The Slovenia Times 131

LIFESTYLE: The art of shopping in Ljubljana

NLB, Slovenia’s leading bank passes the CEBS stress test...barely

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The Slovenia Times, Slovenian magazine in English, volume 7, number 131, EUR 4,80

August 2010

2010

discover the most attractive Slovenian destinations

29-30 August 2010

Global Outlook for the Next Decade, Bled, Slovenia For the past four years, the Bled Strategic Forum has established itself as one of the leading international gatherings in the region. Every year this event brings together policy-makers, business people, intellectuals and academics from both the national capitals and numerous international organisations.

This year, upon the invitation from President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovenia Tomaž F. Lovše, the keynote address, at the opening dinner of the Forum, will be given by the General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), former U.S. Secretary of State (2001-2005). Among other distinguished guests and speakers who have already confirmed their participation are: H. E. Mr Yves Leterme, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Belgium, H. E. Mr Amer Moussa, Secretary General of League of the Arab States, Dr Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of IPCC and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Dr Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for Environment. Many ministers and other notable guests from EU, South East Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America are also attending the conference.

Under the title “The Global Outlook for the Next Decade”, the Forum will tackle some of the major challenges of the decade: the energy transition, the water challenge, re-vitalising the economy, and the transformative power of the Internet. We are also planning an exchange of views on the EU’s role in a multi-polar world and on ways to reconnect the Western Balkans.

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Foto: Bobo, J. Skok

Photos: 1 H.E. Mr Lulzim Basha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania, H.E. Mr Samuel Žbogar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, 2 Opening of the Bled Strategic Forum 2009, 3 H.E. Ms Smt. Preneet Kaur, Minister of State for External Affairs of the Republic of India, 4 Participants of the Panel B “Energy Security in an Economic Downturn” at the Bled Strategic Forum 2009, 5 H.E. Ms Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi, Minister of Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates, H.E. Mr Samuel Žbogar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.

Website: www.bledstrategicforum.org E-mail: info@bledstrategicforum.org

CONTENTS

August 2010 Business Partners

POLITICS

6

Resignation of the Economy Minister

7

Homosexuals between politics and the street

ECONOMY

10

NLB passes stress test

12

Droga Kolinska leaves Slovenian hands

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

15

BSH Hišni Aparati celebrates 40 years in Slovenia

16

New tax increase on electricity

17

Diplomatic pages: July events from embassies in Ljubljana

LIFESTYLE

18

Slovenian designer gems

19

The magic of antiques

20

Pampering in Paradise Spa

24

Business negotiations with style

26

Slovenia wine takes the world

46

DINE WITH STYLE: Vila Prešeren, Bled

CULTURE

30 The creative way of Pionirski dom 31

Ten of the best: Slovenian film

32

The Event Guide

SPORTS

38

After the football world cup

Slo times avgust 230x95 mm 11. junij 2009 10:43:56

42

Every picture tells a story August 2010

PANORAMA

source: STA, Slovenian Press Agency

The Summer Meetings The presidents of Slovenia, Italy and Croatia, Danilo Tuerk, Giorgio Napolitano and Ivo Josipović, met in Trieste in an effort to heal historical wounds between the countries.

The trio honoured the victims of Italian and Yugoslav regimes before, during and after WWII. The three presidents visited Narodni dom, the cultural centre of the Slovenian minority in Italy, which was burnt down on 13 July 1920 in what is widely believed to be the start of Fascism in Trieste. President Tuerk laid a wreath to the memorial plaque and met Slovenian minority officials along with his counterparts. Tuerk, Napolitano and Josipović also visited a monument dedicated to some 350,000 Italians exiled after WWII from Istria and Dalmatia, the regions situated in present-day Slovenia and Croatia. In the trilateral talks, that followed Tuerk said the time had come for all the countries to remember the past with respect while looking into the future with optimism.

The trio pledged to protecting minorities in their respective countries.

improved relationsihps. In July only, they keept meeting at various occasions. Josipović and Tuerk meet twice, in Buzet and in Dubrovnik.

Also, prime Minister Borut Pahor, who arrived in Dubrovnik for a two-day international conference discussed the ways to tackle one of the last big open issues between the two countries with his Croatian counterpart Jadranka Kosor.

He was optimistic to find a political solution to the issue liabilities of a defunct Slovenian bank, LB, to Croatian clients and already set the date for another meeting.

Photo: BOBO

The frequent meetings between Slovenian and Coratian high representatives also seem to be reflecting

Masters of Cyber Crime The US Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that a 23-year-old Slovenian known as Iserdo was arrested in Maribor, as part of an international cyber crime sting. The suspect, whose name was not revealed, is suspected of creating a computer virus which reportedly infected some 12 million computers, invading major banks and corporations around the world, FBI’s deputy assistant director for cyber division Jeffrey Troy said.

The arrest comes about five months after police broke up the massive cyber scam in Spain,

arresting three of the alleged ringleaders who operated the Mariposa botnet, stealing credit cards and on-line banking credentials with the help of the virus allegedly obtained from a group of Slovenian hackers. Iserdo is suspected of providing other hackers with malware.

The FBI official announced more arrests, which are likely to extend beyond Slovenia and Spain and include operators who allegedly bought the malware from Iserdo. Several US federal agents and Slovenian and Spanish law enforcement and special task forces are working on the case.

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Representatives of journalists in Slovenian media outlets addressed a request to Prime Minister Borut Pahor and Culture Minister Majda Širca on urging legislative change to tackle what they believe is a “disastrous situation in the Slovenian media”. They believe journalist representatives in media outlets should have a greater role their ownership transformation, changes of statutes and appointments and dismissals of editors-in-chief and changes of the classification of jobs. They also request transparent financing of takeovers in the media, clear separation of managerial and editorial posts and introduction of “severe penalties” for media outlets which dismiss or reassign journalists because of their personal circumstances. Minister Širca expressed understanding for journalists’ demands and concerns as they met. Support was also expressed

by President Danilo Tuerk, parliamentary Speaker Pavel Gantar, as well as Human Rights Ombudsman Zdenka Čebasek-Travnik. After meeting with journalist representatives over their call for a change, PM Borut Pahor said that the government will react to their concerns with appropriate legislative changes. The government will amend the draft media bill in a way that secures more transparency in relation to ownership. According to Pahor, the government will have the bill ready early enough so it could be passed in parliament before Christmas.

While finding media freedom a key condition for democracy, Pahor is against the illusion that a very normative legislation mitigates and not aggravates problems. “This is why I believe that the media bill needs few rules, which however need to be clear... and involve identifiable penalties,” he said.

Senior editor Jaka Terpinc editor@sloveniatimes.com

Marketing/Advertising

Business Editor Maja Dragović maja.dragovic@sloveniatimes.net

Irena Kržan irena.krzan@sloveniatimes.com

Chief sub-editor Claire Read Sub-editor Terry Troy Jackson, s.p.

Art director Maja Kaplan (design@domus.si) Front page by Jaka Terpinc

The Slovenia Times

Disastrous Media Situation

Marko Stijepić marketing@sloveniatimes.com

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UNDER THE PRESS Near East

Global issues

Peres in Slovenia

Žbogar in America

President Danilo Tuerk and his Israeli counterpart Simon Peres met at Brdo pri Kranju to call for a strengthening of cooperation, especially in science and technology.

Tuerk hopes that activities of the existing Israeli-Slovenian council for science and technology will be revived. Peres, who also met PM Borut Pahor a day later, reiterated that Israel believed in peace, but suggested that this was in the hands of Hamas under whose rule the Ghaza Strip continues to behave like a terrorist state. He rejected criticism of Israel’s recent attack on the humanitarian aid ships headed for Gaza as discriminatory, repeating Israeli soldiers were attacked and had to defend themselves. “Israel was picked up because of anti-Israeli sentiment in the UN,” he said.

Germany

Committed to Strong Ties The German and Slovenian foreign ministers, Guido Westerwelle and Samuel Žbogar stressed the commitment of both countries to stronger cooperation, especially economic ties, as they met in Ljubljana. After the talks, the pair emphasised support for dialogue on topical international issues, including Serbia-Kosovo relations and the Iranian nuclear programme. The German minister praised Slovenia for being a role model for other countries in the region with its confirmation of the border arbitration agreement with Croatia.

Foreign Minister Samuel Žbogar visited the United States between for talks with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. These focused on the Western Balkans, in particular developments between Serbia and Kosovo, the situation in BosniaHerzegovina with elections coming up in October, and Macedonia, which has still not solved the name dispute with Greece. Žbogar said that Slovenia was concerned about the developments in the region.

“We have ideas how each of these three open issues should be tackled, and the intention of my visit is to examine the positions and preparations of other partners,” he explained. Slovenia is bidding for another two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2013-2014. The vote will be held next year.

Opposition

Sports Minister Targeted The opposition Democrats and National Party filed a motion to oust Education and Sport Minister Igor Lukšič over a call for applications for the financing of sports facilities of strategic importance.

The opposition claims the call was created exclusively for Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković, who has initiated the Stožice complex, a giant project, which runs out of funds for completion. The minister has called the motion a move against sport policy. Four bidders applied to the ministry’s call for applications by the 23 July deadline, including the Ljubljana municipality. The selection process has not been completed yet.

Crime

A Blow to the Nicotine Mafia Police have cracked a tobacco smuggling chain that operated through Slovenia and included a Slovenian customs official who was selling confiscated cigarettes back to the smugglers. The total of 24 people of different nationalites were apprehended as part of the sting. The year-long investigation included undercover work in cooperation with Austrian, Italian, German and Bosnian law enforcement. In 25 house searches 215,000 cigarettes worth EUR 24,000 were confiscated along with a large amounts of spirits and EUR 45,000 in cash. Another 3.2 million forged cigarettes worth EUR 325,000 were also seized. They had been produced in Bosnia and Herzegovina, smuggled to Slovenia where they were stored and then dispatched to other EU countries, mostly Germany and Austria.

I’ll tell you something that will probably raise some eyebrows. I’ll do anything to pull this county out of the crisis, to make it more social and more competitive. If a cat catches mice, I don’t care whether it is red or black.

Prime Minister Borut Pahor commenting on neo-liberal attitudes of his social-democrat government during a TV Slovenia interview.

Riddles are a part of Borut Pahor’s public performances.

Sometimes they come as a rebus or ambiguous messages. For example, when he spoke about cat and mice, it wasn’t very clear what he was aiming at. Who is red and who is black: the cat or the mouse? Who is it that doesn’t care? The cat, the prime minister or maybe the mouse? If we value a statement on the variety of possible interpretations, then this was a bull’s eye. But if a leader is expected to be clear in his views, then this statement only added up to a mess.

Dnevnik columnist “T. Zgaga” on Pahor’s metaphors

I’m well aware that I have no political authority. I have already said that I will try to face political power with the power of arguments.

The new Economy Minister Darja Radić on her apolitical stand

After a pay rise, satisfaction with the [new] salary lasts approximately three months. Then it again becomes too low.

By its nature, teaching attracts people who don’t make salary a primary concern, so they are patient and don’t demand more for themselves than they do for others.

Education Minister Igor Lukšič commenting on teachers’ salaries in an online debate at TVSlo website.

I despise the kind of book which tells you how to live, how to make yourself happy! Philosophers have no good news for you at this level! I believe the first duty of philosophy is making you understand what deep s--- you are in!

Slovenian Philosopher Slavoj Žižek in The Daily Telegraph on the purpose of modern philosophy

If you take a look at two pretty looking girls from behind, you realise that a mother and a daughter [now] have the same silhouette, same clothes, like the same singer, use same lipsticks and perfumes, watch the same TV shows... This is not natural. We grew up differently, we had different tastes to our parents.

Singer Zoran Predin on the death of generational conflict in Mladina interviews special edition

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

Sweating for Football

POLITICS

Matej Lahovnik

By Jaka Terpinc

It is the time of migration, when the

general population sweats its way to the coast. Well not necessarily the coast, in such an extraordinary heatwave anything goes. Rivers, lakes, ponds... Just get me a cold bath... beer... breeze.

This summer of 2010 will be remembered for more than being one of the hottest in the modern history. It will also be remembered as the year Slovenians achieved their greatest success in football. Ever.

Even though the national team failed, as ever, to progress beyond the group stage of the World Cup, the performance was honorable – if not heroic. The homeland welcomed the team as victors.

If the arbitration referendum campaign created a certain disturbance in the understanding of proper Slovenianness, the football cup made everyone jump for national pride. The cheering slogan “who doesn’t jump is not a Slovenian” might sound discriminatory for those who for unfortunate reasons just can’t, but has on the other hand united both hardline “soil and blood” natives with the country’s naturalised citizens. Indeed, the football team owes a lot to the latter group. Most members of the team are the children of workers from Bosnia, who came as a labour force some thirty years ago.

Through sporting talent and hard work, they have risen from the social bottom to the social top.

Can a footballing nation exist without a decent stadium at its capital? This important question will soon not be of relevance anymore in Slovenia: the new sporting complex Ljubljana’s Stožice, soon to open, looks like heaven for lovers of mass sports events and their heroes.

But until the athletes and pop stars take the stage, the only heroes there are construction workers sweating on the colossal structure.

These workers, who again mostly originate from Bosnia, are not welcomed as people entitled to social and human rights, as they would have been decades ago, but only as an expendable extension of the cranes and bulldozers. Hired and paid indirectly through contractors, they are at the mercy of simple promises – a place to stay, something to eat, overtime working and a couple hundred of Euros to eventually take home. Any long-term arrangements or social security issues seem to be out of the question.

These workers, invisible to the general population, are not an exclusive story of this particular stadium. They are a story of modern Europe. The merciless Slovenian example, where this invisibility applies to legislation and its implementation as well, certainly doesn’t contribute to the image of a respected, progressing European member. But this seems to be of little concern to anyone. Even those aware of the workers constructing this incredible complex distance themselves from the fate of these unfortunate people: they are simply not ours. They screwed up their own country, why should we take care – as if there weren’t Slovenian workers in trouble. And anyway, we tell ourselves, we’re not the bad guys. Those are the exploiting bosses, who in most cases are “Bosnians” as well.

Construction is a cursed business: it involves huge investments, complex and multiple legal procedures, and frequently involves large slices of public money. As such it is a fertile ground for corruption and suspicious dealings at the top, where profits are distributed. The bottom of that same pyramid is a place for the people whose daily income – if they receive it at all – isn’t even enough to buy a ticket for events at the stadium they are building.

Perhaps the story of modern pharaohs and slaves won’t come to the minds of the audience as the athletes and entertainers take the stage.

So too will the workers remain anonymous when young families, burdened with loans, settle in the apartment buildings. If nothing else the stories of misery and even deaths on the building sites make good material for the media, which is always generous with compassion. But this is obviously as far as we can go. editor@sloveniatimes.com

Leaving a Sinking Ship?

The resignation of Economy Minister Matej Lahovnik failed to shake up the current government. However, it may end up having serious long-term consequences for the coalition.

By Jaka Bartolj

L

ahovnik’s resignation was the ultimate act in his split with the Zares party and its leader, Gregor Golobič. For many months, the tensions between the two party co-founders were evident. The conflict came to a head on July 8, when Lahovnik tendered his resignation as minister, just days after announcing his intention to leave Zares.

Into the Sunset

In a letter to Prime Minister Borut Pahor, Lahovnik explained that he could simply no longer work with Golobič, who serves as the Minister for Higher Education, Science, and Education. The reason was a sharply worded open letter that Lahovnik drafted just days before. In it, he condemned what he described as a Golobič’s conflict of interest. He cited several instances of the company Ultra, in which Golobič has an interest,

bidding for government contracts.

