy British pop-rock band Keane.40th birthday o Val 202 brought something yet unseen and un-heard in Slovenia – 40 Slovenian songs and 40 artists who cap-tured 40 years o Slovenian music. Te accompaniment o Slo-venian band Elevators in their typical unky style unravelled aunique musical revue on the stage. A musical stroll through dier-ent genres – rom the legendary evergreens to rock, hip-hop andrap – enchanted the audience gathered in the ivoli Hall. Val 202radio station thus celebrated its our decades in a grand style andin the way which won the trust o its listeners – with and exclusiveevent which will most probably remain unsurpassed.

RV Slovenia is an institution o a special cultural and national im-portance which provides public services in the eld o broadcast-ing with the aim o ullling the democratic, social and culturalneeds o citizens o the Republic o Slovenia and Slovenians livingabroad, members o Slovenian national minorities in Italy, Austriaand Hungary, o Italian and Hungarian national minorities in Slo-venia, as well as perorms other activities in accordance with theRadiotelevizija Slovenija Act.

Tis autumn, the capital lived in the spirit o design. Numerousdierent design solutions o Slovenian and international designprojects were on display at dierent venues in Ljubljana. Sideevents were organised too: some integrated design and cuisine;others presented young designers or the latest ideas o establisheddesigners.

BIOA grand exhibition opened at the end o September marked the be-ginning o 23rd Biennial o Industrial Design (BIO), an internationaldesign exhibition. Trough its selection o well-designed works andemphasis on quality, originality and innovation, the biennial organ-ised by the Museum o Architecture and Design has presented currenttrends in contemporary design or 48 years.

“Design Relations”, the theme or this year’s biennial, was conceivedby acknowledged curators Margriet Vollenberg and Margo Koningsrom the Organisation in Design studio. Te selection o works rom27 countries showed how modern technologies, digitalisation andglobalisation as well as nature and its eatures inuence designersand their creativity. Tus the exhibition oered a daring and criti-cal overview o current design. Tis year’s exhibition addressed theissues o how designers and their works are inuenced by moderntechnologies, digitalisation and globalisation, how design evolves andhow it is inuenced by nature and its processes.Te works on exhibition were selected rom entries to an interna-tional contest; the exhibitions in the ramework o BIO are markedexactly by a thorough selection o works. Te selection is made byprominent international experts, while an international jury decideson prizes or the best design o the last two years and awards them atthe opening ceremony o the biennial.

HE MONH OF DESIGNWhile Bio is an international event, the annual Month o Design hasbeen devoted to the achievements o Slovenian design since 2003.It explores, evaluates and resolves the issues o living as it integratescreative subjects in new social and business environments. When itopposes the consumer society and the society based on knowledgeand innovation, it attempts to nd the answers to the dilemmas o late capitalism. Tereore it continuously promotes an interdisciplin-ary, intergenerational and intercultural dialogue.Te Month o Design awards the creators and companies rom Slove-nia who importantly contribute to the raised level o design. By wayo awards or the design o the year, the interior o the year and thetimeless and perspective design, the proessional jury attempts toevaluate the achievements in this eld, to question the eectiveness

o Slovenian design and to stress the creative potential o design.Te Design in the City project united dierent events, exhibitions,lectures and round-table discussions rom the elds o architecture,interior, ashion, urniture and home decoration products, electronicand telecommunications, which took place at dierent locations inLjubljana. Tis year they integrated cuisine and design, charmed theaudience with a ashion greenhouse and made sure that all interestedpersons could nd something or themselves and their souls. Andsomething to brighten up everyday lie until next October!

Laureates o the Month o Design 2012DESIGN OF 2012: Janez Mesarič, Eyen/Carbon Light lampINERIOR OF 2012: Katjuša Kranjc, Rok Kuhar; Interiordesign o renovated Gredič CastleIMELESS SLOVENIAN DESIGN 2012: Ferdo Pak, series o bowls Konus



27Sinfo – Slovenian informationGovernment Communication Ofce

&culture


Neue Slowenische Kunst in ate Modernin London

In the middle o November, the ate Modern gallery opened ‘Agger Splash’, an interesting group exhibition eaturing the Slove-an group Irwin, among others. Te group is represented by theries o paintings entitled ‘NSK Embassy Moscow/Interiors’.

Te paintings rom this series were made during Irwin’s ‘NSKmbassy Moscow’ month-long art action, carried out in 1992 inoscow, in a private apartment at Leninski Prospekt 12. Te con-pt and implementation o the action was the work o Irwin,hile the organisation was carried out by Apt-Art Internationald Ridžina Gallery. Documents and publications accompanyinge event will also be put on display.

Te embassy was conceived as a living installation showinge documents and artworks o NSK, Irwin, Cosmo-kinetic Cabi-t Noordung, New Collectivism and Retrovision as well as thoseinvited guests: Goran Đorđević, Mladen Stilinović and Milivojelić; the central event was the seven-day programme o lecturesd discussions. Te programme was organised in cooperation by

win and Eda Čuer. Te lecturers were Rastko Močnik, Marinažinić and Matjaž Berger rom Slovenia, Vesna Kesić rom Croa-, as well as prominent representatives o Moscow’s conceptual,edia and philosophical scene Viktor Misiano, Valeri Podoroga,

Aleksandr Yakimovich, atiana Didenko and Artiom roitsky.Te aim o the event was to conront the similar social and ar-

tistic contexts o the ex-Soviet Union and ex-Yugoslavia.Te presentation at ate Modern will include documents and

publications that accompanied the event, and documents rom theexhibition ‘Back to the USA’ or 1984, said Galerija Gregor Podnar.Te ate Modern will also be the rst venue o the exhibition o thegroup’s new work, ‘29 Years’, which consists o 11 photographs o the group appearing in identical black suits and ties at the open-ings o individual and group exhibitions rom the beginnings o their activities to the present day.

Te exhibition ‘A Bigger Splash’ at ate Modern attempts to takea new look at the dynamic relationship between perormance andpainting since 1950. Te title is taken rom the iconic work by Da-vid Hockney rom 1967, which depicts a typical Caliornian swim-ming pool, and rom the eponymous lm by Jack Hazan aboutHockney’s lie. Besides Irwin’s works, the exhibition will eatureworks by over 40 artists such as Yves Klein, Jackson Pollock, CindySherman, Bruce Nauman, Ei Arakawa, Niki de Saint Phalle, PinotGallizio, Gutai, Viennese actionists, Lucy McKenzie and others.Te exhibition will be open until 1 April 2013.

