Government responds to interpellation
Today in parliament, the government submitted its response to the opposition’s interpellation motion. Instead of a formal response, Prime Minister Rop submitted a 340-page report on the country’s development during the 2000-2004 period. Rop stressed that the report contains concrete, verifiable data.
The report highlights many achievements during the 2000-2004 period, including: the World Bank’s declaring Slovenia to be among the most developed countries in the world; above-average economic growth; lowering unemployment, poverty and interest rates; and Slovene membership in the EU and NATO.
[RTVS / 12.08.04 / Slovene government sends response to opposition's interpellation to parliament, STA / 12.08.04 / Vlada bo odgovorila na interpelacijo, Finance / 12.08.04 / Odgovor vlade na interpelacijo vložen v državni zbor, Finance / 12.08.04 / Premier Anton Rop nad interpelacijo s poročilom o razvoju].
For more from Slovenia Bulletin on the interpellation motion, see: “Interpellation motion filed vs. government” from 2 August 2004.
Potočnik receives Brussels science portfolio
After much anticipation, it has been announced that Slovenia’s European Commissioner, Janez Potočnik, has received the portfolio of science and research. The assignment was made by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso in Brussels.
Many were predicting that Potočnik would receive the much more prestigious enlargement prtfolio, but nevertheless politicians and the media took the news well in Slovenia. [UVI / 13.08.04 / Potočnik Will Be Responsible for Research, Finance / 12.08.04 / Potocnik Responsible for Research on Barroso's Team,
SBW / 16.08.04 / Potocnik to Be Responsible for Research in Barroso's Lineup, Fouere Says Science Portfolio Is a Recognition for Potocnik, PM Rop Pleased With Potocnik's Department].
Bike Tours of Ljubljana
Since 8 July, the Ljubljana Tourist Board has been organizing tours of the city by bicycle. The tour starts in front of the Tourist Information Center (10 Krekov trg) on Saturdays until 28 August at 10:00 a.m. It is free of charge, and bikes and helmets are included.
Private tours can also be booked, through the end of November. Groups of three to nine can sign up for a tour for SIT 3000 per person at the TIC. Again, bikes and helmets are provided.For more info, see: Guided Cycling Tours of Ljubljana - a Novelty in the City's Tourism Offer.
Expat of the Year contest underway
Who will be Expatriate of the Year, 2004? A new contest is looking for “most popular non-Slovene living in Slovenia” in three categories: economy, politics and sports/culture/entertainment.
Candidates can be nominated by sending an email to gueststar@sloveniatimes.com or by completing the form found at http://www.sloveniatimes.com/gueststar/.
This contest is sponsored by The Slovenia Times and Radio Slovenia International, which will present the candidates to the public over the course of the next two months. Their readers and listeners will then choose finalists, and the Expatriate of the Year will be named on 21 October at Crystal Hall in Terme Rogaška.
Ethnic Slovene students converge on Novo Mesto
A group of more than 40 ethnic Slovene young people from outside of Slovenia have convened on the Summer Slovene School organized by the Slovene Institute for Education (ZRSŠ) in Novo Mesto. The summer course runs from 31 July through 14 August.
Students range in age from 7 to 17, and come from 13 countries: Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia and Montenegro, Switzerland and the United States.
Each year since 1991, the school has been organized in a different region of Slovenia. More than 600 students from 23 countries have participated in the past 13 years [STA / 09.08.04 / Poletna šola slovenšcine za otroke slovenskega porekla iz tujine].
Together with ZRSŠ, the school is organized by the Center for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language. It is financed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.
