The Slovenia Times 114 by Slovenia Times

PLANICA SKI FLYING: A Century Of Pushing The Limits

The Slovenia Times, Slovenian magazine in English, volume 6, number 114, EUR 4,80

March 2009

Energized! A special focus on Sloveniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy sector

CONTENTS

March 2009 4

Panorama

POLITICS

Referendums - blessing or curse?

The Erased between the rule of law and populism

ECONOMY

Facts and figures

The uncertain future of the banks

ENERGY SPECIAL

Exploring the Options

Interview: Marko Kryžanowski, Petrol CEO

Is Ignorance Really Bliss?

Dealing with the Crisis

Interview: Djani Brečevič, energy expert

Fighting Energy Shortage

Nuclear Options

SOCIETY

Social position of women through the century

Danica Purg reflects on female career making

PLANICA: A place for daring men

SPORTS

Volleybal sensation

Skiing: Tina Maze’s glorious return

CULTURE Events

GUEST STAR: Meet the candidates

LIFESTYLE

X-country experience of Slovenian highlands

A book about immigrants, which enraged the police

Meet the awarded Slovene female scientists

Partners

The thrills of Eurosong canidate contest Every Picture Tells a Story March 2009

CY CMY

PANORAMA

source: STA, Slovenian Press Agency

Everything that could go wrong, went wrong said Foreign Minister Samuel Žbogar in Brussels, commenting on the problems with the ratification of Croatia’s NATO Accession Protocol, caused by “unfortunate circumstances” The non-parliamentary Party of the Slovenian Nation decided to continue collecting signatures in support of a referendum on Croatia’s membership of NATO. Prime Minister Borut Pahor also attended the party’s meeting in a bid to persuade the party to halt proceedings for a referendum the majority of political representatives deem would be detrimental to Slovenia. The parliament debated two days before making a statement meant to avert a referendum on Croatia’s membership of NATO, a condition for the withdrawal of the referendum petition put forward by the SSN and the Institute 25 June, a patriotic outfit aligned with the opposition People’s Party (SLS). The institute said it would halt referendum proceedings as soon as parliament adopted the SLS-sponsored statement on Slovenia’s interests regarding Croatia’s NATO membership, but the SSN was not appeased, saying it would continue efforts for the referendum.

The document states that on 25 June 1991 Slovenian authorities “enforced jurisdiction over settlements on the left bank of the river Dragonja and territories on the left bank of the river Mura...and Slovenia had territorial access to high seas and jurisdiction over the entire Piran Bay”. SSN vice-president Lovro Škrinjarič said that the party would halt referendum proceedings only when Slovenia and Croatia had reached a fair settlement of the border issue, and that the party could not disappoint the people who signed the referendum initiative. After submitting 2,500 signatures in support of a referendum bid, the proponents have under law 35 days to collect the 40,000 signatures necessary for a referendum, which means this would jeopardise the scheduled date of Croatia’s accession to NATO at the alliance’s summit on 3-4 April. The proponents then have seven more days to notify the authorities whether they have managed to collect the necessary signatures. The SSN said after the session and after meeting Pahor that it might withdraw the referendum petition if the statement passed by parliament is

Photo: BOBO

Škrinjarič’s five minutes... or more?

implemented. Pahor assessed the meeting as an important step forward. If the party fails to collect 40,000 signatures or halts referendum proceedings early, Slovenia will have formally ratified Croatia’s accession to NATO. This would enable Croatia to take part in the 3-4 April NATO summit as a full-fledged member. Needless to say, a motion by a tiny party, which gatered no more than 0.25 per cent votes, caused a burning political and public debate among Slovenes, which in majority don’t oppose the neighbour’s membership in the alliance.

SDS

Universiade

Dental Care

The Coalition of Lies?

Humbly Optimistic

The president of the opposition Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), Janez Janša, addressed a ceremony marking the party’s 20th anniversary, saying that the SDS has never before been so strong and experienced. However, he didn’t miss the oportunity to evaluate the parties, which the SDS opposes. According to him, the situation in coalition is a clear message that lies and deception cannot be a solid foundation for a building, and that those who win by lying and deceiving will end the same way. The SDS celebrates its 20th anniversary as the party is a successor to the two Slovenian Social Democratic Alliances, both founded in the beginning of year 1989.”When we look back, we see that Slovenia saw its greatest successes in the times when the Slovenian spring had the majority in parliament - the country gained independence, resisted to the aggression of the former Yugoslav Army, saw an economic rise and presided over the EU.” Janša believes that the situation in Slovenia requires joining of forces, but this is something that the majority of the coalition parties reject.

Responding to growing uncertainties surrounding the funding of the 2013 Winter Universiade in Maribor, Prime Minister Borut Pahor said that the government supports the project, but added that a more economical approach was necessary. He emphasised the need for austerity and added that the existing sport venues in Slovenia should be used. The Slovenian government has meanwhile not approved the EUR 3m concession fee to be given to the University Sports Federation (FISU) as a guarantee that the project will be implemented at the agreed level of quality.

Paying per Head is a Bad Idea

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UNDER THE PRESS Clean Shovel Strikes Again

Road Knot Drying Out the Budget

Prosecutors filed charges against eight unidentified persons in a highprofile corruption case. The charges come over a year after the bosses of three big construction companies were arrested in a spectacular night raid over alleged corruption in the construction of a new air traffic control tower, known as the “clean shovel” action. Three of the persons charged are believed to be the bosses of construction companies, who were arrested last year: In February 2008 the heads of SCT, Primorje and Vegrad, Ivan Zidar, Dušan Črnigoj and Hilda Tovšak were taken into custody along with a member of the tender commission at the National Air Traffic Control, Tomaž Žibert. Unofficial reports suggest the four had been caught talking about bribes in connection with the deal.

Transport minister Patrick Vlačič said the toll stickers did not bring in enough money to sustain the motorway construction programme. The position of the European Commission that the half-yearly stickers discriminate against foreign citizens also urges a change in tolling policy. However, the vignettes would be used as long as it will take Slovenia to find a new system, which could not be set up over night. Meanwhile, the national motorway company, announced it would step up vignettes checks to make sure that drivers buy the stickers for 2009. Apparently too many drivers have been reported or caught driving with 2008 half-year toll stickers. According to the motorway company, police fined as many as 18,862 drivers since the beginning of July, when the vignette tolling system was introduced.

If I had had my eyes closed and if I had not known Mr Damijan, I would have thought that the proposal to set up a bad bank was being made by a central planner. I suppose he read about the bad bank in some newspaper and thought this was the idea he could sell. Photo: BOBO

Tolling

Popular voice

Parties popularity 30,45

28,70

29,26

28,50

Social Democrats (SD) Democrats (SDS) Zares

12,70

9,37

National Party (SNS) Liberal Democrats (LDS)

4,70

5,21

sep 08

jan 09

feb 09

Pensioners (DeSUS) People’s Party (SLS)

Vox Populi, a survey (n=700) by Ninamedia comparing to September elections.

Political Hall of Fame

We aren’t dreaming anymore. Ideas to dig up the Earth and make it a flourishing garden, to make a better world no longer come to our minds. I sense fear instead of dreams. Fear of being punished ... Ten years of our independency and democracy have flooded us with garbage. Now we got everything - most do: everyone can and does shop in supermarkets. We got what we so desperately wanted. And then - emptiness.

Tomo Križnar

Most popular personalities according to Vox Populi: 1. Danilo Türk (President of the Republic) 2. Janez Potočnik (European commissioner for Science & Rsearch) 3. Borut Pahor (Prime minister) 4. Mitja Gaspari (Minister for Development and European Affairs) 5. Matej Lahovnik (Minster of Economy), 6. Gregor Virant (SDS MP, Former Minister of Public Administration), 7. Gregor Golobič (Minister of Higher Education), 8. Zoran Janković (Ljubljana Mayor), 9. Ljubica Jelušič (Minister of Defence), 10. Lojze Peterle (Member of European Parliament, EPP-ED)

Jože P. Damijan

Marko Kranjec, the governor of Slovenian central bank, dismisses the notion that Slovenia needs a governmentowned bad bank to buy dodgy loans from the country’s commercial banks. The proposal was made by Jože P. Damijan, an economist well-known for his staunch liberal principles and vocal critiques of central planning he sees at work in Slovenian economy. (RTV Slovenia)

Photo: BOBO

Corruption

Pop culture

Madonna! Pop icon Madonna, who will visit Ljubljana on August 20 as part of her prolonged “Sticky & Sweet” tour, is expected to fill the Ljubljana Stozice hippodrome. The Slovenian organisers of the concert are expecting to sell 62,000 tickets for the event. The organisers stressed that there was no fear that Madonna’s concert could get cancelled - this happened with the concerts of Michael Jackson and Marilyn Manson a few years ago. Madonna is expected to bring her own 200-member crew to Ljubljana, while an additionl 300 people from Slovenia will also be involved in the event. The crew will start building the stage nine days before the show which is to cost between EUR 1m to EUR 1.2m.

Tomo Križnar, world traveller and African humanitarian activist about the state of humanity (Reporter magazine)

What do they say? The wolf changes its skin, but not its habits. In relation to him [Janša] you have only two options: either you will submit to him and become his yes-man or remain his adversary (make no mistake - you still are his adversary) and he will stab you in the back the first chance he gets. But you, who obviously don’t know Janša well enough, consult him on all matters even before you consult your own government. You also compliment yourself in front of the public because of that. Did you forget your pre-election promise to your voters and your coalition partners, that we will together change Janša’s ruling style... Slavko Ziherl, a psychiatrist and LDS vice-president, in his open letter to PM Borut Pahor, expressing disappointment over the latter’s sympathies for the former PM Janez Janša. Your letter is of a critical nature. My position demands taking criticism as a part of an everyday routine. I don’t expect praise. My inspiration for working in politics was and will be determination to serve the common good. This is all the moral legitimacy of this hard, but beautiful work, which I’m totally devoted to. This is my responsibility to the people who trusted me with this job. These people should not have overlooked my openness for negotiation and cooperation with those who think differently. PM Borut Pahor in his open letter,a response to Slavko Ziherl’s warning for the tricky Janez Janša.

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

POLITICS

Doing the Right Thing

Referendumania

By Marko Vuković

Take a look around Slovenian political

landscape and you cannot help but cringe. As first workers are being laid off in what will probably be the worst economic cirsis for decades, the political elite is engaged in a bitter dispute over whether to uphold the rule of law in the country or not. One would expect that the decisions of the constitutional court will be respected and implemented by those responsible, i.e. the government and the parliament, even if that does not necessarily go down well with the general public. This is what the rule of law is all about; guaranteeing the rights flowing from the constitution and the laws of the country, especially when political expediency dictates otherwise. But in the case of the erased, a group of people from ex-Yugoslav republics who were unlawfully deleted from state registers and thus with one stroke of hand made illegal immigrants in the country they had lived in for years, the rule of law broke down. When the constitutional court ruled that the erased should be given back their status as permanent residents of Slovenia, the political class as a whole was flabbergasted. There it was for all to see, an act of administrative genocide that mars the history of Slovena’s independence. However, the politicians did not move quickly to remedy the situation, but chose instead to work around the court’s decision, stoking fears that the erased may, God forbid!, demand compensation for the wrongs inflicted upon them by the Slovenian state. Curiously, Borut Pahor, then the speaker of the parliament and today the country’s Prime Minister, was closely involved in efforts to establish a cross-party consensus on how to deal with the court’s decision. Sadly, following the latter to the letter was never really an option. Accommodating those that were (and still are) hinting the deletion from the registers was somehow a just punishment for „southerners“ who did not support Slovenia’s independence had a priority. But why? Mr Pahor has always had an urge to reach across party lines, to polish his image as an inclusive politician, an image that propelled him to the top of the polls, even if that has meant talking to people for whom pandering to their (and the electorate’s) nationalistic passions trumps the respect for the constitutional court’s decisions. So it came as a relief when Katarina Kresal, the interior minister, decided to simply follow the court’s ruling and give the erased back their status. The opposition fumes. Some politicians fear that the erased will now flood the courts around the country with demands for damages, and this at the time when the money would be much better spend on bailing out banks and such. Nothing is easier than to mobilize people against a certain group by claiming that the latter will weigh heavily on their wallets. And this is just what the opposition is doing at the moment. Who would not agree that needy pensioners and students should get the money earmarked for the damages to people that fought against Slovenia’s independence, the argument goes. You would expect to read such arguments in internet forum debates, but it seems they spilled over to the political arena. This is a shame. But it is also a symptom. Take Croatia. Only a couple of months ago Mr Pahor’s ratings shot through the roof as he took a hard stance towards Croatia, saying that Croatians could not expect to join the EU, if they did not give in to Slovenian demands regarding the sea border between the countries. The nationalists cheered and Croatia-bashing was, at least for the moment, given free rein. Today, Mr Pahor has a big problem on his hands: the posibility of a referendum that will block Croatia’s entry in NATO and the EU, damaging Slovenia’s reputation as a responsible partner in international affairs. It has namely proved very difficult to call back the hounds, once they have smelled blood. The roots of the xenophobic discourse are the same in Croatia’s and the erased’s cases. Pandering to extreme fringes of the political spectrum and getting away with it unscathed has worked for Mr Pahor. His ratings are still sky-high, despite the fact that he obviously mismanaged both issues. However, sometimes doing the right thing, „even if my ratings drop to zero“, as Ms Kresal said, works wonders. Maybe not for the politician doing it, but for the politics as such. The Slovenia Times

Dodging the Ballot It’s a familiar story to Slovenian voters. They may soon head out to vote on a new referendum, this one with international implications. But are referendums themselves ready for an overhaul? By: Jaka Bartolj

he ext ra-pa rl ia ment a r y Stranka slovenskega naroda (The Party of the Slovenian Nation, SNN) is usually an insignificant player on the Slovenian political scene. In late February, however, it emerged from nowhere to dominate national headlines when it decided to force a referendum on Croatia’s NATO membership. The referendum had originally been supported by a group associated with the mainstream SLS. However, that group backed down after it reached a compromise with the government, agreeing on a statement that Slovenia’s national interest will be protected from Croatia’s claims. To the surprise of many observers, however, the nationalist SSN refused to back down from the referendum. Ignoring an earlier agreement, the party even replaced its sceptical president, and pushed ahead in its effort to collect 40,000 signatures necessary to force a referendum. To Prime Minister Borut Pahor, this unexpected development is an embarrassment. A few weeks earlier, he had blocked Croatia’s EU accession talks because Croatian officials had submitted a number of documents that, in Slovenia’s eyes, prejudged the disputed border between the two countries. However, Pahor had also made it clear that no such issues existed with Croatia’s NATO application. The referendum now means that Slovenia is likely to miss the deadline for submitting its formal approval of Croatia’s NATO membership to the organization. According to many analysts, the referendum may end up weakening Slovenia’s negotiating position. The daily Delo even says that Pahor himself is partly to blame for making himself vulnerable to political extortion.

Voting Early and a Bit Too Often If the international connotations of this development are unusual,

the referendum itself is not. Slovenian voters have voted in a dozen referendums since independence. Political parties have frequently opted to force a referendum when they were left with few other political options. T h e p r o c e du r e i s s i mpl e enough: Collect 40,000 signatures or obtain the support of at least 30 MPs. Even divided opposition parties can manage that. Referendu m s h ave t herefore dealt with issues ranging from Slovenia’s electoral system to the expansion of a power plant. But they are not a cheap way of making public policy. A single referendum costs more than two million euros. Blogger Michael Manske has called referendums “something of a Slovenian specialty.” And in fact, Slovenia’s independence came in the wake of a successful referendum to break away from Yugoslavia. Some, however, are now pushing for a change. Among them is Zares, one of the three government parties, which wants to reform the legislation regulating referendums. It proposes setting a minimal turnout limit for any referendum to be declared valid. In many past referendums, less than a third of eligible voters turned out to cast their ballots. In the referendum on Slovenia’s region, fewer than 11 percent turned out at the polls. Za r e s’s pr op o s e d r e for m s would also make the signaturegathering process a bit more difficult and would make questions relating to human rights permanently off-limits. In addition, setting two days each year for referendums would help to minimize costs. According to Zares, the current system allows political parties to play games with referendums. Whether or not Zares’ specific reforms are approved, the days of this Slovenian specialty, at least in its present form, may be numbered.

POLITICS

The Rule of Law

The Erased Become Very Visible At first glance, Aleksandar Todorović, a bearded, unprepossessing man, may seem an unlikely figure to be in the centre of a major political debate. Yet, the decision of the Ptuj District Court to award him 17,000 euros has set off a political firestorm and helped to bring about a no-confidence motion against Interior Minister Katarina Kresal. By Jaka Bartolj

lovenia’s opposition parties, which launched the motion, accuse Kresal of acting inappropriately in her decision to start granting retroactive residence permits to the “erased”, a group of as many as 25,000 residents of other former Yugoslav republics who were removed from Slovenia’s permanent resident registry in 1992. Kresal says that she is simply following a 2003 Constitutional Court ruling. The opposition parties, which favour a case-bycase approach to the issue of the Erased, respond that she is applying the ruling improperly and ignoring the results of a referendum that defeated a draft law on the erased.

Euros and Sense At the centre of the debate is money. The opposition portrays the Todorović case as a dangerous precedent that could end costing Slovenia millions upon millions of euros. Todorović is one of the “erased”; he’s also their most vocal representative. On February 20, the court granted Todorović compensation for lost revenue because he was unable to get a work permit after he was removed from the registry after independence. The verdict came after a protracted legal battle that had begun in 1996.

To many critics in Slovenia, the ruling represents a dangerous precedent. If Todorović is entitled to 17,000 euros, what happens to the other 25,000 or so of the erased? Are they also in line to receive substantial compensation from the state? Former Interior Minister Dragutin Mate of the SDS party certainly thinks so. He argues that nothing prevents thousands of other erased from filing such claims as the government progressively resolves their status. Mate and other representatives of the opposition are strongly critical of the government’s decision to start reinstating the status of the erased by issuing them full residency documents. They put the blame for the financial consequences squarely on Kresal: “A consequence will be the state admitting directly that we did not have proper legislation in a certain period of time,” says Mate. Kresal rejects the notion that issuing the documents opens the door to large-scale compensation. “Each individual compensation is subject of a special legal procedure and is a matter of the courts and not the ministry,” says Kresal, adding that out of the six lawsuits that have run the full judicial course so far, none have resulted in any compensation for the

plaintiff. “Those who think that this opens the door to more and more claims for compensation are sorely mistaken,” agrees Matevž Krivic, who represents the erased: “There are so many unanswered legal questions that it will take many years before anyone will receive anything.”

Political Hardball Kresal also stresses that under Slovenian law, the judgment in the Todorović case is not yet final. The State Attorney will launch an appeal, based in part on the argument that the statute of limitations for Todorović’s claim has run out. The State Attorney’s Office also stresses that the judgment in Todorović’s favor was not a direct result of his erasure, but rather the denial of a work permit that was merely an indirect result of his “erased” status. According to the State Attorney’s Office, he precedent-setting potential of the ruling, even if it finalized, is therefore limited. Besides, says Kresal, the government is simply enforcing the 2003 Constitutional Court ruling that requires the state to restore full status to the erased. Kresal’s decision was certainly not a huge surprise. The parties of the governing coalition, including Kresal’s LDS, had been sharply critical of the previous government’s failure to

enforce the Constitutional Court ruling. “As a minister I swore before parliament that I would respect the Slovenian legal order and this is what I am doing,” says Kresal. But to the opposition, the judgment awarded to Todorović is proof that the government’s strategy was not only rash and ill considered, but that it was also presented in dishonest way. Mate argues that it is now obvious that the government was misleading the public when it argued that the erased would not receive any compensation. According to the opposition, the state may end up paying EUR 425 million if each of the erased sues the state and receives as much as Todorović. Brako Grims of the opposition SDS is quick to point out that the amount doesn’t even include court costs. “The issuing of decisions in these times of unfavourable economic conditions, financial crisis and growing unemployment is unsuitable, improper and unjust,” says Grims, adding that Kresal’s policy is particularly unfair to those residents of other former Yugoslav republics who did obtain residence papers in 1992.