OUR EXCELLENCE

Valerija Obu, photo: Dewesot archives

DEWESOF – artists in theirfeld o expertise

Zasavje is a region in central Slovenialocated on hilly terrain along the river

Sava between the Ljubljana basin andPannonian plain. Since the 19th century,

the area has been known or its heavyindustry (three coal mines and a cementactory), which has let an indelible mark

on the region. One o the regional centresis the town o rbovlje. Despite the indus-trial environment, interesting individuals

and groups have come orth rom this area

through sheer hard work and persistence:the Laibach group, or example, which is

among the most distinguished Slovenianmusic groups on the international scene,

expressing itsel not only through musicbut also through design, painting, theatreand other artistic endeavours. In addition

to its music, the group is also known orits avant-garde character in all respects.However, rbovlje is also known or an-

other avant-garde group: this is the young

and innovative enterprise Dewesot,where 30 individuals have been creating

their success story or some twelve yearsnow.

Te Golden Gazelle

Tis year, Dewesot was presentedwith the Golden Gazelle (Zlata gazela)award, which the Slovenian news pub-

lisher Dnevnik awards to the best Slove-




an company every year. Te award hasen given out since 2001 and is won bye best among the astest growing com-nies, distinguished by their successulpture o oreign markets and constitut-g an important player in the global mar-t. All this is true o Dewesot: their win-ng the Slovenian Entrepreneur o thear 2008 award and the Silver Gazelle

ward in 2009 was clear evidence thatey were on the right track. And so this

year, the time was ripe or the companynally to be awarded the coveted GoldenGazelle. Te company was established in2000 and is distinguished by a high valueadded per employee (€95,000 in 2011)and by a 3.5-old increase in sales duringthe last ve years; moreover, they are ex-plicitly ocused on oreign markets.

So how did they do it? Te success wasboosted by a positively oriented environ-ment, high-quality personnel consisting

o enthusiastic and innovative experts –engineers – team work and leaders withideas and vision such as the executive di-rector Andrej Orožen and the managingdirector Dr Jure Knez. Dewesot enteredthe market rst with innovations intro-duced to measuring the instrument sot-ware o other manuacturers. Accordingto Andrej Orožen, they managed to de-velop probably the best measuring sot-ware in the world. Tey oered a revo-

“Good work requires time andmoney. At Dewesot we can handleour position in the market and weobtain relatively good results, sowe do not nd it dicult to investall our assets into our developmentand our sales network. We havenever been in debt, because we op-erate well, but we are able to makegreater development steps aster i assisted by state grants earmarkedor research and development andtax relies on prots which allowus to maintain our assets. Tis alsomakes us more attractive to ourcustomers.” Andrej Orožen

lutionary product to the market, becausetheir sotware was a nal product whichdid not require additional programmingon the part o users in order to perorma particular measuring task, in contrastwith the products oered on the marketby other manuacturers; a customer buy-ing Dewesot’s sotware could just takethe instrument, turn it on and get aultlessmeasurement readout.

In 2008, the company also entered themarket with the production o their ownmeasuring instruments and systems, thusoering their customers a complete prod-uct. Tis was the period when the globalnancial and economic crisis started, butDewesot recognised an opportunity inthe crisis and oered the market an a-ordable, relatively simple and useulmeasuring instrument, the Dewe 43. EvenNASA declared this “product o the year2009”! In this manner, the company start-

ed to attract many new users and receiveorders or more complex measurementsand or larger systems.

Andrej Orožen emphasised that R&Ddepartments do not stop working in a cri-sis, so Dewesot is not acing any dicul-ties as their customers mostly come rominstitutes and the R&D departments o large industries (aerospace and deence,automotive, civil engineering, power andenergy, transportation, and other indus-trial areas).

Tey are also saving lives

What kinds o measurements doesDewesot oer? Teir measuring instru-ments perorm measurements in severalareas, rom measurements perormedwith sensors on bridges and windmilltests to car crash tests and rocket ighttests, and much more. Ordinary userscannot even imagine how many tests areperormed by manuacturers beore saeand user-riendly products reach theirbuyers. Dewesot participates in the de-velopment and measuring o some o the

most demanding products. Teir measur-ing instruments can ully prevent the risko car crashes in trac, but unortunatelysuch instruments are too expensive to beinstalled in serial car production. How-ever, their measuring instruments do helpcar manuacturers to perorm appropri-ate tests and measurements which maythen be entered into a car’s computer sothat the system may assist the driver indriving, or example through automatedbraking when detecting physical obsta-cles or automated parking.

In its decade-plus o existence, Dew-esot has become a trusted partner o many o the best-known manuacturers

in dierent industries (including IABG,Nasa, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Alstom,Siemens, General Motors, BMW, HarleyDavidson and Bosch). Dewesot is distin-guished rom its competitors by its ownintegrated development and manuactureo mechanical parts (housing), electron-ics (hardware), sotware, know-how in-struments and solutions adapted to users.Tey sell their products through their ownsales network under their own trademarkand are present on the European, Ameri-can, Russian and Asian markets. Dewesotopened their own sales and marketingcentre in Austria and also have around 100agents in more than 25 countries. Execu-tive Director Andrej Orožen says that theyhave no competitors or a number o theproducts they oer; otherwise there are aew large companies dealing in measuringtechnology, but these are not necessarilytheir immediate competitors. As regards

role models, he says that there are a ewcompanies with long tradition in this areawhich they respect, but Dewesot wouldlike to be dierent.

Future vision

In the words o the company’s vision-ary Dr Jure Knez: “Te company’s visionis to oer users comprehensive solutionsin the area o measuring technology andmeasuring instruments which are verysimple to use even in the most complexapplications and which prevent aults inmeasurements through their concept.Sirius is simply the best that can be madeat this moment using today’s technologyand, together with Dewesot sotware, itrepresents the peak o measuring instru-ments’ oer based on the personal com-puter.”

