The Slovenia Times 115 by Slovenia Times

Telecommunications Special: The Sector Moves Into Data Services

The Slovenia Times, Slovenian magazine in English, volume 6, number 115, EUR 4,80

April 2009

A Tough Balancing Act After 100 Turbulent Days into the Job, Prime Minister Pahor Longs for Some Respite

CONTENTS

April 2009 4

Panorama

POLITICS 6

First months of a new government

A new post war-killing site discovered

Interview: Majda Širca, minister of culture

Partners

ECONOMY 14

Management buyouts gone awry

Economy to shrink by four percent in 2009

Interview: Bill Spence, Shell vice-president for CO2

CEE real estate markets in doldrums

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

The State of the Telco Market

Interview: Dejan Turk, the CEO of Si.mobil

24 Telekom Slovenije, a versatile giant? 25

Opinion: How to phone smartly in a downturn

Interview: Danilo Tomšič, sales director of Mobitel

Mobile and broadband services on the rise

SOCIETY 32

People: Vinko Dolenc, neurosurgeon

Marriages and Divorces

LIFESTYLE 36

Best places for weddings

SPORTS 42

Heroines of winter sports

CULTURE 44

Events

Pandur’s Hamlet conquers spain

Life of a club dancer

Greatest moments of photo reporting

LEISURE

Meet the foreigners of the year 2008

52 54

Viktors, awards for Slovenian media achievements Every Picture Tells a Story April 2009

CY CMY

PANORAMA

source: STA, Slovenian Press Agency

Where to Put our History? The opposition Slovenian Democrats issued an appeal to remove the name and image of Former Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito off all Slovenian streets after the discovery of the latest mass grave suspected to contain victims of World War II-era Communist executions. The appeal directed at all Slovenian citizens, but especially municipal councillors, urges them to start procedures in their local communities for removing the name of Tito from Slovenian streets and squares and relocating his busts to museums “where they belong”. Also motivated by recently discovered mass grave, Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk said that this year was a good opportunity to erect a monument to all the war dead, regardless of their political views. Where the monument should be

Staffing

Healthcare The Slovenian Medical Chamber decided that one of the doctors suspected of causing the death of a 12-year-old in March last year due to negligence was to loose her licence for 2 months. The boy’s parents were said to be “indignant and hurt” by the decision. The chamber’s decision is not final yet, as all parties have the right to appeal.The 12-year-old Bor Nekrep died because of an excessive level of ammonia in his blood due to a genetic condition, which the doctors in Maribor failed to detect. The boy was not given timely treatment as a result, although the chamber had concluded that the initial examination was conducted in line with medical standards. The findings contradicted an internal inquiry at the hospital, which cleared the doctors of wrongdoing. The boy’s parents filed complaints against three doctors, including the attending physician, whom they have accused of manslaughter by negligence. “The only person that the parents contacted in those 19 hours was not held responsible. This physician has not been charged with anything,” the lawyer representig parents said.

www.sloveniatimes.com Published every month by DOMUS, založba in trgovina d.o.o. CEO and publisher: Brane Krajnik Editorial office: Trg MDB 12, 1000 Ljubljana phone – desk: +386 (0)1 520 50 84

Yes to Mediation, but... Croatia endorsed the European Commission’s proposal for mediation on the Slovenian-Croatian border dispute, but with a major caveat: mediation must lead to the transfer of the dispute to the International Court of Justice. Slovenia, which had endorsed mediation in principle in February, views mediation as a way of reaching a final solution on the border and therefore sees Croatia’s decision as falling short of major progress. In order to settle the differences, the Slovenian and Croatian foreign ministers, met with European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn in Brussels, but no major progress was made at the talks. Foreign Minister Samuel Žbogar said that Croatia, which deems mediation as the road to the International Court of Justice, is now father away from Brussels’ position. Both countries will reconsider and review their positions, so that they could take a step forward at the next meeting, which is what Rehn expects of both sides.

Political parties

Šrot Gave Up Bojan Šrot resigned as president of the opposition People’s Party (SLS). He quit after only 16 months at the helm of the party, saying he is too busy with his duties as mayor of Celje. Šrot took over from longstanding SLS president Janez Podobnik in November 2007 when opinions polls were giving the then junior coalition party little chances for making the parliament threshold in the 2008 general election. The SLS went on to secure 5.2% and five MPs in the 21 September vote. The party had 7 MPs in the 2004-2008 term.