A Never-Ending Story Questions concerning the loyalty of some the erased have been March 2009

POLITICS

Who Are The Erased? Aleksandar Todorović received an unpleasant surprise in 1993. When he went to register his newly born daughter’s birth certificate, local officials destroyed his documents and told him that he wasn’t a legal resident. He wasn’t even recognized as the baby’s father.

Photo: BOBO

By Jaka Bartolj

The Erased in one of their protests in front of the parliament.

The Slovenia Times

international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned Slovenia’s treatment of the erased, and some of the erased even toured Europe to draw attention to their plight. Whatever the result of the noconfidence vote against Kresal, the saga of the erased is far from over.

Photo: BOBO

at the forefront of the public debate. Several critics of the government’s policy argue that some of the erased failed to get their documents in order when they still had time because they felt no loyalty to Slovenia or were unsure if the new country was viable. Some critics, including Grims, argue that a number of the erased were soldiers of the Yugoslav National Army during the Ten-Day War and that some even participated in aggression against Slovenia. The government rejects this argument. According to Borut Sajovic of collation LDS party, authorities will make that those who fought against Slovenia in 1991 will not be eligible for compensation. Even the total number of the erased is disputed by some. The Interior Ministry’s recently revised number of 25,671 is significantly higher than the previously estimated 18,305. Zmago Jelinčič, the head of the populist SNS, isn’t buying the numbers. In addition to arguing that the number “significantly exceeds the number of people who...decided in a selfwilled manner to reject Slovenian citizenship,” Jelinčič also states that he finds it impossible to believe that 5,630 of the Erased were minors. Further raising tensions is Todorović’s statement that he is not satisfied with the amount of compensation he is set to receive. He says that the amount represents just 30% of what he had asked for and that he will appeal the ruling to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The saga of the erased has in the forefront of public debate in Slovenia for years. On occasion, the story has even spilled beyond the country’s borders. Several

housa nds of people – some 25,000 according to the latest estimates -who had lived in Slovenia for years, but were originally from other ex-Yugoslav republics, had experiences similar to that of Aleksandar Todorović. Local administrative offices confiscated their documents, which had been issued in Slovenia, and left them without any legal status. Some were deported. Many were unable to find any work. The Slovenian government had given all foreign-born residents a six-month window to obtain citizenship after the country became independent. Ma ny took advantage of the offer. Many others did not. Some, who had lived in Slovenia for decades, we r e n o t e ve n aware that they had to apply for citizenship. They were erased from Slovenia’s residency rolls in 1992. Today, there is a widespread consen sus t hat t he Slovenian government bungled the process. Authorit ies never ade quately informed individuals what steps they have to take to retain their status. And those who were u lt imately erased never had any legal recourse, no way to explain what had happened. In 1999, Slove n i a’s Constitutional Court ruled that the erasure was unconsti-

Aleksandar Todorovć

tutional. Four years later, it ruled that the legal status of the erased must be restored. Through the years, the story of the erased attracted considerable international attention. Some came from human rights organizations like Amnesty International, which condemned Slovenia’s treatment of the affair. Even many foreign news organizations profiled the story, a rare blemish on Slovenia’s otherwise solid post-communist record. Despite the general political consensus that things need to be fixed, the details have proven very divisive. The centre-right bloc favours a strictly case-by-case approach to rectifying any injustices. Among ot her concer n s, r ig ht-lea ning politicians warn that any former Yugoslav Army officers who participated in the 1991 war against Slovenia will now automatically receive citizenship. Some also argue that the automatic naturalization will benefit people who never felt any loyalt y to Slovenia and doubted its viability as an independent count r y. Perhaps even more sig nificantly, the centre-right bloc warns that the floodgates may open for compensations claims. All of these concerns led voters to reject a law restoring citizenship of the erased in a 2004 referendum. The centre-left bloc, however, points at the 2003 Constitutional Court ruling requiring the state to grant full citizenship status to the erased. If Slovenia is a country of laws, says the current government, there must be no exceptions. Addressing an old injustice is simply the right thing to do. The erased have drawn attention to their plight for years. Their actions have included both a brief hunger strike and a European protest tour. Now, they may finally get their way.

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Economy

FACTS AND FIGURES

source: STA, Slovenian Press Agency

Save Our Banks!

Despite the turmoil, NLB, Slovenia’s biggest bank, made EUR 50,9 m in profits before taxes in 2008

Although Slovenia has not yet had to deal with bank failures that plague the financial systems of its European peers and the US, the government has rolled out schemes to help banks weather the almost perfect financial storm. The first is a EUR 12bn loan guarantee scheme which the banks can use up until 2010. Its aim is to make it easier for banks to raise money on international financial markets which have become increasingly stingy when it comes to refinancing liabilities. The biggest Slovenian banks depend on foreign funds to continue lending. As confidence in the strenght of banks’ balance sheets around the world has plummeted, so has the willingnes to lend large sums that were once bandied about on interbank and syndication markets. If at the end of 2008 the government assumed that the EUR 12bn will be enough to thaw the credit freeze, the things have not quite worked out that way. Recognizing that it is not only the heavily indebted, but also sound businesses that have problems accessing credit, in February the government unveiled another guarantee scheme that targets business loans. With guarantees of EUR 1bn and subsidised interest rates for businesses, the government hopes to soothe the combined impact of a looming recession and the credit crunch.

In another move to get the credit flowing, the government deposited much of the proceeds of its January EUR 1bn bond sale in Slovenian banks. Whether the latter will choose to sit on the cash, rather to lend it on, remains to be seen. In any case, the government stands ready to pledge yet more money, if banks prove reluctant. Apart from guarantees, which may or may not be called upon by foreign creditors of Slovenian banks, the policy makers are also opting for direct capital injections. Slovenian Export Bank (SID) can soon count on EUR 140m of fresh capital which will help it getting better ratings and obtaining better terms for funds on international financial markets. Because the SID is entirely state-owned, the government can make sure that the bank supports economic activity and does not hoard cash. In 2008, the government also recapitalized two of Slovenia’s biggest banks, NLB and NKBM, where it is also the biggest shareholder. Although at at the time injections of taxpayer money in the amount of around EUR 400m were frowned upon by some economists, the move has proved prescient. Maybe that is why the finance minister France Križanič sounds so selfassured when he dismisses the notion that Slovenia needs a bad bank to sort out the capital market.

Telecommunications

Banks

Car Parts Suppliers

Mobile Penetration Above 100 percent

NLB Asking for State Guarantee

400 Jobs Jeopardised at Prevent

The number of mobile phone plans has for the first time exceeded the total population in Slovenia, the country’s telecommunications watchdog announced. The penetration of mobile phone services on the Slovenian market stood at 100.1% in the final quarter of 2008,

Slovenia’s biggest commercial bank, NLB, is the first bank to have filed a request for a state guarantee under the amendments to the public finance act passed in November 2008 in order to help alleviate the credit crunch. NLB explained that the guarantee would enable the bank to extend refinancing options within the adopted government schemes, apart from the existing activities in servicing its customers. This is important in particular because many foreign banks, including NLB’s competition, have already used state guarantees offered by other governments to borrow money.

As many as 400 jobs could go at Prevent, the car seat cover making company, as a result of a 40 percent slump in orders. Prevent Global CEO Ivan Majcen said that the management was looking for solutions to “keep as much as we can”.

Car Industry

Lipica Farm in the Red

In times when companies report of faltering demand and layoffs, Renault-owned car plant Revoz is planning to increase its production and employ new workers with fixedterm contracts. Because of growing demand from abroad, especially Germany, the Novo mesto-based company is to increase its production from 750 to 880 vehicles a day and to employ 150 more people in April, Revoz said. The Slovenia Times

Photo: Revoz

Revoz Hiring New People

Kobilarna Lipica, the authority managing the world-famous Lipica Stud Farm with 358 horses, again recorded a slight loss in 2008 after finishing in the black in 2007 following a long negative period. On the other hand, the business figures of the farm’s tourism spin-off Lipica Turizem were positive, the farm’s council said.

11 Car Industry

Banks

Steep Drop in Car Sales Due to Crisis

A Slovenian energy project has found a place on the list of projects which will be eligible for EUR 3.5bn of EU funds for improving energy security. The European Commission proposed EUR 40m to be earmarked for a project transporting natural gas from the SlovenianAustrian border to Ljubljana. The European Commission intends to provide EUR 1.75bn for energy supply links, including EUR 250m for the Nabucco gas pipeline, which is to bring gas from the Caspian basin to Europe via Turkey.

Photo: BOBO

Slovenian Gas Project Govt Increasing Gets EUR 40 m Capital of SID Bank

The government proposed a legislative motion under which the nominal capital of th estate-owned development and export bank SID would increase by EUR 160m to EUR 300m. Development Minister Mitja Gaspari said the aim was to stimulate banks’ lending activity.

Car retailers and garages also feel the impact of the crisis, with the sale of used cars dropping by as much as 60 percent in some cases, a survey carried out by the Chamber of Small Business and Trade showed. According to the survey, 43 percent of the retailers who filled in the questionnaire observed a 30 percent decrease in the sale of new vehicles between October and December last year compared to the same period in 2007. The sale of used vehicles drooped by 15 percent at 22 percent of retailers, while some even observed a 60 percent fall in the sale of used vehicles. A total of 4,998 new cars and vans were registered in Slovenia in January, a drop of 26.6 percent over the same month in 2008, the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce reported on Monday. Photo: Revoz

Energy

Banks

Banks’ Total Assets Up, Profits Down Good times rolling banks’ revenues in EUR m 1200

900

Economy

p ê n ê

1433

1354

1216 1049

Telecommunications

Manufacturing

Simobil’s Revenues Up in 2008

Gorenje Sheds 500 Workers

600

IMAD Fears the Worst Quarter Ever Major slowdown (economic growth, in %) 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

¢ªª¤ ¢ªª¥ ¢ªª¦ ¢ªª§ ¢ªª¨Ê ¢ªª©Ê Source: SURS *Forecast

Establishing that the economic downturn on the world markets is continuing, the government Institute for Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD) said the trend was not likely to stop. This will reflect on the data for Slovenia, as the fist quarter of 2009 will be one of the worst since Slovenia’s independence. IMAD director Bostjan Vasle said that while a 1.1 percent economic growth was projected for Slovenia in 2009 last autumn, the faster-than-expected deceleration of growth in the eurozone has forced the government think-tank to downgrade its outlook. The economic growth rate might be about half a percent lower than the projected, said Vasle, adding that the European Commission had forecast in January economic growth of 0.6 percent for Slovenia in 2009 in a revised economic outlook.

Gorenje, the Velenje-based maker of household appliances, will reduce its workforce by between 400 and 500 by the end of the year through “soft methods” such as retirement and consensual termination of job contracts, the company said.

300

0 ¢ªª¥ ¢ªª¦ Source: Banka Slovenije

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Slovenian banks increased their total assets by 12.3 percent to EUR 47.5bn in 2008, while their profit was 34.5 percent lower than in 2007, amounting to EUR 336.6m, according to unaudited pre-tax data of Slovenia’s central bank. However, despite tougher conditions in 2008, none of the 11 Slovenian banks recored a loss. The banks’ total assets increased mainly thanks to EUR 250m worth of bonds that the Slovenia’s state-owned development and export bank, SID, issued in December with the aim to alleviate the consequences of the financial crisis.

Correction

Slovenia’s second largest mobile operator, Simobil, registered an 11.3 percent increase in sales revenues in 2008, which stood at EUR 189.5m. The company also boosted its market share to 27.7 percent , ending the year with 570,600 users, a rise of 14.7 percent year-onyear, the operator said.

Tourism Neighbours visiting foreign tourists in Slovenia by country Croatia

Netherlands

Germany

Austria

Italy Source: SURS

Other

More Tourists in Slovenia in 2008 Slovenian tourist facilities registered a 3 percent rise in the number of guests and a 2 percent rise in overnight stays in 2008. Guests from eight countries accounted for 67 percent of the stays by foreign guests: Italy (19 percent), Austria (13 percent), Germany (12 percent), Croatia (6 percent), the UK (6 percent), the Netherlands (5 percent), Russia and Hungary (3 percent each).

Writing about the business results of Luka Koper, The Slovenia Times said in its article titled “Luka Koper Feels the Pinch” of December 2008 that Banka Koper is owned by UniCredit, an Italian bank. This is not correct; UniCredit does not own a stake in Banka Koper. Apologies.

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Photo: Dreamstime

12 Economy

Banks

Standing Firm, But for How Long? It has been hauntingly quiet on the Slovenian financial front. While governments around the world are busy pumping money into their ailing banks, policy makers and regulators in Slovenia are uncharacteristically sanguine when it comes to the health of the country’s financial system. But is this just the calm before the storm that will blow holes in banks’ balance sheets, forcing the government to rush to the rescue with taxpayer euros? By Marko Vuković

f a only a year ago it still seemed that European banks would emerge from the financial turmoil relatively unscathed, it is now obvious that the credit crisis has crossed the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on economies from Ireland to Greece. The speed with which the crisis has spread from obscure asset classes such as the US subprime mortgages and the exotic derivatives they supported to the real economy around the world, surprised policy makers. Their response has to now been incoherent and half-hearted, as they have mistaken what is obviously a deep crisis of confidence for a relatively benign lack of liquidity. Throwing money at the banks has therefore not helped, as the bankers have chosen to sit on it rather than lend it to needy companies. In Slovenia, credit growth has slowed considerably from its peak of 40 percent at the end of 2007, falling under the 20 percent mark for the first time in five years. While such credit activity is still respectable by European standards, businesses in the country have been complaining that banks are reluctant to refinance their loans and are willing to extend new ones only under onerous conditions and at prohibitively high interest rates. Risk aversion has taken the place of the frothy optimism of the boom years between 2005 and 2007. The Slovenia Times

Open for business Still, the managers that successfully pulled off the management buyout of Merkur, a large technical goods retailer, were recently able to obtain a EUR 40 m loan to get them over what some observers say are quite serious financial difficulties. As management buyouts tend to load firms’ balance sheets with considerable amounts of debt, the newly-minted owners might be squeezed if their company cannot generate sufficient cash flow to pay off the takeover loans. With the recession looming, such concerns are becoming increasingly common. That NLB, Slovenia’s biggest bank, was willing to approve the above-mentioned loan perhaps testifies to the strength of its balance sheet, defying the fallout from the financial crisis. Many people would disagree, pointing out that Bine Kordež, Merkur’s CEO, has excellent political connections that could help him get his message across to state-owned NLB’s management.

Feeling smug Be that as it may, the fact is that Slovenian financial system is not plagued by the excesses that shattered the confidence into banks in the US and in some European countries. Slovenian bankers have not chased yields by dabbling in

derivatives that, being notoriously complex and thus hard-to-value, today put their foreign counterparts between a rock and a hard place. Serial write-downs of complex assets have not been the norm in the country’s banking circles, as lenders by and large stuck to their boring business of underwriting mortgages and company loans. The country has also been spared the real-estate market bust that pushed banks in Ireland and the United Kingdom over the brink. Although the growth in housing prices slowed considerably in 2008, homeowners do not have problems servicing their mortgages. Prices have not fallen off the cliff, they have just levelled off. Of course, some holiday houses have been thrown on the market in recent months, but that should not pose too big a problem to the banks, even if they are not sold at the admittedly inflated prices they were originally bought at.

Blame it on the tycoons That does not mean, however, that Slovenian banks could not face problems if the slowdown in world economic growth turns to prolonged recession. The biggest companies in the country are either export-oriented or heavily dependent on consumer spending. As the world demand dwindles and consumers retrench, some of

the loans taken out in good times to finance acquisitions or investment in new production facilities might not be refinanced or will have to be written down. That should not be much of a problem, especially if banks’ balance sheets are in a reasonably good shape. However, according to some of the most vocal Slovenian economists, they are not and it is precisely the acquisitions and buyouts that are to blame. In recent years, there were at least three cases when managers took out massive loans to finance the buyouts of companies they led. The MBO’s of Merkur (see above), Istrabenz and Pivovarna Laško have been much publicized, not only because the companies in question are stalwarts of the Slovenian corporate world, but also because concerns regarding the observance of competition and takeover laws were raised by regulators and economists. With banks tumbling around the world, the focus has shifted on the ability of takeover consortia to repay the loans and consequences that defaults on their obligations may have for the stability of the country’s financial sector. The souring economy means that the newly-acquired firms might not generate enough profit for their owners to continue servicing their loans. Moreover, the fact that banks happily accepted what were clearly overvalued shares as

Economy 13 collateral certainly does not instil much confidence in the banks’ balance sheets. In 2008, Slovenia’s stock market lost 57 percent in value, with the price-to-earnings ratio dropping from 32.5 to 10.5. Will the taxpayer have to bailout the banks?

Is it that bad? Jože P. Damijan, one of Slovenia’s best-known economists, obviously thinks so. He has, therefore, proposed that the government set up a “bad” bank with the aim of buying souring loans from commercial banks. That would allow the

later to start lending again without worrying how much money they would have to put aside to cover the losses from non-performing loans. As a measure to bolster confidence in the financial system, the establishment of a bad bank certainly trumps a commitment to provide endless amounts of liquidity to banks that choose to sit on the cash rather to lend it. But is such a bank really necessary? Banka Slovenije, the Slovenian central bank, does not think so. Central bank governor Marko Kranjec dismissed Damijan’s proposal as something that would be proposed by a central plan-

ner rather than a skilled economist. The amount of the so-called tycoon loans used for takeovers does not exceed EUR 1.2 bn, central bank officials explain. It is a significant sum, but hardly something that could force the banks to go cap in hand asking for government funds. Still, Damijan brushed off the criticism, saying that only time will tell how big the banks’ losses will be. While this may sound like fear-mongering at a time when NLB posted a EUR 50 m profit, most experts agree that Slovenia has not yet seen the full force of the economic crisis unleashed.

Throwing money at the banks has therefore not helped, as the bankers have chosen to sit on it rather than lend it to needy companies. In Slovenia, credit growth has slowed considerably from its peak of 40 percent at the end of 2007, falling under the 20 percent mark for the first time in five years.

Dependent on foreign financing (deposits-to-loans ratio, in %)

A major slowdown (loans to non-financial sector, growth in %) 40

Slovenia

100 35 80 30 60 25 40 20 20 15

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Source: UMAR, Banka Slovenije

TER REGIS NOW!

March 2009

Photo: Dreamstime

ENERGY SPECIAL

Exploring the Options ENERGY SPECIAL

Just as winter started in earnest in the beginning of January, gas rationing was imposed on industrial customers in Slovenia. The episode served as a reminder of just how exposed the country is to the whims of its energy suppliers, especially to Russia, which covers two thirds of Slovenia’s gas demand. As energy security shots up to the top of the agenda, issues such as energy efficiency and fighting climate change could get sidetracked. But not for long. By Marko Vuković

How secure? The dependence on Russian gas dominates energy security debates throughout the European Union. Although natural gas accounts for only around 14 percent of Slovenia’s energy needs, industry depends on it for a little more than a third of its final energy consumption. Natural gas is the second most important The Slovenia Times

energy source for industry, almost on par with electricity. Given that manufacturing is the base upon which the country’s export-driven economy rests, any supply disruptions are viewed with the utmost concern by managers and policy makers alike. That is exactly what happened at the very start of the year. When

Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy giant, had stopped supplying gas to Slovenia because of a gas pricing dispute with Ukraine, industrial facilities were the first to suffer reductions. There was no talk of cutting off the supply of gas to private households, but the gas reserves could have lasted for only a few weeks. The lesson was clear:

Slovenia depends on Russian natural gas; energy security should, therefore, be the top priority of the country’s energy officials.