Knez added: “In the next two years,we want to supplement our range o in-struments in order to cover a wide rangeo applications in a very dierent mannerrom that o our competitors. How exactlythis will be done will remain a secret ornow. In any case we are looking orwardto the uture and can hardly wait to showour new solutions to the world…”




GREEN CORNER

Government Communication Oce

Marija and Danilo Bončina, who run the Pri Lovrčuecotourism arm, came back rom olmin to their homevillage 17 years ago. At that time, there were 25 people livingin ve amilies in the village. Te number o inhabitantsstarted to grow with the introduction o organic arming.Tey sought new challenges, so they started ecotourism, inaddition to their arming. Tey developed their activity tosuch a level that in 2004 the Swedish royal couple visitedthem and was impressed by the village and its people. Terst year ollowing their inclusion in the organic armingcontrol system, three arms out o ve started with thistype o arming; later, another arm joined, making Čadrgan almost entirely organic village. Tey reduced theemissions through a transition to organic cattle breedingbased on cattle grazing and eeding with odder grown onhome meadows, not eeding the cattle with oreign or evenimported eedstus, which has a high carbon ootprint. Teyarm according to organic production guidelines, whichmeans they use no articial ertilisers, pesticides or poisons.Tey have been included in an organic control system since1991; since 2001, they have held an organic arm certicate,and all the odder has been organic, with the required ecocerticate.

o Čadrg, the transition rom conventional to organicarming was only a matter o course. Even beore thedecision to change over to ecological arming, cattle breedingwas based on traditional experience as well as the pasturetreatment and odder growing. Tey produced cheese andcurd according to traditional methods. Organic armingand the related tourism activity bring increased incometo the villagers, a higher quality o lie and, in this way,the mountain rural area is preserved. Farming is based ontraditional knowledge, including cattle grazing on mountainpastures and growing home odder – hay and grass silage.

In the village, our out o six arms are organic. Becauseo its outlying location, Čadrg has always relied on its sel-sucient supply. Farmers breed cows, sheep and goats. Inthe village, they produce organic milk and dairy products– cow’s milk cheese, whey cheese, – and they have theirown brand o indigenous, hard, ull-at cheese, called‘olminc’, which is produced in the village’s cheese dairy.Tey produce 15 tons o cheese a year. Te municipality o olmin co-nanced the renovation o the cheese dairy andthe Agricultural Advisory Service provided support. Work inthe cheese diary is shared among the villagers, dependingon the quantity o milk produced. Te cheese diary hasbeen in the village or 700 years. Te rst records o cheeseproduction date back to 13th century and the term ‘olmincCheese’ was rst mentioned in 1756.

o arm organically, they had to adjust the stables orwhich they received a grant rom the European Union in theamount o € 100 000 to provide more room and light to theanimals. Animal grazing and growing odder was continuedwith no signicant changes. o eed the animals, they useadditives permitted under the guidelines or organic armingand the village pastures provide high quality orage. Tis isespecially reected in ‘late spring’ cheese made rom themilk produced by cows ater the best spring grazing. Duringthe winter, cattle are ed with hay and grass silage, whichorms more than a hal o the odder mixture.

Most o the guests visiting the arm are oreigners. Teguests are extremely happy when staying here, accordingto the Bončinas, since they arrive to another world up here,totally dierent rom that o the low land. Te world here ismore elemental and pure. Most o the guests are regulars.Tey seek contact with villagers, and are interested in theirway o lie and the basics o the organic arming. Guests gohome satised and keep returning. Some are intimidated bythe dicult approach to the village via a narrow asphaltedroad, since two cars can hardly pass each other. Until 1966,the village was accessible only by horses. Te current ormo the road was constructed three years ago, and now theaccess is much easier despite the act that two cars can passeach other merely on certain sections o the road and theDevil’s Bridge (Hudičev most) above the olminka river hasto be crossed.

Villagers o Čadrg take no holidays: land, cattle andcheese require continuous work. Te villagers rise at ve inthe morning to milk the cows, o which there are 23 in theBončina’s stable, and repeat the milking in the aternoon.When it is their turn, villagers go to the cheese diary andmake cheese which the central production activity o theour arms. In addition to dairy cows, the armers breedgoats, pigs and chickens. All land suraces are armed,leaving no space or additional cows. Te cheese diary, whichis a common possession o all villagers, was renovated in2002 with post-earthquake unds, municipal budget undsand unds rom tenders.

Some years ago, armers welcomed to their village the‘Encounter’ Community o Pelikan Institute (‘Skupnostsrečanje Zavoda Pelikan’), a therapeutic community or drugaddicts, operating according to Don Pierino method. Tereare ve young men in the community at present whose liveswere miserable due to drug addiction. Now, through theirmutual support, they are setting out on a new journey o living a worthwhile and decent lie.

Within the ‘Slovenia Reduces CO2 – good practices’project carried out by Umanotera, 15 Slovenianand ve oreign good practices that considerablyreduce the CO2 emissions while simultaneouslyimplementing sustainable development principleswere selected in 2011. Te selected good practicesprove that achieving ambitious European andnational objectives or reducing greenhouse gasemissions is not only possible and easible, butalso brings many other benets, among other costreduction, development opportunities and a higherquality o lie. Te project is carried out within theramework o management partnership in EU aairscommunication between the European Commission,the Government o the Republic o Slovenia andthe European Parliament. One o the selected goodpractices is the ecovillage o Čadrg. In December2012, a new selection o good practices will start,and will presented to the interested public in 2013.Te activities can be ollowed on the website www.slovenija-co2.si, through Facebook or witter.

Vesna Žarkovič; photo: Dušan Arzenšek

Te Čadrg Ecovillage

Te ecovillage Čadrg nad olminom is situated 700 m above sea level. Te village has

22 homes and 42 people living in ten amilies. O these ten amilies, two returned

rom a living in a larger town. Tere are six small children in the village, with hal o

the population aged below 30. All the houses have been renovated and are owned by

residents, whose average age is 40.




PEOPLE

An exhibition at the biennial o illustra-tions is a precious contribution to the popu-larity o illustration. I we consider that allgenerations grow up with picture booksand various illustrated stories, then theimportance o this artistic genre is evident.Te biennial o illustrations, rst organisedin 1993 by Association o the Slovene FineArtists Societies and Cankarjev dom’s exhi-bition programme, was originally intendedto introduce creative achievements in nearts and ensure illustration a regular gal-lery presentation. oday, the biennial o il-lustrations enables the presentation o es-tablished illustrators, as well as those whohave just begun to establish themselves. TeHinko Smrekar awards are presented at thebiennial, and this year’s Lietime Achieve-ment Award was given unanimously by theexpert jury to the academic painter, KamilaVolčanšek.

‘We are presented with the result o persistent eorts by the artist to add newparadigms to the genre she has so skilullymastered, by means o which the mostsimple and sometimes very short literarycreation can be turned into a complex andconsistent artistic organism in a humorousand playul manner ull o attractive inven-tions,’ wrote Brane Kovič, the president o the expert jury, in the explanation o whyit was decided to award the highest prizeto Volčanšek. According to the expert jury,the lines, colours, narratives, and decorativeand design elements coexist harmoniouslyin her illustrations.