In the original letter, Lahovnik had urged Pahor to prevent Ultra from doing business with the government, expressing his concerns about the integrity and transparency of ministers. Lahovnik went on to say that another reason for his resignation was his belief that the “government and coalition should not be brought to a point where their attention would revolve around the issue of whether a minister who raises a certain problem should keep his job and at what political price.”

This wasn’t the first time that ten sion s b e t we en La hov n i k and Golobič had emerged over Golobič’s business dealings. In 2009, Golobič began facing intense criticism over his effort to conceal his ownership share in Ultra, as well as his stake in several foreign-based companies. Lahovnik pointedly failed to defend Golobič, Photo: BOBO

POLITICS

The Empire Strikes Back

Golobič’s reaction to Lahovnik’s letter was intense. At a press conference, he declared himself the victim of a “fascist” attempt to force him to sell his stake in Ultra. Railing against “scoundrels, hypocrites and bullies,” he argued that his human rights were being violated: “This should be discussed by institutions that are dealing with the protection of human rights and this will probably happen.” Golobič also attempted to turn the tables on Lahovnik, accusing him of improprieties relating to the planned construction of a coal power plant near Lahovnik’s hometown.

The immediate impact of Lahovnik’s resignation on the current government appeared limited.

Within days, Darja Radić, a Zares member and a state secretary at Lahovnik’s ministry became the new Economy Minister. There were no new fractures in the coalition. In fact, the government’s work continued essentially uninterrupted.

It now only remains to be seen whether the damage will be limited to Zares or if it will affect the coalition as a whole.

Just in Time?

Meanwhile, Lahovnik is enjoying very high approval ratings – he’s in fact Slovenia’s most pop-

But considering the difficult state of the Slovenian economy, Lahovnik’s principled resignation – or, in the view of his detractors, his less-than-principled decision to flee when the going got tough - may turn out to be a very smart political move indeed.

Ljubljana Pride

Marching for a More Tolerant Society This year’s Ljubljana Pride saw around 300 people march through the streets of the Slovenian capital to demand an end to social intolerance against homosexuals. After a two decade fight, is Slovenia’s gay community finally inching closer to gaining equality?

By David Aleksander

Bumps Down the Road

However, Lahovnik’s resignation may yet turn out to be very bad news indeed for the governing coalition. After months of almost relentless bad news – including a sluggish economy, a variety of minor scandals, and widespread criticism of Pahor’s indecisiveness --, the last thing the government needed was another high-profile controversy. Still, while they may add to the general feeling of malaise, individual flare-ups tend to be forgotten fairly quickly. Of greater concern are the long-term consequences of the affair on the public’s perception of the coalition and its integrity.

Golobič’s defenders are quick to point out that his ownership stake in Ultra is not illegal. This, however, misses the point. When Zares was founded by defectors from the left-of-centre LDS in 2007, it was supposed to represent a new kind of politics – above the self-interest that characterized all too many political dealings in post-independence Slovenia. As Lahovnik told POP TV, he himself once “believed in the values and principles this party was based on.”

This image has now been thoroughly tarnished, perhaps forever. Polls show that the approval ratings of both Golobič and Zares have dropped precipitously even before Lahovnik’s resignation.

There has even been mounting speculation of a possible reunification of the ailing Zares and LDS.

ular politician according to a new poll conducted by the daily Delo --, which is fuelling speculation that he may continue to pursue a career in politics. So far, however, he has indicated that he prefers to focus on his academic work at the University of Ljubljana, where he is an associate professor.

Photo: BOBO

but remained in Zares. This time, however, the break was final.

Cafe Open: Graffitti and cocktails - the Molotov’s.

A

week of cultural events for Ljubljana Pride culminated in the march of around 300 people whose banners, flags, balloons and whistles all helped protest against intolerance towards homosexuals in Slovenian society. Among the prominent political figures joining the march were Interior Minister Katarina Kresal, who donned an official parade t-shirt; Ljubljana mayor Zoran Janković; and Pavel Gantar, President of the National Assembly.

The event coincided with hearings in the National Assembly on the new Family Code which, if passed, will put homosexual and heterosexual couples on equal terms and allow the former to legally adopt children.

Intolerance denounced

The parade was once again marred by acts of violence in the

days leading up to it. Cafe Open – a Ljubljana bar popular with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community – was twice attacked with Molotov cocktails and vandalised with hate graffiti.

The second attack occurred exactly a year after the brutal assault on prominent gay activist and journalist Mitja Blažič.

The perpetrators of the attack on Blažič were sentenced to 18 months in prison, but the story has not ended there. Hate graffiti recently appeared also on the house of the judge who presided over the case – who just happens to be the wife of Minister of Justice Aleš Zalar.

The recent acts of violence have been criticised by a number of prominent political figures. President Dr Danilo Turk condemned the attacks on Cafe Open, making it perfectly clear that any kind

of violence is unacceptable, particularly when targeted at members of a different race, nationality, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.

Mayor Janković, one of the two honorary sponsors of the 2010 parade, stated that no one had the right to express disagreement in a violent manner and questioned whether anyone had the right to put limits on love. Gantar despaired that today’s society is less tolerant than that of the 1980s and both he and the Mayor called for tolerance and solidarity and urged that the new Family Code be passed.

“Enough waiting!”

This was the tenth an nual Ljubljana Pride event and so little wonder that the slogan of this year’s event was “Enough waiting!” The slogan was designed to signify the more than two-decadelong fight by the LGBT community for equal treatment.

In the words of Mitja Blažič: “The Slovenian gay and lesbian community demands equality. 26 years of having to wait for something that should already be the case is more than enough. We are against any kind of violence and aspire towards a society of acceptance, equal opportunities and compliance with Article 14 of the Slovenian Constitution which states that we are all equal before the Law”.

It is an assertion which has gained widespread support from outside the LGBT community as well as from within it.

August 2010

Economy

FACTS AND FIGURES

source: STA, Slovenian Press Agency

New Economy Minister Appointed Darja Radić has been appointed as Slovenia’s new Minister of the Economy.

The appointment of Radić, who had been serving as State Secretary at the economic ministry, was prompted by the sudden resignation of Matej Lahkovnik. Lahovnik abruptly left both his political party and his role last month following disagreements with Zares party president Gregor Golobic.

On taking up her post Radić expressed a desire to be the “economy’s advocate”. She said she plans to take measures to alleviate the financial crisis as far as possible, to boost development and competitiveness in business, promote tourism and provide for a stable and sustainable energy supply. She is keen to boost foreign investments, arguing the country should not be fearful of Slovenian companies moving into foreign hands.

According to the minister: “[rather] than the question of whether Slovenian companies pass into foreign ownership, Slovenia should be dealing with the question of what to do to make its business environment attractive to domestic and foreign companies.”

To this end, she has specific plans to launch of a financial engineering programme for small and medium sized businesses and efforts to create

a network of business development hubs. EUR 185m will be secured for the latter project in the coming four years.

The appointment of the economics graduate and tourism expert as Economy Minister has generally been welcomed by business. President of the Chamber of Crafts and Small Business (OZS) Stefan Pavlinjek praised Radić as “an open and practical person” who has been actively engaged in cooperation with businesses. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) expressed similar views.

Political opinion on Radić was more mixed.

Although she was appointed by 47 votes to 9

in parliament – and was praised by many as hardworking, knowledgeable, and a person of action rather than words – opposition parties expressed concerns. Members of the People’s Party (SLS) declared themselves surprised that Prime Minister Borut Pahor did not select someone from industry to the post. Meanwhile MP Andrej Vizjak of the Democrats (SDS), an outspoken critic of the government’s economic policy, argued Radić could bring no positive change. Vizjak has declared himself particularly concerned with what he perceives as Radić’s lack of political clout, suggesting this will make it difficult for her to secure support for proposals.

It was a point also raised in an editorial in influential newspaper Dnevnik. Delo, meanwhile, reported that Radić was selected by Pahor for the post only because she was the only candidate who did not refuse the nomination. Nonetheless, neither paper suggested that the appointment of Radić will prove to be a mistake.

The 44-year-old, the fifth female minister appointed by Pahor, says she’s aware of the difficult job ahead but is clear as to its supreme importance: “A healthy economy alone guarantees social security and prosperity of Slovenian citizens,” she argues.

Electricity cartels

Banks

Banks

NKBM and Abanka Pass Stress Test

Cartel Members EBRD Adopts New Strategy for Slovenia Pledge Money Back The board of directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has unanimously adopted a new strategy for Slovenia. The strategy envisages further state withdrawal from the economy and better corporate management. The bank also wants to help Slovenian companies increase their foothold on foreign markets.

The EBRD had announced a withdrawal from Slovenia after 2010, but announced in May this year an intention to stay until 2013.

NKMB and Abanka Vipa banking groups have both passed the “stress test” carried out by the central bank of Slovenia. The test, designed to check resilience to a further economic or sovereign-debt crisis, was carried out parallel to the EU-wide test by the Committee of European Banking Supervisors.

Banka Slovenije said different stress scenarios put NKBM’s Tier 1 capital for 2011 at between 7.1 and 7.5% and Abanka’s at 10 to 10.6%, both well above the 6% threshold.

The EU-wide test showed that the Tier 1 capital of Slovenia’s biggest bank, NLB, could drop from 7.5% at the end of 2009 to 6.3% in 2011.

The Slovenia Times

Elektro Gorenjska, Elektro Ljubljana, Elektro Maribor, Elektro Celje as well as Elektro Primorska confirmed that they would be refunding the price difference resulting from the cartel agreement on 1 January 2008. The announcement comes in the wake of economist Rado Pezdir starting a campaign to collect claims for refunds.

Shipping

Splošna Plovba Posts Profit Slovenia’s sole shipping company transported more than three million tonnes of goods in the first six months of 2010. Splošna Plovba generated EUR 97m in revenues and EUR 31.5m in net profit.

Company chairman Egon Bandelj assessed the first-half results as above expectations. He does not expect such results in the second half of 2010 because of highly reduced freight rates for bulk cargo.

Gaming industry

Hit Suing Former Management Slovenia’s biggest gaming company Hit is suing its former management.

Drago Podobnik, who now leads the company, believes it can be proved beyond doubt that the management team headed by Niko Trost caused EUR 2m of damages to the business. The lawsuit only concerns Trost’s management board and not the supervisors at the time.

Finance

Financial Firm Declares Bankruptcy Poteza Naložbe, the leading brokerage and fund manager, has filed for receivership. Firm owner Branko Drobnak blamed his company’s troubles on the purchase of a 4.5% stake in Slovenia’s top bank, NLB, just prior to the financial crisis. The stake was valued at around EUR 130m and Drobnak called it a “strategically important investment” at the time of purchase. The move means that parent company Poteza Skupina will likely have to follow suit. The Ljubljana District Court has already appointed a receiver and creditors have until 7 October to register their claims.

Logistics

Air industry

Airports

Air industry

SŽ to Suspend Contracts of 579 Workers

Adria Announces Capital Increase

Maribor Airport Up for Rent

Pipistrel to Build Bobsleighs

Supervisors and managers at Slovenia’s national airline are to decide whether to issue fresh shares to secure a capital increase.

The owners of Adria Airways will meet on 2 September to discuss the prospect of securing a capital increase of EUR 2.5m through new shares. The move would increase Adria’s share capital by EUR 1.74m from the present EUR 7.77m, while EUR 760,797 will go for capital reserves.

Bids are being invited for a 30-year lease on the use of the infrastructure and the management of state-owned Maribor airport.

The Transport Ministry published the call for bids last month, with a deadline of 7 September. The new lease holder will be chosen on the basis of several criteria. The key elements will be the rent the bidders are willing to pay, the business and development plan, the number of potential new jobs, and projections regarding air transport levels. While bidders have to secure EUR 70,000 in bank guarantees, the ministry reserves the right to reject all offers if it finds them inappropriate.

Retail

Gorenje Takes Over Asko Household appliances maker Gorenje has taken over Swedish rival Asko Appliances Group. The Velenje-based company said it would provide thorough details on the deal on 17 August. It said the move was designed to seek synergy and foster growth. “The acquisition will not affect Gorenje shop floor workers in Slovenia because Asko’s production compliments the washing and dish-washing range of products not manufactured in Velenje,” Gorenje stated in a press release.

Asko, formerly owned by Italy’s Antonio Merloni Group, sells its products on the markets of Nordic countries, North America and Australia.

Soft drinks

Radenska to Pay out EUR 1.2M in Dividends Slovenia’s leading mineral water company Radenska will earmark EUR 1.2m for dividends at EUR 0.24 per share it has announced.

The rest of the potentially distributable profit, EUR 1.113m, will stay undistributed, shareholders agreed at last month’s general assembly meeting in Radenci. Radenska, whose range of products also includes soft drinks, has been part of beverage group Pivovarna Laško since 2000. The group ended 2009 with a loss of EUR 164.5m, down from a profit of EUR 3.8m in 2008.

Logistics

Plan for Logistics Holding in for More Debate

Labour

Unemployment Rate Down Slovenia’s unemployment rate edged 0.1 percentage points lower in May over April, the Statistics Office has said. The rate in April stood at 10.5%. While the number of people in paid employment decreased so too did the number of unemployed.

Unemployment is on the decline 100000

Source: SURS

Debt-ridden state-owned railway operator Slovenske Železnice has announced it is unable to secure work for employees sent on forced leave.

The company sent a total of 1,353 workers on forced leave under a government programme whereby workers were kept on the pay roll but were paid in part from the state budget while on leave. The deal ended at the end of June. The company has now offered a temporary suspension of job contracts to 579 workers.

75000

50000 May 08 May 09 Mar 10

Apr 10 May 10

Retail

Mercator Continues Expansion in SE Europe Slovenia’s top retailed has acquired the grocery business of Montenegrin company Panto Group. Under the deal, the financial details of which are unknown, Mercator will assume the grocery activities of Pantomarket and Plus Commerce and its staff and lease 77 supermarkets with a total shop area of 31,700 sq. metres from Panto Group. The deal makes Mercator the leading grocer in Montenegro, increasing its market share from 4% to around 20%. As part of its ongoing expansion in south-east Europe, Mercator has also opened its first shop in Albania, close to Tirana.

A plan to create a Slovenian logistics holding has been discussed by the transport minister and businessmen. Patrick Vlačič and ex-Deutsche Bahn boss Hartmut Mehdorn – whose idea the holding is – met supervisors of port operator Luka Koper last month.

Information on the meeting and the supervisors’ opinion on the project was scarce. Mehdorn and Vlačič had presented a draft plan and a decision on it would be made at the end of August. According to Vlačič, the key purpose of the holding would be to produce synergy among the country’s top logistics companies. He did not exclude the possibility of including bus transport and airports in the project.

Pipistrel, the Ajdovščina-based maker of ultra-light planes, is to make a move into building bobsleighs. Company manager and owner Ivo Boscarol says the sleighs have much in common with planes in that they must be fast, with the minimum possible aerodynamic drag and friction. He believes the know-how of his team of inventors will enable them to build the vehicles far faster than competitors. Pipistrel has recently launched several other new development projects, including the application of solar cells on uneven surfaces and a hybrid drive system for planes and other vehicles.

Media

10% Stake in Regional Daily Changes Hands Intereuropa, the heavily indebted Koper-based logistics company, has sold its 10% stake in the newspaper publisher Primorske Novice.

Intereuropa said the sale was to enhance the company’s core business and to offload unnecessary assets.