Talking pipelines When Gazprom’s boss Alexei Miller came to Slovenia in January to push the talks on the building of a Slovenian section of the

ENERGY SPECIAL 15

When it comes to diesel and gasoline, the market is much less rigged in favour of dominant suppliers than in the case of gas. As the market for oil and its derivatives is deep and liquid, the main concern is not so much whether there will be enough of them to go around, but how high the prices will be. In Slovenia, the prices for diesel and gasoline are set every two weeks, employing a model that factors in world oil prices and the dollareuro exchange rate. With the dollar unexpectedly strong in the face of global slowdown, prices have been falling steeply. This has been a boon to consumers, but environmentalists are worried that lower oil prices could lead to higher consumption and could thus have a detrimental impact on the environment. Oil products, all of them imported, account for a half of the country’s energy consumption and are the main source of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. In

Of course, this does not reflect well on the statistics tracking Slovenia’s implementation of the Kyoto targets (agreed to at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in the beginning of the 1990s). According to the latest figures released by the European Commission, Slovenia is lagging behind its target of reducing emissions by eight percent until 2012. Transport emissions are one of the main culprits. Without additional measures to curb emissions, in 2010 the country will emit 3.5 percent more gases than it should, if it wants to stay on the Kyoto track. While the looming recession might dent the demand for transport services, motor fuel and energy as such, the effect will be marginal at best. The demand for electricity, for example, is set to grow. This makes it all the more important to explore the options of how to produce electricity in an environmentally sustainable manner. Around a quarter of Slovenian electricity is produced by hydro power plants dotting the country’s biggest rivers, the Drava and the Sava, making renewable energy sources a pillar of the energy sector in the country.

Nuclear option Still, a lot of coal gets burned in thermal power plants around Slovenia and plans to instal new plants are already under way. However, by establishing a price the companies have to pay for each ton of CO2 emissions, the EU’s emissions trading scheme has put a lid on the amount of CO2 that power plants can afford to pump into the atmosphere. That makes nuclear power an attractive alternative; nuclear power plants are not nearly as CO2-intensive as

Natural gas is the second most important energy source for industry, almost on par with electricity.

While cargo ships lined up at the port of Koper, truckers were busy transporting goods to western and central European markets. The consumption of diesel in 2008 shot up by 15 percent over the year before, mainly as a result of the increased demand in the transport sector.

Too little, too late? Increasing energy efficiency, on the other hand, seems like a cure to all energy ills. By consuming the same amount of energy to do more things, emissions and costs could be kept in check, while at the same time research and development spending would get a much needed boost. In Slovenia, the government lends a helping hand to those individuals and companies that are willing to invest into environmentally-friendly solutions, be it renewable energy sources or energy efficient buildings. The problem is, however, that the funds available for these purposes are meagre and financially not very attractive. It seems that in times of the financial crisis energy efficiency will be relegated to the back, while energy security will take centre stage. Balanced gross domestic consumption by energy source

Around a quarter of Slovenian electricity is produced by hydro power plants dotting the country’s biggest rivers, the Drava and the Sava, making renewable energy sources a pillar of the energy sector in the country. ¢ªª¥

Targeting gases

coal-fired ones and they use uranium, a fuel that is not going to run out any time soon. Plans to add a second reactor to nuclear power plant in Krško might result in the Slovenia obtaining around a half of its electricity from the plant. Environmentalist are already warning that the issue of nuclear waste has not been properly addressed, but it seems that the security of supply will trump all other arguments.

Oil products 35,6 %

Nuclear 20,3 %

Other 0,4 %

Hydro 3,7 % Renewables 6,5 % Solid fuels 20,1 %

Natural gas 13,4 % Source: Ministry for Economy

It gets worse, before it gets better? energy from renewable sources without hydro, in TJ 25000

20000

15000

10000

5000

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Source: Ministry for Economy

March 2009

ENERGY SPECIAL

On the road

the past couple of years the sales of unleaded petrol have been falling marginally, not only because drivers have been switching to more efficient or diesel-fuelled cars, but also because increased volumes of biofuels have found their way into fuel tanks. Being a transit country on the crossroads of main European transport corridors, Slovenia has seen increased freight traffic on its roads in times when the world economy and t rade boomed. While cargo ships lined up in the front of the port of Koper, truckers were busy transporting goods to western and central European markets. The consumption of diesel in 2008 shot up by 15 percent over the year before, mainly as a result of the increased demand in the transport sector.

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South Stream gas pipeline forward, he certainly did not expect to be met with such resistance to his plans on the part of the new Slovenian government. Instead of following up on tentative commitments made by the previous government, the Minister of the Economy Matej Lahovnik insisted that domestic companies should have a bigger say in the joint venture that will manage Slovenian section of the pipeline. Sout h St rea m w i l l by pass Ukraine, bringing gas from Russia under the Black Sea and then through Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary to an Austrian gas hub serving the wider region. The Slovenian offshot would link South Stream to Italy, Europe’s largest gas consumer. Not only would Slovenia be able to collect transit fees, its gas supplies would no longer be hostage to pricing disputes between Ukraine and Russia. But Lahovnik is not alone in holding out for a better deal with Ga zprom. Suppor t i ng Sout h Stream would mean increasing dependence on Russian gas just at the time when there are unprecedented opportunites to diversify away from Russia, energy experts say. The EU-sponsored and muchtouted Nabucco pipeline broadly follows the same route as South Stream, but it will bring Central Asian gas to Europe. When planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in northern Italy and Croatia come on line, there will be room for yet further diversification of gas supplies. It is obvious that Gazprom’s is not the only game in town.

16 ENERGY SPECIAL Photos: Marc Botte

Interview: Marko Kryžanowski

Expansion on Track Despite the Crisis Petrol, with EUR 2.9bn in revenues in 2008 and one of Slovenia’s biggest companies, enters these uncertain times with something to celebrate. Its operating profit surged by 38 percent to a record EUR 69.7m in the previous year. Marko Kryžanowski, the fuel retailer’s CEO, says that the looming economic crisis is not just a threat, but also an opportunity. Petrol will continue to pursue its expansion plans with the aim of maintaining its position as an important regional player. By Marko Vuković,

ENERGY SPECIAL

We have successfully completed takeovers in Croatia; this has propelled us to the second place in the league of fuel retailers in the country. The Slovenia Times

You have posted surprisingly good business results for 2008. What are the reasons behind the performance of your company? The main reason is Petrol’s growth on the emerging markets of south-eastern Europe. We have successfully completed takeovers in Croatia; this has propelled us to the second place in the league of fuel retailers in the country. Further east, Petrol has secured a concession for the distribution of natural gas in Serbia; quite a scoop, as Petrol is the only foreign company that has been allowed to enter the Serbian gas market. We are also increasing our presence in BosniaHerzegovina and Kosovo. So the focus remains on fuel retailing?

One has to keep in mind that while selling oil and its derivatives is the company’s main activity, the margins are tightly regulated by the state. In Slovenia, margins are being kept lower than in the majority of the EU member states. So we have to look for profits elsewhere. Not only do we sell and distribute heating oil, at our petrol service stations we aim to offer our customers the broadest range of goods and services possible. Our “Coffee to go” service, for example, is a case in point; we would only wish that other innovations would catch on in a similar fashion. Sales growth in sectors other than fuel retailing was 40 percent in 2008; we expect that the sales of

food products and other merchandise will continue to increase their share in total revenues. Still, the analysts expect that Petrol’s net profit will be much lower than the figures for operating profit suggest. Which investments are to blame? Basically, there is only one investment whose value will have to be written down quite significantly: Petrol’s stake in Istrabenz. Everybody knows what has been happening on the stock markets around the world. However, it has to be emphasized that marking the value of our stake in Istrabenz to market does not necessarily mean that the investment is really in such a bad shape. After all, this is just an accounting exercise and

ENERGY SPECIAL 17

What about Petrol’s investment activity? The banks are increasingly stingy with credit; they are sitting on the money rather than lending it. Will you have to reduce your investment plans? First, it has to be emphasized that the banks’ business is taking money in via deposits and lending it out via loans. The difference between interest rates is banks’ profit, so if they don’t lend out the money, they don’t earn it. I think the financial market will calm down, so that credit will start flowing again.

There has been a lot of talk lately about gas pipeline projects such as Gazprom’s South Stream. We have been discussing the Sout h St rea m pipeli ne wit h Gazprom for over two years. As a regional player, we want to be included in the project. We are already heavily involved in the gas distribution business, not only in Slovenia, but also in the region; for example, in Serbia. As a member of a consortium, we will also be involved in making a study on development of gas infrastructure in Macedonia. Therefore, we are not talking only to Gazprom, but also to other potential gas suppliers, from northern Africa to Kazakhstan.

Climate change has taken centre stage in energy debates. What is Petrol doing on this front? We have started an interesting experiment, a petrol service station which is entirely self-sufficient as far as its energy needs are concerned. The station in Koper is equipped with photovoltaics, getting its energy from the sun. What is more important is that Petrol aims to become a regional distributor of biofuels, with the port of Koper serving as an entry point. We are already talking to some suppliers such as Brazil’s Petrobras which is a major producer of bioethanol.

Although Petrol has a substantial cash flow with which to finance investment, there is not enough money to go around for all the investment opportunities that are surfacing at the moment.

A Good Year for Petrol Energy group’s gross revenues amounted to EUR 3.6bn and gross profit totalled EUR 285m, up 21 percent on the year before.

he optimistic plan is for Petrol to generate EUR 36m in net profit this year. Still, due to current uncertainty the company will review its annual plan every quarter. “If the crisis continues, poorer purchasing power will also affect Petrol,” Petrol CFO Alenka Vrhovnik Težak said. Vice-chairman Igor Irgolic singled out delayed payments as the biggest concern for the company. A wave of requests for extended payment terms forced Petrol to stiffen oversight over its claims. These totalled EUR 290m at the end of 2008. “We are concerned that we may have to give up potential sales for risking selling to someone who may not be able to honour their liabilities,” Irgolič explained. Petrol Group sold EUR 2.5 million tonnes of oil products, which is up 19 percent on 2007. Revenues from sales of supplementary and other merchandise were up 42 percent to EUR 374m. The number of service stations

increased by 45 to 425. The company operated 312 service stations in Slovenia, 67 in Croatia, 41 in BosniaHerzegovina, three in Serbia and two in Kosovo. After acquiring a 51 percent stake in Croatia’s Europetrol, Petrol became the second biggest oil derivatives retailer in Croatia. The group operated 27 gas supply concessions at the end of 2008, or three more than at the end of

2007. It supplied its customers from 2,000 LPG depots and sold 345,988 MWh of electricity. Last year’s investments exceeded EUR 140m, 17 percent of which went to the oil division on the Slovenian market, 53 percent in oil activities in South East Europe and 30 percent to the gas division. The rest was invested in other energy and environmental activities and IT.

More service, better service (number of Petrol’s service stations) 425

400 348

361

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380

300

200

100

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Source: Petrol

March 2009

ENERGY SPECIAL

The recession is knocking at the door. Does Petrol already feel the economy slowing down? Of course, falling industrial production also means less demand for energy. For the last two or three months, we have been observing a fall in demand for fuel in the transport sector. Demand from construction and the steel industry is also faltering. In general, every sector that is remotely linked to the automotive industry is bound to suffer. When the car industry is vulnerable, so is the whole economy. Still, we should not be too quick with projections, either pessimistic or optimistic, as things are happening very fast at the moment.

Although Petrol has a substantial cash flow with which to finance investment, there is not enough money to go around for all the investment opportunities that are surfacing at the moment. In crisis, there are always more opportunities than in normal times as many companies are loaded with debt they cannot repay, making them vulnerable takeover targets. Then again, investments will have to yield more, so the opportunities will have to be thoroughly scrutinized. This year, we plan to invest EUR 70m, which is, admittedly, not as much as in previous years. After all, expansion in the region is still our main goal.

Photos: Marc Botte

one can hardly blame Petrol for the disappointing performance of the stock market in past months.

18 ENERGY SPECIAL

Liquefied natural gas

Is Ignorance Really Bliss? Photo: TGE

Contrary to the widespread opinion, natural gas is a far more important source of energy than its 14-percent share of Slovenia’s energy consumption would make it seem. Not only does it cover one third of industry’s energy needs, it is also being touted as a cleaner alternative to solid fuels such as coal. The plans to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the Slovenian coast should therefore attract the attention of the country’s policy makers, but they seem not to really care. By Marko Vuković

LNG terminal, an excellent way to diversify energy supplies

Natural gas is an attractive alternative to fuels such as oil and coal when the costs of CO2 emissions are taken into account.

GE, a German gas engineering company, has been present in Slovenia for almost four years, trying to sell its plan for a LNG terminal gas-fired power plant in Koper to the government and the local community. However, the response of both has been less than enthusiastic. If in the beginning the project was being branded as environmentally dangerous by local environmentalists, the focus has recently shifted to security issues. This is un-

derstandable, as TGE maintains, and the experts agree, that its terminal would be environmentally much friendlier than those that are planned close to Slovenian borders with Italy and Croatia.

Clean yes, but safe? Recently, there has been a flurry of plans to build LNG terminals in the northern Adriatic, testifying to the growing attractiveness of liquefied natural gas as an energy source. On the Italian side of

the border, both an off-shore and a land terminal are planned, while Croatians are seriously considering building a facility of their own on the island of Krk. The problem with these terminals is that they require sea water for the gasification of LNG, while at the same time employing chlorine to keep the pipes free of algae. This represents a major environmental hazard that TGE’s terminal would completely avoid; it would not need sea water for gasification

Maritime transport

Dealing with the crisis ENERGY SPECIAL

As the world economy slips into recession, the international trade has long entered the period of falling freight rates, over-capacity and difficulties with obtaining financing. Slovenia’s biggest logistics company, Luka Koper, the operator of the port of Koper, is heavily dependent on global trade flows, so a recent conference on troubles that maritime transport faces in these uncertain times attracted much interest from the industry. Luka Koper will not escape the negative impact of slowing world trade The Slovenia Times

By Marinela Tomšič-Kompara

ENERGY SPECIAL 19

After Kyoto Another thing to consider about natural gas is that it is an attractive alternative to fuels such as oil and coal when the costs of CO2 emissions are taken into account. Uroš Prosen, TGE’s project manager for Koper’s LNG terminal, calculates that in the period from 2013 to 2020 the cost of emitting a million tonnes of CO2 would reach EUR 240 m. That does not bode well for Slovenian thermo power plants, the main electricity producers in the country. Switching from CO2-intensive fuels such as coal to cleaner and thus cheaper alternatives should therefore be one of the priorities of Slovenia’s energy policy. Again, TGE’s project proves to be a test case for the determination of policy makers to push the country onto a more sustainable energy path. TGE is not only in-

he industry’s importance, of course, cannot be denied. As Minister of Transport Patrick Vlačič emphasized, 80 percent of world trade depends on maritime transport, with 400 million passengers passing through the European Union ports last year.

World trade slumps Because of the global economic crisis, approximately 200 container ships are on anchorage in the EU due to falling demand for exports and imports around the globe Asian shippers could easily start chipping away at the market shares of their European rivals. The lack of well-educated mari-

terested in building an LNG terminal, but also a gas-fired power plant serving the wider coastal region. Because of the surging energy demand, the coast has been facing the threat of blackouts for the last couple of years, so a power plant producing almost the same amount of electricity as Slovenia’s biggest thermo power plant in Šoštanj would be very useful. Add to this the fact that in gas-fired power plants the same amount of electricity can be produced by emitting three to four times less CO2 than in coal-fired ones, and the case for the TGE’s project looks very convincing.

The right mix It is, therefore, somewhat surprising that in times when the dependence on Russian gas is hotly debated in expert circles and in the media, the government has not yet rolled out a consistent strategy of securing diversified gas supplies. Currently, Slovenia imports around two thirds of its gas from Russia, with the rest coming from Algeria and Austria. An LNG terminal on the Slovenian coast would certainly allow for greater diversification and security of supply. As Janko Puklavec, TGE’s advisor, explains, only about a quarter of the gas from the terminal would be destined for the Slovenian market. Geoplin, the country’s gas network operator, could charge substantial transit fees for the rest of the gas that would flow towards Austria and further west. Slovenia would obtain a strategic energy facility it could tap in an event of the crisis, while at the same time ensuring its gas supply was sufficiently diversified.

deserves? Energy politics is a notoriously opaque business. At the moment, Slovenia is engaged in talks with Gazprom, the Russian energy giant, to build a section of the latter’s South Stream gas pipeline through Slovenia. The European Commission, in contrast, is touting the Nabucco pipeline which would bypass Russia and bring gas from Central Asia to Europe. Although everybody involved in these projects claims that there is no competition between the pipelines, it is obvious that they compete for same customers. Faced with politically well-connected rivals such as Gazprom, TGE may have slipped off the government’s priority list. That would not be in Slovenia’s interest, especially with the looming recession. If the project of building an LNG terminal and a gasfired power plant went ahead, Slovenian companies could count on up to EUR 400 m in contracts, not to mention the benefits that would flow to the country as a whole in the form of lower emissions, cheaper electricity and enhanced energy security.

TGE’s terminal would not need sea water for gasification and would have no contact at all with the sea. Given its superior technology, it is hard to argue that the terminal in Koper would unduly burden the sensitive marine environment.

An LNG terminal on the Slovenian coast would certainly allow for greater diversification and security of supply.

Heavy industry natural gas consumption, in % Other 14,3 %

Transformation 13,4 % Industry 57,4 %

Non-energy use 14,9 %

Pipeline politics So why has TGE’s project not attracted the attention it really

time professionals is weakening the European maritime transport industry’s competitiveness, Vlačič warned, saying that maritime professions should be more respected. The economy should provide solutions for seamen that have finished their careers on ships with adequate jobs on land. The standards in the EU for seamen from all over the world should be the same; at the moment, not every seaman can disembark his ship, especially if he is not a national of the EU. Vlačič also said that the latter should simplify the administrative procedures for ships coming to EU ports. No effort has been spared in making the maritime transport

Source: Ministry for Economy

safer and this should be continued, Vlačič asserted. Robert Časar, the CEO of Luka Koper, thinks that the crisis is much deeper than it appears. To weather the crisis, Slovenia’s only port must offer more than other ports in the northern Adriatic: better infrastructure and better service, coupled with more focus on marketing. Časar said that the work on a new container terminal could start soon, now that the documentation is ready. With a new terminal, the port hopes to break into new markets, attracting new clients and additional cargo. To make the company leaner, Časar also plans to sell off non-core segments of the company.

Ship owners worried Peter Mahnič, a small ship owner, shared Časar’s opinion that the economic crisis could hit the industry hard. However, the looming recession will not have the same impact on the small and big ship owners. While, on the global level, the crisis in the maritime industry will be over when the world trade picks up again, until then every ship owner will be left to his own devices. Small logistics firms fear that Luka Koper, will try to muscle in on their turf. They insist that the port should stay open for all logistics operators, with equal working conditions and access to services for firms of all sizes. March 2009

ENERGY SPECIAL

and would have no contact at all with the sea. Given its superior technology, it is hard to argue that the terminal in Koper would unduly burden the sensitive marine environment. A terrorist attack on the LNG tanker or the terminal, however, could change everything, critics of the projects say, endangering not only the flora and fauna of the gulf of Trieste, but also the people living on the coast. While the possibility of a terrorist rocket attack on a tanker fully loaded with LNG looms large the minds of local populace, a potential terrorist expecting a big explosion would be disappointed. When liquefied, natural gas is fairly inert and not at all inflammable, according to experts. Even in the very unlikely case that the whole load of a tanker spilled and nobody did anything about it, much of the gas would simply evaporate before it could do much damage.

20 ENERGY SPECIAL

Interview: Djani Brečevič

Renewables on the Rise As a part of the European Union’s drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Slovenia has committed itself to produce a quarter of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020. Djani Brečevič, the director of Energy, Ecology and Technology Research Institute (IREET), says this is an ambitious goal; to attain it, the country will need to exploit all its renewable energy potential. By Marko Vuković country could harvest 300 MW of energy from wind alone.