Editor-in-chief Marko Vuković marko.vukovic@sloveniatimes.com

Marketing/Advertising

Senior editor Jaka Terpinc editor@sloveniatimes.com

Irena Kržan irena@sloveniatimes.net

Copy editor Terry Troy Jackson, s.p.

fax: +386 (0)1 520 50 82

Art director Maja Kaplan design@domus.si

email: info@sloveniatimes.com

Printed by Littera Picta Medvode

phone – marketing: +386 (0)1 520 50 85

The Slovenia Times

Vox populi survey Politbarometer shows that people largely (78%) oppose the purge of Tito’s name from the streets, while the idea of a common monument enjoys a support of 71% of respondents. Meanwhile the Social Democrats (SD) unveiled the latest coalition-sponsored war victims bill, which would extend victim status to children whose parents were killed or who suffered any other form of damage as a result of actions by Partisan or the Allies during WWII. According to SD deputy Miran Potrč, the same goes for refugees who had to leave their homes because they had been demolished, burned down or damaged - even if this was the result of activity by the WWII winners.

Neighbourhood

Who Wants Mr Rupel Fatal Negligence A letter in which former Foreign Minister Dimtrij Rupel called on the interior minister to stop a police investigation related to his wife’s use of a ministry car in 2006 proved too much for Prime Minister Borut Pahor, prompting him to terminate on Rupel’s services as the PM’s special foreign policy envoy. Pahor, who appointed the member of the opposition Slovenian Democrats (SDS) as his aid to the dismay of the coalition in November, said he was especially bothered by Rupel using the letterhead of the office of the prime minister. While the law office representing Rupel initially rejected the news as false, Pahor confirmed that Rupel would be sent back to the Foreign Ministry. Interior Ministry Katarina Kresal was happy with the news, saying the coalition would breath much more freely now.

and what inscription it should bear has been an issue of serious debates and “solutions have already been proposed”, he added.

Marko Stijepić marketing@sloveniatimes.com

Iztok Červ iztok@sloveniatimes.net Aleš Smerdel ales@sloveniatimes.net Subsciptions/Distribution subscription@sloveniatimes.com

Circulation: 10,000 copies. ©DOMUS d.o.o., 2003. All rights reserved. All uncredited materials printed in the Slovenia Times are either created by the Slovenia Times journalists/photographers or acquired from the author/owner in accordance with the legal terms. The Slovenia Times is listed in the Media Register of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia under number 491. All content - texts or pictures - with no author specified are exclusively created by contributors to The Slovenia Times or published in accordance with owner’s instruction.

Photo: BOBO

UNDER THE PRESS Innocent as a Wolf

Photo: BOBO

Corruption Walter Wolf, the businessman whose name was mentioned in connection with the controversial defence deal between Finnish contractor Patria and Slovenia, is taking Slovenia, Finland and Austria to the European Court of Human Rights. Wolf’s legal representative Markus Singer confirmed Wold demanded a total of EUR 2.5m over numerous media reports that Wolf says have harmed his good name. An new twist in the alleged bribing scandal was also provided by media reports that the name of State Prosecutor General Barbara Brezigar was on a police list of people contacted by the suspects in the case. While Brezigar spoke of “insinuations”, Justice Minister Aleš Zalar requested a formal explanation, saying she had told him herself that “there was a problem in connection with this, which also involves her”.

European Union

Potočnik for Another Term President Danilo Tuerk endorsed Janez Potočnik for another term as Slovenia’s European commissioner, saying it would be very good for Slovenia if he remained in the European Commission beyond the June Euro elections. He added that Slovenia’s reputation in the EU was largely attributed to the quality and importance of the work of the Slovenian Science and Research commissioner. Potočnik meanwhile reiterated his wish to stay on as a commissioner. He said that this will require the support of the whole government, while a lot will also depend on the next president of the European Commission. Potočnik is convinced that the present moment of the crisis is a key for adopting long-term decisions encouraging science and research and boosting innovation.

Vox Populi

Silently and discretely, Slovenia became what it ran away from twenty years ago. It has become stuck in a grey rotting bureaucratic swamp, as it crawls disoriented in a decaying putrid labyrinth made of cheap cardboard scenery for party congresses, glorious state jubilees, Miss Slovenia and Eurosong contests. Pathetic nation-building kitsch has mobilized Slovenia with the same stuff, which communist committee zombies from the eighties used to mobilize Yugoslavia: internal enemies, foreign enemies, traitors, cheap symbols, flags, styrofoam slogans and glorious historical achievements. Boris Dežulović, Croatian writer and columnist for Dnevnik, disappointed with what became of the exciting progressive, freedom loving Slovenia of the eighties, which he admired as a teenager.