The stake was bought by shipping company Splošna Plovba. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.

Tourism

Istrabenz Sells Postojna Cave Operator The operator of Postojna Cave – one of biggest tourist attractions in Slovenia – has been sold to Postojna-based company Batagel & Co in a EUR 12.4m deal. Batagel bought Turizem Kras from Istrabenz Turizem, part of the debt-ridden Istrabenz holding. Under the deal, Batagel will assume the remaining 18 years on the license for operating the large cave system and the Predjamski Grad castle, which together generate around 650,000 visits a year.

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10 ECONOMY

NLB

Testing Times Slovenia’s biggest bank has passed a test of its viability by the Committee of European Banking Supervisors. But only just. The bank’s own managers freely admit that massive amounts of fresh capital are urgently needed. Where now for NLB?

By Claire Read

I

the exam was simple: to identify any banking organisation deemed unable to survive future economic shocks.

The pass mark was very clear.

Banks had to show that in the event of another financial crisis

n July, state-owned Nova Ljubljanska Bank (NLB) took a test; the same one being taken by 90 other banks across the European Union. Conducted by the Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS), the aim of

2006

2007

2008

2009

Q1 2010

Net interest income

364

429

476

423

117

Net non-interest income

207

254

189

218

46

Total expenses

361

412

423

418

99

Profit before tax

154

183

38

-86

-3 0,5

Minority interest Profit after tax Total assets Capital adequacy (in %)

14

8

2

1

105

131

21

-87

-3

14.409

18.308

18.918

19.606

19.309

11,8

10,7

10,5

10,8

9,8

Source: NLB

NLB accounts (in EUR ‘000 000)

they would retain at least a six percent Tier 1 capital ratio – the strictest measure of capital and a bank’s main buffer against losses. Six percent, CEBS argues, is sufficient capital to survive new crises.

Could do better

When the results came, there was some good news for Slovenia’s biggest bank – it had passed.

The bad news was that it was a weak pass, with a Tier 1 ratio of 6.3 percent. Even so, Finance Minister Franc Križanič immediately declared himself satisfied with the outcome of the test, describing the result as “reassuring”.

It’s an upbeat assessment which is not widely shared. Daily paper Delo quickly slammed the Minister’s words, suggesting the poor

result should serve as a warning to the bank’s owners and the ruling political elite. NLB’s managers didn’t disagree. In a statement, they said that “even though the test results are not below the six percent Tier 1 threshold, they indicate the need to strengthen NLB capital.”

Help me if you can

It is a need which NLB management has been trying to communicate for some time. In February, NLB chairman Božo Jašovič told a Parliamentary Finance Oversight Commission that EUR 250m of fresh capital was needed if the

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ECONOMY 11 tal due for payment in the coming years – capital that must be replaced. But it goes deeper than that. Jašovič argues that changes in European legislation mean banks in the eurozone will need more top quality capital to retain the existing scope of their business. He fears that without such capital, NLB’s credit rating will be damaged, reducing its ability to secure foreign loans, leading to poorer results, and limiting its ability to loan money to Slovenians. He also fears the ongoing financial crisis.

Although NLB passed the stress test, its chairman Božo Jašovič says the bank needs up to EUR 700m of fresh capital

bank was to maintain sufficient capital adequacy in the long term.

At that time he seemed fairly relaxed, saying that the injection wasn’t needed immediately but would inevitably be needed at some point.

It seems that point is now. In July, Jašovič told the same committee that the situation has become so serious that EUR 250m is only an urgent first step. He believes a more realistic figure for necessary capital is now between EUR 400m and EUR 600m.

At the simplest level, the problem is the quantity of hybrid capi-

Who’s paying?

Politicians don’t appear to disagree with Jašovič’s view. Križanič himself has described NLB as the country’s most important financial institution and said his ministry supports the capital injection.

He has assured Slovenians that he is dedicated to keeping the bank stable and upholding the interests of taxpayers as its co-owners.

Yet while words are in abundance, action seems to be thin on the ground – mainly because there is little agreement on the extent to which the government should be involved in supporting the bank in its quest for capital. Some argue it is essential for the government to play a role. MP

What did the stress test involve?

• Banks were asked to estimate their Tier 1 capital ratio under a benchmark scenario for 2010 and 2011 • The same calculations were then performed assuming “adverse scenarios” • The main scenario considered was a three percent deviation in European Union gross domestic product (GDP) • Within this scenario another adverse incident was considered – a sovereign risk shock in the EU • Banks were judged to have passed the test if they could demonstrate they would be able to retain a Tier 1 capital ratio of at least six percent even in the adverse scenarios. An average performance was considered to be eight percent Tier 1; a good performance 10 percent.

• Of the 91 banks tested, only seven failed – five from Spain (Diada, Espiga, Banca Civica, Unnim and Cajasur); one from Germany (Hypo Real Estate) and one from Greece (ATEbank) • NLB scraped through the test with a ratio of 6.3 percent Radovan Žerjav of the Opposition People’s Party argues there can be no excuse for the state losing its majority stake in NLB: “serious countries have never let the ownership of the biggest banks get out of their hands.”

It’s a view with which Prime Minster Borut Pahor used to agree.

But recently he has changed his mind, pointing out that the state would retain a controlling stake in the bank even if it lost the majority

stake to a foreign partner. Involving such a partner is a course of action strongly supported by some economists. Jože Damijan, an outspoken proponent of privatisation, has urged the government to divorce itself from raising capital for the bank, arguing it simply does not have the money to help.

Perhaps not but, as the stress test results have shown, someone needs to help NLB – sooner rather than later.

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12 ECONOMY

Droga Kolinska takeover

Out of Slovenian Hands The takeover of one of Slovenia’s premier food companies is being finalised. It is a sale that most agree was unavoidable. Yet many are unhappy that one of the country’s most respected brands is set to fall into foreign hands.

By Aleš Šinkovec

B

y the end of the year, one of Slovenia’s main food companies will no longer be owned by Slovenians. Droga Kolinska – regarded as one of the country’s most prestigious companies, and winner just a few months ago of an award by the International Taste and Quality Institute – is to become owned by Croatian firm Atlantic Group.

The sale was an inevitable one.

Previous owner Istrabenz has been in deep financial trouble for some time now, finally announcing its insolvency at the end of April 2009. Clearing the company’s debt was a matter of selling off its assets and Droga Kolinska was one of the most valuable. The sale, worth roughly EUR 382m, will almost halve Istrabenz’s debt.

Positive spin

The sale may have been inevitable. But what many are asking is whether that sale had to be to a foreign rather than to a Slovenian investor. Predictably, the president of the board at Droga Kolinska is issuing reassuring words.

“We believe that with the new owner, the renowned brands of Droga Kolinska will be in good hands, with the opportunity to develop further and continue to expand internationally,” Slobodan Vučićević says.

Vučićević’s confidence seems justifiable. Atlantic Group has made many reassurances that their investment is of strategic importance. Their current business and that of Droga Kolinska are very compatible: product port-

folios, similar market presences, and minimal overlap.

Room for expansion

Furthermore, Atlantic Group has considerable experience in distribution of both domestic and international brands – including big names such as Wrigley and Johnson & Johnson. It is hoped that the group may therefore be able to steer Droga Kolinska’s products to achieve greater market penetration.

Global Outlook for the Next Decade Over the last four years, the Bled Strategic Forum has emerged as an important annual gathering of great thinkers from the spheres of politics, industry, and academia in Europe, South Eastern Europe and beyond. At this year’s forum, which takes place at the end of August, the keynote address will be given by General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), former U.S. Secretary of State (2001-2005).

The panels will tackle the great challenges of the 21st century: water challenges, transition to new energies, how to innovate and rebound from the economic crisis, the role of the internet, the role of EU in a multi-polar world, security challenges in Central Asia and ways to reconnect the Western Balkans.

Bled Strategic Forum Bled, Slovenia, 29 and 30 August 2010 The Slovenia Times

In addition, the company may be able to use Slovenia as a new manufacturing centre. Atlantic Group is the leading producer of sports food in Europe, under the brand Multipower, and it is possible that Droga Kolinska’s Rogaška facilities could be used for this product. There is speculation that the same facilities could be used for the production of multi-vitamin drink Cedevita GO!, already successful internationally but not yet introduced to the Slovenian market.

Talk of such developments is reassuring some that the takeover may actually lead to job creation in Slovenia rather than job losses.

Atlantic Group itself is issuing cautiously optimistic statements: “Further employments are at the moment hard to predict, as they depend on more than one factor.

But there are plans for further investments in production, and room for further sales growth.”

It is growth that is needed.

Droga Kolinska may be prestigious but its results last year were less than impressive. Revenue stood at roughly EUR 326m on an operating profit of EUR 23m,

meaning the net profit was barely positive.

Unhappiness

Not everyone is being reassured by Atlantic Group’s promises, though. Most Slovenian politicians are expressing serious concerns over the sale, arguing it constitutes the loss of one of the nation’s most important companies. But the former chairman of Istrabenz blames those self-same politicians for the outcome. Igor Bavčar argues Istrabenz was improperly forced to sell off its assets instead of being able to restructure its debt into a more manageable state.

Few have sympathy for a man whose management led to Istrabenz’s financial woes in the first place. But there is sympathy for his sadness at Droga Kolinska leaving Slovenian hands.

Atlantic Group may be a great strategic investor; a partner able to push this prestigious company to new heights. But the fact remains Atlantic Group is not Slovenian. And that is enough to make many unhappy about the change.

Less emissions. More driving pleasure.

14 FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

FDI

NEWS IN BRIEF

source: STA, Slovenian Press Agency

Home appliances

Automotive industry

Information technology

BSH Home Appliances Opens a New Showroom

Prevent PUR Sinks After Losing Volkswagen Orders

Datalab Buys Serbian Roland Punzengruber Software Maker to Head Citroen A Slovenian firm has inked a deal Slovenija

BSH Home Appliances has opened a new showroom in Ljubljana. The company, which produces Bosch and Siemens home appliances, is using the facility to show off latest models of large and small home appliances, from refrigerators, drying machines, dish washers and washing machines, to ovens and cooking boards, kitchen appliances, hair dryers, irons and vacuum cleaners.

The focus is on energy-saving appliances, where Bosch and Siemens are considered leaders.

A Slovenian car seat foam manufacturer has terminated production. Prevent PUR shut down in July, leaving 105 workers unemployed.

The closure follows the launch of receivership proceedings last October and the loss of the company’s main client. Volkswagen recently decided to switch to a type of car seat foam different from the one produced in Slovenj Gradec. Talks on selling the company as a whole have failed and Prevent PUR will now be sold in parts, receiver Martin Sres has said.

which will make it the biggest business IT company in South East Europe. Ljubljana-based company Datalab is to take over Serbian firm Blue Soft. Under the deal, Datalab will assume all rights to Blue Soft’s products, including its accounting software for small and mediumsized companies, Blue Soft 04. The merger will produce a company with 900 staff.

Air industry

Easyjet Launching Ljubljana Flights to Paris and Milano Low-budget airline easyJet has announced the launch of two new routes from Ljubljana. From the beginning of December, easyJet passengers will be able to fly direct to Paris and Milan from Slovenia’s capital city. Airbuses 319 with 156 seats will connect Ljubljana to the two cities on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The price of one-way ticket to Milan’s Malpensa airport will stand at EUR 19.99, while a ticket to Paris Charles de Gaulle will cost EUR 24.99, airport fees included.

Construction

JAPTI Selected as Managing Agency for East Europe The Slovenian Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments (JAPTI) has been selected as a managing agency for the promotion of East Europe.

The selection was made by the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) during its 15th annual conference, held in Buenos Aires at the end of June.

JAPTI director Igor Plestenjak will now take over the management of East European investment promotion agencies for two years.

Exports in May Up

Slovenian company Kolektor has been named as one of Bosch’s preferred suppliers for 2010. The announcement was made at the Coil Winding, Insulations and Electrical Manufacturing Exhibition (CWIEME) in Berlin. The event draws the most important engine, components and equipment manufacturers from around Europe. Kolektor will now be Bosch’s key supplier for all components produced for the automotive industry.

The Slovenia Times

Slovenia’s exports rose by 17.7% in May compared to the same month last year. In the first five months of 2010, Slovenia exported EUR 7.19bn of goods, which is a 10.5% increase year-on-year, while imports amounted to EUR 7.67bn, 11% more than in the same period last year.

Slovenia’s export still struggling in EUR ‘000

Source: SURS

Kolektor a Bosch preferred supplier

Citroen Slovenija has announced that Roland Punzengruber is to take over as the firm’s director general. unzengruber started his career in the automotive sector in the PSA Peugeot Citroen group in 1996.

He became sales director of the Citroen Austria in 2003 and then moved to the same post in Citroen’s German subsidiary in 2007. The 37-year-old Austrian will take up his new post on 1 September.

Citroen took third place in car sales in Slovenia in June with a 9.1% market share, behind Renault and Volkswagen.

JAPTI

Trade

Manufacturing

Automotive industry

1800 1350 900 450 0

D 09

J 10

F 10 M 10

A 10

Business

Slovenian SMEs Top in EU in Internationalisation Slovenian small and medium size companies (SMEs) are among the most internationalised in Europe according to a new survey. With some 35% of SMEs exporting goods in the 2006-2008 period, Slovenia ranks at the top of the EU list. The survey, presented by the European Commission in Brussels last month, also shows Slovenia was the most generous country in terms of non-financial support for the internationalisation of SMEs in 2009.

JAPTI

Business Visits Result in Over EUR 6.5m in Deals Business delegation visits organised by the Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments (JAPTI) have helped secure significant business deals, the agency has said. JAPTI arranged a total of 19 visits by foreign business delegations to Slovenia and 17 visits of Slovenian business delegations abroad last year. According to a JAPTI survey, at least EUR 6.5m in deals have already been realised as a result.

Primorje to Build Bridge in Montenegro A Slovenian construction company has secured a contract to build a major bridge in Montenegro.

Primorje is to build a 600-metre bridge across the Bojana River near Ulcinj. Primorje chairman Dušan Črnigoj said the project marked the return of the company to the Montenegrin market. The firm has already constructed several bridges in the country, including the Union Bridge and the Millennium Bridge, considered one of the landmarks of the capital of Podgorica. The Port Milenia Bridge, worth EUR 14m, is expected to be completed in 18 months.

Furniture

Lesnina Sold to Austrian Furniture Giant Slovenian furniture chain Lesnina has been sold to Austrian furniture retailer XXXLutz. The company was sold by the sole shareholder Siringa, one of the firms involved in the management buyout of Lesnina in 2008. Due diligence is ongoing and Lesnina’s chairman Bojan Papič expects the go-ahead from market regulators by October at the latest. XXXLutz said in a statement that it would preserve the Lesnina brand in Slovenia. Ljubljana will also become its headquarters for Southeast Europe and the Lesnina management will stay on.

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT 15

Home appliances

40 Years On… Early last month BSH Hišni Aparati, a maker of small home appliances, celebrated 40 years of production at its factory in Nazarje. The success and the importance of the site and the company were reflected in the presence of both the CEO of Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group Dr. Kurt-Ludwig Gutberlet and the previous economy minister Matej Lahovnik at the event.

By Maja Dragović

B

SH Hišni Aparati today employs more than 1,000 workers, who between them produced 5.8 million home appliances last year alone. Rudolf Kloetscher, the company’s CEO, says that despite the recession, the company increased revenues by 5% last year to EUR 240m to earn a pretax profit of EUR 21.7m.