Photo: Dreamstime

What about other renewable energy sources? There’s a huge, but still untapped potential in solar energy. You can tap it either by collectors to heat water or by photovoltaic technology that allows the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity. Experts agree that around 3MW of electricity could be generated from solar power, but I think this is a pretty conservative estimate. Unfortunately, while collectors are already pretty well-established, the same cannot be said of photovoltaic cells.

According to Brečevič, wind power is the way to go

There’s a huge, but still untapped potential in solar energy. You can tap it either by collectors to heat water or by photovoltaic technology that allows the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity.

ENERGY SPECIAL

LNG is an energy source that can be bought throughout the world. This is its main advantage; you are not tied to any one supplier, as is the case with Russia, but can go and buy it on the open market, much the same as oil. The Slovenia Times

Slovenian rivers already boast a number of hydro power plants. What about other renewables, such as wind? In Slovenia, wind energy can be most efficiently harnessed in the coastal region. The problem is that environmentalists are viewing the plans to set up wind farms with increasing concern. Yet the experience from other countries such as Germany which has the biggest installed capacity in Europe show that wind turbines are not a threat to the environment, at least not as grave as the environmentalist depict. However, is there a commercial rationale for setting up wind farms? Some experts state that the wind in Slovenia’s coastal region becomes overly strong quite often which means that wind turbines would have to be shut off frequently. I don’t think this is much of a problem. Of course, every location has its characteristic climate; wind farms cannot be set up just anywhere. First, a location has to be found where there is enough wind to get the turbines going. However, a number of measurements on the location of the planned wind farm have to be made to see whether the wind in that region is indeed suited to electricity production. I think that in Slovenia there are many such locations, especially in the coastal region; the

Slovenia is covered with forests. One would think that biomass has an especially bright future as an energy source. At the moment, biomass is predominantly used in heat generation. That should be changed. Biomass could be used for electricity generation; the problem is the price. As biomass is not exactly the cheapest energy source around, prices for electricity generated from biomass should definitely be set higher. However, with increasingly stringent emission targets, it will get more expensive for thermal power plants to produce heat and electricity from coal, so the attractiveness of biomass will increase. Natural gas is also being touted as a clean alternative to solid fuels such as coal. Do you think Slovenia should take the opportunity and enter into a joint venture with Gazprom to build a section of the South Stream pipeline here? If built, the pipeline would bypass Ukraine which is, judging by the recurring disputes between the country and Gazprom, a good thing. Diversification of transport routes is always a welcome development. However, the increased security of supply would in this case be coupled with an increased dependence on Russian gas. However, emission targets will push the prices of emitting CO2 higher, so we can expect that

natural gas and gas-fired power plants will become more important in electricity generation. Having a reliable source of gas supply counts. What about the Nabucco pipeline? Would you describe it as a project that competes with the South Stream? Of course. Nabucco, which is sponsored by the European Commission, follows the same route as the South Stream. The problem with Nabucco is that nobody knows whether it could be filled with enough gas to make it profitable. Central Asian countries that should export their oil and gas to Europe through Nabucco are clearly in the Russian zone of influence. The rationale behind the plans for the Nabucco pipeline is that the latter would bypass Russia and would not depend on Russian energy sources. I think that Russians are already trying very hard to persuade Central Asian gas and oil exporters to use existing pipelines through Russia. There has been a lot of talk about the construction of liquefied gas terminals in Italy and Croatia. TGE, a German gas engineering firm, wants to build one in Koper. LNG is an energy source that can be bought throughout the world. This is its main advantage; you are not tied to any one supplier, as is the case with Russia, but can go and buy it on the open market, much the same as oil. Of course, when thinking about LNG terminals from the Russian point of view, they represent an unwelcome competition to their pipeline plans. One of more interesting plans to reduce the emissions from Slovenian thermo power plants is to build a special pipeline for CO2 connecting them with the port of Koper, liquefying the gas, load it onto tankers and then pump it into the seabed on open sea. Well, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is still in its experimental stages. But if the price of CO2 rises, these plans may get a boost.

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22 ENERGY SPECIAL

Electricity generation

Fighting Energy Shortage According to the Minister of the Economy Matej Lahovnik, the breakup of the Slovenian energy company Holding Slovenske Elektrarne into two parts, HSE and GEN energija, by the previous government was irrational. If ambitious investment plans are to be realized, there has to be closer cooperation between the two pillars of the Slovenian energy sector. There is even a proposal to merge the two companies. By Roman Oberč Brestanica power station: Coal is still indispensable when it comes to electricity generation

he political parties that make up the government have committed themselves to reorganize the distribution and production of electricity as well as ownership structure of the energy producers. Private capital will be encouraged to increase its share in power generation, distribution and marketing companies; however, the electricity transmission network will remain in the state domain.

Two pillars Currently, the biggest importer of Slovenian power is Italy, followed by Croatia and Austria. However, Slovenia has a positive trade balance with Italy only, as it imports more from Croatia and Austria than it exports to them.

When it comes to electricity generation in Slovenia, it rests on two pillars. One is Holding Slovenske elektrarne (HSE), the biggest producer and dealer of electric power in the country. It combines hydro electric power plants, thermal power plants and a coal mine into a single group. Together, the group produces the majority of power in Slovenia and is also active abroad in nine different countries. In 2007, the entire group had a profit of EUR 77.3 m.

Rivers, coal and atoms

ENERGY SPECIAL

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Source: TGE

The Slovenia Times

The other pillar is GEN energija which has a 50 percent stake in Krško nuclear power plant as well as a majority stake in the company that manages hydro power plants on the Sava River. The company also owns a thermal power and a minority stake in a group that will manage hydro power plants on the lower Sava River that are yet to be built. The group’s 2007 profit was EUR 31 million. Some electricity produced in Slovenia is exported, mainly to Italy. HSE says that roughly 20 percent of its production is exported and that the company will intensify its trading activities. Currently, the biggest importer of Slovenian power is Italy, followed by Croatia and Austria. However, Slovenia has a positive trade balance with Italy only, as it imports more from Croatia and Austria than it exports to them.

Eyebrows raised The electricity transmission network is maintained by ELES, whose primary task is to ensure safe and reliable transmission of electricity from producers to distributors. ELES is having its own share of problems that originate from dubious infrastructure investments. In 2008, for example, ELES paid EUR 44 million to Siemens, a German engineering group, for the supply of a transverse transformer. It paid for the equipment from its own assets, instead of taking a loan, and that at a time when large-scale investment in transmission infrastructure is needed.

Anything but a free market Since the electricity market was liberalized in 2007, industry and households are free to choose their supplier of electricity. Distributors are now also able to set prices, something the government used to do in the past. This means that the distribution companies have to compete for market share. In the old system, each of them supplied a given area, for instance Ljubljana was covered by ElektroLjubljana, Maribor by ElektroMaribor and so on. It is important to note that all five distribution companies are state-owned, so it is not surprising that the distributors are not really fighting for new customers. Quite the opposite. The Competition Protection Office issued a statement in which it states that the electricity price rise in January 2008 was unfounded and harmonized, for it was announced at the same time by all five distributors, taking effect on the same date. The distributors have been fined, but, interestingly enough, they are not expected to post losses for the first time in years in 2008.

More power! Slovenia has a shortage of 2.5 TWh of electricity, per year which is set to increase in the future. New sources are needed urgently, but not at any cost, especially not environmental. For this reason energy investment needs to focus on renewable energy sources such as wind, sun and water. Slovenia continued on page 23

ENERGY SPECIAL 23

Krško Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear Options Since both countries declared independence in 1991, the Krško nuclear power plant (NEK) has time and again been a source of conflict between Slovenia and Croatia. The plant generates more than two-thirds of Slovenia’s power and contributes significant amounts of electricity to Croatia’s power grid. By Roman Oberč

Looking ahead Looking at projected energy demand in Slovenia, one can see a constant increase in consumption and little new generation capacity coming on line to cope with surg-

ing energy needs. Hydroelectric power plants are planned, but their output can gyrate wildly, as they are dependent on water levels in the summer, which are in turn affected by processes such as climate change. Compared to thermal power plants, the amount of electricity generated by them is relatively small. Thermal power plants are notoriously unclean and alternative energy sources still have insufficient contribution. It is, therefore, no surprise that adding a second reactor and extension of the lifetime of the existing one to at least 2040 is being mulled. The investment of EUR 2 to EUR 2.5 EUR bn would be needed to build the second reactor with a power output between 1200 and 1500 MW per year. Despite the fact that the resolution of national development projects calls for a public-private partnership, GEN energija, the operator of the plant, says that it is capable of financing the project itself.

Where are the Greens? It is important to note that the public perception of nuclear energy is less negative in Slovenia than in some other countries. This is largely due to the proven safety record of the Krško nuclear power plant. More importantly, despite the largely overblown and perpetually repeated arguments that nuclear waste will destroy the environment, people still see the clear benefits of nuclear pow-

continued from page 22

A long way to go

is aware of this and has plans to utilize these resources. Six hydro power plants are planned on the Lower Sava River. The second nuclear reactor in Krško is also a strategic goal, as is an additional unit at the Šoštanj thermal power plant that will contribute 600MW of power to the grid in 2011. These projects mirror the activities in the rest of Europe, which also needs expensive upgrades and replacement of its aging power infrastructure.

In Slovenia, fossil fuels still have the biggest share in electricity production, with renewable sources contributing almost 3,400 GWh per year. A massive 97 percent of this is hydro electric power. Other renewable sources are slowly increasing their share, especially wind and solar energy. Although wind power is still quite expensive, Slovenia is going ahead with a project that foresees the building of 47 wind turbines with a height of 85 meters each, on Volovja Reber plateau,

Krško nuclear power plant, the biggest single producer of electricity in the country

er, especially compared to fossil fuels. The planet is not heating up because of nuclear energy, but because of overuse of fossil fuels. Nuclear energy is not perfect, but it is the best we have. Moreover, as nuclear fusion slowly takes the place of fission, the promise of clean, waste-free nuclear energy seems one step closer.

The ownership of the plant is divided fiftyfifty between GEN energija and Croatian Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP), firms with strong government influence.

A lot of water (electricity production by source) Nuclear 24,2 % Thermo power plants 47,5 %

Hydro power plants 28,3 %

which is a pristine environment and a habitat of rare birds. In Spain where they built a mountain wind farm with 1200 wind turbines they found that 155 griffons, a rare and endangered birds, die each year as a result of collisions with the blades of the wind turbines. It could happen that Sloven ian wi nd power project ends up being responsible for a drastic reduction of biodiversity in a rare pristine environment. Not to mention that all 47 turbines would never supply more than 1.1 percent

of the country’s yearly energy requirements. The same is true for solar power. Recent studies have shown that with existing technologies Slovenia can harness 960 GWh per year, which is about half the power Krško nuclear power plant produces at the moment. Presently, only about three percent of that potential is actually produced. However, the sun does not always shine, especially not in winter, so it is doubtful that solar energy can be utilized on a large scale in Slovenia. March 2009

ENERGY SPECIAL

hree issues characterize the much-publicized Krško problem: the non-existence of a Croatian fund for the disposal of nuclear waste, Croatian demands for compensation for undelivered electricity between June 2002 and April 2003 and the lack of agreement on the location for nuclear waste disposal. Politicians on both sides of the border are quick to seize these issues when the time comes to divert the attention of the electorate from domestic issues, although the Krško power plant does not have the same potential for this as border disputes. This is in stark contrast to the exemplary running of plant by the excellent team of experts from both countries. The ownership of the plant is divided fifty-fifty between GEN energija and Croatian Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP), firms with strong government influence. NEK is the largest provider of electricity in the GEN energija group with an annual production of 5,200 to 5,900 GWh of electrical energy per year. That is about 36 percent of all power produced in Slovenia. Thermal power stations produce 34 percent of power but there are four of them and the majority of the rest are hydro electric power stations with 24 percent.

24 SOCIETY

Gender Equality

First Mothers and Wives, Only Then… Women represent more than a half of the population in Slovenia. However there are only 12 female Members of Parliament out of 90 and out of 18 Ministries only five are led by women. The situation is no better in the private sector: only one third of senior and executive positions are filled by women and the share of female managers is growing very slowly. It seems that even in the third millennium gender equality is still just a vision. By Barbara Štor

t is nice being a woman: you’re always given the opportunity to enter and exit the elevator first, doors are opened for you, drinks are bought for you and if something is broken, you can easily find a man to fix it. However, not everything is all that rosy and being a woman is sometimes also very hard. Even a hundred years after the first large women’s right demonstration – organised in New York on March 8, 1908 – the political and social equality of men and women is still utopia. Slovenia is no exception and although the situation compared to the rest of the world is not that bad, is not wonderful either.

Men versus Women Fact 1: Slovene women still get lower salaries then their male colleagues- the average monthly gross earnings of women is 7% lower than of men. Because their wages are lower, consequently women’s pensions are lower than those of men. Fact 2: unemployment among women is higher than among men. Fact 3: the presence of women in politics is significantly lower than that of the men: Slovenia has only 12 female MPs and five female ministers. The situation is even worse on the regional level: currently there are only seven female mayors out of 210 in Slovenia. With some 13% of MPs female, Slovenia lacks behind European as well as global averages. The country has a low share of women in politics despite the fact that in The Slovenia Times

last year’s parliamentary elections quotas for women were enforced. Quotas for general elections were introduced two years ago. A transitional provision set a 25% quota for the 2008 elections, rising to 35% in 2012. Fact 4: when women come home from (lower-paid) work, they still perform most of household chores: cooking, cleaning, ironing, washing, taking care of the children, it is mostly all up to women. For example, an average Slovene woman cooks 79 minutes a day, a man only 14. She does the dishes approximately half an hour daily, he only three minutes. Women clean longer, shop longer, they dedicate more time to the children. In contrast, the average Slovene man defeats his female counterpart at watching TV: every day, he spends 131 minutes in front of the TV screen, she only 110 minutes. Apparently, women still choose (willingly or not) to be wives and mothers first; only afterwards is their time for their careers and personal hobbies.

Potato dish Despite the discouraging data about Slovene women in politics, there was one woman in the history of this nation who played an active role on the political scene and who deeply impacted the Slovene nation: Empress Maria Theresa, the Archduchess regnant of Austria. Considered one of most capable rulers, she was a key figure in the power politics of 18th century Europe. Her reforms caused numerous economic, cultural, and religious

For women, much have changed since these times. But then again - not so much...

changes in the region. Under her guidance, a Slovene national renaissance began. With a unified market and transport system, the Slovene regions became more closely linked. The Slovene lan-

guage was used in schools, and Joseph II, who succeeded Maria Theresa, initiated compulsory education. An interesting small detail: Maria Theresa introduced potato to our regions, which liter-

The burdens of tradition reflecting into present day Cultural Minister Majda Širca, comments on the representation of women in Slovenian politics and the current state of gender equality. The situation could have been better, so we would have had more than only three women in the government. The same goes for other the political positions; this is a certain indicator of society’s openness towards women, but also tells us to what extent we women are willing to establish and access the spaces of these positions ourselves. We haven’t gone as far as we could; however, we should take into consideration the relatively short time in which Slovenian women have had the right to vote: relatively late, only from the forties onward. The steps that followed are important, and they contributed to a discussion in the public sphere, which is important for reaching these aims. In general, today’s women still face unequal payments for work equal to men’s. Additionally, they have an additional “job” in many families, where household roles still aren’t well distributed among the partners. Statistics are cruelly clear on this – we have significantly more work and less free time not only in comparison to men, but also to women in other European countries. This lack of free time affects our participation in cultural, sport and other activities. When we strive towards certain positions in society, we are hindered on account to our traditional tasks. But these are things that are changing and will turn into a more open society with fewer differences due to discrimination.

Photo: BOBO

SOCIETY 25 for their rights: the right to vote, the right to education and employment opportunities.

Great Artists, Great Intellectuals

ally saved the nation from starvation at that period. From that time onward, the potato was one of the most favourite dishes in Slovenia.

Coming Out of the Dark Even in the third millennium, men still triumph over women, but the softer sex has slowly and determinedly stepped out of the shadows and claimed it position in society. According to Vesna Leskošek, PhD., a lecturer at Faculty of Social Work and an activist against social inequalities, there were at least two crucial moments when Slovene women left their place at the kitchen-sink and entered the public sphere. One would be the Spring of Nations, which swept across Europe in 1848 and the consequent awakening of the Slovene national consciousness. “It was then that we could witness first appeals to women to play an active role in public life. Women attended political meetings, gatherings and other public events. The newspapers published the first poem, written by a woman, Fany Hausmann,” explains Leskošek. The other crucial moment was the publication of the first Slovene women’s newspaper, called Slovenka (The Slovene Woman, 1898 to 1903). The paper enabled women more active admittance into public life and united them in the fight

Overlooked Because of their Gender For many years Slovene women have been pushed aside, although they have always played an important role in the society. Many wrote Slovene history but failed to make their mark simply because they were women.

At the beginning of 20th century, women in Slovenia made their mark mainly in arts. They succeeded as writers, painters, actresses. However, Leskošek rejects the findings that Slovene women mainly made their mark in the arts; they also influenced other aspect of public life. In the early years of the 20th century there were many female experts in biology, medicine, mathematics, philosophy or law. “We only know more about women in arts,” she comments, “And we awakened their memories sooner.” According to her, it was also very difficult for women to study. For a long time, university education was been inaccessible to women; therefore, Slovene women had to study abroad; few could afford it. Even nowadays it seems that the academic sphere is mainly a male domain. It was only four year ago that the University of Ljubljana got its first female chancellor in its 90-year history, Andreja Kocijančič

Actress Ita Rina, author and traveller Alma Karlin, poet Lili Novy, authors Zofka Kveder or Mira Mihelič, feminist Angela Vode, painter Ivana Kobilica are just some of the women who contributed immensely to different aspects of Slovene public life in the past two centuries, but remained unknown or have been forgotten.

Man-made Laws

Ivana Kobilca (1861-1926) is the best-known Slovenian woman painter. She studied and worked in Munich, Paris, Florence and Sarajevo. Her paintings include landscapes, portraits and still lifes, while her best known painting is Kofetarica (The Coffee Lady). The portrait of Ivana Kobilica was also on the 5000 Slovenian tolar banknote.

Compared to the rest of the industrial world Slovene women have always been quite progressive and modern. From the end of 19th century onward, they took an active part in women’s movements and some 80 years ago there were around 60 different female associations around the country. However the progress of was undesired and not honoured among men, as they continued to argue that women were to obey them and that women’s sole purpose was to marry and reproduce. The perfect example of how men oppressed women is the case of Marica Nadlišek Bartol, who was an editor of Slovenka. According to Leskošek, she was publicly attacked by Bishop Anton Mahnič who argued that women were not really people. “Women have no intellect, but they have a heart, therefore they should be quiet and serve their husbands and children,” he asserted. We take for granted nowadays that almost any woman can have a career, that women can choose whether or not to marry, whether or not to have children and how many, and that a woman can obtain a divorce. Today, it takes a considerable leap of the imagination for a woman to realise what her life would have been like if she had been born 150 years ago.

Ita Rina Ita Rina, born as Ida Kravanja in 1907, is still considered the greatest Slovenian film actress. She appeared in eighteen feature films, mostly by German and Czech producers. Her successful career reached its artistic peak with Erotikon. Unfortunately, because of her personal circumstances and because of WWII and the subsequent situation in Yugoslavia, her film career ended all too soon. She died in 1979, in Budva, Montenegro.

Alma Karlin Alma Karlin (1889-1950) was a traveller, writer, poet and a collector. She chronicled her journeys in hundreds of reports published in various magazines and newspapers. She also wrote numerous works of fiction and non-fiction, but many of her writings remain unpublished.

Ivana Kobilica

Lili Novy Lili Novy (1885-1958), whose mother was Slovene and father German, is considered to be the first Slovenian female lyric poet as well as one of the most important female poets in general. She was also a translator of poetry. During her lifetime, only one collection of her poems was published: Temna vrata (Dark Door).