An illustrator and painter

Rather than an illustrator, KamilaVolčanšek is a painter, although she beganillustrating during her studies at the Acade-my o Fine Arts in Ljubljana. ‘It was actuallythe late Proessor Brumen who lectured oncomposition and encouraged me to illus-trate.’ As I child, she liked reading airytalesand admired illustrations and soon took upillustrating. ‘I liked the personication o various objects and animals, particularlyinsects. I created my own antasy world,which later also helped me with illustration.I oten used memories rom my childhood,which was spent in a huge house with a bigdusty attic and dark cellars ull o spiderwebs. Behind the house, there was an end-

less garden (at least it seemed endless then),which contained everything – vegetablepatches, ruit trees, a deep ountain andeven a plot o actual woodland with varioustrees. Even more airytale-like and scarier,o course, were the holidays spent with mygreat uncle in Boka Kotorska. Tere, welived in a mansion, where he had a museumlled with memories o the times when hewas a captain’, explains Volčanšek.

She used to illustrate more, but now shehardly works in this genre at all. When shedid it so more requently, she was able to se-lect texts independently. ‘Ater selecting thetext, I have already created an artistic im-age, and I do not need to cooperate with theauthors,’ she replies, when I ask her howillustrations are created. She has illustratedmany olk tales and classic airytales. Shebegins by rst reading the text several times.Doing so, she creates a visual and emotionalworld on which she then builds. ‘I the textrequires, I also study as much pictorial ma-terial as possible. I rst think thoroughly,then I draw, and then I think again and cor-rect time and time again until I achieve asatisactory result.’

And while it used to be possible to makea normal living rom illustrating, it is nolonger so. Te crisis has also made deep cutsin the cultural and artistic elds, and art-ists ‘have to do all sorts to make a living’.Volčanšek also adds that ‘Slovenian illustra-tion has always been and still is very good,which you can see at this year’s biennial.It is especially to be commended or beingvery original and not alling under the in-uence o various trends.’

Critics describe her art as comprehen-

sive and harmonious. And what does Ka-mila Volčanšek strive or when creating, Iwondered? ‘Enjoyment at work’, she re-plies. Her work includes not only illustra-tions; she is not involved in illustrations somuch anymore and now mostly dedicateshersel to painting. Her artistic creationshave been exhibited at numerous inde-pendent and group exhibitions and she hasreceived several awards or her work. Shedoes not speak about her art.

And what are her avourite motis?‘Since I have started dedicating my timeprimarily to painting, the main moti in mywork is the emale gure,’ she says. Her‘ne ladies’ simply enchanted me, because

they were so non-stereotypical, special andlikable. One can easily identiy with themand be released rom all the shackles whichmodern Western society puts on women.

And what does Ms Volčanšek say aboutthese ladies? ‘I do not speak about mypaintings. I can only say that the ladies areample and round, like ballet dancers orsynchronised swimmers oating in the air.Tey came about spontaneously, rom un,and then they just stayed.’ Nadja Gnamuš,an art critic, wrote o them that ‘the mod-ern ideal o beauty is overturned by theselush rivolous and condent women, andmetaphorically, nudity is also being liber-ated. Reminiscences are completed in-novatively into a painting as a eld o pureartistic pleasure, which is also the place o minute humorous and ironic statements,where impressions o personal experienceand snapshots o antasy notions orm anextravagant atmosphere o Kamila’s imagesin unusual liaisons’.

Who is Kamila Volčanšek?

She was born in Brežice. Shestudied painting at the Academy o Fine Arts in Ljubljana with Proes-sor Marko Šuštaršič and ProessorAndrej Jemec and graduated in 1978under the mentorship o ProessorJanez Bernik and Proessor ŠpelcaČopič with a diploma thesis on Gus-tav Klimt and Viennese Secession.Ater graduating rom the Academyo Fine Arts, she settled in Ljubljana,where she works as a reelance art-

ist. Her work is exhibited at manyindependent and group exhibitionsin Slovenia and abroad.

Awards and recognitions1982 – the Levstik Award or illus-trations or King Trustbeard1995 – the Hinko Smrekar Distinc-tion or illustrations or Money CanDo Everything2002 – the Hinko Smrekar Accoladeor illustrations or Te ExtinguishedDragon2012 – Lietime Achievement Awardat the 10th Slovenian Biennial o Il-lustration

KAMILA VOLČANŠEK

Polona Prešeren, photo: Personal archives

In mid-November, Cankarjev dom hosted the 10th Slovenian Biennial o Illustration,

an event which gives special pleasure to visitors. Illustrations are an important part o

Slovenian artistic creativity and have a long tradition o the highest quality. And a good

illustration delights everyone, rom children to adults.




Morning, 2012, graphics No title, 2012; Acryl on canvas




SPORTS

ess than a year beore the start o the Championships, Slovenia is making the fnal preparations or the

rgest European basketball event, which will take place between 4th and 22nd September 2013. Tis

not merely the largest sports event in the history o Slovenia, but also an opportunity or Slovenia,

ubljana and other host towns to show their best to the European basketball elite and their ans. Slovenia

is ready; basketball ans should also prepare!

EUROBASKET 2013 IN SLOVENIALESS THAN A YEAR AWAY

Matjaž Nemec, Polona Prešeren, photo: STA

Te largest sports event in independentovenia will be the rst large internationalsketball championship in Slovenia atere 1970 World Basketball Championshipshich, in act, took place in ormergoslavia), when the Yugoslav basketball

am headed by Slovenian Ivo Daneu asam captain became the best team in theorld or the rst time at Hala ivoli in

Ljubljana. Slovenia is the smallest countryin the history o the event to host theEuropean Basketball Championships andthe rst country selected unanimously tobe the organiser o the event − FIBA Europeawarded Slovenia with the organisationo EuroBasket 2013 on 5 December2010 at the meeting o the ExecutiveCommittee o FIBA Europe in Munich.

Te championships will be hosted by ourSlovenian towns, all less than an hour’sdrive rom the capital o Ljubljana. Te rstround o the Championships will take placein Ljubljana, Celje, Jesenice and Koper,while the second round and nals willbe hosted by Ljubljana alone. Te Palmatourist agency as the ocial EuroBasket2013 agency is already preparing special

packages that will include tickets andwill help you when planning your visit toSlovenia during this period. Te packageswill be published on the ocial websiteo EuroBasket2013 in mid-December. Youcan ollow the news and preparations onthe ocial website EuroBasket2013. Youcan also see the video ootage that wasprepared or all basketball ans by thenumerous amous Slovenians who supportthis big event.