Prudence is a virtue

The former minister sees that the main difference between BSH

Here to stay

BSH’s plan for the future is straightforward: further growth. According to Kloetscher, the company plans to produce 6.7 million home BSH’s espresso coffee machine is one of the company’s star products

appliances and invest more than EUR 10m in 2010. It also plans to expand its activities and boost sales throughout the region of Adriatic-East.

There is confidence amongst the company’s managers that these ambitious plans can be met, even with changes such as the increase in the minimum wage. “[The rise] is not an issue at the moment,” says Dr. Kurt-Ludwig Gutberlet, the chairman and chief executive of BSH. “We think we are in a very good spot in Nazarje.

We are used to the pressure on salaries from Germany. If there is too much pressure on increas-

ing wages, then the pressure on the productivity increases at the same time. That’s the way companies deal with high labour costs in high cost countries.

“This will have a knock-on effect in less new jobs being created, however, or even losing them.

That does not mean we have any plans to relocate the production.

We have a successful and profitable operation in Nazarje. It is our responsibility to keep it that way.

“If there is one company that can manage with higher salaries, it’s BSH,” Gutberlet concludes.

The message seems to be simple: here’s to the next 40 years.

BSH Hišni aparati production 1000

100

800

96

600

92

400

88

200

84

0

2006

2007

2008

2009

80

Factory’s export share (in %)

Hišni Aparati and other companies as the decision to keep loans to a minimum, using additional resources to develop more sophisticated technologies rather than for manager buyouts.

The firm has also benefitted from financial support from the government. A grant from the Agency for Technological Development (TIA) has enabled BSH Hišni Aparati to develop a sophisticated full automatic espresso coffee machine with high added value. Labelled as a star product, the new machine is easy to manage, producing premium coffee drinks quickly and with minimum energy consumption.

“The company continuously works on launching new products on the market and that is why the government has decided to provide support for its technological development,” Lahovnik says.

Source: BSH Hišni Aparati

Invest in the future

To mark the 40th anniversary of the factory in Nazarje, BSH Hišni Aparati organised a tour of the premises

Number of employed

The company’s CFO Boštjan Gorjup, says there are several reasons for such a successful outcome.

“Our policy is that even during the good times, we work really hard and we are preparing ourselves for economic downturns,” he explains. “Last year we launched three new products that enabled further income, and our small debt level enabled the company to tackle the crisis successfully.”

It’s a policy which is praised by former economy minister Matej Lahovnik, who argues others could learn from BSH’s success.

“BSH Hišni Aparati is an example that recession should not be used as an excuse for a company’s failing to do well, it shows that you can successfully combat crisis”, he says. “I would like to see other companies going the BSH way.”

August 2010

16 FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT

Tax laws

Another Cost Increase Last month the government adopted the supplementary budget; a document which includes an increase in excise duty on cigarettes, gas and electricity. While the tax rise on cigarettes has been welcomed, the government has faced heavy criticism for the raise on gas and electricity tax.

By Maja Dragović

The Slovenia Times

A reason to worry

Though the lower than expected increase may seem like good news, there are still concerns that government’s measures are inappropriate.

Zvonko Černač of the Democrats (SDS) says that a tax and excise approach to patching up the budget is short-sighted. The government is putting an additional burden on the economy and the people in a period when the opposite would be necessary, he argues.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) has voiced similar concerns, saying that the increase has come at the worst possible time and could have a devastating impact on an already fragile economy. Samo Hribar Milič, GZS

Photo: BOBO

T

he supplementary budget envisages a rise in electricity prices from EUR 1 to EUR 3.05 per MWh as of 1 August for both households and businesses.

Although that represents a tripling in price, it is in fact only half of the initial price increase that had been planned. And while the legislation does give the government the right to rise or reduce duty as it sees fit, prices are expected to go back to current levels by the end of 2011.

The reason for the change is simple: it will help the government raise money. As a result of the tax increase on electricity, budget revenue will be EUR 7.8m higher from 1 August to 31 October. That is still EUR 7.8m lower than had the full hike been implemented.

The increase in excise duty on electricity and gas is only a temporary measure

director, feels the government should instead make savings in the public sector, where he claims the number of employees increased by almost 3,000 last year.

It could go either way

But lawyer Matjaž Pantelič believes that it is difficult to predict what sort of impact the tax increase will have on the Slovenian economy.

“The increase in excise duties, mainly on electricity and natural gas, is likely to be beneficial in the short term as it will obtain imme-

diate additional financial flows,” Pantelič argues.

“On the other hand, increasing the tax burden on consumers will have a negative impact on consumption and – as a result of lower consumption and higher costs – on economic growth overall. Thus there is a risk that the scope of tariff revenue, mainly from the tax on corporate income, is less than expected in the future.”

Politicians, businesses and citizens are all waiting to see which way the tide will turn.

DIPLOMATIC SOCIETY 17

EMBASSY DIARIES American embassy

Russian embassy

Birthday celebrations

Remembering the fallen

The annual celebration for America’s Independence Day was held at American embassy’s residence in Ljubljana on 1 July. The all-American event was completed with traditional food and drinks from the “new continent” while guests were entertained by a Slovenian bluegrass band. Mingling in the gardens were a number of distinguished guests including Roko Žarnič, the environment minister, and Jože Tratnik, president of the constitutional court.

Dignitaries gathered on Vršič last month to remember the Russian prisoners of war who died on the mountain pass during the First World War. Slovenia was represented at the ceremony by, amongst others, Prime Minister Borut Pahor, the new minister of economy Darja Radič, and the minister of culture Majda Širc. The Russian delegation included the Deputy Speaker of the Duma Lyubov Sliska, Archbishop Philip of Poltava and Mirgorod representing the Orthodox Church, and the Russian ambassador to Slovenia Doku Gapurovič Zavgayev. The ceremony, which has taken place since 1992, honours more than houndred Russian prisoners who died while building the road in Kranjska Gora.

Belgian embassy

The art of Belgium The Belgian embassy has organised two art exhibitions to mark the beginning of the country’s presidency of the European Union.

The first, which will be on display throughout the summer at the National Gallery, includes 80 selected images, graphics and drawings by Félicien Rops. The other exhibition – Shared Signs Belgian Style – is taking place at Cankarjev Dom. It aims to show how painting and literature in Belgium has been interrelated from 1870 through surrealism and the avant-garde CoBrA movement to the current day. Artists presented include Marcel Havrenne, Jacques Lennep and René Magritte.

Portuguese embassy

Latvian embassy

Summer tunes

Latvia has a new ambassador

Slovenians had the chance to enjoy a performance by two renowned Portuguese musicians in early July.

Luís Meireles, who plays the flute, and Maria José Souza Guedes, who plays the piano, gave a concert in Ljubljana’s St Florian’s Church.

The couple has played over 150 concerts in 20 different European countries since joining forces in 1996. The Ljubljana event was organised by the Portuguese embassy in cooperation with Imago Sloveniae.

Bahtijors Hasans has been named the new Latvian ambasador to Slovenia.

Hasans entered the Foreign Service in 1993 and most recently was the counsellor and the deputy chief of mission at the Latvian embassy in Finland. He graduated from the University of Latvia at the Faculty of Law. Hasans is yet to present his credentials to the Slovenian president Dr Danilo Tuerk – this act will formally confirm his appointment.

American embassy

French embassy

New American ambassador

Une belle affaire

Joseph Adamo Mussomeli has been named as the new American ambassador to Slovenia.

Mussomeli’s previous diplomatic assignments include stints as assistant chief of mission in Kabul, Afghanistan, and ambassador to Cambodia.

Since entering the Foreign Service in 1980 he has also held junior posts in Cairo, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Morocco, and Panama. The US did not have an ambassador in Slovenia for well over a year, since Yousif Boutros Ghafari’s term ended following the US election.

The US Embassy was headed by Charge d’Affaires Bradley Freden in the interim period. Mussomeli will be the seventh American ambassador to Ljubljana.

France’s national holiday was marked by the traditional gathering at Fužine castle in Ljubljana, organised by the French embassy. Among numerous guests celebrating Bastille Day were state secretary from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dragoljuba Benčina and Zoran Kus, state secretary for the environment.

Ambassador Nicole Michelangeli addressed the guests with a brief speech, emphasising the good relations between Slovenia and France and adding that she intends to improve them further.

Egyptian embassy

Arabian nights During a hot July evening, the Egyptian embassy hosted a reception for the creme de la creme of the Slovenian society. Guests included Simona Dimic, the prime minister’s adviser, actor Demeter Bitenc, and musician Zoran Predin to name just a few.

August 2010

18 BEAUTY & LEISURE

Fashion

Ljubljana in Vogue It used to be that getting a sense of current fashion in Ljubljana was a matter of looking what had been on the New York and London catwalks a couple of years before. But times are changing – Slovenia’s capital city is quickly catching up with the latest clothing styles. And with the increasing success of fashion designers from the nation, it may not be long before the country is making rather than simply following the trends.

Sportina XYZ is one of the few shops in Slovenia that stocks high-end international designers

I

n the late nineties, no-one would have described Ljubljana as a centre of fashion. Certainly many enjoyed following current trends on the catwalks of the world. But somehow those trends always seemed to arrive in the country a couple of years after they had ceased to be fashionable elsewhere.

In 2010, the situation is very different. The growth of the internet and ongoing globalisation makes it easier than ever before to follow what is hot and what is not in the world of fashion. Slovenians have admired Carrie Bradshaw and her wicked Manolo Blahnik shoes along with the rest of the world, and more and more people are demanding the ability to wear the latest fashions immediately.

Top Notch Names

One result is that more and more designer boutiques have appeared in Ljubljana. While it still might be tough to find pieces from the likes of Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen or Christian Lacroix, more conservative designers like Armani, Dolce&Gabbana, Dior and Burberry can be easily attained at shops like Sportina XYZ. With branches in Belgrade, Ljubljana and Podgorica, the chain has successfully brought urban fashion novelties and the concept of acThe Slovenia Times

cessible luxury to South Eastern Europe.

Increasingly, Slovenia is not merely importing that luxury but exporting it too thanks to growing numbers of fashion designers. The most successful is probably Uroš Belantič whose brand Oktober sells all across Europe, in Canada and Japan. But he is far from alone.

Avant-garde designing couple Erik Maj Potočnik and Matjaž Plošinjak represent a kind of Slovenian haute couture with their brand MEM Couture. Almira Sadar is known for her small yet unique series of garments, intended for those who wish to retain and express their individuality amongst the flood of fashion trends. Factor in Draž with their extravagant knitwear, Alenka Globočnik’s Akultura for leather, Urška Drofelnik for evening dresses and Lara Bohinc with her unique jewellery and it becomes clear that there is now no shortage of fashionable Slovenianmade clothes and accessories.

The expert opinion

It’s a development which is welcomed by those in the public eye.

Slovenian politician Eva Irgl – admired for fashion choices which avoid the monotony of the typical political wardrobe – says she is very fond of home-designed garments.

“Most pieces of clothing, jewellery and handbags in my closet are from Slovenian designers,” she reveals. She enjoys the opportunity to be fashionable while also supporting domestic production and design.

Those for whom Ljubljana is an adopted home town are also full of praise for its developing fashion scene. Croatian singer, songwriter, columnist, fashion model and dancer Andja Marić has been living in the city for the last couple of years and says fine clothes at reasonable prices are easily available.

“In Ljubljana, there are a lot of talented, not widely known and therefore cheaper designers”, she says. Marić herself prefers those unknown, small designers with unique style to grand, prestigious brands and recommends a walk through the old centre of Ljubljana to discover fashion on your own.

Photo: Boštjan Tacol, Žurnal24

By Vesna Paradiž

Eva Irgl is fond of Slovenian designers

Further to go

Admittedly, Ljubljana does still have some way to go before it can rival the leading cities on the fashion scene. Hannah Mancini, the lead singer of the band Exequtifz who exchanged Los Angeles for Ljubljana, says that the Slovenian fashion scene still lacks some individuality. She finds a lot of buyers tend to purchase more conservative clothes from the high end lines. In this sense, she thinks the Slovenian capital is more designer-orientated than her Californian hometown – she misses the vintage shops which offer the chance to find something special. “[Also] there is no main shopping street in Ljubljana, so it is not always easy to find good shopping places”, she says. But she knows fashion is never far away from Slovenia: “if you have the time and inclination to go out of town, fashion shopping in Zagreb, Udine, Trieste or Milano is just a step away.”

With Ljubljana is becoming more fashion-conscious by the minute perhaps one day the residents of those towns will delight in their proximity to Slovenia.

Andja Marić prefers unknown designers to prestigious brands

Hannah Mancini thinks Ljubljana is more designer-orientated than Los Angeles

BEAUTY & LEISURE 19

Furniture

A Vault With No Lock

On the lookout for a special item? Why not take a walk through the centre of Slovenia’s capital?

By Vesna Paradiž

T

reasure hunting is possible not only in dangerously hidden places on earth, but inside the walls of the world’s cities as well. There are art galleries, antique shops and flea markets in every bigger town and Ljubljana is no exception.

Art galleries are perhaps the least visited. Everyone can notice a gallery’s gems while windowshopping but not many people dare to enter. Those that sell specific domestic products, such as the Gallery of Idrija Lace (Galerija idrijske čipke), are perhaps the most popular.

Galleries such as Hest, Ars, Exarte and so on store many genuine Slovene artworks, but sell little. Firstly, there is the matter of the price; no ordinary man will just walk into a shop like that and spend several thousand euros on a painting, a statue or a piece of furniture. Instead most clients are old aquaintances, whether collectors, art lovers or fans of one particular artist. Secondly, foreign tourists rarely step into such galleries because of the problem of transporting any purchases. Sensitive glass products or giant graphics are difficult to carry around the world so unless you came with a car, the task might prove to be too problematic to complete. But, if you are brave enough to try, a step

into one of those galleries might turn out to be a wise move.

A Journey Back in Time

While antique shops do possess the sort of bigger objects seen in art galleries, they have an abundance of smaller valuable articles as well. They offer products of domestic and foreign cultural heritage, silverware, ceramics and china, jewelery, stylish furniture and more.

Boštjan Ilnikar from Ritter Antiques, located in the old centre, says that tourists do come in, but

mostly just to look. They are interested in all things Slovenian. That can sometimes be a problem since there are a lot of older objects from the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which while made in the area now considered to be Slovenia can be seen as both Slovenian and Austro-Hungarian. Nevertheless, this or that small souvenir is often sold and taken home to friends and family. Most of the buyers are still local experts and collectors though, and they make good regular customers. There are numerous antique shops spread throughout

Flamant design is where antique meets modern and art meets utility

the centre and quite easily discovered. You can browse rarities in places such as Carniola Antiqua, Gallery Ažbe, and Cunjak.

A good choice for those wanting to buy antiques at a reasonable price is a flea market. Although they exhibit many useless or broken pieces, if you set your mind to it, same exquisite valuable items can and will be found. Ljubljana’s flea market takes place every Sunday morning on the embankment of the Ljubljanica river.

Old Meets New

In addition to art galleries, more and more unique gallery style stores are coming into existence. One of them is Flamant, an expensive Belgian interior design upmarket opened in 2008.

The shop is not merely a store, but almost an exhibition of superb stylish furniture, designed mostly after classical and regency pieces improved with new shapes and materials.

“Flamant offers t raditional forms of furniture reinterpreted in a modern way, and sophisticated but relaxed decor,” says Špela Bizjak, the co-owner of the shop.

There, antique meets modern and art meets utility.

No need for a metal detector in Ljubljana: real treasures are hidden in plain sight.