Mira Mihelič Mira Mihelič (1912-1985), a writer and translator was born in Split (now in Croatia) and is one of the most noted Slovenian literary figures of the 20th century. She was a long-time member of Slovenian and international writers’ societies, serving as president of the Slovene Writers’ Association and Slovene PEN, from 1973 also as vice-president of International PEN.

Angela Vode Angela Vode (1892-1985), one of the major activists of the feminist movement in Slovenia in the 1920s and 1930s, published many books and articles. She was condemned in the so-called Nagode trial, a show trial staged by the Communist regime in 1947.

Zofka Kveder

Zofka Kveder (1878-1926) is still considered the first Slovenian writerintellectual. Recent literary-historical studies point out that at the time when engagement in literature was almost exclusively a male domain, she was a bold, independent and innovative personality.

Zofka Kveder March 2009

26 SOCIETY

Interview: Prof. Danica Purg

A Day for Reflection Prof. Danica Purg, President and Dean of the IEDC-Bled School of Management, is one of the most prominent figures in Slovenian managerial, entrepreneurial and social circles. Over the past 23 years, some 47,000 participants from 70 countries have attended courses at her institution. With such a background, her opinions, ranging from International Women’s Day to the current economic crisis, are all the more appreciated. By Simon Demšar March 8, International Women’s Day, again raises the question of women in politics and business. How do you see the role of women in these two spheres of public life? Compared to other countries, Slovenia is quite advanced in terms of the share of women in high positions (in companies, not politics), which is 15%, compared to 4% in France, for example. This however, does not mean that the situation couldn’t be better. But a managerial role in a high position is very demanding and many women, especially if they have small children, think twice before pursuing it. Looking at politics, women in Slovenia formally have the same rights as men. This is still not the case in all countries, though. This is the sole reason why March 8 remains current and important. It is also a fact that women still have a lot to gain in terms of active participation in politics. All important issues are still open: how to integrate the biological realities of women with their social functions and obligations, how to engage men more in educating and taking care of their children. For the same reasons, promoting diversity policy in organizations remains a difficult process. I believe that March 8 is also a day for women to think again about whether they are themselves doing enough to gain more political and social influence and responsibility. Are we ambitious and active enough? You are a successful business woman. What advice would you give to young business people at the beginning of their professional The Slovenia Times

careers? Would you give women any special advice? Success is a long-term process and it is better that way; if it comes quickly, you are generally not ready for it. So, prepare yourself for it: discover your qualities, develop yourself, work hard to improve your weak points, don’t forget to work on your communication skills and don’t measure your success only by your bank account. There is much more to

it: satisfaction with what you are doing and your contribution to society. I have the same advice for women and men. If you decide to raise a family, take care that both partners can realize their plans without forgetting that your children need you. What are the differences between men and women in terms of approaching work and achieving goals?

Science

Young Inquisitive Minds Get a Boost Three young Slovenian female scientists received “For Women in Science” scholarships for their outstanding work in pharmacy, biotechnics and biochemistry. By Matija Pavlič

n 29 Ja nu a r y ye a rly scholarships of the “For Women in Science” programme were handed out by L’Oreal Slovenia, the Slovenian UNESCO Nat ion a l Com m ittee and the Slovenian Scientific Foundation. This year’s winners Nataša Obermajer, Paula Pongrac and Tina Šmuc received scholarships worth EUR 5,000 for their research projects in the fields of pharmacy, biotechnics and biochemistry. This is the third time the awards have been conferred in Slovenia.

The winners Nataša Obermajer’s work involves studying the role of proteolytic enzymes both in triggering a response of the immune system and in tumour-related processes. Her work is aimed at acquiring new data on proteases action in key cellular processes, defining prognostic and diagnostic values of proteases and developing new delivery systems for a specific reduction in proteases action in cancer-related diseases and immune deficiencies. Upon receiving the

I shouldn’t have to explain what the differences are, since I am convinced that they have to and can be overcome, as I said before. Do you expect lower demand for the education provided by the IEDC in a time of economic crisis? No, I expect the opposite. What competencies can managers acquire at the IEDC, including those that assist them in facing critical situations? award she said: “This award represent a confirmation of my overall research work and an incentive for future challenges.” Paula Pongrac is researching the metabolism of Thlaspi praecox Wulfus, which is a plant species that stores cadmium and zinc in quantities toxic to other plants. She is interested in plant’s symbiosis with symbiotic fungi in extracting minerals and how certain characteristics of the plant as well as certain environmental factors affect this symbiosis. The research is highly important since metal-storing plants can be used in green technologies to purify the metal-laden environment.

Tina Šmuc

27 In many countries, where the government has had to help financial institutions and other organizations to overcome the crisis, they often imposed a condition that the particular organization should use the time of crisis and a part of the financial support for training and educational activities. I believe that also executives – not only those who will temporarily lose their jobs – will use this period for improving their knowledge and skills. The IEDC can answer these needs and is also ready in another sense. We are among the forerunners of innovative learning by virtue of offering programmes that prepare people for bigger challenges, thus making them not only technically better managers but also better leaders. We prepare them to become better communicators and to take the responsibility to build sustainable organizations and societies. We develop people who are not only focused on short-term goals or short-term profits but, as I said before, who work with a long-term sustainable strategy. Do you think that Slovenia will overcome the crisis without a major shock? If so, why? I think that Slovenia is still not aware enough how deep the crisis is. This can be dangerous, because it means that we are not taking prudent measures to deal with it. Slovenia is quite open to the world and if the world suffers, Slovenia This can be done by removing metals in the ground by utilising certain plants that store these metals, thus reducing the level of metals that come into the plants in our daily diet. Miss Pongrac is grateful that programs like “For Women in Science” exist, since hard work and overtime is often not appropriately evaluated, saying that awards of this kind alleviate financial burdens and also promote scientific work. Tina Šmuc’s research involves the regulation of estrogens and progesterone in endometriosis, which is a very common gynaecological disease and the endometrial cancer, which is the most

Paula Pongrac

will suffer, too. People are delaying their decisions to buy more expensive products, such as houses, cars, household equipment, etc. Banks are imposing stricter loan terms. Unemployment is growing everywhere; governments see that they receive less tax money, so they have to revise budgets. Can you imagine that Slovenia will not have these problems? It is not the time to calm people down by minimizing the crisis, but rather it is the time to explain them honestly and correctly what to expect. The government can better set people at ease by clearly explaining what plans it has to minimize the consequences of the crisis and by preparing for the future. How can one balance professional life and free time? This is probably the most difficult thing to do, especially if you are in a managerial capacity and have an entrepreneurial mentality, which is vital if you want to be successful. The solution is that your work becomes your hobby; that you believe in what you are doing. It is not a problem until you enjoy it and have the support of your family. On the other hand, you should plan your free time in the same way as your professional life. If I plan leisure activities, I carry 90 per cent of them out. It takes determination to change things and say that he or she needs this balance, which is not only about physical activities but also social life. common cancer in female reproductive organs. Both diseases are connected to excess of estrogens and deficiency of progesterone. Her doctoral work is aimed at a better understanding of how endometriosis occurs in ovaries and endometrial cancer, while also identifying target-areas for the production of medicines and new biological identifiers for early discovery. She said: “By winning this scholarship, my work and the work of my team has been recognised. A positive thing is also that wider public will learn about our work, thus revealing its true value and the value for the society.” In 1998 L’OREAL and the UNESCO first presented their initiative aimed at helping and promoting female scientists within their “For Women in Science” programme. The programme gives awards to the already established female scientists and awards scholarships to young women in science in order to support their research abroad, helping them not only financially but also by encouraging debate on topical issues and promoting their work.

New Passport Arrangements for British Nationals in Slovenia with immediate effect What is happening? Passport service for British nationals in Slovenia will move from Ljubljana to Düsseldorf on February 16th, 2009.

Why is this happening? These changes are part of a global initiative to rationalise passport services and reduce administration costs while ensuring that the quality of service remains high.

What do these changes mean to me? From now on passport applications should be sent by courier or registered post directly to: British Consulate General Yorckstrasse 19 40476 Düsseldorf GERMANY The passport team in Düsseldorf aims to issue new passports within 10 working days of receiving the correct documentation (excluding transit time).

Overall Cost The cost of a passport is the same all over the world. The current charge for a British adult passport is £119. The current registered postage cost from Slovenia to Düsseldorf is between €5-30.

There is a standard return charge for your passport and documents. This is currently €30.

Before applying for a passport we suggest that you visit our website at:

www.ukinslovenia.fco.gov.uk

All the relevant passport forms can be downloaded here, along with information on the application process. March 2009

Planica

A place for daring men From 19th to 22nd of March, Planica will once again host the finals of the Ski Flying World Cup. As always, it will be more than a competition of daring eagles flying high above the enthusiastic crowd; it will be a festival of sport, as it has become a tradition over the past decades. The organisers expect more than 50,000 spectators over the three days.

W By Marjan Žiberna Photos: Srdjan Živulović/Bobo, archives of Ski Association of Slovenia and Marjan Žiberna

atching the ski flying competition on television is one thing - interesting for most people - but seeing those sleek, almost diminutive figures of brave athletes flying from dizzying heights above live it is a completely different experience. If you have ever ascended the ramp of the ski jump hill by steps, and

looked down the depths opening below you, then you must feel the admiration that the jumpers, who dare to let go and jump, deserve. The ski flying hill in Planica is one of the five ‘giant’ ski flying hills in the world, i.e. a ski jump installation that allow jumps (flights) over 200 meters. Despite all the organizational problems that have emerged over the last decade or so in the background of the competition, Planica firmly holds its place as the pre-eminent ski flying hill.

Stanko Bloudek (1890 – 1959) There are two main reasons for Planica’s supremacy. The first are the wind conditions of the carefully chosen locations of the ski jumping hills, which usually permit very long flights. The second is the genius of builders who improved the facilities again and again. Bloudek was the first of them. He was born in the city of Idrija in western Slovenia. As a youngster, he competed in various fields of sport. He was a member of the Yugoslav Olympic team (in figure skating) at the second Winter Olympic Games held in St. Moritz in 1928, although he did not compete there at the end. Bloudek, whose father was a Czech, attended schools in Ljubljana and Prague where he got his excellent technical education. He worked as a coach, designer and builder of sport facilities in Slovenia, Yugoslavia and abroad. He contributed numerous inventions in sport. The most famous is the large ski jump hill in Planica, which made new world records possible. He constructed it with a help of his colleagues, Janez Rožman and Joso Gorec. Planica became world-renowned since ski jumpers achieved distances that were matched nowhere else. Bloudek, who was active in many other fields of sport and even in the aircraft and auto manufacturing, was a visionary. He predicted flights over 150 meters back in the 1930s and after the World War II, based on his experiences, even over 200 meters. His visions of flying over 200 metres became reality in 1994, several years after his death. The Slovenia Times

It is a story of success since 1930s when the first world record in ski jumping was set at the then newlybuilt facility. The statistics are impressive: since that time, the world record was improved from 92 meters in 1936 to 239 meters in 2005, a record which still stands. The record was set 40 times in Planica, more than in all other places in the world combined. Planica has held the record continuously since 1985, when American Mike Holland flew over 186 meters. Twenty-four best-ever achievements, set by six different athletes, have also been set there ...

History

Stanko Bloudek constructed ski jump hill in Planica, where 12 world records have been set.

The first ski jumping hill in the Planica valley was constructed before 1930 at the slope of the Ponca Mountain. At that time, Stanko Bloudek, an engineer, was active in the Yugoslav Winter Sport Association, headquartered in Ljubljana, which aimed to build a ski jump hill large enough to enable organization of the World Championship competitions. In 1933, he constructed a larger jumping hill in Planica, also called ‘the mammoth hill’, where suitable terrain was found. The first competition was organized between February 23rd and 26th, 1934. The longest jump was 60 meters. A month later, an international competition with 14 ski jumpers from Norway, Austria and Slovenia was held here. After the official competition, the jumpers continued jumping from the highest in-run ramp and a Norwegian, Birger Ruud,

PLANICA 29

who won a gold medal at the official competition, jumped 92 meters. On his 23rd birthday, he set a world record, which made Planica famous worldwide. The famed history of Planica ski jumps had begun, although it took decades for the first World Championship to be held there. Two years later, in March 1936, a young Austrian, Sepp Bradl won an international competition and became the first man in the world to jump over 100 meters (101 m). Unfortunately FIS (International Ski Federation) prevented such long distance jumps. Even after the World War II, when Planica’s jump hill, which was in a quite bad state at the time, was renovated,

FIS still did not approve of competitions in long distance jumps. But in March 1947, a weeklong competition in ski jumping between Swiss and Slovene teams was finally arranged and the next year there were also French, Polish and Czechoslovak teams joining in. A Swiss competitor, Fritz Tschannen, was a hero of the event, held in 1948, with a new record mark of 120 meters. It was a record of the Planica’s jump hill, which was improved no sooner than 21 years later; the terrain did not allow enlargements and improvements of the existing jump hill, which would allow setting new records. The dominance of Planica was broken for the next two decades. In the 1950s and 1960s it fell far behind the Austrian Kulm, the German Oberstdorf and later also the Norwegian Vikersund, where numerous world records were set. It is worth mentioning that Slovenia, which had numerous world-class ski jumpers in the past, set its only world record abroad. In 1961 Jože Šlibar, a member of the Yugoslav team, always composed strictly from Slovene jumpers, jumped 141 meters in Oberstdorf. But the organizers of the competition in Planica dreamed of a new, larger ski jump hill, which would reinstate Planica’s past glory. The Gorišek brothers took up this challenge and made blueprints for a skiflying hill, also known as Velikanka (The Giant), designed in such a way as to allow enlargements. It was build in the vicinity of the then existing smaller jump hills. On March 19th, 1969, the first competition on the new installation was held. It was an extraordinary event: there were 90,000 spectators in three days and five world records accomplished by the Norwegian Bjørn Wirkola (156 m, 160 m), Czech Jiří Raška (156 m,

Gorišek brothers Brothers Janez and the deceased Lado Gorišek are known as the ‘fathers’ of the modern ski-flying hill in Planica. In 1959, when Stanko Bloudek, who constructed the first big ski jump hill there, died, Janez Gorišek, a former ski jumper, got a degree in civil engineering and started to work on the ski jumps in Planica. Instead of reconstructing the old (Bloudek’s) ski jump hill, he decided to build a new one, which would bring a lost world record back to Slovenia. In the 1960s Janez chose a place for big ski jump hill with a help of Rudi Finžgar, the first Slovene who jumped over 100 meters in 1947. Together with his brother Lado, also an engineer, and a group of architects, they constructed the biggest ski jump hill in the world. Janez Gorišek was the chief of the competition in Planica for 35 years. Over those years, he brought several improvements to the facilities of the ski jump hill and in the organisation of the competitions. It is no exaggeration to say that without his visions and innovations, ski flying would not be what it is today. A few years ago Janez, today 75 years old, had a stroke. “When I started to recover...,” reminiscing of his new beginning, “... the doctors said: ‘Forget any excitement, especially Planica’. I had to learn to read and write again, it was like in the first year of primary school.” But Janez Gorišek is back. He still takes care of the ski flying hill and the competition in Planica, and his eyes are fixed on the future challenges. With a group of experts, he is currently constructing a new ski jump hill in Erzurum, Turkey, where the Winter Universiade will take place in 2011. Among other things, an idea of digitally controlled side curtain, which will protect the competitors from side winds, will be presented there. He also dreams about flying even further. “In perfect conditions, it is possible to safely fly a few meters further,” he says, “Maybe 242 or 245 meters. For substantially longer flights we need bigger ski flying hills.” However, first FIS has to change its attitude, which would allow and encourage building such facilities. Planica was a precedent for many changes to those rules in the past.

Records of the biggest ski flying hills Planica (Slo), 2005: Bjørn Einar Romøren (Nor), 239 m Oberstdorf (Ger), 2009: Harri Olli (Fin), 225.5 m Vikersund (Nor), 2004: Roland Müller (Aut), 219 m Harrachov (Cze), 2002: Matti Hautamäki (Fin), 214.5 m 2008: Thomas Morgenstern (Aut): 214.5 m Kulm (Aut), 2009: Gregor Schlierenzauer (Aut), 215.5 m C

CY CMY

March 2009

30 PLANICA

“The possibilities of the existing ski flying hills are almost completely depleted. If one wants to fly further, i.e. 280 or 300 meters, we need new ski flying hills.” Matjaž Zupan, Slovene ski jumping head coach

164 m) and German Manfred Wolf competitions and other major ski (165 m). It was a decisive moment jumping events held in Planica. The Giant, which was adjusted when the dreams of Planica’s pioneers became a reality: ski jump- and enlarged a few times, allowed ing on a large ski jump hill, al- new records. At the 13th Ski Flylowing extremely long jumps (ski ing World Championship in 1994, flights) soon became equal to oth- the barrier of 200 meters was surer ski disciplines. In 1972, the first passed for the first time. The first Ski Flying World Championship man to overcome it was a Finn, was held in Planica and since then Toni Nieminen, with 203 meters, also in 1979, 1985, 1994, and 2004. but the world champion became SPP_Oglas_230x80+5mm_SloveniaTimes_Razstavai.pdf 2/26/09 Espen 8:31:17 AM Bredesen, There were also some World Cup a Norwegian,

with the new record of 209 meters. With rebuilding and smaller improvements of the ski flying hill and further improvements of the flying technique, equipment and clothes, there were several new world records during the next decade. In 2005, a Norwegian, Bjørn Einar Romøren, set the current world record of 239 m. The next Ski Flying World Championship, which is held on a biennial basis, will once again be organised in Planica next year. www.planica.si

National records, all set in Planica 1. Norway: B. E. Romøren, 239 m 2. Finland: M. Hautamäki, 235.5 m 3. Austria: G. Schlierenzauer, 233.5 m 4. Slovenia: R. Kranjec, 229 m 5. Russia: D. Vassiliev, 228 m 6. Germany: M. Neumayer, 227.5 m 7. Poland: A. Małysz, 225 m 8. Japan: D. Ito, 222.5 m 9. Switzerland: A. Küttel, 222.5 m 10. USA: A. Alborn, 221.5 m

Planica: what, where Planica is a valley of the glacial origins with a mountain climate with long, cold and snowy winters. It is situated in the Julian Alps in the north-western corner of Slovenia, at the border with Italy and Austria. It is also referred to as ‘the valley under Ponce’; Ponce is a mountain range that surrounds the valley at its west side. The town of Kranjska Gora, which is famous for its alpine skiing competitions for the Vitranc trophy, is 11 kilometres away. The only way to drive to Planica is to take a road that branches off in Rateče. Access from Slovenia is via Ljubljana (100 km) - Kranj - Jesenice - Kranjska Gora - Rateče. Visitors who come from Austria can take the Karavanke tunnel or Korensko Sedlo border pass and proceed towards Rateče. Visitors from Italy can take the road from the town of Tarvisio (Trbiž in Slovene) to the border crossing in Rateče.

In 1972, the first Ski Flying World Championship was held in Planica. The Slovenia Times

32 SPORTS

Volleyball

On the Brink of Sensation In the final epic battle of the Champions League season, Slovenia’s best volleyball club, ACH Volley from Bled, played its best against the favourites of Russia’s Kazan (last year’s top team in the competition), but –unfortunately– in the end came a bit short and ended its European season.