SPECACULAR 2013EUROBASKE DRAW CEREMONY

IN POSOJNA CAVE

In one o the most beautiulunderground caves in the world, thePostojna Cave, a spectacular 2013EuroBasket draw ceremony took placealmost 40 metres beneath the ground, inone hundred percent humidity, which,

through the continuous process o transormation into water droplets whichwere alling o stalactites hanging rom theceiling o the great Concert Hall, created aunique atmosphere or the rst basketballgame to be played in an undergroundcourt. Te attractive 2013 EuroBasketdraw ceremony was organised SlovenianBasketball Federation, by David Nikolič,a ormer basketball team selector deputy,and Marjan Batagelj, the Chairman o the

Board o Postojnska jama d.d., a basketballan, who also nancially supported theidea. With the draw ceremony carried outin the most unique and interesting locationin Slovenia so ar, the organisers showedSlovenia and Europe that they are ull o ideas and that the organisation o eventscan be perormed at a high level.

wenty-our basketball teams,including the Slovenian basketball team,participated in the draw, which, or therst time, took place completely beneaththe ground, in the great Concert Hall o the Postojna Cave, covering 3,000 squaremetres and a volume o 50,000 cubicmetres, which can hold up to 10,000people; 650 visitors were expected orthe event, which was also broadcast ontelevision. Te Postojna Cave, a naturaleature which over a period o 200 yearshas been visited by more than 34 millionvisitors, including presidents o states

and governments, czars, kings, scientistsand artists orm all over the world, wason the occasion o the event visited byFIBA Europe’s representatives, nationalassociations’ representatives and otherdistinguished guests.

According to Aleš Križnar, Director o EuroBasket 2013, the Postojna Cave waschosen to host the draw ceremony since “Itis our wish, a year beore the EuroBasketChampionships 2013, to show Slovenia

and Europe that we will organise the mostinteresting EuroBasket event so ar. Wehave many good ideas and the rst oneto be realised is that or the rst time inthe history o sports events, the draw o groups or the rst round will be organisedcompletely beneath the ground, at anextremely attractive location and withan interesting programme.” Accordingto responses, the organisers were luckyin choosing a programme producer whoplanned train travel along the intertwiningtunnels, leaving many visitors guessinghow the tall basketball players would getthrough, the rst basketball game playedbeneath the ground and the music parto the ceremony, when the EuroBasketanthem was sung. A pleasing programme,perormed beore the ocial part o drawstarted, was produced by Goran Vojnović,a renowned producer, ormer basketballplayer and keen basketball an, who,

together with Slobodan Maksimović,produced the event on the occasion o the 60th anniversary o the BasketballFederation o Slovenia (BFS) in June 2010and the presentation o its candidacy ororganisation o EuroBasket 2013 in Munichin December 2010.

Spectators were undoubtedlyimpressed by a basketball game playedby Roman Horvat, Jaka Daneu and SlavkoDuščak against Goran Jagodnik, Sašo Ožbolt




SPORTS

TINA MAZE IS THE NEW WOMANTO BEAT

Matjaž Nemec, photo: STA

ina Maze has stayed ocused andcommitted to achieving her goals, racingwith incredible energy and determina-tion. Even as a member o a small team,meaning that she has had to tackle prob-

lems largely on her own, she has suc-ceeded in winning ten giant slaloms andone downhill, one super-combined andone slalom race. She is only one win awayrom becoming the sixth ever skier tocome rst in all ve alpine skiing disci-plines and is becoming a skiing legend, arole model or generations and an inspira-tion or young skiers ollowing her path.In contrast to last year’s season, when sheailed to mount the winners’ podium, thisyear’s season has started like a dream andMaze, the second best skier o the previ-ous season, has scored two victories inthree races. Despite her successes Mazehas remained modest and down to earth,

yet showing great commitment, ght-ing spirit and determination to continueher good perormance: “I did not end lastseason to my liking, even though I n-ished second in the overall standings. I

encountered a lot o problems and mademany mistakes. I was not very satised atthe end, because I had not won one singlerace. Tis winter started in the oppositeway. I am skiing well and ast,” said Mazeater the race.

ogether with ice-hockey player AnžeKopitar and Maribor Football Club, thegeneral public selected ina Maze as theSports Brand o 2012. We wish our excel-lent skier every success in urthering hercareer and achieving, through passionand perseverance, her goal o topping thewinner’s podium, thus securing her placein the skiing annals and urthering Slove-nia’s reputation throughout the world.

JAKOV FAK READYFOR POKLJUKA

Jakov Fak proved he is in excellentshape in Austria’s Hochlzen on Satur-day 8th December and claimed his sec-ond World Cup win, having previouslywon the 20 km individual at the worldchampionships last season. Fak won therace mostly thanks to his ast shooting.He won 16.4 s over Fourcade and 12.5 sover Dmitry Malyshko, much more thanhis advantage to them over the nishline. Fak missed two targets beore edg-ing out Malyshko o Russia, who had justone penalty, by 0.9 o a second. Deend-ing overall champion Martin Fourcade o France missed three times and was third.Fak and Andreas Birnbacher o Germanyled the race, side-by-side going into thenal 2.5 kilometer loop. Birnbacher couldnot keep up with Fak’s pace and nishedth, while Fak narrowly held o a latechallenge by Malyshko. Fourcade re-mained in the lead o both the pursuit andoverall standings.

Good news are also coming romPokljuka, one o the best known Slove-nian plateaus, as it holds world amousbiathlon competitions,which will hostthe best biathletes rom Tursday 12th toSunday 16th December. All the prepara-tion is in progress, organizers are dealingwith last details, so the tracks will be readyor biathletes. Pokljuka workers are at alltimes working really hard and the com-petition is not in doubt. racks, stadiumand everything else will be well prepared,at least as good as were our competitors inHochlzen. Biathletes will be welcomedby the renovated track, which has in thepast been considered as one o the mostchallenging. With its updates and novel-ties this will not change. We are expectingsix interesting races in our days o racing.At the third stop o this year’s E.ON IBUWorld Cup Biathlon we are expecting allthe best biathletes in the world.

Slovenian ina Maze secures her third consecutive World Cup giant slalom and showed o her vastly improved all-round skills to win

in St. Moritz on Sunday 9th December and her ourth World Cup event this season to extend her overall lead. ina now has 677 points in

the overall World Cup standings, 234 points ahead o Maria Hoe-Riesch o Germany and 263 points ahead o Lindsey Vonn o the US.

d Samo Udrih; the rst undergroundot was achieved by Roman Horvat ande game ended 3:3. Te audience was alsorilled by the EuroBasket anthem entitled

the Beat o Basketball, perormed byran Predin in rock style. Te imagination

dge dance by the Fičo Baleta Group,which Lipko, the EuroBasket 2013

cial mascot, perormed in the role o ach, urther warmed up spirits thatere eagerly awaiting the draw o theoups, in particular Group C, in whichahim Kutluay drew Slovenia. Ivo Daneu

ew European champions Spain, Peteran drew Croatia, rom the drum Jorgerbajosa drew Poland, Aleksander Volkov

ew Georgia and Rašo Nesterović drewe Czech Republic. Spontaneous applause

the hall showed that we Sloveniansere satised with the draw. Sloveniall play against the Czech Republic, thenainst Spain, Georgia, Croatia and Poland

d, according to the comment by Rašosterović, the group is “very reasonable.metimes what you want is not alwayse best. We have to prepare or theampionship and go or a medal.”