August 2010

20 BEAUTY & LEISURE

Wellness

Welcome to Paradise Paradise Spa in Portorož certainly makes big promises. As if its name alone wasn’t enough to leave you expecting something special, its website guarantees that your visit will give you the “heavenly sensation of well-being, comfort and relaxation”. Self-proclaimed relaxation expert Maja Dragović went in sceptical but came out a highly relaxed convert.

I

arrived at the gorgeous coastal town of Portorož not really knowing what to expect from my visit to its Paradise Spa. As someone who enjoyed quite a bit of pampering during my years of singledom – before kids and a mortgage demanded every bit of my spare cash – I have very high standards when it comes to the

The Slovenia Times

important business of relaxing. I wasn’t going to be fooled by anything less than totally authentic treatments and completely peaceful surroundings.

As I approached the Grand Hotel Bernardin, within which the Paradise Spa is located, I realised that my stringent standards were going to be met. The architecture

is glorious – the hotel looks as though it is leaning on the stone behind it. The location, right by the sea, is similarly perfect. And since the entrance to the hotel is on the top floors of the building, the first thing you see before you enter is a gorgeous vista of sun, sea and sailing boats.

As soon as I walked into the spa itself, my divorce from the world of daily nuisances was complete.

I was greeted by friendly but not overly familiar staff who instantly made me feel like I was the only person there. The facility’s manager Mitja Simčič explained that there are two basic programmes on offer at Paradise Spa. One is named “Pong Khai”, which means relax in the Thai language. The other is named after delights closer to home. The “Mediterranean” programme uses products exclusively sourced from local businesses, meaning the herbs and essential oils are always fresh.

I decided to opt for a Thai aroma massage, but not before a quick visit to the sauna. There were decisions to be made there too: Finnish, bio or infrared? I spent a little time in each but quickly realised they all had one thing in common – relaxation.

Already feeling seriously mellow, I left to meet my masseuse.

As I walked into the room, I instantly understood what the manager had meant when he told me Paradise Spa aims to offer “the complete experience”.

The room décor immediately made me think I was in Thailand, with dark wood furnishings and orchids all around. Subtle music added to the impression of being

somewhere far away. My masseuse, who hailed from Thailand and had the humbleness and quiet nature which are the hallmark of that country, was the final addition to this wonderful recipe for relaxation.

Aroma massages like the one I enjoyed are some of the most popular treatments on offer at the spa, according to Simčič: “Most of our clients are business people who stay here for a night or two and don’t have time to research – they want something that they are familiar with and that is aroma massage.”

Yet such treatments are far from the only ones on offer at the facility. There is also a special fourhands massage; a traditional Thai “self-wuan” massage; Thai massage with herbal snopki; Lomilomi Nui Hawaiian massage; Indian massage; hot stone massage; aroma massage “Mediteranea” or “ponklay”; and Swedish massage – to name just a few. Those looking for healing experiences are also catered for – the spa has a wide range of programmes which nurse the body back to health through the use of medicinal herbs, essential oils and various massage techniques. And with special programmes for couples, men, and even expectant mothers, this is a spa which has something for everyone.

All too soon it was time for me to bid farewell to Paradise and return to the practical realities of life. But I did so safe in the knowledge that while my single days may be far behind me, the pampering I enjoyed during that time is available very close to home.

BEAUTY & LEISURE 21

Otočec

Pleasures – in Sport and Food

www.terme-krka.si

NEW Tasting menue at Otočec Castle Restaurant, August 2010 Marinated huchen (Danube salmon) with fennel and caviar with acacia jam (typical fish from the green Krka River) Cold kohlrabi soup with yoghurt and herbs foam (refreshment for the hot days)

»Green, how I want you green ...« Every spring, this famous line by Federico Garcia Lorca surely comes to the mind of most golfers. Green is their colour. The colour that reminds them to grab their equipment and head to the finest and most beautiful golf course in this part of Europe: Otočec.

Experience the most beautiful golf course in Slovenia

Enjoy Your Meal at the Grad Otočec Restaurant

Otočec needs no special introduction for golfers.

Many are fond of playing on this 18-hole course, a fact that is demonstrated by the title of Best Golf Course that Otočec has been awarded two years in a row in Slovenia. It was chosen as the best by both the expert committee and the golfers themselves.

Robert Gregorčič, a wizard and an artist with a ladle and pots at the Grad Otočec Restaurant was already introduced on »Dine with Style« pages.

If you are curious about how he and his cooking team combine local culinary specialities with a dash of the cosmopolitan in this time of the sesason, there is only one thing to do – visit them!

Porcini / chanterelles / Kozje goat cheese / nettle (a traditional Dolenjska region dish with porcini) Peach and lemon balm sorbet Deer filet from Kočevje forests with sage and juniper berries in sauce, roasted millet porridge with young beans and bacon, sweet salad with wild herbs and summer apple Cheeses from the Gorišek farm with home-made marmalade

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Raspberry duo

»Golf is twenty percent mechanics and technique.

The other eighty percent is philosophy, humour, tragedy, romance, melodrama, companionship, camaraderie, cussedness and conversation.« Grantland Rice, sports commentator

See you in August at Otočec If you want to experience the pleasure of the game at Otočec, make sure you don’t miss the traditional Golf days at Otočec from Thursday to Sunday, 19.-22. August 2010. The event features daily tournaments with tempting prizes, golf school for kids, adults and families. The golfing event will be accompanied by culinary evenings with regional specialties and music.

August 2010

Int. & Slo. Restaurant

Erotic Shop

P O SH X SE

Trg republike 2, Ljubljana Mon – Fri: 10 – 21; Sat: 11 – 16 Pizzeria with the longest tradition in Slovenia

Ljubljana’s top picks

www.venera−shop.si

© Pizzeria

Pub

Gregorčičeva 3, Ljubljana Every day: 11 – 24 Tel.: 01 421 92 95, www.foculus.com Probably the most popular pizzeria in Slovenia 66 kinds of pizzas, king size salads

Levstikov trg 9 TEL.: 040/355-818

Sea-food Restaurant

Trubarjeva 43 & Vošnjakova 5

Pizzeria

23

The Capital embankment. It stands on the site where Jože Plečnik anticipated the building of a bridge almost one hundred years ago. It has been a long project. The first anonymous public architectural competition for the bridge was launched 20 years ago and then again in 2008, when the winner was selected for the redevelopment of the wider Ljubljana Central Market area.

The bridge is intended for pedestrians and cyclists, but its concept is partially artistic as it is decorated with statues by the renowned Slovenian sculptor Jakov Brdar.

The sculptures share the story of the market. Practical issues have also been considered – beneath the bridge are new public toilets completed with nappy changing facilities. There is also access to the planned parking lot below the marketplace and an entry-exit station to the urban river transport This Summer, Ljubljana is adding two more attractions The Butcher’s Bridge vessel, which is also accessible to July also brought the opening of to the many already on offer to tourists. The Butcher’s the newly built Butcher’s Bridge, the physically disabled.

Bridge and the Skyscraper were a long time coming With two major new tourist atwhich connects Ljubljana’s Central but, finally, they are set to become part of the Market – designed by the famous tractions open at last, it seems oglas LJ- KARTICA - 113x155 mm 6/24/10 15:12 Page 1 Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik Lonely Planet editors had betlandscape of Slovenia’s capital city. ter start reworking their guide to – with the Petkovškovo nabrežje

By Vesna Paradiž Ljubljana.

Ljubljana

Creating the City

T

hat Ljubljana is becoming a more and more popular summer tourist destination is a self-evident fact. It’s confirmed by a quick look at the crowded streets, filled with mostly nonslovene speaking people who are taking pictures at every turn, carrying a map and Lonely Planet in their hands and a rucksack on their backs or leisurely enjoying organised tours through the city.

Perhaps it is no wonder then that it is usually Summer which sees new tourist attractions opened in the town.

This year, one of those novelties is a tourist open-topped doubledecker bus named Happy Johnny, which takes you on a three-hour guided tour including most of Ljubljana’s sights. It operates every Sunday at 10am from July 18 to October 31. Another new treat is the renovated embankments of the Ljubljanica river in the centre, providing an agreeable spot to hang out and – in certain places

– to board a tourist boat. But the two most important events that took place in July were the opening of Mesarski most (The Butcher’s Bridge) and the re-opening of the terrace on Nebotičnik (the Skyscraper).

The City Below, the Sky Above

Nebotičnik was built in 1933 and is the greatest work of the architect Vladimir Šubic. Standing at just over 70 metres, the building was the tallest in the Balkans and the ninth tallest building in Europe at the time of its construction. It is a cultural monument of national significance and as such protected in its entirety; renovation was therefore both expensive and time-consuming. After years of being closed to the public an Austrian businessman of Slovene origin who owns the upper four floors, initiated the restoration of the building. It was completed with the help of The Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia.

On July 24, the terrace finally reopened for visitors as a café with a lookout point, offering ice cream and cakes. In time, other parts of the building will be opened including a new restaurant.

Ljubljana tourist card

• free admission to the main sights • free public transport, boat ride, funicular, tourist train • other attractive free services 24 hours: € 23.00 • 48 hours: € 30.00 • 72 hours: € 35.00 Sales outlets: • Tourist Information Centres and major hotels

www.visitljubljana.si

August 2010

24 LIFESTYLE

Interview: Janez Škrabec

Unique Experiences to Help You Seal the Deal The age of international trade means that entertaining foreign business partners is becoming more and more important. But how to provide an experience that will prove as unforgettable as the merits of your business case? According to Janez Škrabec, director of the engineering company Riko, the trick is to make the most of Slovenia’s many wonderful qualities. And perhaps to throw in a surprise or two.

By Vesna Paradiž dition – or rather, I offer it to them as an original experience. Imagine a visit to the Škrabec homestead as a museum and cultural centre and in the end a meal in the old house of the homestead, where, thanks to the restorers and conservationists, it looks exactly as it did in the 19th century.

What is the most extravagant treatment you have provided for clients in Slovenia?

I must admit that I never follow any extravagant guidelines but rather look for ways to deepen the experience of the place, nature, culture, people... It is inspiring,

for instance, to combine a visit to the Postojna Cave with a hot air balloon flight – guests experience the sky and the underground on the same day.

If someone were to hold a business conference in Slovenia for top global companies, what would you recommend should be included in it and where should it take place?

Superb Slovenian cuisine and wines on an excellent carefully arranged and prepared scene, either in the suburb or in town. It would not do to forget the little details which give the meeting some ex-

Naročnik oglasa je Mint International House, d.o.o.

How do you approach entertaining your clients when they are in Slovenia?

Setting aside the comfort, appropriate accommodation, and high It is inspiring, for quality cuisine, we wish to show instance, to combine them the cultural and natural dia visit to the Postojna versity of Slovenia. I like to invite Cave with a hot air clients to Škrabčeva domačija (the balloon flight – guests Škrabec homestead) in Hrovača, a renovated old family farmhouse, experience the sky and which has recently developed into the underground on the an important and vibrant cultural same day. scene. With the help of villagers who skillfully present old customs and habits, I introduce them to a of Slovenia Mint_oglas SloTimes 206x146.ai piece 1 16.6.10 10:42famous for its entrepreneurial and cultural tra-

Language school / Mint International House, d.o.o. / Vilharjeva 21 / 1000 Ljubljana / T: 080 2160 / www.mint.si

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LIFESTYLE 25 surprise and the experience. The Russians are also able to offer an original experience; a strenuous meeting was often followed by the famous traditional Russian bath. So I foster memories of inventive, special and also amusing experiences.

The Russians are also able to offer an original experience; a strenuous meeting was often followed by the famous traditional Russian bath.

How important is it to take into consideration your client’s nationality? Who, in your experience, needs most attention?

It would be difficult to distinguish guests by nationality according to their needs and attention that they expect. But I can confirm that the nationality is an important starting point in designing a programme.

clusivity, and the additional content which surprises and raises the value of this meeting. I do not need to list the basic elements of a good conference, such as a carefully prepared programme, excellent technical support, a complete “conference service”, comfort and so on.

What is the most memorable treatment you have received as a businessman?

I specifically remember events that offer me an original experi-

ence. For example, after a business meeting in Texas our hosts drove us out to dinner. Since the region is famous for cattle, we’d expected an exquisitely prepared steak and other meat specialties. This is what we received but on arrival in this famous restaurant the waiters cut off our ties, which then hung above us during the meal. Our hosts had deliberately not told us about the custom of not eating in this restaurant with your tie on, because that would destroy the

What places would you recommend Slovenian businessmen should take their clients to in Slovenia?

It is not only Ljubljana that boasts a high quality range of cuisine and accommodation facilities – so too do smaller towns and rural areas. My suggestion would be to utilise the exceptional cultural and natural diversity of Slovenia and reinterpret it into an original programme. Even the most uniquely designed menu will quickly be forgotten without that added value that creates a real experience.

My suggestion would be to utilise the exceptional cultural and natural diversity of Slovenia and reinterpret it into an original programme.

Even the most uniquely designed menu will quickly be forgotten without that added value that creates a real experience.

Ljubljana Water Games

August 2010

26 LIFESTYLE

Wine

Make Wine, Make Friends Slovenia’s active wine industry is making moves on the international stage. A recent event introduced the English to the delights of a Slovenian tipple while restaurant diners in Tokyo are now able to enjoy wine from the Balkan country on a regular basis.

By Vesna Paradiž

L

ondon always attracts international visitors but arguably no more so than in the month of July. The height of Summer sees the city’s underground railway service become a mix of harassed commuters and holidaying non-natives. Amongst the foreign visitors this July was a group of Slovenian winemakers.

They weren’t visiting the English capital to holiday but instead in an effort to introduce the world’s most important wine destination to the depth and breadth of Slovenian wine.

At an event held near the famous Thames River, British retailers, caterers, agents and journalists were able to experience their first real taste of Slovenian wine. The event,

organised by the Slovenian wine school Belvin in conjunction with specialist British agency Hunt & Coady, aimed to solidify the image of Slovenia as a serious wine producer.

The Belvin wine school strongly believes the time is right for a breakthrough on the English market. Recognising that any serious wine region or country has its own wine day in London, the school started to plan such an event. While most countries have “wine boards” to organise such events, no such association currently exists in Slovenia. And so Belvin turned to the Slovenian Tourist Board for support – which quickly helped secure a top British partner.

Kampai!

England isn’t the only country being introduced to Slovenia wine this Summer. The residents of Tokyo can now enjoy a Slovenian tipple at a newly opened restaurant. The Slovenian-Japanese “Batič” opened a couple of months ago.

At an event held near the famous Thames River, British retailers, caterers, agents and journalists were able to experience their first real taste of Slovenian wine.

I

van Batič and his wine-making family from Šempas in the Vipava Valley have successfully exported wines to Japan for a number of years, mostly due to the fact that the taste and style of their product nicely round off selected dishes of superb Japanese cuisine. With the help of the Society of Japanese-Slovenian Friendship the new bistro and wine bar was opened last month.

The Ripening of an Idea

“The idea came to life five years ago,” explains Ivan’s son Miha Batič. “We were hosting the Honorary Consul of Slovenia in Japan Jukio Mori with his wife Keiko. Also there was Emil Gaspari, a Slovenian businessman from the USA who has already helped a large number of excellent Slovenian winegrowers to penetrate the US market.

“Of course, during our conversation on Slovenia,

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its food and wines, we didn’t just chat; Mrs. Keiko gave her husband the idea of opening a restaurant of Slovenian wines and food in Tokyo. And in the evening of June 1, we opened Batič Bistro & Wine together”.