Tycoons in Russia flourished only in a tight connection to the presidents. They supported Yeltsin to direct the economical reforms towards their benefit. Putin changed the circumstances, since he didn’t accept being dependent on Russian billionaires. … Slovenian tycoons are different concerning the media. Their relationship with politics is far more complex, which is a consequence of the fact there is no dominant political personality in power here, but instead we have changing governments of coalition parties, who keep competing for popularity. However, tycoons looked after allies in politics. A classic case is Boško Šrot, owner of Laško Brewery. He was cooperative to Janša’s government, and then after a short circuit among the two occurred, he went looking after new allies who were on the opposition side at the time. Columnist Bernard Nežmah in Reporter Weekly, explaining the difference between Russian and Slovenian tycoons.

Politbarometer Results of a survey by the Centre for Public Opinion Research, Facutly of Social Sciences, Ljubljana University. March 16-18, N=912. Numbers in brackets show the December survey figure. Undetermined respondents not mentioned.

Satisfaction with the state of democracy Satisfied: 34% (39%) Unsatisfied: 61% (55%) Satisfaction with personal material standard Satisfied: 55% (53%) Unsatisfied: 43% (45%) Support for the government Supporting: 55% (51%) Not supporting: 33% (34%) Political self determination: Leftist: 30% (32%) Centrist: 20% (25%) Rightist: 21% (19%) Who do you trust? The most: the Euro, the President of The Republic, the Army The least: the National assembly, the Courts of Law, Clergy

Save for some lonely calls for a different view, it was a uniform, disciplined and expected congress. It has found and elected a crown-prince for the young Pahor. Actually it is more a clone of him: the clone-prince. Pahor not only got himself elected a successor, but a copy. Columnist Vlado Miheljak in Dnevnik comments the congress of the ruling party and the election of four vice-presidents.

Some women in Slovenia obviously have a great dislike for men, which happens – but I cannot understand why the Faculty for Social Work gives an apparent scientific legitimacy to these frustrations Chairman of the Ljubljana town council of People’s Party Aleš Primc, disagreeing with the idea for a change of legislation in order to permit artificial insemination of women without a partner and the adoption of children in homosexual relationships.

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

Recession for Dummies

Government

By Jaka Terpinc

A decade ago, a pyramid direct marketing

scheme took over the country. It promised the fulfilment of material dreams combined with a sort of weird business spirituality. This promise literally hypnotised many people, transforming the regular folks into people dressed in suits, who never quit listening to motivational tapes on their walkmans and who gathered in large sport halls to perform the rituals of congratulating, tapping each others shoulders, singing the mantras, admiring those who made it and being inhumanly nice to each others. The bitter part was that you just couldn’t make small talk with them any more. They only babbled their phrases and sayings they learnt from their gurus in order to get more people into their network of dreams. Furthermore, they were not at all lonely or intellectually underfed people. Often, they were quite the opposite. For some of us, the “immune,” it was an awkward living experiment in mass psychology. It seemed as if yet another remake of The Body Snatchers was happening in front of our eyes. These marketing network junkies tend to become very annoying too - it was not enough just to say them “no thanks, this is not for me” and continue chatting about some movie you recently saw. Clearly, they had been indoctrinated with the urge for persistent persuasion. And you just couldn’t break them by explaining that something might not totally function in their brave new world, where six billion people would be selling toothpaste to each other, and consequently getting wealthy enough so each could own a boat and a mountain lodge. Not long after this supernatural phenomenon occurred, The Slovenia Times was published for the first time. That was exactly six years ago. It began in garage, with big expectations and great prospects. The economy was booming. Foreigners, both tourists and businessmen, began to acknowledge our potential. We were entering the EU and NATO. The only gap between the heaven and Slovenia was seemingly caused by a lack of liberal thinking, compounded with tight legislation, slow privatisation and red tape. The capital market was blooming and personal fortune was measured in investments. Saving in banks was out, replaced by investing in funds – that was the idea. Everyone was invited to become a capitalist. “Invest and let it grow…” It seemed unbelievable how easily we had disposed of the idea that added value can only be created through labour, which has poisoned our minds for decades. Today, investments are in retreat. Neo-liberals, yesterday’s heroes, whom everyone was worshipping as holding the key to the all progress, have lost all authority in a matter of months. Hopeful small investors found much of their savings gone and figured they would be better off if they stuck their cash into the back of their sock drawer. The manic network marketing fanatics mentioned turned out to be just an extreme sect of the all-embracing religion of global consumer capitalist, whose god abandoned it and whose prophets turned out to be false. In fact, for a few years we all believed that six billion people can only invest their earnings and in time we would all be watching sunsets on our own boats or in mountain lodges; just to remind us of that part of our nature that enjoys being seduced. Then a cataclysm came. We know the story. Instead of watching our investments grow, we are left with the delight of watching our tycoons’ big fat bodies rot. The trust for our wealth is now being handed back to the state. Everyone is curious what the new doctrines will bring and, moreover, what is to become of our society. Curious, but very fearful too. The concern derives from a great 20th century formula: financial crisis creates popular unrest, which is then channelled to the populism of hatred and totalitarian ideas, ultimately leading to major conflicts. You can draw parallels wherever and whenever you want, and despite its sounding like a parody of paranoid thinking, it leaves a bitter taste. Nevertheless, even not so lonely and intellectually underfed people can quickly became prey to weird ideas. Yet, the good news is that history, as well as nature, acts in chaotic, unpredictable ways and that no major shakeup in the history as we know it was not in any way predicted. Neither was this recession. The Slovenia Times