Te draw decided that in Ljubljana, inoup A will play France, Great Britain,rmany, Ukraine, Belgium and Israel;Jesenice, in Group B will play Formergoslav Republic o Macedonia, Lithuania,

ontenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina,tvia and Serbia; in Celje, in Group Cll play Spain, Slovenia, Croatia, Poland,orgia and the Czech Republic; while inper, in Group D are Russia, Greece, Italy,

nland, urkey and Sweden.Slovenia’s Minister or Education,

lture and Sport, Žiga urk, in hiseech at the ceremony in Postojna Cave,

mphasised, among other things, thatasketball nally reached its position

mong the most popular sports in the70 World Basketball Championshipld in Ljubljana, where we won. In ouruntry, basketball is a successul, live andpular sport. Despite the crisis, we haveade eorts to organise the European

sketball Championships and investinrastructure.” Roman Volčič, the

esident o the Basketball Federation o ovenia added that “It is our honour to hoste event in the most amous Slovenianurist attraction. When we stood as andidate to host the European Basketballampionships, we promised the event

ould be excellent. We are now on ouray to realising this: we are innovative andring and with this draw we have provede are successul.” Olaur Ransson, FIBArope President, expressed his praise

hen he concluded his speech sayinglease accept my thanks or the special

eling; the organisation o the draw

reects the work and eorts o the localorganisational committee and predicts thebest EuroBasket so ar.”

Slovenia will now pay hal a millionless than previously envisaged to theEuropean Basketball Federation, FIBAEurope. Tis reduction has been achievedby Anže Logar, Director o the GovernmentCommunication Oce, ater lengthynegotiations on behal o the SlovenianGovernment. Te Communication Oceo the Government o the Republic o Slovenia decreased its share rom theenvisaged EUR 3.5 million to EUR 3 millionand also negotiated a more avourablepayment schedule. Tis year, the SlovenianGovernment will add EUR 1.5 million –instead o the envisaged one million – tothe amount o EUR 750,000 already paidin 2011, while in 2013 the Governmentwill have no nancial obligations to FIBAEurope. Te outstanding balance to the

total due amount o EUR 3 million orpartnership with FIBA Europe will be paidin 2014.

Te Communication Oce o the Government o the Republico Slovenia decreased its sharerom the envisaged EUR 3.5million to EUR 3 million and alsonegotiated a more avourable

payment schedule

At the end o negotiations between FIBA

Europe and the Slovenian Government, we talked

with Mr Olafur Rafnsson, President o FIBA

Europe, about the conclusions reached.

Just recently you reached an agreementwith the Slovenian Government withregard to the latter’s contractual obligationsrelating to EuroBasket 2013. Negotiationswere long and tough, said Anže Logaro the Government CommunicationOce. How would you summarise thenegotiations and the agreement that wasreached?

We at FIBA Europe and I personally arepleased that we could amend the existingagreement or the benet o EuroBasket2013. Our primary task was the perectdelivery o EuroBasket 2013, and I believewe have come one step closer to this withthe new agreement.

What are your expectations orEuroBasket 2013?

EuroBasket is not only our biggestevent, but also among the most importantsporting events on the continent. Our aimhas always been to improve with everynew EuroBasket, and that is why we expectnothing less than a more successul event

than in Lithuania in 2011. EuroBasket 2011was great in many respects, but we believethat there has to be improvement everytime.

Did you make any recommendationsand suggestions to the Slovenianorganizers?

FIBA Europe is in constant dialoguewith the Local Organising Committee.O course we are trying to pass on theexperience rom our previous EuroBaskettournaments.

What it the actual role o FIBA Europein the organisational process? In what waywill FIBA cooperate with the Slovenianorganizers?

FIBA Europe not only will but hasalready cooperated with the LocalOrganising Committee rom the very starto the organising process. Our sta have

been working closely with their Sloveniancolleagues ever since the successul bid bySlovenia to host EuroBasket 2013 back inDecember 2010. We have a large numbero sta involved in the process. Tere areregular meetings taking place in all areas,rom the sporting part o the tournament tomarketing, event organisation and mediacommunication.

Te draw or Eurobasket 2013 was orthe rst time literally held underground –in Postojna Cave. Is this the right messagerom Slovenia?

It certainly is the right message in termso creating a stand-out event that drawsinternational attention. Te draw was verywell organised, so i this is an indication orEuroBasket 2013 itsel, it denitely was theright message.

In sporting terms, can you make anycomments on the draw and groups? Whatkind o championships can we aspect?

As the president o FIBA Europe, Icannot make any predictions or statementsabout the results o upcoming games. But

what I can say is that the draw has broughtus exciting groups with a good number o important games and big rivalries. I amsure that we will again see surprises like in2011.



41Sinfo – Slovenian informationGovernment Communication Ofce

Sloveian Delights

Vesna Žarkovič, photo: Dušan Arzenšek and Pri Danilu archives

Culinary Adventures without Limits

Vesna and Dušan Čarman, the restaurant’s owners, took overthe restaurant rom Vesna’s parents in 1991; they have developedtheir slow ood concept as natural, and in particular, native cook-ing. It is a way to become better acquainted with the history andtradition o a certain country and its people and, according tothem, to realise that cuisine is indeed a science without limits. Onenever reaches the end, and there are always new opportunities toexplore. In this, slow ood rituals also present a special, i not thetoughest challenge or the restaurant owners. Such rituals are re-ected in the mode o ood preparation, the variety o compoundsused and the imagination applied when preparing the ood. Tistype o ood service cannot be oered by just anybody.

In act, there are only a ew restaurants able to provide such aservice. Vesna explains that Pri Danilu osters this concept sincethey love old recipes upgraded with their modern ideas. A richsource o recipes is the cook book ‘Te Good Old Cuisine’ by PavleHaner. Te author collected old recipes rom Škofa Loka region.His mother, who was a housekeeper and an excellent che at theVisoko Manor, provided great help in collecting the material or

his cook book.o provide high quality ood, restaurant owners in their areapurchase raw ingredients that are perectly resh and in season. Inregards to the question o whether one must have plenty o timeto consume ood according to this slow ood concept, the ownerso the restaurant say that this is not necessary. Slow ood does notmean a six-hour meal and eating at a slow tempo. Slow ood canalso be a single plate o ‘loška mešta’ (corn meal with potatoes andcream) with trues and a glass o great white wine. It is, primar-ily, a revival o old, domestic and orgotten oods that are adjust-ed to present dietary demands. Te harmony o ood and wine isvery important in slow ood cuisine and thereore the sommelier’sknowledge is vital or a waiter.