In addition to the whole assortment of Batič wines, the wine list includes products from several other Slovenian wine-makers, imported to Japan by Mori.

Slovenian wine is, it seems, on the march.

Dinewith style

28 14 Days

Vila Prešeren

Veslaška promenada 14 Bled

tel: +386 (0)4 575 25 10 vilapreseren@sportinaresorts.si Open: 11 am – 11pm Price range 3-5 course tasting menu from EUR 20 to 50 Reservation Recommended in holiday season

Tasting menu

Toast, dried tomato pesto, Bolognese mortadela, karst salami, olives, extra virgin olive oil “Bianchera” *** Salmon carpaccio on ruccola, terrine of peppers and pesto Genovese *** Rice with Istrian truffles and bass fish “Fonda”, creamy sparkling sauce *** Lamb chop with Mediterranean crust with mush and reduced “Porto” sauce *** Chocolate soufflé, homemade vanilla ice cream and raspberries

Vila Prešern

Fabulous. Romantic.

Relaxing.

A stylish rearrangement of a classic lakeside villa offers much more than just great Mediterranean cuisine, prestigious wines and magical desserts.

B

led is a place which needs no special introduction. Many good things come together on the shores of this alpine lake but glorious food and drink is one of the most important reasons for Bled’s popularity. The town boasts many upper class restaurants and Vila Prešeren definitely occupies a royal position among them. Not just any business can get away with using the name of Slovenia’s greatest poet – informally, it’s an honour reserved only to the most dedicated brands. This adapted 1868 villa meets this informal requirement. With a new stylish wooden terrace, set right next to the walking path around the lake, the restaurant welcomes its guests with a certain sense of perfection, incorporated in every single detail. The music. The children’s playground. Free wi-fi… That is before we get to the main purpose of this restaurant and inn, which is, of course, food and drink.

Poetry in cooking

The restaurant bills itself as Mediterranean and the staff there obviously took into consideration the large meaning of this geographic term. Our exploration of The Slovenia Times

the region’s culinary secrets started with a dried tomato pesto with slices of Mortadela Bolognese as a snack. Before getting on to the real thing: a soft and salty salmon carpaccio on ruccola together with a special “something” that can be described as peppers in three colours, glued together with pesto Genovese and wrapped into a thin slice of courgette. Innovation in shapes and tastes progressed with every course. Number three on the table was soft rice with Istrian truffles, coated with foamed fish sauce, and on top of it all, a slice of the famous bass from Fonda fish farm. For the main course,

we were presented with a reason for repeat visits to Prešeren – the house specialty of lamb chop with a crust of Mediterranean spices, mush, and miniature beets. The happy ending to this exciting adventure came with chocolate soufflé and vanilla ice cream, served in a waffle cup. This tasting menu presented us with only a sample of the kitchen’s enviable potential. Even more surprising was the fact that the chef behind the masterpieces was 22-year-old Mitja Konjevič, an ambitious apprentice of culinary master Matevž Strajnar.

Top choice JB logo 4/15/08 4:32 PM Page 1 C

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Y

CM

MY

CY CMY

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JB Restaurant Miklošičeva 17, Ljubljana Tel: + 386 1 430 70 70 restavracija.jb@siol.net, www.jb-slo.com Open: Mon – Fri, noon – 10pm Sat, 5pm–11pm

In Issue 127

In Issue 124

Fabula Restaurant Borovška cesta 100, Kranjska Gora Tel : +386 4 589 20 88 info@hitholidays-kg.si www.hitholidays-kg.si Open: daily from noon to 11 pm

Composite

BARVE: PANTONE 194 U PANTONE 401 U PANTONE PROCESS BLACK

In Issue 131

Vila Prešeren Veslaška promenada 14, Bled Tel : +386 575 25 10 vilapreseren@sportinaresorts.si Open: 11am – 11pm

Special occasions Sweet wine makes sad eyes and hearts recover

The monumentally large bottle of Krug champagne, put on a stand right next to the lake, takes on the role of a monument. People find it attractive enough to photograph as if it were some sculpture of, let’s say, the country’s greatest poet. Perhaps there’s something in that comparison. The romantic poet had a special love for wine and the restaurant which takes his name has an innovative and educational approach to its wine range. It stores its wine in a special cellar from which a guest can pick his or her own bottle. All wines save for the sparkling one are of Slovenian origin. The wine list is smartly divided between light and full-flavoured. It highlights Slovenian products which guests, eighty percent of whom are foreign, gladly order. Another uncommon but very welcome step in the promotion of the national wine treasury is the offer of some top products by glass, not by bottle.

The Cakes

Villa is place of versatility. It can be your stop for a coffee or tea.

In such cases it is also extremely difficult to resist items from the sweet corner. The always fresh cakes, pies and ice creams rate high among the connoisseurs of the sweet Bled. Let’s not forget Bled is a place with tradition in confectionery, being the home of the world famous cream-cake.

The restaurant’s setting – with idyllic willows, swans and pletna boats – is ideal for group parties. It can host up to 500 people for cocktail parties. Sitting arrangements make this number significantly lower but still sufficient for company events or smaller weddings.

Since Vila Prešeren belongs to the same business group as Vila Bled, which is situated on the opposite side of the lake, it is possible to take advantage of a special deal involving courses served at both locations and on a Pletna boat. Other special arrangements such as a romantic dinner on the boat or lake shore are available as well. And let’s not forget to mention eight comfortable rooms and suites available in the Villa. Indeed, a place of multiple pleasures.

Pule Estate Drečji vrh 16, Trebelno Tel: +386 7 34 99 700, +386 1 470 27 00 Mobile: +386 51 373 662 marketing@pule.si, www.pule.si Open: Wed-Sat: 12am-10pm, Sun: 11am-8pm; Pule Estate is also available for rental Traditional Slovene cuisine with other culinary delights

In Issue 125

Shambala, asian restaurant Križevniška 12, Ljubljana Tel.:+386 31 843 833 info@shambala.si, www.shambala.si Open: 11am-11pm, Sunday and holidays closed.

Fresh and spicy experience | Selected wines | Relaxed atmosphere

Jamski Dvorec

In Issue 126 Turizem Kras Jamska cesta 30, Postojna Tel: +386 (0)5 700 0100 info@turizem-kras.si www.turizem-kras.si Innovative cuisine inspired by regional and medieval heritage. Excellent wine choice.

City Restaurant - BTC CITY Ljubljana

In Issue 128

Poslovna stolpnica, 13th floor, Šmartinska 140, Ljubljana Ljubljana ring, Exit 1 Tel.: +386 (0)1 585 19 97 www.btc-city.com Restaurant open: Mon-Fri, 11am – 4pm Bar open: Mon-Fri, 7.30am – 6pm

Barka Restaurant - St.Bernardin - Portorož

In Issue 130

Obala 2, Portorož Tel: +386 (0)5 695 30 08 restavracija.barka@h-bernardin.si www.h-bernardin.si Restaurant with selected fish dishes Open: 11am – 11pm

August 2010

30 CULTURE

Pionirski Dom

The Home of Boundless Creations A child’s imagination has no limits – it is a place where almost everything is possible. At the Pionirski dom, workshops allow children to make the most of that wonderful gift, giving them permission to colour outside the lines and be creative in a thousand and one ways. dren from kindergartens and primary schools, mostly from the capital, display their works. Every year, they prepare at least ten exhibitions, which attract many visitors.

The programmes are carried out by highly qualified teachers and other staff. The selection is based on both staff expertise and skills in teaching; they are especially favour of younger generations of innovative educators.

Youngsters from four upwards can visit the centre to learn foreign languages including English, German, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and even more exotic tongues like Latin and Arabic.

Youth Festivals Pionirski Dom also organises cultural days in the form of creative and adventurous workshops in the fields of fine arts, theatre, dance, music, science, and so on.

In the Pionirski dom’s Art Centre, sculpture, painting, graphics for children, young people and adults take place throughout the year. It is also a place where children from kindergartens and primary schools, mostly from the capital, display their works.

T

he Pionirski Dom (Pioneer Home) was founded in 1963 as a didactic educational institution but was relaunched a few years ago. It offers an array of creative outlets for Slovenia’s children, allowing them to take part in cultural and language activities.

Youngsters from four upwards can visit the centre to learn foreign languages including English, German, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and even more exotic tongues like Latin and Arabic.

PD also organises cultural days in the form of creative and adventurous workshops in the fields of fine arts, theatre, dance, music, science, and so on. In the music workshops, for instance, children can learn to play guitar and other instruments, create in jazz, rock or rap workshops, share musical stories, participate in the funky children’s choir or attend a singing school. For children and young people who love visual art, the photo and movie workshops are

Entries into the yearly activities will be possible from August 25 to September 4, 2010.

The World Book Capital will revive the gorges of the Ljubljanica river in a special way; with the works of the children from Pionirski dom. www.pionirski-dom.si

Pionirski dom – centre for youth culture, Vilharjeva cesta 11, 1000 Ljubljana Tel.: +386 1 23 48 200, fax: +386 1 23 48 220, tajnistvo@pionirski-dom.si

The Slovenia Times

essential as well as the novelties, such as animation film.

Another outstanding opportunity for a children’s cultural day organized by Pionirski Dom is Festivalnice – concerts taking place in the Festival Hall each month. These offer concerts for children with high-quality music from various periods of music history, including jazz, performed by renowned local and foreign musicians and successful young artists.

In the Pionirski dom’s Art Centre, sculpture, painting, graphics for children, young people and adults take place throughout the year. It is also a place where chil-

Pionirski Dom organises four festivals each spring (the ZOOM film festival, theatre festival of children’s dreams, music festival, young researchers festival), which kids love to watch and participate in.

Viktorija Potočnik, the former Mayor of Ljubljana, who now takes care of the image and programme of Pionirski Dom, likes to mention international recognition of good practices implemented there. Among all the excellent programmes on offer, she highlights the intergenerational projects – such as the sculpture workshop – where young and older people learn together. Parents and children often work alongside one another for these programmes. It is just one way in which Pionirski Dom is improving access to cultural activities in Slovenia.

CULTURE 31

Ten of the Best

The “Independent” Film As we were able to see in the last issue, Slovenia had a very diverse cinematic history already in Yugoslavia.

This time, we feature ten most significant movies that were made after the independence.

Babica gre na Jug (Grandma Goes South) (1991)

This is the first feature movie to be released in independent Slovenia. The story talks about an old lady getting a second lease of life.

The story and dialogues may not be the most convincing, but director Vinci Vogue Anžlovar made a decent effort of it.

Halgato (1994)

This fascinating tale of the life of gypsies and their everyday struggles was directed by Andrej Mlakar, while the story was crafted by legendary Slovene writer Feri Lajnšček. The realistic depictions of the life of gypsies and their dilemmas has influenced many future Slovene movies and has had a profound effect on the way Slovenians view their Romani “neighbours”.

Ekspres ekspres (Gone with the Train) (1996)

Yet another legendary Slovenian movie by director Igor Šterk, which deservedly won seven international movie awards. Stories about reserved, shy and sort of asocial individuals are traditional in Slovene culture and this one is extremely convincing as well.

Outsider (1997)

The film takes place in the early1980s in the former Yugoslavia. It is concerned with the punk movement and the role of a young Bos-

nian (also a punk rocker) in Slovenian society. The movie, directed

by Andrej Košak, won the Cairo International Film Festival award for best actor and it remains one of the most popular Slovene movies to this day.

Socializacija Bika (Socialisation of a Bull) (1998)

This is the first feature cartoon in

Slovenia. The story shows an alien (turned into a bull) who comes to Earth and is used in experiments.

Zvonko Čoh and Milan Erič took more than a decade to finish this project, as the entire cartoon consists of drawings done by hand, so this should indeed be considered as a monumental achievement and a real work of art.

Kruh in mleko (Bread and Milk) (2001)

Odgrobadogroba

Kruh in mleko is a bitter-sweet tale of loneliness, estrangement and the glowing embers of love, where there once used to be a fire. A compelling story of an alcoholic fighting his inner demons was directed by the up and coming director Jan Cvitkovič, who again won many awards for his extremely well done work.

Kajmak in marmelada (Cheese and Jam) (2003)

(Gravehopping) (2006)

This is a witty satire about a funeral speaker in a small Slovenian town who can’t help turning his eulogies into witty personal confessions that bring the grieving crowd to tears for all the wrong reasons. The movie was directed by Jan Cvitkovič and won a number of national and international awards. It was also the Slovene choice for an Oscar, but it wasn’t nominated.

Petelinji zajtrk (Rooster’s Breakfast) (2007)

V leru (Idle Running) (1999)

The movie by Janez Burger shows the life of students living in a dorm. One is lazy, while his roommate is more studious and also has a pregnant girlfriend. The movie is full of funny characters and realistic dialogue and it certainly comes as no surprise that it has taken home many prestigious awards.

The movie was very popular, as its simplistic and honest style appealed to audiences, but failed to impress critics.

Kajmak in marmelada is a movie directed by internationally acclaimed actor/director Branko Đurić. It is about the ups and downs in the relationship of a Bosnian immigrant named Božo and a Slovenian woman Špela, whose father is strongly opposed to her relationship with the Bosnian.

Petelinji zajtrk is a Slovenian romantic comedy released in 2007. It is an adaptation of a less known novel of the same name

by Feri Lainšček. The movie is the most acclaimed and most successful Slovenian movie of all times, bringing in more than 200 thousand viewers to the cinema. The love story between a woman, married to a bad guy, and a young man coming to the countryside to work as a mechanic, won the sympathies of crowds all over Slovenia. Croatian pop Diva Severina, who has appeared in the movie certainly contributed to the success as well.

August 2010

32 EVENTS

The Slovenia Times Recommends

Trnfest

Metal

Haliaetum Open Air Aug 6–Aug 7, Arrigoni, Izola, EUR 15–20

The Trnfest festival returns yet again with another amazing collection of cultural events.

The Trnfest, an international summer festival founded in 1991, offers a wide and varied programme of events featuring Slovenian and international artists in the fields of music, theatre, dance, film, fine art, visual art and photography.

This year, as any other year, the festival will feature big names from mostly the Slovenian musical scene, but also from the rest of the world, with the evenings being rounded off by electronic beats. The musical diversity is staggering and includes basically all the genres you could imagine, from jazz, progressive rock, electronic music, folk, blues, industrial rock and dub.

Some of the big names featured at this year’s festival will be Demolition Group, Buldogi and Laibach.

Don’t forget about the non-musical aspect of the festival as well, as there will surely be some fun movie screenings, theatrical performances, stand-up comedy, puppet shows and workshops, including the Monty Python theatre performance.

At the end of August, the Trnfest festival will be rounded off by the international street festival under the title of Emona Promenade (Emonska promenada), which traditionally consists of various street performances, creative workshops and a string of other events intended for people of all ages.

Exhibition

Reason and Sentiment Jun 3–Aug 22, National Gallery, Ljubljana

Reason and Sentiment: Views on the 19th Century Tuscany is a visiting exhibition from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. It brings together a selection of works by artists who left an indelible mark on the 19th century Tuscany.

The exhibition includes paintings and prints by such great artists as Antonio Canova, Giuseppe Sabatelli, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Giovanni Fattori, and Arnold Böcklin. Exhibited works range from self-portraits to Tuscan landscapes and city views.

Festival

Summer in Ljubljana Old Town Jun 4–Aug 28, churches, inner The Slovenia Times

The Haliaetum Open Air metal festival has already become somewhat a tradition in Slovenia.