A Man of Good Beginnings? Amidst the collapsing world economy, an intensifying dispute with Croatia, and rocky relations within his coalition partners, Prime Minister Borut Pahor quickly became a target of criticism from both the left and the right. With the government’s approval ratings down since late last year, the Slovenian public has yet to find out what Pahor’s term in office will be all about. By Jaka Bartolj, photos Marc Botte

South of the (Undefined) Border Perhaps unexpectedly, much of the new government’s first 100 days has been marked by its policy towards Croatia. Foreign policy was the one area for which Pahor’s government planned the least changes. Yet, the decision to block Croatia’s accession negotiations was a new turn in the years-long saga over undefined borders. The move was the result of specific circumstances that emerged at the time: Croatia had submitted documents that, in Slovenia’s eyes, prejudged the disputed order. But even if the move to block Croatia wasn’t a significant departure from Slovenia’s overall philosophy towards its neighbour, the dispute suddenly became a EU matter. If Slovenia’s red light for Croatia was one of the defining moves by the new government, it was also one of the least controversial in terms of domestic reaction. It was met with broad political support typical of Slovenia’s largely consensus-driven foreign policy. Both the government and the opposition parties applauded Pahor’s stance. It is therefore difficult to judge whether the government’s relatively hard-line stance is in any way a departure from precedent or merely the result of the specific circumstances of the time. In any case, the blocking of Croatia’s EU accession talks began a new period in Slovenian foreign relations, a period

marked by intense diplomacy on the EU level. The new government’s primary objective became to present the Slovenian point-of-view in the dispute, convince the international public that the country was right to block Croatia, and set its terms for the mediation process in the months to follow.

Domestic Drama If the content of the new government’s foreign policy reflected a broad political consensus, one foreign affairs staffing decision resulted in a political firestorm. Shortly after assuming office, Pahor named Dimitrij Rupel, the former Foreign Minister, as his special foreign policy advisor. Rupel had previously sought an ambassadorship, only to have President Danilo Turk reject his nomination. Pahor stated that he decided to take Rupel on board because of his extensive diplomatic contacts. However, the move was also widely seen as Pahor asserting the right to make his own political decisions and present himself as a moderate. Pahor’s decision angered many in his own, left-ofcentre side of the political aisle. The move to name Rupel as an advisor may have been primarily symbolic, but it was precisely this symbolism – the naming of the controversial centre-right former minister to a prominent position – that upset Pahor’s allies and resulted in public grumbling from coalition partners. Pahor responded that the impor-

POLITICS

Prime minister Borut Pahor - between concerns the country and for his public image.

tance of hiring Rupel would soon become apparent. In March, however, Rupel’s role as special advisor came to an end in what was officially called a “consensual split.” Pahor made the decision after Rupel used an official letterhead to call on Interior Minister Katarina Kresal to stop a police investigation related to his wife’s use of a ministry car in 2006. Pahor complained that from the outset, “conditions were not given for Rupel to conduct the work that had been the reason we had entered into cooperation in the first place,” but to his coalition partners, the news of Rupel’s dismissal was very welcome – and a vindication.

Can He Say No? The tensions between coalition partners became very apparent shortly after the centre-left election victory. DeSUS, a party representing retirees, made significant demands in the name of its primary constituency. Pahor eventually conceded, and the coalition agreement included between EUR 60 million and EUR 70 million for increased pensions, including a substantial bonus for approximately 100,000 retirees receiving the lowest pensions and somewhat smaller bonuses for about 180,000 other retirees. This size of this expenditure cast some doubt on Pahor’s image as an economic moderate and posed the question: Can he say “no”, or at least insist on restraint, in such situations? In the end, the spending was put on hold indefinitely because of the economic crisis.