By Andrej Pirnat eral occasions, the club from Bled came close but did not really jeopardise Kazan’s victory. The season can not be judged by one single game, especially not if it is against such a great team, which not only has a much bigger budget, but also serious ambitions to capture the title for the second straight year, as anything else would be a failure for this club. It is safe to say that once more the team from Bled had an outstanding season on Europe’s highest stage, which was cut short also due to some bad luck in the drawing stage, when they were matched against the reigning champions.

their eyes set on winning both of these and so far things look good, as they are firmly holding first positions in both. The team can also commend itself with one laurel this season: they have won the Slovenian Cup. ACH Volley’s head coach Glenn Hoag is very optimistic about the future: “Our next big goal is the Final Four Tournament of the Mevza League. First we have to play the last leg match of the main phase against Salonit, and then we will focus on preparing for this tournament. During these preparations, we will play two matches with Mladost from Zagreb and also two before the final of the national championship, as there are no other games, and this is the only way to keep our competition rhythm. Our goals are clear – winning both competitions.”

to mention the popularity it enjoys throughout Slovenia. When everyone thought that nothing could top last year’s volley-mania, thing got even more intense this season. It seemed that with every game the team played, more people were watching them; they even convinced those who never liked this sport. Hala Tivoli, Slovenia’s largest sports hall (fans unofficially renamed it into Hala ‘TiVolley’) was simply too small to fit all the people, and at every game there was perhaps even a bigger crowd cheering outside the arena than the one inside. Taking in the facts that the team always plays its best, that the players have a great respect toward the game, never complain about anything and do not cause any sort of scandal, it is not hard to see why this has become one of the most popular and successful sports clubs in Slovenia.

he season was nevertheless spectacular for the Slovenian champions and even though they were thoroughly beaten in their final match, they never surrendered and showed great energy until the very end. A win would have taken them to the quarterfinals, which would have been a great sensation and would have been a tremendous success, but –if nothing else– this loss made the boys from Bled even hung rier a nd they will definitely return next year with even more determination and firepower. Zenit Kazan won both matches, one in Ljubljana, as well as the one at home, and even if ACH Volley was very close to victory in the first game, when they lost 2:3, this was not the case in the second game, which they lost 0:3. They started the game really well, as they took an early lead, but then made too many unforced errors, which turned the game to in Zenit’s favour. On sev-

ACH Volley might have dropped out of the Champions League, but their season is far from over. They are still competing on two fronts: the so-called ‘Mevza’ League (middle-european league) and the National Championship. They have

Biathlon

Cross-country

Snowboarding

A First Time for Everything

Can’t Stop Petra Majdič

The Lord of the Board Smooth Gliding Slovenian snowboarder Marko Grilc to Success

Teja Gregorin has won the first medal for Slovenia at the Biathlon World Championships in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The 28-year-old finished second in the women’s 15 km individual race, 39.5 seconds behind the winner, Kati Wilhelm of Germany. Wilhelm was too strong in racing for the Slovenian, who also had a single miss, and for the bronze medallist, Norway’s Tora Berger, who finished 46.5 seconds behind. She is satisfied with her running and an improvement in the shooting area. “Today I fought for every shot, because it is very hard to make up the penalty minutes. This is a dream come true for me,” said Gregorin. Other Slovenian competitors finished way behind her. The Slovenia Times

Far from over

Slovenia’s top cross country skier Petra Majdič rocketed to her fifth sprint World Cup victory of the season in Valdidentro, Italy. Following initial problems at the start, Petra darted passed her opponents already in the opening seconds of the final and continued to increase the gap all the way to the finishing line. Pirjo Muranen of Finland finished second, while third place went to Magda Genuin of Italy. The impressive win in Valdidentro is the 12th World Cup victory in Petra’s career.

Popularity still rising When talking about the ACH Volley club, it would be unfair not

won second place in a World Cup competition in Big Air in Quebec. He came after Austrian Stefan Gimpl, while Belgian Seppe Smits was third. After dislocating his hip in season’s first Big Air competition in October, Grilc was thrilled to make such a comeback. The joy was even bigger, as he was afraid of not being able to get on the snowboard again this winter. “I’m just happy to be snowboarding after all I’ve been through. It’s a good feeling to be back and part of it again. I’m super stoked that I can snowboard this winter.” Another Slovenian who made it into the finals, Matevž Petek, was ninth.

Pagliding

Slovenian paraglider Aljaž Valič has won bronze medal at the 11th World Paragliding Championship that took place in Mexico’s Valle de Bravo. Valič finished 99 points behind the winner, the World Cup title holder Andy Aebi of Switzerland, and 67 points behind Aebi’s compatriot Stefan Wyss, who took the silver. Other Slovenians have not been as successful, with Urban Valič finishing 24th, Primož Podobnik 38th and Gašper Prevc 40th. Slovenia nevertheless won bronze in the team competition, finishing behind the Czechs and Italians. The competition that featured 151 pilots from 43 countries was very exhausting, with all competitors having to complete 10 jumps in demanding weather conditions.

SPORTS 33 Photo: Mediaspeed

Skiing

Tina aMazes Alpine skier Tina Maze has had a roller-coaster career, ranging from convincing World Cup wins to complete disasters and feelings of hopelessness, coupled with personal problems and difficult relations within the national team and the media. After winning a silver medal in giant slalom at this year’s world championships in Val d’Isere, France, she seems to have found a winning formula.

olding only 15th place after the first run, more than two seconds behind the leader, Maze produced a flawless second run to miss out on the gold, won by Germany’s Katrin Hölzl, by a mere 0.09 seconds. Her poor first run was a result of problems with her goggles which became completely foggy. “I couldn’t see anything from the middle of the course and I was just trying to get to the finish. However, the anger from the first run was useful in the second run and I was attacking from start to finish, producing one of the best giant slalom performances in my career,” said Maze. She became the first Slovene skier in eight years to win a World Cup medal, which is the longest break since 1982, when Boris Strel won the first World Cup medal for Slovenia. Ironically, her “predecessor” was Mitja Kunc, her almost next-door neighbour from Črna na Koroškem. She is also the first Slovene woman to win a world cup medal for 13 years. “It is nice to win a medal. I had also been training and working hard in the past, but things didn’t work out. After the 15th place in the first run, I said to myself ‘well, you used to come from 23rd place to the second, so why not launch a full attack?’ When I crossed the finish line, I knew that I had done a good job and I knew that it was going to push me upwards in the standings. I could hardly wait for this med-

By Simon Demšar al. After all the disappointments of World Champs and Olympic Games, it was sometimes difficult for me to compete,” said Maze.

Back from Hell More than its sporting value, the medal is a reward for turbulent times, difficult decisions and hard work, often at the expense of relations with the national ski federation and the media. She stormed the ski World Cup by winning four giant slalom events between December 2004 and October 2005. The World was at her feet when before the 2006 Turin Olympic Games but the young Maze, now 25, cracked under pressure. Relations with the media became an issue and this only further aggravated the situation and her public image. There seemed to be no way out and Maze appeared to be another wasted talent. Prior to the 2008/09 season, she took a radical decision. She partly broke away from the Ski Federation (she is formally still a member and her activities are partly financed by it), created her own team and budget, and went her own way. The beginning of the season in Sölden was another disaster, but then things gradually started to come together. Her team consists of Italian fitness coach Andrea Massi and service manager Andrej Perovšek.

“These changes are important to me. It was hard to find motivation, and after two bad seasons I needed something new. I have found that in my small team who have been working really hard for me,” Maze explained. She celebrated the medal with her people from Črna, who came all the way to Val d’Isere to support her. The celebration raised some eyebrows as none of the Slovenian Ski Federation was invited. Some veteran journalists were quoted as “leaving the celebration thirsty” and remembered the “good old times” when a medal was a mat-

ter for overall euphoria. Looking at things from another perspective, it seems that Maze has adopted the new, highly professional approach that is not to everybody’s liking, neither the media nor the public. However, it seems to work and as long as it yields good results she will be excused for that. She has suddenly become a highly sought-after marketing representative and much speculation is made about her marketing value. Some believe that a logo on her helmet could be worth up to EUR 100,000 per year, which is also rumoured to be her annual budget.

From Strel to Maze Boris Strel won the first ever medal for Slovenia (as a member of Yugoslav team) when he was third in Schladming, Austria, in 1982. He has been followed by seven other skiers. Together, they have won 12 medals; one gold, four silvers and seven bronzes. Mateja Svet is the most successful individual with five medals, including the only gold for Slovenia so far. Schladming 1982: Bojan Križaj (silver in slalom), Boris Strel (bronze in giant slalom) Crans Montana 1987: Mateja Svet (silver in giant slalom, bronze in slalom, bronze in super G) Vail 1989: Mateja Svet (gold in slalom, bronze in giant slalom), Tomaž Čižman (bronze in super G). Saalbach 1991: Nataša Bokal (silver in slalom) Sierra Nevada 1996: Urška Hrovat (bronze in slalom) St. Anton 2001: Mitja Kunc (bronze in slalom) Val d’Isere 2009: Tina Maze (silver in giant slalom)

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34 CULTURE

Literature

Sweet Home Fužine A literary masterpiece uncovers the life of second-generation teenage immigrants in Ljubljana’s Fužine district. The Slovenian police have found statements in the book insulting. By Jaka Terpinc

he second generation of immigrants - a phenomenon, controversial by nature and nurture: their parents emigrated from mostly rural areas, trading hard manual work for a better life. The kids were born into con-

Fužine

crete jungles, with their identity split between their family roots and the environment they live in, which often labels them negatively. Slovenian immigrants originating mostly from Bosnia and

Ljubljana’s Fužine district is a dense settlement of residential building originally dedicated to immigrants who came to Ljubljana during the industrial boom of the late seventies. According to Goran Vojnović, Fužine cannot be seen as a ghetto. It is significantly bigger than any other similar settlement in Slovenia and, furthermore, offers everything needed so inhabitants don’t need to leave for most daily tasks, making it a sort of world of its own. But most of all, Fužine is, nationally and socially, a highly mixed environment, which gives it variety and cultural richness. Beside its problems, “there is an additional charm, which can inspire.” After the turbulent nineties, when ethnic clashes in the Balkans disturbed the multi-ethnic life in Fužine, the settlement became more peaceful. Vojnović says that during the recent fifteen years the population has changed. Many young Slovene families took advantage of cheaper flats and moved there, others departed. “Now there is a retirement home in Fužine, while schools are reducing the number of classes for the lack of children.”

The Slovenia Times

Herzegovina, faced yet another unpleasant circumstance - in the nineties, they suddenly found themselves in a separate country, while their homeland was burning in the flames of an ethnic war. Barriers between Slovenes and immigrants soon started to build upon certain habits, some derived from national characteristics and traditions, others simply from their blue-collar lifestyle and attitudes. Slovenes named this class “Čefurs”, meaning the sum of all t hei r c h a rac ter i st ics: from their use of a typical language, their love of kitsch to their directness towards women, and their sometimes unexplainable violent behaviour. In other words, all that traditional countryside Slovenes are not, or at least think they are not.

An honest and authentic story Čefurs had become a matter of cultural reflection several times previously; however, the book Čefurji Raus (“Raus” deriving from Nazi slogan Juden Raus), by the young author Goran Vojnović, seems to offer the most complete and provocative insight into the

world of čefurs. The story is told through the eyes of adolescent Marko, and takes us through the many circumstances a typical teen of his background has to face. Many of these situations also define the line between immigrant and native Slovene kids. The value of the novel is in its distinctive elements. One it is the language, a mixture of SerboCroatian expressions inserted into simple Slovene sentences, just as these teenagers actually speak. Then there is a smart chaptering: each answering a question such as “Why do čefurs enjoy driving through town with loud folk music coming out their cars?”, while following the main storyline. And finally, it’s an honest and authentic story, merciless towards both the native Slovenes and the čefurs themselves, revealing the many controversies of a wild adolescent life in a place where the wealthiest people are criminals, rather than educated people with respectable professional careers. It is a story similar to many poor environments. Asked about the difference between “čefurs” and other immigrant groups known to the western world, Vojnović explains that the ex-Yugoslav nationals who immigrated to Slovenia found themselves in an even more difficult position, because many or them didn’t want to leave their

CULTURE 35

This would all have remained within the domain of literature, if the Slovenian police hadn’t discovered some insulting statements written as the hero’s inner monologue. For this reason, Vojnović was summoned by the police to an interview, as part of an investigation launched late last year by the then Deputy Police Commissioner, Matjaž Šinkovec. The summons said Vojnović would have a chance in the interview “to prove that calling police officers names like...’asses’, ‘blockheads’, ‘retards’...is not an insult.” Writers and authors in Slovenia have been quick to condemn the investigation as an attempt to stifle freedom of speech. The Slovenian Writers’ Association said it was stunned and appalled that the police could not make a distinction between real life and literature, especially in “Democratic Slovenia and Ljubljana, the world book capital of 2010”. Despite the fact that the official proceedings against the author have been stopped, a group of Slovenian police officers later voiced their indignation at the novel. The Association of Slovenian Police Officers, a breakaway group, which eventually wants to establish a “truly independent police trade union”, said that Slovenian police officers were right to be upset by the book. Commenting on the denigrating attitude of Vojnović’s hero, the association nevertheless wonders whether “this is a sign that in the future personal frustrations, xenophobia or racism will be able to hind behind or find an alibi in the fictitious nature of literary heroes. Why should the next literary hero not use fiction to sing praise to paedophiles, the Holocaust or genocide in the near future?”

Photo: T. Deu

Born in 1980, Vojnović spent his youth in Fužine. His first appearance on the literary scene was in high school, when he published a book of poems. He has studied film directing and has so far created and collaborated in a couple of notable film projects. His first piece Fužine zakon won the best film award in Mexico City and was followed by a number of other awarded works. The story for his novel Čefurji Raus was first intended as a film script.

Winter Guide 2008/09 is available! This year, for the first time ever, the guide is available in both English and Slovenian!

SL O SN VENe O SCE WBO Ne ARD w ®ê

Take a free copy at tourist information points all over Slovenia, as well as in hotels, at major winter events and at Slovenian ski centres!

Ski School Snowboard park Cross country tracks Snow kindergarten

The 08/09 Winter Guide presents no less than 29 Slovenian ski centres along with their updated range of services! In order to make your decision easier this ski season, we collected technical data about ski centres and ski pass prices and compiled a fantastic selection of catering and accommodation facilities. We added informative pages for snowboarders as well as a range of technical information about the fun parks in Slovenian ski centres. Sledging

Children’s park Night skiing

Artificial snow

Ski Rental

Ice skating

Full day

Morning

Night

Children

Youth

19 EUR

Adults

18,2 EUR

Senior

15,5 EUR

26 EUR

18,2 EUR

20,8 EUR

21,5 EUR

Be informed and enjoy the winter season!

Central information brochure about Slovenian ski centres!

www.sloveniatimes.com

The police intervene

Goran Vojnović

~ ên ê¢ªª¨½ª©

countries permanently, but were forced to move because wars and other unfavourable conditions. Many of them cannot live a full life here and mostly are just waiting for a moment when they can return to their home. Furthermore, this unpleasant situation contributed to even greater tensions. He also remembers that relationships between immigrants and natives were most distant during the Balkan wars, when everyone was highly emotional and full of national pride. After all, these people, who had already lived in miserable conditions, had relatives on the different opposing fronts; many went through family tragedies. “In time things calmed down, people got to know each other better and tolerance increased,” says the young writer.

A special publication of March 2009

36 EVENTS

The Slovenia Times Recommends

Elvis Jackson Against The Gravity A tight unit of ska-punk-reggae veterans, famous for their live concerts and positive energy, whose new album “Against the Gravity” will be presented at the upcoming event. Elvis Jackson are an altogether special rock group that has developed its own musical expression over a decade through the help of ska, punk, hard core, reggae and metal influences. With three successful releases including “Move You feet it’s one O’clock” (1999), “Go Home and Practice” (2000) and “Summer Edition” (2003), the band considers itself more potent and focused than ever. While their first two albums were restricted to Slovenia and the ex-YU territories, Elvis Jackson released their album “Summer Edition” through German label Grover Records, and with their help the band expanded their presence in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands and elsewhere in European stages, alongside renowned names, such as Fishbone, Toasters, The Offspring, Asian Dub Foundation, D.O.A., nd No Fx. Overall, they played about over 600 shows, solidifying their position as on of the premier acts in

their native Slovenia, but extending their beyond borders of their home country. Songs for their new 14 song release “Against the Gravity” were recorded over the summer of 2008 in cooperation with producer. This time, the group presented itself as a mature and technically extremely accomplished team. Their songs are multilayered, energetic and dynamically playful and yet also sophistically more melodic, as the album with the working title “Against The Gravity” offers power, variety, and drive; thought, a few tracks could actually lend themselves to commercial radio. The lyrics are often socially critical or represent only reflections and feelings stemming from life that surrounds us all. Many critics characterized Elvis Jackson as the most hidden treasure from the so called Eastern Europe, and as a group that will win you over in an instant with their directness, energy, technical accomplishment and natural charisma.

Metal

Dance Performance

World Music

Soulfly + Incite

Ways of Love

March 10 at 9pm, Cvetličarna, Lj. EUR 27

March 11 and 16 at 8pm, KUD France Prešeren, Lj.

Jaranero and Los Utrera, Mexico

Singer/guitarist Max Cavalera, conductor of the innovative metal mavens Soulfly and co-founder of the renowned band Sepultura, returns with Soulfly’s heaviest, most flammable work to date. Dark Ages marries the band’s aggressive driving force with disarming experimentation - Soulfly hallmarks that are as unpredictable as they are brave. Soulfly will be accompanied with their apprentices trash metal band Incite.

Maja Delak & Luka Prinčič’s Ways of Love / Une façon d`aimer is a dance performance where the two creators demonstrate the dynamics of two different formal dispositions, knowledge and experience as well as different media. Delak is choreographer and dancer, while Prinčič is a musician and inter media artist. The performance articulates violence as a way of purification through pain and the alternative path - a purification through laughter and ironic view of our social roles.

Jazz

Trio Braam De Joode Vatcher Mar 10 at 8:30 pm, Cankarjev dom, Lj, EUR 12 Trio BraamDeJoodeVatcher are dedicated to freedom and boldness of creative expression. One of the greatest merits of their powerful compositions is playing with early jazz forms.

The Slovenia Times

Thursday March 26 at 9pm, Cvetličarna, Lj. EUR 15-19

Mar 14 at 8:15 pm, Cankarjev dom, Lj, EUR 9-18 For the first time in Slovenia, Jaranero embraces various aspects of traditional Mexican music, such as The Panorama of Traditional Music, African Influences on the Traditional Mexican Music, Origins of Mariachi, and features a promotional repertoire of various music regions. The band leader, Guilermo Contreras Arias, plays the violin, harps as well as several indigenous flutes, and boasts a collection of over 3500 authentic Mexican instruments. Accompanied by dancers, Los Utrera family group plays son jarocho and fandango. Both formations are global promoters of Mexican tradition. The concerts will be preceded by a lecture and a music workshop.

Design

Japanese Design Today 100 Until March 15, Jakopičeva galerija, Lj Contemporary Japanese design is presented in an exhibition of

EVENTS 37

around a hundred everyday objects used in Japan. The exhibition also includes several objects used in the period after the Second World War, when several characteristics prevailing in Japanese design today first began to manifest themselves.

Marc Chagall. It includes over one hundred original prints on paper from the Fetzer Family Collection dating from 1923 to 1980. The famous painter and printmaker Marc Chagall was one of the few great 20th century artists who did not belong to any art group or artistic movement. Even though his visual motifs and representations were close to surrealism, he refused to collaborate with surrealists. His work was deeply affected by his youthful experiences in a Jewish

Dance

SweetSwing Mar 19 - 22, various venues The third annual Ljubljana SweetSwing Festival includes three full days of workshops and four nights of dancing featuring a number of masters and teachers from USA, France and Slovenia. lssf. sweetswing.si

Dance

Pacha Night Sat, March 21 at 10pm - InBox, Ljublnana

rural community, where he first encountered the rich oral tradition of Jewish myths and legends, traditional customs and mystical tales. Chagall’s numerous print series and single prints on paper, created in different periods of his life, represent an important part of his extensive oeuvre. They were inspired by literary works, ancient mythology, religious texts, traditional storytelling, etc.