It usually brings together the biggest names in Slovene metal, together with some internationally acclaimed bands. This year, the line-up will include Purgatory (Germany) Forgotten Tomb (Italy), Lene kosti, Fides Inversa (Italy), Dickless Tracy, Sceptic Scum, To Hate, Ater Era and many other Slovenian and international bands.

Rock Jul 27–Aug 29, KUD France Prešeren, Ljubljana, no admission

courtyards and squares in the old city centre, Ljubljana Summer in Ljubljana Old Town (Poletje v Stari Ljubljani) is a traditional festival livening up the city life in Ljubljana with mostly free concerts of classical music held amidst the picturesque scenery of the old city centre. The festival opens in June and continues until the end of August, when it ends with the event entitled Night in Ljubljana Old Town. The event will also feature some exciting jazz concerts, including Peter Ugrin Group.

Festival

Seviqc Brežice Festival Jun 22–Sept, Castles and other historical venues across Slovenia

Njoki Summer Festival Aug 8, 4.30pm, Hiša Mladih, Ajdovščina, EUR 22–25 Last year, a storm blew away the second day of the Njoki festival, but this year the organisers come back more determined than ever to present us with some great names in alternative rock. The biggest name of the festival should definitely be Elvis Jackson with their circus-like performance, focusing just as much on the entertainment value as on musical capabilities. Other names include Lagwagon, No Use For A name, Overflow and Nervous Stompin.

Puppet Festival

Mini Summer Jun 20–Aug 31, various venues, Ljubljana Mini Summer is an international puppet and children’s theatre festival held on Sundays throughout the summer. Serving as a point of convergence for different languages, puppet technologies, and approaches to the art of puppetry, it is intended not only for children, but also for those feeling an affinity with puppetry and art for children. The festival has received widespread critical acclaim at home and has been gaining more and more recognition abroad.

Seviqc Brežice is one of Europe’s most important early music festivals. It brings together both renowned early music performers and emerging young talents. The main focus of the festival is on accomplished performance of early music, which is reflected in the festival’s name, SEVIQC, an acronym for “Semper viva quam creata” (Always live as created).

The programme of events includes concerts of European music from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century performed on authentic period instruments and using authentic early music performing techniques. Concerts are held exclusively at historical venues across Slovenia.

Classical

Greenwich Trio featuring Rivka Golani Aug 9, 8pm, Križanke Summer Theatre, Ljubljana, EUR 19

EVENTS 33 The Greenwich Trio, established in 2006, is an international ensemble of young musicians. It has received a number of awards including, among others, a first and a special prize at the international chamber music competition in Candelo, Italy. The trio has made successful appearances in Germany, Italy and the United States and is considered to be one of the finest and most dedicated ensembles of the kind on the international classical music scene.

Classical

Troubadours on Cello and Guitar Aug 10, 8pm, The atrium of the Ursuline Monastery, Ljubljana, EUR 19 Programme: Arcangelo Corelli, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Dušan Bogdanović, Antonín Dvorák. The Troubadours on Cello and Guitar is a duo consisting of the Kosovo guitarist Petrit Çeku and the Croatian guitarist Luka Šulić, who are considered to be some of the most successful young musicians of our time. They have proven their outstanding talent by winning numerous awards at international competitions.

The Slovenia Times Recommends

Days of Poetry and Wine The festival of poetry and wine brings you a bit of poetry and culture in the hot summer months.

Days of Poetry and Wine is one of the most important European poetry festival and as is traditional, it will again take place at the end of August. This will be the fourteenth edition to bring together poets from all over the world. The festival, which has already hosted more than 300 poets, is moving to the mediaeval centre of the city of Ptuj. The festival will also expand on its already excellent programme. The poetry readings will be joined by other forms of artistic expression.

We will also see many concerts, movie screenings, street performances, exhibitions, puppet shows and readings for children. The centre of Ptuj will also be wrapped in artistic installations for that entire week The honoured guests of this year’s festival, who will also have an individual poetry book published in the collection Beletrina, will be Australian poet Les Murray, a multiple nominee for the Nobel prize in literature and certainly the most important Australian poet of this time; the legendary Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer and the Slovenian legend Niko Grafenauer. The poetry of all the other invited poets will be published in several languages in the collection Days of Poetry and Wine 2010. The accompanying programme will be connected with the theme Aug 25 – Aug 28, various locations, Ptuj

Classical

Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre of St Petersburg

Opera

The Woman without a Shadow

Aug 13, 8pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 59–89

Aug 11–Aug 12, 6pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 59–89 The Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, one of Russia’s oldest cultural institutions, was established at the time of Peter the Great and was called the Russian Imperial Opera Orchestra before the Russian Revolution. The opera The Woman without a Shadow, composed by Richard Strauss to a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, is a hymn

Voice and there will also be a round table organised on this subject. For a relaxed atmosphere, there will also be a fine selection of wine, a constant fellow traveller of poets. All the events at the festival are free of charge.

Let the end of the summer be poetic for you as well!

to matrimonial love conceived in the style of the tales from One Thousand and One Nights. The composer considered it to be his best work. Its premiere took place in 1919 at the Vienna State Opera.

In Slovenia, it will be performed for the first time. The opera will be performed in German and subtitled in Slovenian and English.

St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra is one of Russia’s oldest cultural institutions. From its foundation in the time of Peter the Great until the Russian Revolution it was known under the name of the Russian Imperial Opera Orchestra. Since 1988 the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra has been led by the charismatic conductor Valery Gergiev, who was appointed its artistic and managing

director in 1996. The collaboration with Gergiev soon led to the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra’s becoming one of the world’s leading orchestras and winning the hearts of audiences in musical capitals around the globe.

Metal

Life of Agony Aug 14, 8pm, Cvetličarna, Ljubljana, EUR 19–24 Life of Agony is an alternative metal band from Brooklyn, New York. The band was formed in the summer of 1989 by singer Keith Caputo, bassist Alan Robert and guitarist Joey Z. After playing with several

3. traditional charity walk KORAKI ZA KORAKCE

BIG STEPS FOR LITTLE STEPS Saturday 18. September 2010 at 9.30 am Maribor, Trg svobode free advert

At the recreational fun gathering of a walk through the streets of Maribor and City Park participants will donate their steps to:

The walk is a charity event organised by the Charity organisation KORAKI ZA KORAKCE. Registration costs 10 €. For children up to 10 years registration is free. For more information and to register go to www.korakizakorakce.si. The walk will take place regardless of weather conditions.

media sponsor

OŠ Janka Padežnika Maribor, for the pupils of the primary school Centre for Hearing and Speech Maribor and for the Centre for Handicapped Children and Centre for Corrective Gymnastics within the framework of the HealthCare centre August 2010 dr. Adolf Drolc Maribor

34 EVENTS

BTC Summer Events

Šiška and M Hotel. Vasmoulakis is a one-of-a-kind artist who disregards boundaries between painting, drawing, street art and installations.

BTC offers shopping delights for consumers all over Slovenia with its diverse offer. Every summer we bear witness to events that accompany us through the summer months. At the end of August they will offer us a musical and theatrical festival, which will take place in front of the “water city” Atlantis. First of all, you can cool yourself in the refreshing water in any one of the swimming pools of the complex and then you can enjoy one of the performances of the day.

The festival offers an opportunity for amusement, relaxation and a cultural experience. You could end this summer sitting under the stars, in the company of good music and acknowledged artists.

On August 29, you can enjoy the musical solo comedy of Jure Ivanušič, known as a jack-of-all-trades in Slovenia. The next day, you will be able to take pleasure in some of the most beautiful melodies from the world of opera and musicals, as sung by Ana Marija

Classical

After a hard day of shopping, why not take a swim in the “water city” Atlantis and enjoy some cultural delights afterwards.

The London Symphony Orchestra feat. Valery Gergiev Aug 19, 8pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 59–89

Javornik Zupanc and Franc Javornik. The final evening will feature the talents of Gal Gjurin and his band Galeristi, one of the most desirable acts in Slovenia in the past couple of years.

There’s bound to be something for almost everyone in this series of intriguing performances.

Aug 29–31, BTC, Ljubljana, no admission communication and transporting the simplicity of musical expression onto the listeners.

drummers, they enlisted Type O Negative drummer Sal Abruscato before recording the debut album River Runs Red. They broke up in 1999, but had a reunion in 2003.

They are considered one of the most ecclectic metal bands out there. At their recent shows they have been playing their entire debut album, River Runs Red.

Metal

Iron Maiden Aug 17, 7.30pm, Villa Manin, Udine, Italy, EUR 69

Electronic

Armin Van Buuren Aug 14, 11pm, Ambasada Gavioli, Izola, EUR 20–30 After two unforgettable starry nights with Carl Cox and Richie Hawtin we are inviting you to yet another sparkling edition of Fetch The Vibe’s annual Stars Gathering, headlined by the trance scene’s favourite deejay Armin van Buuren.

The first ever club performance of Armada Music boss in Slovenia will also serve as the official launch of his global radio show A State of Trance on Radio Salomon. Expect a real gourmet treatment for music aficionados in a boutique arena, as Armin rarely performs in such intimate environments.

Classical

Collegium Pro Musica Aug 16, 8pm, The atrium of the Ursuline Monastery, Ljubljana, EUR 19 Programme: Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons and the Sounds of Nature (Version for wind and string The Slovenia Times

instruments for the Orchestra of Dresden).The Italian Baroque orchestra Collegium Pro Musica was founded in 1989 on the initiative of the flautist Stefano Bagliano, its artistic director.

The orchestra makes regular appearances at important music festivals around the world. Antonio Vivaldi’s set of violin concertos The Four Seasons is unquestionably the most popular piece of Baroque music. Written to go along with four sonnets, it depicts vividly four different moods associated with the seasons.

Folk

Ethno in Transit Aug 16, 9pm, Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, no admission This is a collection of young enthusiastic musician, mostly playing folk music. Each member of the ensemble has a particular musical direction, which is studied in depth. Each member has different experiences, a different cultural background and a unique style of musical expression. The band was formed spontaneously, from a simple need of mutual

Iron Maiden need no introduction.

They are one of the all time greats in metal and their concerts are always full of heavy and challenging yet melodic music and spectacular effects, with their mascot Eddie being especially spectacular. This time round they will most likely be playing some material from their upcoming fifteenth studio album, The Final Frontier, which is set to be released just a few days before this concert.

Artistic Residence

16 x 17 Aug 18–Aug 31, 10am, Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, no admission In collaboration with M Hotel, Kino Šiška will host its first artistic residence and Greek artist Alexandros Vasmoulakis, who will, together with his associate Paris Koutsikos from Athens, create a unique artistic work of art on the outer walls of Kino

The famous conductor Valery Gergiev made a name for himself by winning the Herbert von Karajan Conducting Competition in Berlin in 1977. His longstanding leadership of the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre helped in establishing him among most celebrated conductors of our time. Maestro Gergiev also holds the prestigious position of chief conductor at the London Symphony Orchestra. With its extensive concert and recording activities, its centre for music education and its embracing of modern information technology, the London Symphony Orchestra is an institution that looks towards the future, while at the same time preserving its more than 100-year tradition of high performance standards.

Folk Rock

Vlado Kreslin Aug 20, 8.30pm, Križanke Summer Theatre, EUR 39–49 Vlado Kreslin is one of the most influential Slovenian musicians, whose distinctive style combines elements of folk, pop and rock music. He started his career as the lead singer of Martin Krpan, but made an even greater name for himself as a solo artist, focusing much more on his Prekmurje roots. His great ability to combine different music genres is complemented by his exquisite selections of guest performers to join him for his concerts.

36 EVENTS

Sculptured Time

The internationally renowned Slovenian photographer Aljoša Rebolj’s exhibition Theatre Photography brings together 120 photographs of theatre productions by the Slovenian theatre director Tomaž Pandur.

Pandur’s lavish and spectacular theatrical creations, mostly international co-productions, have been referred to by important European institutions and theatre critics as “the theatre for the new millennium”. In Rebolj’s photographs, the moments captured from theatre productions Medea, Hamlet, Caligula, Barroco, Tesla and the ballet Symphony of Sorowful Songs, which has recently been staged at Berlin’s Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Aljoša Rebolj (born in 1966) first made a name for himself as a TV presenter and theatre actor and later mainly as an outstanding photographer.

Rock

Neil Leyton Sep 2, 9pm, Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, EUR 5–7

20 Jul - 1 Sep, The Tivoli Park, Ljubljana, admission free

Classical

Australian Chamber Orchestra Aug 25, 8pm, Slovenian Philharmonic, Ljubljana, EUR 19–29 The Australian Chamber Orchestra, led by the visionary violinist Richard Tognetti, is an ensemble of perfectly synchronized virtuosi delivering the highest standards of musical performance. The Orchestra, whose extensive

repertoire spans four centuries of musical history, is remarkable for the energy and vitality of its performances. The programme will include works by Ludwig van Beethoven and Peteris Vasks.

Flamenco

Paco de Lucía Aug 25–Aug 26, 8.30pm, Križanke Summer Theatre, Ljubljana, EUR 44

and the like). These are amateur works by individuals, who like these Japanese creations and have created a collection of their own drawings. You will also be able to get some drawing lessons at this event, naturally with the help of experts. There will also be other events accompanying the exhibition.

In his forthcoming Ljubljana concert, Paco de Lucía, the world’s premier performer of contemporary flamenco and one of the greatest guitarists of all times, will play a whole new programme of music.

Thanks to his immense creativity, de Lucía has made a name for himself not only as a flamenco and classical guitarist but also as a jazz and world music artist. With his unique style he has decisively influenced contemporary flamenco and popularized it as a genre.

Taking part in a large number of musical projects, often side by side with the biggest names in different styles of music, de Lucía is an artist who keeps opening new musical horizons.

Get ready for an intimate, sincere solo unplugged concert in the style of Storytellers. Canadian rock troubadour Neil Leyton, who started his career in Canadian band The Conscience Pilate, will play a concert like seen on Storytellers from VH-1 – solo, acoustic, raw and intimate. He will share a few stories on the making of his songs with the audience.

The concert will be followed by an after party, where you’ll be able to speak to Neil and he’ll also be happy to sign your CDs. Opening for Neil will be Jure Lesar, guitarist for Eskobars, who will play in the same acoustic vein as Leyton.

Days of poetry and wine

Dance

Carl Cox & Umek 28 August, Tivoli Park, Ljubljana, 1 EUR On the last true summer Saturday, Party with a Cause will take place at the Tivoli Park. This year DJ – Umek will provide an unforgettable experience together with a special guest - the legendary Carl Cox. The Party with a Cause has an entrance fee with a cause – contribute €1 via SMS on 1919 with a key word BELIOBROC and let go to music and visual vibrations by two of the greatest electro virtuosos of the past few decades.

Exhibition

Ilustrarium Aug 28, 3pm, Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, no admission Ilustrarium 2010 is the first event in Slovenia dedicated to drawings of more or less known Japanese cartoons and comics (anime The Slovenia Times

Games

Water Games Sep 3, 3pm, the Ljubljanica river and town centre, Ljubljana, no admission The Water Games in Ljubljana is an event where you will be able to see the world’s best kayak and canoe riders in competition.

They will be going on the course for parallel slalom. Besides these competitions, the event also offers you the opportunity to see the Ljubljanica river being cleaned and to have some fun squirting water guns and going downhill on the Ljubljanica. There will also be workshops and at the end of the day a concert on a raft on Ljubljanica.