Te owners’ son, Gašper, has become a wine sommelier andopened a successul wine bar in Ljubljana. Te amily tradition has

also been continued by the daughter Nina, who, in addition to herstudies o psychotherapy, works in her brother’s wine bar. Teynot only sell superior wines but also provide culinary delicacies –simple spoon dishes – prepared according to the mother Vesna’smastery and advice. Many guests coming to the wine bar also de-cide to eat a spoon dish.

In this way, the amily continues the amily restaurant tradi-tion dating back to 1861. At that time, the restaurant was named‘Pr ilh’. It was requently visited by the novelist Fran S. Finžgar,a riend o the Reteče parish priest, describing his visit to the res-taurant in his book Years o My Voyage. At that time the restaurantwas a carriage drivers’ inn where they stopped on their travel to-wards the seaside. Te restaurant was already well known at thattime. Vesna’s parents, Danilo and Mimica Kosmačin, bought therestaurant in 1961 and changed its name to ‘Pri Danilu’. Mimicawas an excellent cook and the rst in the area to bake trout raisedin a home aquarium. Danilo was the innkeeper, taking care o ad-ministrative tasks and the wine supply.

At present, at their arrival, the guests can see books with in-

ternational assessments and listing prestigious prizes that rankPri Danilu among the top restaurants in Europe. Te books praiseskills o the restaurateurs who succeeded in upgrading the tra-ditional ood and reecting the tradition o the country and olddishes. Vesna’s rich culinary imagination is seen in dishes’ variousorms and components, such as the cheese cut like lace. Troughthe dishes, a story o the place and its people is told and the cu-linary spirit o the country is expressed with the dishes such as‘loška mešta’ (maize meal with potatoes and cream), potatoes andmaize meal, which was in the past a dish sprinkled with pieces o crackling and is nowadays served with the Istrian trues.

However, there would be no success without continuous train-ing at home and abroad, where they compete against the best.Should a table in their restaurant be booked in advance? Te ma-jority o their guests book in advance; they are welcomed with a

At ‘Pri Danilu’, a restaurant in a village o Reteče near Škofa Loka, one becomes aware that cuisine has

no limits and can always oer new adventures. Te restaurateurs would like the visitors to get shed their

prejudices and become gastronomes appreciating slow ood… those that can enjoy and indulge ood.




ss o champagne and then most guests let their hosts to selecte dishes. Te hosts prepare ve dishes, which are changed ac-rding to the season. Tey don’t keep certain dishes permanentlythe menu but adjust it to the season.At present, a cold starter is a roast bee with rabbit liver and

arinated pear is served with a glass o red wine. Ater this, theyrve pumpkin soup with pumpkin oil, almond dumpling andrmesan.

Tey are happy to answer the questions o the guests on theethod o ood preparation, since real cooks do not conceal theircipes. Te soup is ollowed by home-made tortellini with duckung, a sugar pea sauce and ried egg yolk with almond crumbs.is is ollowed by a sorbet made o Slovenian grapes served withppermint syrup. Te main dish is composed o wild boar pig-llet with cheese rolled dumpling and apple boiled in port ol-

wed by chestnut and kaki dessert.

Vesna, one o three daughters, grew up in the atmosphere o r parents’ restaurant and her ather Danilo expected her to take

over the restaurant. He was quite disappointed when she decidedto take another job rather than continue his work in the restaurant;his heartelt wish was or the restaurant to remain in the amily. Aturning point was the moment when the ather, disappointed bydecisions o all his three daughters, decided to sell the restaurant.Vesna says that this was the time when her husband convincedher to take over the restaurant which was supported with her ownwish not to disappoint the parents.

Vesna says: ‘My two children have also decided to work in ca-tering. Naturally, their work in Ljubljana is dierent rom the workhere; however, it is an upgrade to what their grandparents set outto do.

‘I do believe that it will grow into a larger restaurant complex.o a person who did not grow up in catering business, it is dicultto understand the passion one has in one’s genes and with whichone grows up in the catering environment. Trough growing up,

one realises that the essence o good catering is in good ood, wineand satised guests.’




oday, the majority o Adria Air-ways’ business is in scheduled ights;its network links Ljubljana with 17 citiesthroughout Europe and oers excellentconnections to south east Europe. AdriaAirways oers more than 170 scheduledights each week to Amsterdam, Bar-celona, Belgrade, Brussels, Copenhagen,Frankurt, Istanbul, Manchester, Moscow,Munich, Podgorica, Priština, Sarajevo,Skopje, irana, Vienna and Zurich. Sched-uled ights between Priština and cities inGermany (Frankurt, Munich) have beenrunning since December 2010.

Te company’s head oce is at Lju-bljana Jože Pučnik Airport and has repre-sentative oces at the airport, in Ljublja-na, Brussels, Moscow, Frankurt, Zurich,and sales agents in almost all Europeancountries.

In August 2004, Adria Airways wasone o the rst airlines to receive IOSA(IAA Operational Saety Audit) Regis-tration (www.iata.org/registry), whichdetermines the level o organization o the company, its operating procedures, aswell as the ight saety and security o thecompany.

In January 2010, Adria Airways be-came a ull member o Star Alliance. Inconnection with its partners, they oeraccess to a global network o ights on27 airlines, which oer more than 21,500daily ights to 1,356 airports in 193 coun-tries.

In its 50-year history, Adria Airwayshas accumulated a great deal o sophis-ticated knowledge that they continuallymaintain and build on. Adria has beencontracting the expertise o their highly

trained ground operations sta, main-tenance sta, cabin crew sta and ightcrew sta to oreign carriers throughoutthe world or many years. On behal o Airbus Industry, Adria’s pilots have in-structed A320 pilots all over the world.Tey pride themselves on their rich ex-perience o working in a multi-ethnic andmulti-cultural environment.

Adria Airways embodies many ea-tures characteristic o Slovenia: hospitali-ty, riendliness, and high-quality services.Teir goal is to become the leading airlinein the territory o ex-Yugoslavia. ogeth-er with a proessional, caring sta and amodern eet, Adria Airways is commit-ted to providing a high level o service andsatisaction, and to winning the loyalty o its passengers.

society

ADRIA AIRWAYS, TeAirline o Slovenia

Vesna Žarkovič, photo: STA

society

Adria Airways has a wealth o experience spanning over 51 years in

charter and scheduled air transport. Te Adria Airways story dates

back to 1961, when it was ounded as a charter company. In the

1980s, the airline started serving scheduled routes, and became a

member o the IAA, the International Air ransport Association.