Lepa Brena A singer who invented a crossbreed of pop and folk – a genre which took over the popular taste in the Balkans. Fahreta Jahić with a stage name Lepa (beautiful) Brena and her band Slatki greh (Sweet Sin) formed in 1981, gained immediate success with their first album and the hits Čačak, Čačak, and Ljubi me, Omere (Love me, Omer). A constant presence with hit songs which delighted the folk loving masses with hits named Mile voli disko (Mile loves disco), Duge noge (Long legs), Bosanac (Bosnian man), Nežna žena (Tender woman), Udri Mujo (Hit it, Mujo). They also achieved success with the song Sitnije, Cile, sitnije, a contender for the Yugoslav spot in Eurovision 1983. One of her notable performances was singing her song Long live Yugoslavia at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. Her popularity spread across the neighbouring countries, including those of the former eastern bloc. By the end of 1986, Lepa Brena had become the most famous person in Yugoslavia, and had also

well and truly cemented her status as a sex symbol. This success, however, showed no sign of waning, and in 1987 she continued to dominate popular culture with the release of her movie Let’s Love Each Other, which featured songs from her album of the same name. Brena took a well-earned break from her hectic touring and recording schedule, leaving war torn Yugoslavia to start a family with new husband, tennis player Slobodan Živojinović in the United States. She returned to audiences in 1994 with a highly successful solo album, which featured one of her biggest hits to date, Ja nemam drugi dom (I Have No Other Home). She declared herself a Yugonostalgic, loving everything about former Yugoslavia. The highly anticipated concert represents her long-awaited comeback to a Slovenian stage. Saturday March 21 at 8pm, Tivoli Hall, Lj. EUR 40

Classical

Haydn in Spotlight Taste the most authentic element of Ibiza’s clubbing extravaganza! Pacha club, known for its wild partes took its dee-jays, dancers and portable decoration on a tour which will hit Ljubljana on the first days of spring. Pacha is a cradle of dance culture, house sounds, popular place amongst top celebrities and a home of many celebrated dee-jays and record labels.

Exhibition

Chagall: From Dead Souls to The Circus Until Mar 29, City Museum of Ljubljana, EUR 5 The exhibition offers an insight into seven decades of printmaking by

Mar 31 2009 at 8pm, Culture Centre Domžale, Admission Free Annual concert of Symphony Orchestra of Domžale and Kamnik this year commemorates Haydn’s 200th anniversary of his death. The city of Vienna officially declared this year as Haydn’s year. This concert is one of the rare occasions in Slovenia, commemorating Haydn’s year with the performance of cello concerto in D-major, piano concerto in D-major and Symphony no. 100, also called “Military Symphony”. In 2009 we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Haydn, who is beside Mozart and Beethoven, one of the major three classical composers, also the father of a symphony as a musical form which became the most important form for orchestras. The Orchestra is led by Simon Dvorsak, young conductor who regularly collaborates with the Slovenian Philharmonic, Maribor SNG Symphony Orchestra, Adrianis Orchestra and many others. The soloist on cello is Gregor Fele and the soloists for piano concerto is Ana Šinkovec. March 2009

38 GUEST STAR

Guest Star 2008

A Whole Galaxy of Stars! For the fifth time in a row, The Slovenia Times and Radio Slovenia international honor the expat community in Slovenia.

DIPLOMACY Villur Sundararajan Seshadri

John Groffen

Ambassador of India

Ambassador of The Netherlands

.S. Seshadri admits it was a privilege and honour to be nominated by the Indian Government to serve as the first resident Ambassador of India to Slovenia. Even though it took a while for him and his family to find appropriate residence, make contacts and settle down in Ljubljana, the new Embassy is in full swing, not only issuing visas but also actively exploring possibilities of enhancing trade and economic links between India and Slovenia, promoting cultural visits as well as scientific and technological cooperation. In the last several months the Embassy witnessed a number of events, more will be held later this year: First is an International Conference on Ayurveda that will be held in Portorož on 5 and 6 March as part of an initiative in which the Embassy is collaborating with the University of Primorska and the Slovene Ministry of Health. The second event is a visit of a classical Indian dance group, this time in Kathak style, which will take place in the first half of March. He states that his experiences of Slovenia have been extremely pleasant and invigorating. Among the things he would wish to see more of is an increase in trade with Europe through the facilitation of the Port of Koper (which would reduce shipping time) and for Slovene businesses to seize their opportunities on the rapidly growing Indian market. And what about Bollywood? Well, Mr Seshadri can almost visualize a not too distant future when Bollywood film makers realise that they can use Slovenia’s natural beauties as the backdrop to their movies, since the opportunities, in his view, are plentiful and beckoning.

ohn Groffen was born in the Netherlands in 1957, is married and has two daughters. In 1984 he joined the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he has been employed ever since. After postings in Hungary and France he was appointed Ambassador to Slovenia in 2005. Although the Netherlands’ embassy in Slovenia is quite small, he is very proud of its achievements over the years. Most important in his mind are the four Bilateral Fokus months the Embassy has organised so far. He is especially fond of the opportunity they had during Fokus events of bringing young professionals from both countries into contact with one another such as young film directors, young musicians, theatre performers, choreographers, dancers, writers and many others. Over the years he has seen a few big events like the visit of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima in 2007. He still remembers the pleasant experience he got the first time he arrived here: “The sun was shining and I could see the beautiful snow-capped mountain tops in the distance. First impressions are important, and after this first glimpse of Slovenia nothing could ruin my good humour or my love for this country, and nothing ever has.” He admits that over the years he has grown to like the way Slovenians spend their time-off, confessing that it is difficult to climb the Golovec Hill on a bicycle, which “sure is a lot higher than the dunes in my country”. He has also taken up running and learnt how to ski during his time in Slovenia, discovered some delightful Slovenian wines, fell in love with Slovenian dishes (like ričet, brancin, etc.) and enjoys reading the poems of Josip Murn, Tone Pavček and Mila Kačič. In the end he confesses that he has become a little Slovenianised since 2005.

Ahmed Farouk

Ambassador of Egipt

hmed Farouk has been the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Slovenia since September 2007. He was part of the Egyptian Delegation that was involved in a peace process in the Middle East between 1993 and 1994 (Gaza-Jericho Agreement). He has helped bring the first FDI from Egypt to Slovenia through Elswedi Group and Iskra Emeko CO; helped in sending the first FDI to Egypt from Slovenia through the Luka Koper Port and the port of Alexandria; established a cold chain between the port of Alexandria and the Port of Koper for fruit and vegetable exports from Egypt; established a business council between the chamber of commerce in the two countries; encouraged many Egyptian investors to invest in Slovenia; opened new market for Slovenian products in the Middle East through Egypt in various fields and helped in establishing Slovene-Egyptian Business Women Association. In the cultural field he was involved in bringing the “Egyptian cultural year in Ljubljana” to Slovenia in cooperation with Cankarjev dom with the “Pharaonic Renaissance” being the first exhibition ever in Slovenia showcasing original Egyptian pieces; secured 15 days for Egyptian movies to be featured in Slovenia revealing the history of the Egyptian cinema from 1945 till 2007; brought “Omar Kairat Group”, which is called “the Mozart of the Middle East”, two times to Ljubljana; made several presentations about the Egyptian civilization, and much more. He emphatically states that Slovenia and Egypt had enjoyed excellent relations since 1991, which is something that continues even to this day at all the highest levels. The Slovenia Times

Hans Joachim Goetz Ambassador of Germany

r Hans Joachim Goetz was born in Freiburg in 1944. He studied law and economics at the universities of Freiburg and Berlin and wrote his doctoral thesis on questions concerning international comparative law. Before being appointed Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Slovenia in September 2006, he worked as Minister and Deputy Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Holy See in Rome. In his diplomatic and economic career he has worked both in Germany and abroad in cities like Warsaw, Rome, Liverpool and even the distant Dhaka in Bangladesh. The highlight of his work in Slovenia so far has been the trio EU Presidency of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia, which started on 1 January 2007 and ended on 30 June 2008. Dr Goetz admits that this was a time “full of work with many challenges but also a time full of achievements and rewards.” His subsequent work has been involved in a continuous and ongoing “quiet diplomacy”, particularly in economic and cultural affairs, with an aim of maintaining or even improving the already very good relations between Germany and Slovenia. His hobbies on the recreational side include swimming, sailing and skiing while his favourite intellectual pastime is reading history books, enjoying works of literature and also delving into economic affairs.

GUEST STAR 39

ive years after the inaugural Guest Star 2004, the campaign remains a lively and widely recognized event. This year, the organizing committee decided it is essential to address the fact that a Guest Star nomination itself is a real achievement. The final outcome, which is a result of a popular vote, only adds to a dramatic element. All in all, the event as a whole is intended to promote interaction between the guest stars and the hosts. It is intended to highlight those people with non-Slovene origin, with foreign names, who make this land a

better place for all of us. Some of these people are by the nature of their jobs more exposed in the public, the others not so much – that’s why a popular vote may not always reflect the weight of the merits. In this manner, we congratulate all who entered the competition, since they are all guest stars. Guest stars are also those who were nominated in previous years or who share similar credits, but were overlooked this year… Here they are – the Guest Star 2008 Campaign nominees.

ECONOMY Florindo Blandolino

Csaba Tóth

Italian Trade Commissioner

Director of TriGranit-Emonika

lorindo Blandolino was born in Scorrano, a small town of the Salento region, in 1964. Having completed his studies at the University of Bologna, where he obtained a degree in International Law with a dissertation on “treaties in simplified form”, he spent two years in the UK where he became Master of Laws in EU Law at the University of Essex. In 1996 he worked for the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers in the EU, working at both “Coreper” and “working parties” levels at the procedures for the adoption of the Auto-Oil Directive. In the course of his work he was also the director of the Baghdad office and head of the Iraq Desk until December 2004, and has organised several commercial missions to Algeria, Jordan, India and Romania. Mr Blandolino came to Slovenia in 2005 and has since worked as the Director of the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, which is a trade promotion section of the Italian Embassy. His work in Slovenia sees his office provide assistance to more than 1,000 Italian and 400 Slovenian companies per year with an organisation of more than 10 events per year. Economic cooperation between Italy and Slovenia has greatly improved in the last few years, yet Mr Blandolino is not the one to brag about such things. He admits that after three and a half years of living in Slovenia he feels totally at home: “Slovenia in my mind is best represented by all the special people I have met. My first thought is that here I’ve made many friends with whom, I hope, I will keep in touch wherever I go.” His favourite region is Goriška Brda, saying that it is not difficult to guess why, while Slovenian is the first Slavic language he attempted learning and this, he adds, was like discovering an entirely new world.

saba Tóth was born in Hungary in 1973. He speaks English and German and holds a master’s degree in marketing from the University of Economics in Budapest. Mr Tóth joined the TriGranit Development Corporation in 2001. Since 2004 his focus has been on the company’s strategic expansion, particularly in South-Eastern Europe, as he became the Manager of Business Development and Finance. In the course of this process, Mr Tóth started the development of a large multifunctional city center in Slovenia in 2006, bearing full and overall responsibility for the project. In the same year, as the Country Director for Slovenia, his responsibilities were extended to also cover the project’s broader development strategy. He first came to Slovenia in 2003 but at that time did not have the opportunity to spend several days in a row in our country. He loves to live and work in Ljubljana, is fond of nature and the city itself. He particularly appreciates how dynamic locals’ private lives are, their kindness to foreigners and how small yet thoroughly compact Slovenia is. He says that there is almost nothing to dislike about the country, yet, if his life depended on it, he would be forced to say that the weather could sometimes be a bit better. Mr Tóth is married and has one child. Besides work and spending time with his family, there is not much time left for other interests, but whenever he has a brief moment to spare, he admits he likes to travel, ski in winter and learn to play golf throughout the rest of the year. He enjoys playing football with his friends and, last but not least, is a proud owner and driver of his MINI.

Maria Anselmi Managing Director of Bisnode Slovenia

aria Anselmi was born in 1965 in Italy and holds a PhD in historic linguistics. She soon realised that it was important for her to make an impact on her environment and consequently chose a different profession. She went on to receive a master’s degree in business administration, and has worked in the information industry since 1994. In 1996 she was given the challenge of creating the first business information archive on the internet in Europe. Her business success in Slovenia has certainly not gone unnoticed. In 2002 she took over a small company iGV that employed 11 people and had a small loss. Six years later that same company had EUR 5 million revenues, 6 brands and 15.000 clients and employed nearly ten times as many people as it did in 2002, providing the Slovenian market with some of the most innovative digital information solutions (Credit Check, bonitete.si). In her spare time Mrs Anselmi is a passionate skier and because of that also prefers living close to the mountains. In autumn she likes to explore vineyards at both sides of the former border with Italy, taking advantage of the exceptional wine production in Slovenia. In spare time she is fond of learning languages and studying ancient cultures. She admits that the more she learns about Slovenia and Slovenians the more she appreciates the Slovenian freedom of thought, critical attitude and a strong desire to understand problems and situations combined with a tremendous sense of history.

Thies C. Bruhn General Manager of Kempinski Palace Portorož

n September 2008 Thies C. Bruhn was appointed director of the first luxury hotel in Slovenia – Kempinski Palace Portorož. Mr Bruhn entered the hotel business in 1985, worked in the USA, the Bahamas, his native Germany and was a successful director of the Kempinski Hotel Rotes Ross in Leipzig for nine years before coming to Slovenia. His mission in Portorož is to make Slovenian and Portorož tourism on a par with some of the most famous tourist places in the world making full use of the renowned Kempinski name and its global network of strategic partners. The Kempinski hotel chain boasts 153 luxury hotels with more than 46,000 rooms in 39 countries across the globe. Mr Bruhn finds Portorož a beautiful place with a pleasant Mediterranean climate and mild green winters. In his free time he is a passionate golfer and would like one day to play through all of Slovenian golf courses, yet the past 8 months, however, were completely devoted to the opening of the hotel and did not allow for any days off. He finds Slovenians very nice, friendly and ambitious people and is convinced that he had found some really good friends here. He would, nevertheless, like to see Slovenians even more Europe-oriented and in certain cases a bit less oversensitive: “We are all Europeans, and perhaps in some cases Slovenians forget about this true European perspective and vision but I am optimistic this will change soon as it has happened in many other European countries already.« March 2009

40 GUEST STAR

SPORTS Conny Strömberg

Gilles Jaquet

Hockey Player, HC Acroni Jesenice

Head coach of Slovenian snowboard team

onny Strömberg was born in 1975 in Sweden and since ice hockey is one of the three main sports of this Nordic country, it comes as no surprise that he began playing the game he now loves so much at the tender age of four. In the 1993-1994 season he left the ranks of his junior team and tried his luck at tryouts with a few Swedish clubs. Eight years later he left Sweden to play hockey abroad; he played in Denmark, Germany, Austria, then returned to his homeland for two years and eventually became a member of the Slovenian ice hockey club Acroni Jesenice. This experience, he confesses, has been nothing short than remarkable: “If I’m perfectly honest, playing ice hockey at Jesenice is sheer pleasure. I was very well received, the mountains and winter conditions remind me of home, so I’d like to stay here a while longer.” The 33-year-old crowd favourite, who is noted for his precise and trick shooting, might one day also play for the Slovenian national team provided he fulfils all the requirements for obtaining Slovenian citizenship. His pastime activities include watching a good movie and playing tennis in summer. He is also interested in golf and whenever he can he likes spending his time with his young daughter Emilia.

illes Jaquet is the head coach of the Slovenian national snowboard alpine team, which is a position he has held as of August 2008. Born in 1974 in a town of La Chaux-de-Fonds, which lies in the French part of Switzerland, Gilles studied sport math and physics. As with many professional sportsmen, Gilles’s life has been to devoted to sports; he started with judo and was a state champion, then did some athletics and was again a state champion in running, then turned to BMX races and once more proved that he was the racer to beat by winning the state champion title. After that he tried Tchoukball (pronounced chukeball), which is an indoor team sport developed in the 1970s, then came to the sport of snowboarding in 1992 and has remained with it ever since. In 2001 and 2002 he became a world champion and won the world tour in the 2001-2002 season. He reached the podium 36 times in World Cup ISF and FIS until he finally bid farewell to the sport he loves so much after 16 years while still at the top and in good shape. The reason for that was that he wanted to pass what he had learnt on to younger generations: “I’ve always wanted to share my passion of snowboarding and to impart what I’ve learnt during these 16 years of fighting to win hundreds of a second. The opportunities to coach the national team of Slovenia and those great athletes was even bigger motivation to cross to the coaching side.” His hobbies besides sport include performing circus acts, which is something he learnt while attending a circus school in Budapest, of which he especially enjoys juggling and unicycling. He is very fond of Slovenia, saying it is a “small country with a lot to show and which has to become better known in Western Europe.” It reminds him of Switzerland but with smaller mountains and one rather important distinction – the sea, which to a lover of all things connected to surfing simply makes a world of difference.

Glenn Hoag Head coach of ACH Volley

lenn Hoag was born in 1958 in a town of LaTuque in the province of Québec. He has a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Université de Sherbrooke and is a level 4 coach from the national coaching certification program of Canada. Exhibiting great interest in sports from an early age, Glenn Hoag was a hockey player from youth until the age of 16, after which he gave up his ice skates in favour of the volleyball court. He joined the Canadian national volleyball team in 1981 and went to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984. He played volleyball at the professional level for 9 years, his highest accomplishment being the final in Champions league in 1990. Three years later he started coaching at Université de Sherbrooke in Québec. He is married to Donna Kastelic, who is of Slovene descent, and they have two boys. Even though Glenn has been in Slovenia for merely seven moths, he has already had his fair share of accomplishments – the ACH Volley club won the Slovenian cup in December 2008 and reached the second round of champion’s league, while this year the team is set to finish the regular season of the Interliga in first place. In his spare time he likes fishing and reading biographies. Due to his wife’s Slovenian descent he is also very eager to learn about Slovenian history and culture. He finds Slovenians very open to the outside world and proud of who they are, adding that the country’s beautiful landscape greatly reminds him of his native region in Québec.

Marcos Tavares Football Player, FC Maribor

arcos Tavares was born in 1984 in Brazil. As with many young boys of this Latin American country, Marcos was quickly fascinated with soccer, putting on his soccer shoes at the age of nine. He also played volleyball and basketball successfully at the school level. With the Brazilian U-17 national team he won the Latin American Championships. After leaving Brazil to play soccer in Malaysia and Cyprus, he has been finding the back of the net for NK Maribor the past year where he has proved himself a valuable scorer for his team, scoring 14 goals in the autumn period of the regular season and three in the cup. The team is doing really well, currently holding first place, which makes it a serious contender for the title. Marcos acknowledges that coming to Maribor was the right thing to do: “I feel great here. Since coming to Slovenia many wonderful things have happened to me: my son Joshua was born here, in Maribor I married my wife …” Family is very important to Marcos; he likes spending his spare time surrounded by his family: “Family completes you as a person, and my sons always make me laugh.” Apart from his family, religion plays a major role in Marcos’ life as well; he loves relaxing by reading the Bible and going to church. He finds Slovenia a very beautiful country with lots of greenery where people openly walk the streets. In the winter break he spent two days travelling across the country with his family, marvelling the beauty of nature and the might of the Divine.