Umek & Carl Cox in Tivoli park Ljubljana, Slovenia Saturday, 28.8.2010 Admission with a cause: 1 EUR

!LL FUNDS COLLECTED BY 3-3 AND ENTRY FEES WILL BE DONATED TO THE SOCIETY "ELI OBROè THAT HELPS VICTIMS OF THE CRIMINAL OFFENCE 3I MOBIL D D à MARTINSKA B 3) ,JUBLJANA

38 SPORTS

Football World Cup aftermath

Privilege to Be Nervous With the notable exception of Spain, most national football teams left South Africa and the 2010 World Cup bitterly disappointed. Slovenia was no exception.

But after a short period of reflection the players, the public and the media have realised that four points and strong performances are something to be proud of – and a good basis for future success.

By Simon Demšar

S

ummer 2010 will go down as one when football took cent re stage in Slovenia – particularly between 13 and 23 June. It was during those magical ten days that the nation’s football team were playing in South Africa in the FIFA World Cup. As football fever hit, office hours were shortened, school tests rescheduled and the country just like any other from the elite club of participating nations. Euphoria hit when Algeria was beaten, nails were bitten during the matches that followed, and tears of disbelief were

The Slovenia Times

shed after the team missed out on the chance to make history. Fans mostly gathered in pubs while the biggest »Fan Mile« took place at the Gospodarsko Razstavišče exhibition centre, attended by a few thousand people on each occasion.

Once the excitement and died down and there has been time to reflect, most enjoyed the pride of having been able to take an active part in the most popular event in the world. The chance to be nervous while watching the team playing competitively against Rooney,

Lampard and Co – and subduing the mighty United States of America... just – was actually a privilege which many a non-qualified country would kill for.

The football World Cup in South Africa united the Slovenes like nothing since the struggle for independence in the early 1990s, except for Euro 2000 and World Cup in 2002, of course. But in contrast to those two competitions Slovenia was really playing this time round, attacking and openly aiming at the next level. It was a big change from the first two big tournaments in the early 2000s, where one had a feeling that the objective was to defend and then maybe score a goal in the counter attack. While Slovenia was very successful at that, the new generation is a completely new breed of player. They may have narrowly missed the top 16 thanks to an extra time goal by US player Landon Donovan against Algeria but their bold approach earned them praise and admiration from the whole of

Slovenia. For the nation, the football team also became a symbol of team spirit, friendship and the »all for one, one for all« approach, something that is so missed in Slovenian everyday life, not least in politics. This was also one of coach Matjaž Kek’s messages: »If we waste this friendship among the players, we are idiots.« This time, politicians largely stayed away, with the exception of President Danilo Türk, who attended the match against the United States and gave the injured Nejc Pečnik a lift on his plane home. Politicians’ congratulations in Slovenia are often a mixed blessing, regarded as more to do with the political need for selfpromotion rather than as a genuine recognition of a sportsman’s

Cycling

Tennis

Clean and Cleared of Charges

Chakvetadze wins Slovenia Open

A special panel of the national doping watchdog cleared Slovenia’s best road cyclist Tadej Valjavec of doping charges.

The commission ruled that the International Cycling Union (UCI) failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the increased levels of oxygen in Valjavec’s blood were a result of doping. In his defence, the 33-year-old cyclist resorted to a series of legal, systemic and administrative arguments to refute the findings of blood samples taken by the UCI in 2008 and 2009. Valjavec told he had been sick a lot in 2009, which resulted in extremely low hematocrit levels.

A shower that delayed the start of play for nearly two hours was just a prelude to the storm that Russia’s Anna Chakvetadze created on court in blowing past Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 6:1 and 6:2 in the final of the WTA Slovenia Open. The 23-year-old Russian, who was ranked as high as No. 5 in 2007, showed some of the form that made her a top-ten player as she raced to her first WTA title in nearly two years and the eighth of her career in a mere hour. Slovenian Polona Hercog made it to the semi finals.

The last minutes of hope: Jermaine Defoe striking for 1:0 against Slovenia

Photo: BOBO

COLUMN SPORTS 39

I’m an American, and I like soccer.

achievements. The Prime Minister cleaning the players’ shoes after the decisive qualifier against Russia even became a minor incident, with some players disagreeing with anybody entering the sacred place of the locker room.

Time to Build on the Foundations

Public praise presents no such problems. The team were give a heroes’ welcome first at Ljubljana Airport, and then by over 10,000 fans at the city’s Prešeren Square.

The South African bad luck was forgotten, replaced by a wave of overwhelming optimism, not just in terms of football but life in general. It seems that for the time being, nothing, just nothing in Slovenia can bring so many people together. Not even students’ and workers’ protests against the government.

It now remains to be seen how the team will capitalise on the euphoria. The first test will come on 11th August, in a friendly match against Australia, also a World Cup contender. The match will mark the opening of the new stadium Stožice in Ljubljana – a stadium which was part of the promise made to »the 2000 generation« by former Ljubljana mayor Vika Potočnik ten years ago.

The friendly will be followed by European Championship qualifiers in September, first against Northern Ireland and then Serbia.

The other members of the qualifying group are Italy, the Faroe Islands and Estonia. Beating Italy and/or Serbia for the second slot that leads to Euro 2012 will be no easier than qualifying for the World Cup. But the Slovenian

team now has the advantage of the World Cup experience, a compact team and lots of self-confidence, some of which their rivals might lack – Italy in particular after their World Cup fiasco.

The current crop of Slovenian players hails from established clubs where each plays a prominent role, something which was not really the case with the 2000s generation. It will be interesting to see how the players will fare in terms of contracts. At the time of writing, team captain Robert Koren was still a free agent, linked to several English Premier League clubs. Samir Handanovič, widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, is now a member of Italian Serie A league team Udinese but he is tipped to join a big name club soon.

There were some concerns that coach Matjaž Kek’s stint at the helm of the national team might be ending. He said after the game against England that »this could be my last game as the coach.« and was linked to a Saudi Arabian club and big money offer. But there has since been better news: »I am going nowhere,« he reassured, »especially not after experiencing the World Cup, the atmosphere and our performances. I am motivated to carry on, I know in what areas we can improve and I want to stay.

The sporting goals prevail against the financial ones.« Indeed, Kek is contracted to the Football Association of Slovenia until the end of 2011.

Slovenia’s World Cup results put the country in 19th place in the FIFA ranking, the highest position yet. Now to see whether the nation can climb yet higher.

It constantly amazes me that the world thinks every American has no appreciaBy Jeremy Wilson tion of football. It’s a childishly easy game to understand, rewarding through constant action and anticipation and insufferable through ties, shootouts and its sometimes flawed logic, as witnessed in Uruguay vs.

Ghana.

On arriving in Slovenia in 2005 after a 10–year hiatus, I was welcomed back with a free ticket to see the national team square up against Germany in Celje. This match showed an entirely lackluster Slovenian team that appeared to be afraid of attacking past the midfield line. And if the hooligan-inspired chaos that occurred after the 1–0 defeat was any marker, that fear was justified.

But, that was then Oblak and this is now Kek. It will come as no surprise to learn that my favorite 2010 game was Slovenia vs.

USA. First of all, it was a treat to watch my first “real-time” match since 1994. As the World Cup rarely makes it to the Western Hemisphere, my friends and I have had to set alarms and swap pints for coffee cups. (Clearly, this wasn’t always the case. In 2006, I watched Serbia’s stunning 6–0 loss to Argentina at a Serb social club in Brooklyn. After the second goal, the bartender gave out shots of slivovica every time Argentina scored. By the end of that match, I’d rechristened the game the World Hic-Cup.) This year, I was standing in Trg Preseren, giving quiet thumbsups to the few American jersey wearers I saw. I fully expected a 2–0 win for the States. My body was humming with adrenaline, while my focus was mildly blunted through the effects of a Lasko liter.

The start of SLO/USA was an instant wake-up, like a slap to the face in a drunken buzz. Birsa proved something I had thought all through my time of watching friendlies at Tombstone. He’s amazing. Shots like that earn the sport its title as the beautiful game. And yet, the nightmarish first 45 were far from over, as Ljubijankic asked and answered before the half.

For the second period, we moved to Hotel Park. There the increasing American field presence had me, loudly vocalizing “Yes!” to their aggressive tactics. A group of 9–year-old boys shouted “No!” at me every time. A dread-locked tourist sitting behind me testified that the US would be destroyed and wanted to put money on it. I was white-knuckled breathlessness personified, and at the equalizer, my patriotism got the better of me when I growl-enunciated “In. Your. Face!”

The funny thing about this is neither Americans nor Slovenians really care for football outside the global stage. As a rule, we don’t follow local teams and we like our players only when they’re playing together, as opposed to jig-sawed in with the many international leagues they play for.

For the SLO/ENG face-off, I migrated to the thoroughly packed interior of Biljardna Hisa. I brought my lap-top and glanced at the FIFA runner with paranoid frequency. I trusted Slovenia could win this match, but they didn’t. And two minutes later, I made the worst kind of spectacle of myself as I slowly rose, lips quivering and fists high, mute until a stunned “Oh my God” fell out.

And then the US did what they do when they play Ghana; they lost. I watched that match at Biljardna Hisa as well. This time, I was one of five people in the room.

Since the Slovenian nationals don’t have a team nickname, I’d like to propose their English moniker be “the Trips,” a three-way reference to the triple tips of Triglau, the plucky voyage they took getting to the World Cup and 60’s slang for euphoria. Because this team gave Ljubljana a head-rush of flags, honking cars and druggy disappointment like nothing I’d seen before.

I’m an American, and I like Slovenia.

40 SPORTS

The Basketball Association of Slovenia is not only the senior national men’s team, which will be competing at the world championship in Turkey from 28 August to 12 September. It is also an institution, which takes care of the Slovenian basketball today and for a better tomorrow.

T

Working with young people is what the BAS has been distinguished for for a long time and this is acknowledged also by the foreign experts, who have a lot of interest for Slovenian coaches, because every season many of them work abroad as well. The BAS has also developed a special category for the youngest players, which is already generating interest across the world, the so called Playful basketball, a project intended for the youngest, aged from four to nine, which makes it possible for them to gain interest in such a beautiful sport through games, and at the same time spend time in nature and reinforce their spirits and their bodies. Every year, Playful basketball is attended by more than 150 Slovenian schools, to each of whom the BAS has donated or will donate two baskets, so the children can throw balls even when the special team with two extremely popular mascots is not there.

The Basketball Association of Slovenia has also developed a special regional selection programme to play in the national teams, they regularly hold practises for the national programme and have been organising the Pioneer festival for 44 years, which is one of

The Slovenia Times

Aldo Vitale, world champions, medal winners and many, many others.

Basketball on the web

the oldest competitions for elementary schools in Slovenia. There is also the BAS camp, which has been organised in the summer months for a number of years and where names including Jaka Lakovič, Matjaž Smodiš, Uroš Slokar and other basketball loving young people started their careers when they were young.

The economy crisis which struck the whole world has left consequences in sport as well; however, the Basketball Association of Slovenia avoided this before it happened, since the saving measures have prevented the crisis from leaving large holes in the budget. Furthermore, the budget has been increasing year after year and with it also the ambitions. In addition, after changes had been made in the line of presidents – Dušan Šešok was replaced this June by the Director of the biggest sponsor, Telemach, Mr. Roman Volčič – the Association received a new wave of visions and new strengths, which will undoubtedly contribute to a better future in basketball. Visions, ambitions and the hard work of the BAS, which is one of the five best organisations in Europe, are strengths which never come short at Leskoškova 12.

2010 represents a new milestone in Slovenian basketball, considering that the selected team led by Memi Bečirović will compete for the second time in a row at the world championship in Turkey, and this also being the year when the BAS celebrates its 60th year of operation. The period, which is now behind it, was more than successful, considering the fact that the Slovenian basketball history is extremely rich, and owing to this and the interest in sport we can calmly classify it as the number one Slovenian team sport.

This important anniversary was adequately celebrated at the grand event at the Union Hotel, where more than 250 guests gathered on 5 June, among which the guest of honour, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, dr. Danilo Türk with his wife, the Minister of Education and Sport, dr. Igor Lukšič, the Mayor of the Municipality of Ljubljana, Mr. Zoran Janković, the president of FIBA Europe, Olafur Rafnsson, the former president of FIBA,

Through the years, the Basketball Association of Slovenia has also developed a website (www.kzs.si), which is visited by more than 7,000 basketball fans every day, thanks to which we can place it on the top of specific category websites in Slovenia. The Association also has its internet television (www. slobasket.tv) and a wide statistics, where it is possible to follow live the Telemach League matches, 1. B SKL, 1. SKL for women, final tournaments for younger categories and practice matches of the Slovenian national team when they play at home, and many other things. Special websites are also available for the Telemach League (http://www.kzs. si/kzs/ligatelemach), the BAC camp (http:// tabor.kzs-zveza.si), the Regional selection programme (http://www.kzs.si/regijsko) and Playful basketball (http://www.kzs.si/kzs/ igriva/igriva.php).

There are many proofs for how well the Basketball Association of Slovenia is organised in the above lines, but in reality, there are many, many more.

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here are 23 competitions spread throughout Slovenia for senior and junior age categories under the auspices of the BAS, which is at the same time the umbrella organisation taking care of seven national teams, which achieve great results year after year. Each of them has its history, and every junior team had been a starting point for all those who have been playing in the senior team for years.

Unfortunately the younger teams are often neglected by the media, even though they win medals as well. The seniors team was the European champion twice (2000 and 2004), they were third in 2006, while two silver medals were won by the junior league in 1998 and 2002, and in division B the female juniors won the bronze and silver medal, while the male juniors won the gold.

2010 FIBA World Championship Turkey Schedule of Slovenian matches Saturday 28 August 3.30 pm* Tunis : Slovenia Sunday 29 August 3.30 pm* Slovenia : USA Monday 30 August 3.30 pm* Slovenia : Croatia Wednesday 1 September 8:30 pm* Brazil: Slovenia Thursday 2 September 7pm* Slovenia - Iran *Slovenian time (CET)

Stop! Wait a minute Mister P

. . . n a m t s o

The Slovenia Times and the Ljubljana Tourist Board present a ‘new’ oldfashioned way of delivering newspapers.

We are sending the time machine back 150 years to the dawn of the mail service that was. Throughout the summer an old fashioned postman will tour Ljubljana’s old town acting as a mobile tourist information point.

As well as delivering copies of The Slovenia Times and Summer Guide Slovenia, the postman will also give advice about places to see in Slovenia’s capital.

Although the postman is modeled on a traditional postman from 1860, he represents one of the latest addition to Ljubljana’s tourist services.

The postman will wear a dark blue and orange uniform. One particular challenge for the costume maker was to make the clothing, inspired by a standard AustroHungarian uniform.

The postman is also available for your event / presentation.

Contact: marketing@ sloveniatimes.com

PM Borut Pahor at Pivo Cvetje (Beer&Flowers) Festival in Laško, meeting representatives of both Union and Laško Brewery. (Medisapeed)

Lifting of 120 bottles of Radgonska penina sparkling wine, that have been aged in Mura river for one year.

The Slovenia Times Business Editor Maja Dragović gives a lecture to foreign students at the Economics Faculty in Ljubljana. (Maja Kaplan)

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

Fashion promenade Noranapetke (Crazyforhighheels).

James V. McKinney, American military attaché in Slovenia, with his family during the visit of USS McFaul at port of Koper.

(Mediaspeed)

The finals of Beach Master 2010 beach volley championship in Ptuj: Erika and Simona Fabjan versus Tora Hansson of the winning team.

(Mediaspeed)

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