HERITAGE

IN THEKINGDOMOF WINE

Polona Prešeren

photo: Darinka Mladenovič




Noble wine o superior quality ismething unique. It is a harmony o aro-as, it arouses the senses, it connects...inemaking has a long tradition in Slo-nia. We are a wine country with excep-nal natural eatures, which enable theltivation o various indigenous winerieties. Numerous wine producers areoo o this, as on the basis o rich expe-nce rom the past and with the appli-ion o modern technological and mar-ting trends, they make wines which arempetitive in world markets.

Size is relative when it comes to wine.small geographical area does not say

uch about the quality o wine. Slovenianneyards thus comprise only one-th o rman vineyards and produce one-tenththe German output. According to winendards, Slovenian viticulture is part o

e old European tradition. Tus French,rman and Italian inuences can be de-

ted in Slovenian winemaking, whichn be seen in the vineyards and in theoduction o wine itsel. Te system o otection is well-structured, and more

and more wine producers are becomingaware o, and ollow the principles o, or-ganic winemaking.

Wine producers agree that the geo-graphical position o Slovenia – with theAdriatic Sea in the south-west and the Alpsin the north-west – is ideal or growingvine. Te production o wine is directedtowards the production o exquisite high-quality wine. Vineyards are usually situat-ed on very steep slopes, which enable theoptimum exposure to sunlight; however,this makes work in the vineyards muchmore demanding and requires more man-ual labour. Most vineyards are old – only5.6 per cent are new, which means thatthey are younger than our years.

Slovenia is divided into three wine-growing regions: Podravje, Posavje andPrimorje. Each has its special eatures andmicroclimate. Tey have their own tradi-tions, indigenous wines and local special-

ities. Te oer o wine thus extends romred wines in the style o the Bordeaux, ar-omatic wines typical o the Rhine Valley,dry Italian wines, sweet Hungarian wines

and, o course, sparkling wines, diversevarieties o local wines to modern andtrendy orange or natural wines, which arevigorously stirring up the ‘wine’ spirits.

HE PODRAVJE REGIONTe region is located in north-east Slo-

venia and is characterised by typical sedi-ments created by active geological move-ments, the remains o the Pannonian Seaand thermal and mineral springs. Te soilis the main actor that gives wines in thisregion their special character. Te climateis typical continental, with plenty o sun-ny days, which sometimes cause drought,while winters are quite cold. Te region isnow known or its prestigious wines andlate grape harvest. A temperate climateand special soil are ideal or the produc-tion o strong and aromatic white wines.And the wines certainly worth tasting areWhite Riesling, Italian Riesiling, Sauvi-

gnon, Furmint, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc,raminer, Yellow Muscat and Radgonasparkling wine.

HE POSAVJE REGIONIs a region in the east-central part o

Slovenia, most well-known or its blendwines and, o course, or its great ‘little’wine, Cviček which, with its eight anda hal per cent o ethanol, is hardly con-sidered a wine according to the Europeancriteria. Cviček, rst documented in bookstwo hundred year ago, is a blend o threevarieties, which provide it with lightness,characteristic gentle colour, aroma, acid-ity and reshness. Cviček is truly a verydrinkable wine, which can be ound inalmost every vineyard cottage in the re-gion. Vineyard cottages are small privatewineries, and wine producers who havestubbornly deed natural and social con-ditions in their small vineyards over theyears are typical o this region.

HE PRIMORSKA REGIONWhile the name o the region con-

nects it with the sea (Primorska meaning‘by the sea’) only a small section o it ac-tually lies by the sea. Summers are quitehot here, winters temperate. Tis region

also prides itsel on producing the entirerange o European varieties, but the tem-peratures and sun mean that red winesprevail. In general, it can be said that Pri-morska wines are dry and rich in miner-als and also have more pigment than thewines rom the other two regions. Tewines in this region have their own par-ticularities. Tus, the Karst is the home o errano, Reosco and erra Rossa, whichis a blend o errano, Cabernet Sauvignonand Merlot. Rich white wines and exqui-site Cabernet Sauvignon are producedin the Vipava Valley, and Malvasia in thearea o Koper. Tis region also includes theunique Goriška Brda Hills. Te wines romGoriška Brda can be tasted in the best res-taurants in New York, London, Milano,Berlin, okyo and Moscow.HE WINE WALK

November is the month o wine. StMartin’s Day is on 11 November when, ac-

cording to tradition, must turns into wine.In a country o wine, such as Slovenia,with a tting national anthem Zdravljica(‘A oast’), numerous celebrations o St

Martin’s Day and other events relatedto this day take place. A good east mustbe laid out on the table – a goose, mlinci(pasta tatters) and red cabbage. And in ad-dition, young wine.

One o the biggest celebrations takesplace in the streets o Ljubljana. Te Lju-bljana Wine Route has become a tradi-tional i not almost legendary event. Aweek beore St Martin’s Day, the manyvisitors to the wine route could walkaround the city with glasses in theirhands instead o traditional market bas-kets. In addition to tasting young winesand already matured wines with charac-ter, other gourmet delicacies were on o-er. During a pleasant walk, spoiling one’staste buds, one might think that lie is re-ally beautiul and that Ljubljana really isa pleasant city,in spite o November beingsuch a grey and gloomy month.

But the Ljubljana Wine Route is only

the introduction to the wine and culinaryevents in Ljubljana. Te largest and mostpopular is the Slovenian Wine Festival.Tis year’s 15th estival remained true




its tradition – the promotion o winerinking) culture. Te organisers o theent wanted to introduce domestic andeign wine producers and their wines to

ose or whom wine represents business,ssion and love, or those who only wishsatisy their curiosity.Tis year’s estival included wine and

linary workshops and three wine as-

sessments. Te traditional and increas-ingly more popular wine assessment wasaccompanied this year by the assessmentso young wines o 2012 and orange wines.Orange wines indicate a new trend in theeld o winemaking. Tey are becomingmore popular, but they are also the sub-ject o various discussions. Te organis-ers thought it important that the world’s

leading authority on this subject, IsabelleLegeron, MW, be present at the rst as-sessment o orange wines in Slovenia, andshe also led the assessment.

And i such estivals introduce trendsin wine production, the assessments arerelative. It is always best to ollow one’sown taste and enjoy the variety o aromasand the sensations that wines arouse.



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