VOTE NOW!

www.gueststar.org The Slovenia Times

GUEST STAR 41

CULTURE Chris Eckman

Toshihiro Yonezu

Musician, Producer, Composer

Guest conductor of Slovenian Philharmonic

hris Eckman is an established musician from Seattle who has been living and working in Slovenia for several years now. He is best known for his role as the frontman of a Seattle-based band The Walkabouts that was formed in 1983 and which published more than 15 albums by 2005. Chris’s first solo album A Janela was published in 1999 in Portugal where he lived and performed at the time. In 2002 he moved to Ljubljana where he has lived and worked ever since and published his second solo album entitled Black Field in 2004 and an instrumental album Novi Svet in 2005. When he came to Slovenia there were only a few inconvenient things he had to get used to which involved the almost proverbial Slovenian heavy bureaucracy, lack of certain food products in stores and the poor state of the live music scene in Ljubljana. But among the things that pleasantly surprised him were the consistency of food quality in restaurants and stores, the amazing geographic diversity of the country and the friendliness of the people. 2008 was a busy year for Chris; he wrote music for a documentary by Tomo Križnar and Maja Weiss called Dar Fur – War for Water and published his latest album at the end of August entitled The Last Side of the Mountain. The album is a unique musical experiment combining poems of one of the most influential and respected Slovene poets Dane Zajc with Chris’s own experience of Zajc’s English-translated poetry that has, in his own words, become part of his own personal Pantheon of artistic inspirations. Chris is currently travelling through Europe playing the songs of Dane Zajc. He will have performed in 11 European countries by the end of the tour.

oshihiro Yonezu was born in Japan in 1972. He studied orchestral conducting at the prestigious Tokyo College of Music and has since 2002 conducted more than 60 concerts, 15 orchestras, many operas and other works, thus developing a respectable orchestral repertoire. On the recommendation of George Pehlivanian, the former Music Director of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, he came to Slovenia in September 2006 and served as Assistant to the Music Director until 2008, after which he became Regular Guest Conductor. His many rewards include the Prize of Honour and Bruno Walter Prize (for Best Conductor) won at the Masterplayers International Conducting Competition last year in Lugano. Since coming to Slovenia he has become especially appreciative of walking and is particularly fond of going to the Ljubljana Castle, admiring the marvelous vista of the city from the top. Even though Ljubljana is not a big capital city, he nevertheless finds it very beautiful: “I sometimes imagine that Ljubljana is a big theme park, as though all the people who are walking around have already paid their entrance fees. And everybody enjoys walking, shopping, talking and eating in this beautiful theme park!” He finds that there are many young people in Slovenia who can play a musical instrument and reveal a very high level of musical aptitude. He admits that he was really surprised to discover so many people with so many wonderful skills when conducting the Ljubljana Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra, and professes his deep respect for the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra (also for the country and the Slovenes in general): “They have something special in their sound. I am attracted to their sound. I am grateful that I can work with them as a conductor and will never forget the host of great experiences I have had here in Slovenia.”

Vitalij Osmačko Musician, Composer, Vocals, Guitar Player

italij Osmačko is a Ukrainian musician, composer, vocalist and a guitarist coming from a musical family from which he inherited his love for the chanson and bard music. In 1989 he joined the notorious Kievbased group Kvartira 50, which is thought to be the founder of the Kiev rock club and which essentially set his professional musical career into motion. He has lived and worked in Slovenia since 1990. His first solo album Časi srečanj was released in 1991 establishing him as a performer of the chanson. Two years later he recorded his second album with a band called Ukrajinski kozaki. In 1995 he co-founded the Mar Django duet with a violin player Saša Olenjuk; the duo went on to record album Črne oči, which has remained popular even to this day. Vitalij is involved in constant collaborations with renowned musicians and artists from Slovenia and abroad. The end of 1997 for Vitalij marked the beginning of collaboration with one of Slovenia’s most recognizable musical faces Zoran Predin. The extremely successful album entitled Ljubimec iz omare was followed by a second joint album in English and French, which was performed at festivals in France, England and Scotland. In 2000 Vitalij continued his independent journey with the Mar Django Quartet; as a leader, performer, arranger and producer, their record earned him the Zlati petelin award for best chanson album. In 2002 he collaborated on an album entitled Janglesalsa with Croatian band Cubismo. In 2004 he recorded the album Svetloba v žitu with the Moscow Philharmonics that was lead by the legendary Russian conductor Konstantin Krimc.

Organizer

Co-organizer

Huiqin Wang Chinese artist, Painter

uiqin Wang was born in 1955 in Nantong, China. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts of the Pedagogical University of Nanjing in 1982 and finished postgraduate study in printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana four years later. From 1989 to 1991 she studied painting under Professor Emerik Bernard at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, after which she enrolled at the Minerva Academy in Groningen, Netherlands. Having lived in Slovenia for over twenty years, Huiqin Wang represents a valuable addition to Slovenian multi-cultural expression. Her work represents a valuable contribution to Slovenian cultural life as well as to international inter-cultural dialogue. In 2005 she was selected cultural personality of the year by The Slovenia Times. Alongside numerous solo exhibitions she was part of many artistic dialogues with other creators as well. In February 2007 she started a new international project in co-production with a distinguished Maribor gallery Kibla followed by an interactive exhibition Live Calligraphy that saw the participation of international artists, which represented the very first such performance in Slovenia. Huiqin’s work has been presented in Slovenian and foreign art magazines, and many Chinese artists became familiar with the Slovenian art world through her articles. She often organises exhibitions of Slovenian artists in China and also Chinese artists in Slovenia, making her an ambassador of Slovenian fine art culture.

Host of the award ceremony

March 2009

Dental GUEST Care STAR

Dr Zoran Trajanovski LEISURE

LIFE STYLE

Scruples and Facts on Teeth Whitening

Cross-country ski tour

Snow White and the Seven Plateaus

Teeth whitening (or teeth brightening) has lately become a very fashionable treatment. It is a one-off procedure that removes longstanding teeth discoloration that occurs as a result of one’s diet, drinking coffee and tea and smoking. As this service is widely available nowadays, various scruples and wrong conclusions have developed over it, but also a number of important facts that are good to know.

Teeth whitening is one of the most effective services in contemporary aesthetic dentistry. However, there have been many ups and downs in the development of this service and numerous tests with various utensils. Due to the negative consequences that were likely to occur as a result of teeth whitening fifteen or twenty years ago, it is often wrongly presumed even today that teeth whitening is generally harmful to tooth enamel. Contemporary research studies, carried out by independent institutions from the US, claim the opposite. They prove that professional teeth whitening treatments are not only safe, but also have a healing effect on the oral cavity. There are a wide variety of teeth whitening products available in pharmacies and better-supplied cosmetics shops. However, the problem with cheaper products is that they usually contain significantly larger quantities of hydrogen peroxide than is recommendable. The manufacturers tend to use this formulation to achieve more visible results. The teeth do in fact become perfectly white, but loose some of their natural lustre, which is never perfectly white naturally. An even greater problem is the sensitivity of tooth enamel, which in the past often resulted in bitter regret for the decision to try a tooth whitening procedure.

Nowadays, safety and the natural appearance of teeth lustre come first Luckily, modern technology and constant professional studies conducted by independent medical institutions have contributed to a number of revolutionary modernisations. Most of the best professional service providers can now prove their qualifications with a certificate, that guarantees their product to be harmless to tooth enamel. One of the best products of its kind in the world market today is the BriteSmile method. The company constantly cooperates with numerous independent medical institutions that regularly monitor the quality and safety of the treatment. Their studies are frequently published in the Journal of the American Dental Association - the JADA Journal. The secret of the BriteSmile method’s success hides within a combination of a whitening gel that is illuminated by a special blue light. The whitening gel has an appropriate PH value and only contains The 15%Slovenia hydrogen peroxide, which is Times

extremely low compared to other teeth whitening products available around the world. The whitening gel is compatible with the wavelength of the blue light, which activates the gel. The results are visible within a little over an hour of such treatment. Clinical research conducted in the R&D department of BriteSmile, as well as within independent institutions, have proved that it is possible to whiten teeth by up to 8 shades within a little more than 1 hour of such therapy. The actual brightening varies depending on the basic condition of an individual’s teeth enamel. The most evident advantage of these professionally supervised procedures is, of course, safety and the natural appearance of the teeth lustre. The aim of teeth whitening procedures should not be flawless whiteness with no depth, but rather a fresh, natural, milky white smile, which shows a particular depth of tooth enamel. In this sense, BriteSmile and a few other leading manufacturers stand out considerably in terms of quality. An excessively white smile is not something one would want to attract attention with. Another positive feature of the method is that the above-mentioned blue light is also efficient in destroying the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Do not economise where your health and safety are concerned At some point, nearly all of us have considered the possibility of teeth whitening. Since this is a procedure that is only done on average once or twice or possibly three times in one’s lifetime, it is wise to consider every option and get acquainted with all the information available. The durability of the results has proved to last three to four years on average (the whitening effect wears off approximately a shade every six months), so there is no use in economising. Nowadays, there is no need to worry about damaging your teeth enamel or harming the health of your oral cavity in any way. But do choose only the best tested treatments that can prove their perfection with an appropriate certificate.

Hydrogen peroxide has a decisive role in the teeth whitening effect

Seven runs, on seven days, over 330 kilometres: this year’s Slovenia Cross-Country Ski Tour was an unforgettable experience for amateur cross-country skiers, combining sports, socializing and the pleasures offered by pure winter nature.

fter last year’s great success, 56 people from five different countries gathered to discover the Slovenian mountains. Skiers from Finland, Germany, Spain, Austria and joined the hosts to spend a week of cross-country experience in different regions. After last year’s poor winter, which forced organizers to cut the tour, skipping some interesting segments, this year was quite the opposite. Very good conditions with over two meters of snow in some places allowed the participants to make up for last year. A marked ski trail for those using the classic technique led the runners through expansive forests and picturesque mountains of 1000 to 1400 metres above sea level.

Get Set, Ready.... They started in the east crossing Pohorje from Bolfenk to Kope, through Rogla. The 50 km trial of the first day was probably the hardest, in part because a wellprepared track was nearly completely destroyed by snow mobiles that – illegally – race on Pohorje every night. The second day’s destination was Golte, then Velika Planina, a part which the runners described as “like skiing on a post card with breath-taking views.” The first three days of more or less “civilised” regions with a several of ski resorts, were followed by the real wilderness of the Snežnik

forests. This was the first time ever that cross-country tracks around Snežnik were created. The food on Mašun was regarded as the top culinary moment of the whole tour. Vojsko and Jelovica on the fifth and sixth day featured another meeting with local habits and the enthusiastic work of local people and their hospitality. Perfectly made tracks, sunny weather and remarkable views of the Julian Alps and Dolomites led the tour towards the final run on Pokljuka, the heart of Slovenian cross-country skiing with a nice 50 km run on perfect tracks just underneath Mount Triglav. Participants skied 330 km in seven days, 47 km per day on average; this definitely was not easy, but then again also not some extreme sport event where challenging physical and mental lim its would overshadow the joys of peaceful nature and socializing. The race is not of a competitive nature, and only a few runners used stopwatches for their own records. This definitely is not only sport, but also cultural and ecological event as people from different countries are making contact, meeting local people, encountering places that are hidden from other tourists and exchanging their ideas of sport, and the importance of keeping nature for the next generations. “It was a great tour in such impressive landscapes”.

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Slovenia is Special! On a small space, Slovenia unites nearly all forms of water, multifaceted regions and all the nuances of the green, intact nature. The common characteristic of the Slovenian tourist offer is its preserved nature. The cultural and natural heritage are combined in a harmonised whole. In Slovenia, the trip from one climate, regional or linguistic area to another is simple and extremely quick. Variety is an inalienable part of Slovenia and this is also what its tourist products are like. A visitor who desires diversity will compose his or her vacation in Slovenia from a range of various Slovenian tourist products. At the same time, the country offers its visitor niche tourist products, which indulge all the senses and restore the equilibrium during a break in the intact nature. The characteristic that makes Slovenia different from other tourist destinations is especially its preserved nature at the meeting-point of various landscapes. This distinguishing feature is even accentuated by a feeling of harmony because of the specific characteristics of the Slovenians, our values and views, but also the geographic position. On a small space, we have succeeded to preserve a balanced range of natural and cultural treasures. The tourist brand has

a strong link to the Slovenia brand, called I feel Slovenia. The core of the tourist brand is the Slovenian green colour, which expresses the experience of Slovenia that remains in memory for the longest period. As a true tourist destination, Slovenia fills its guests with peace and energy. A vacation in Slovenia brings balance and gets one in touch with a fundamental element, be it water, the smell of the woods or the authentic taste of food. The Slovenian tourism has adopted the guidelines of organic development and develops in conformity with nature. Nature is one of the main elements of Slovenia’s tourist offer, and the ambition is to offer it to selected target groups. That is why Slovenia is not – and does not want to be – a destination of mass tourism. The latter demands a uniformity that we, Slovenians, do not know and do not want. As a tourist destination, Slovenia offers an authentic experience. With a vacation in Slovenia, we do something for ourselves. It is said that Slovenia permits, supports and

stands for ”selfness” – giving attention to yourself and indulging in the things you like. Such a vacation, complemented with an authentic contact with intact nature, fills the guest with new vigour and restores his or her inner balance.What is the thing that makes Slovenian tourism different from other tourist destinations? It is a set of basic elements, agreeable excitement, the Slovenian green colour, intact nature, the crossroads of the Alps, the Mediterranean and the Pannonian plain, the Slovenian language with its numerous dialects, the closeness to differences, quality of life, an active contact with nature, organic development, niche development, development in harmony with nature…

Things You Didn’t Know About Slovenia Water in Slovenia is among the purest in Europe and even in the world. Slovenia is a country of water. The total length of water streams, rivers, permanent or torrential affluxes is 26,600 kilometres. Woods cover almost 60% of Slovenia. With regard to the coverage of the country with this natural resource, this sets Slovenia in third position in Europe – only Finland and Sweden have a larger share of woods. Did you know that Slovenia has its own primeval forest? It is located only 60 kilometres from the capital Ljubljana.

www.slovenia.info Book ONLINE Or call: +386 4 280 30 30

EDEN 2009: In Search of the Slovenian Destination of Excellence in 2009 This year, Slovenian destinations can, again, participate in the European Commission’s European Destinations of Excellence project (EDEN), carried out by the Slovenian Tourist Organisation at the national level. The topic of this year’s project is Tourism and Protected Areas and destinations may apply until 3 March 2009. The project aims to reward a destination operating in a protected area and/or bordering a protected area that has developed successful tourist products contributing to nature preservation while satisfying the interests of the local population as well as visitors. The winning destination will receive the “European Destination of Excellence 2009” title and logo. In 2009, the European Commission will intensively promote destination twinning. For this

purpose, it has launched an online forum accessible to the winning countries and national finalists. The forum is meant to serve as a transfer of knowledge and exchange of experience as well as to establish connections between the European Destinations of Excellence. The “European Destinations of ExcelleNce” project (EDEN) was designed by the European Commission in line with the European Tourism Policy guidelines. The aim of the project is to draw attention to the values, diversity and shared characteristics of emerging European tourist destinations, to provide the basis for the exchange of good practice all over Europe and to promote connections between selected destinations. The key characteristic, shared by selected destinations from 27 member and can-

didate countries, is their commitment to social, cultural and environmental sustainability. Every year, in co-operation with the national tourism authorities, the European Commission designates the project theme and the basic selection criteria, based on which the participating countries formulate the national selection criteria. The project is being organised for the third year in a row and Slovenia is competing for the second time. In 2008, the first European Destination of Excellence in Slovenia was the Soča Valley. The past two themes were Rural Tourism and Intangible Heritage. The European Commission has already announced a new project for 2010 with the theme of Aquatic Tourism, and has defined the general selection criteria. European countries must submit applications by 20 April 2009.

44 LEISURE

Music

Photo: Mediaspeed

Eurosong Discord the Slovenian Way

Slovenian Eurosong representative has been selected yet again and once more the number of people who think the song is slightly less annoying than running your fingers across a blackboard is almost equal to, nay greater than the number of passionate supporters claiming that the song is “the real deal at last, for heaven’s sake!” By Matija Pavlič

n case you have not heard it before, the Slovenian national selection for Eurovision competition is a painfully agonizing affair. Here we do not wish to imply that the quality of music is worst than a group of drunkards revelling through the streets of Ljubljana, but that the bickering and ill blood and shady judging methods always manage to leave a bitter lingering aftertaste – the ongoing phenomenon at the Slovenian musical scene could only be described as “Slovenian Eurosong Bile Barfing Brawl”.

Fan favourites cast aside To bury the musical hatchet and have a “clean” selection at least once in eternity, the authorities at RTV Slovenia this year opted for an international professional jury who would not be burned with “who’s who in Slovenia”. The aim was to listen to the songs, impartially grade them and get out before all hell breaks loose. This, unfortunately, was not exactly what happened. Again. The jury gave 12 points (the highest score) to a classical musical group – the string quartet Quartissimo, which eventually won the competition, but decided that the merit of the crowd’s favourite song performed by Langa and Manca Špik, which in the public vote gathered more votes than the three nearest rivals combined, amounted to a big fat zero. This, The Slovenia Times

understandably, caused an all too familiar outburst, but with a twist – instead of simply swallowing one’s pride and retreating to a corner, this year’s EMA desperados, well, at least one of them, decided he would have none of it and started swearing and cursing in camera’s face. The content? Well, Jože Kontrec, part of the Langa duo, told the international jury and the people in charge at RTV Slovenia exactly what he (and also a large portion of the public) have been thinking about this competition for years now; he accused them of blatantly fixing the scores and robbing them of the title for the second time, which they supposedly did last year (meddling with the public vote in a jury-free competition). There was some debate whether the gentleman’s outburst was appropriate or not but in the end many people agreed that somebody had to call a spade a spade, even if the time and place (and manner) of the procedure could have been better handled.

New system, old problems This year RTV Slovenia officials not only named an international professional jury to avoid ill blood and possible controversy (which they did not succeed in achieving, anyway) but also changed the entry system. For the first time established Slovenian musicians were asked to participate in this competition rather than simply submit-

ting their songs and hoping to be selected for a place in the semifinals. The latter part, though, was not left out; it was merely a case of 6 selected Slovenian musician being secured a place in the final by an internal committee beforehand regardless of how their song would ultimately turn out. Other contestants, however, had to go through the evaluation sieve and a semi-final to eventually advance to the final round of the competition. In the end, half of the score came from the public vote and half from the international professional jury. Needless to say, the two scores were not exactly like two peas in a pod, spurring controversy of whether or not the scores were fixed, since the absolute crowd winner did not receive a single point from the jury and consequently fell short of the title.

TV smoke means TV fire The EMA competition has always been one of the most watched programmes on Slovenian TV, therefore it comes as no surprise that controversy should be part of the bargain year in and year out. The semi-final was watched by 41% of all TV viewers, whereas the final show glued 51% of viewers to the TV screen and a staggering 69% to the very end of the show when the winner was announced. No doubt the ratings would be even higher if the outburst of Jože Kontrec was broadcast and, perhaps, dissected

in a TV studio under the “moral obligation banner”. While this “unfortunate event” was atoned for in the following days through a public apology and explanation of the emotional situation of the distressed musician, some people also did not like the fact that the lead singer of Quartissimo and the author of the winning song are Croatians. Interestingly enough these drawbacks did not seem to quieten merely on account of there being nothing written in the rules preventing that, but rather that under a different scenario in which Langa would be declared clear winners some people would have to accept the fact that members of the Roma people would represent Slovenia at the Eurosong and not Croats, which, evidently, in a xenophobic mind translates as slightly less unacceptable. And in such strange and often bizarre manner in which Slovenian Eurosong preliminaries seem to conclude virtually every single year, another controversial and fidgety night that is the night of Slovenian musical slugfest concluded once again. The only worries that now lie ahead are those of bitter-sweet speculation of whether or not Quartissimo will reach the final round of the Eurovision competition this May in Moscow and whether or not Slovenian music will at last show its “true colours” (which, by the way, are supposedly pure gold). So it goes.

A Strong Thin Man: Krepko Diary presenting their kefir product with a slogan “I eat, therefore I’m loosing weight”.

The Stari Vrh ski slope Snow Queen contest. Zala Rebernik and her two runner-ups. (Photo: Mediaspeed.net)

Trade union apostles in their recent meeting. (Photo: Marc Botte)

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

Obviously successful! Kurents in Prešeren square during their efforts to chase away the winter. (Photo: Marc Botte)

Traditional carnival setup in the village of Ponikve, Dobrepolje. (Photo: Maja Kaplan) Call it chauvinism, but it took some effort to create this shrovetide “8. march greeting”.

Behind the scenes of shooting a documentary about the first Slovene flyers, Rusjan Brothers, premiered in February on TV Slovenia. (Photo: TVS) Special offer for the new subscribers. The first fifty subscribers to the Slovenia Times Magazine get a special gift - a free Thai massage!

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