Some of the same questions emerged in the wake of Pahor’s decision to finance Maribor’s troubled bid for the Winter Universiade to the tune of more than 15 million euros. Several newspapers, including the dailies Delo and Finance, blasted the decision. “Will the prime minister and our leading politicians be spending public funds for the infamous Universiade in the middle of the worst recession in Slovenian history unorganised, but still honourably?” asked Delo. Again, was Pahor’s decision to spend money on the controversial project merely a symptom of his unwillingness to say “no”? To many critics, that’s precisely how things appeared. In its assessment of the first 100 days of the new government, Delo wrote that Pahor’s “caving in to demands from the opposition and even marginal non-parliamentary parties has helped make extortion a method of work in the Slovenian politics.”

against one of Pahor’s ministers. Opposition Slovenian Democrats (SDS) demanded that Interior Minister Katarina Kresal be replaced after her decision to systematically restore permanent residence to the “erased” – people born in other former Yugoslav republics who were removed from the permanent residence register in the 1990s. According to the SDS, Kresal’s move opens the door to massive demands for compensation and awards some people who were disloyal to Slovenia. Kresal and the government, however, argue that only such an approach complies with a Constitutional Court ruling on the matter. It was evident from the beginning that the no-confidence

motion against Kresal had no chance of passing. However, Pahor and his government face serious challenges in the coming months. Perhaps chief among them is the struggling global economy. The new government has already passed several plans, including government subsidies of companies that have chosen to reduce their employees’ workweek. Pahor’s challenge now is to steer Slovenia through extremely choppy economic waters while reducing discord within the coalition on one hand and still maintaining an image of a moderate, post-ideological politician on the other. Things are not about to get any easier.

Don’t Get No Respect Pahor’s political style reflects his tendency to seek out a broad political consensus. But his tendency to make overtures towards the opposition, in cases such as Rupel’s nomination, has angered many members of the coalition, who felt that he is ultimately undermining his partners without having anything to show for it. Pahor’s middle-of-the road political image aside, it did not take long for the opposition to file the first non-confidence motion

Interior minister Katarina Kresal - determined to follow the rule of law “even if her ratings fall to zero.” April 2009

POLITICS

Post-war Killings

Enter the Bloody History

At the beginning of March, a mass grave in Barbara Rov, a mine tunnel near Laško, was discovered. Investigators and historians estimate that there were approximately 300 people killed in the aftermath of the Second World War in the cave. By Barbara Štor

he investigation of the Huda Jama cave started last August. The victims are believed to be Nazi collaborators who sought to escape from the former Yugoslavia’s communist regime in 1945. “We’ve found the mummified remains of between 200 and 300 people,” explained Marko Štrovs, the head of the government’s army cemeteries sector. According to Štrovs, the victims bore no visible wounds, suggesting they had been “killed with gas.” “Current information, based on oral testimony indicates that the slain people could have been Slovenian or Croatian citizens,” said Andreja Valič, the head of

the Slovenian Research Center for National Reconciliation. State Prosecutor Barbara Brezigar, who visited the site, described seeing the remains as “horrible.” “It is one of the most shocking things you could see in your life,” stated deeply moved the prosecutor, who added that any investigation into the crimes will be difficult since most of those responsible are likely dead.

Hidden and Destroyed So far, approximately 600 secret mass graves have been registered across Slovenia, believed to be holding up to 100,000 bodies; thus

Historian Jože Dežman leads the research of mass-grave locations. The Slovenia Times

far, no one has been charged or brought to trial in connection to the crimes. The Tezno forest, in north-eastern Slovenia, is presumably the grave of approximately 15,000 victims executed after World War II by the former communist regime. According to Slovenian officials, this mass grave, found near Maribor, might be the largest in Europe, surpassing even that of the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, where the Serbian militias killed estimated 8,000 Muslim men and boys in 1995. “The killings that took place here have no comparison in Europe. In the two months after the war, more people were killed here than in the four years of war,” said Jože Dežman, a historian who heads the committee for registering hidden graves. Figures differ as well as the opinions on whose all these bodies could be. While there is no doubt thousands of Slovenes ended up in pits without a trial, some say that we should keep in mind that Slovenia was a place where many defeated armies and militias retreating from Balkans towards north came to the mercy of Allies. In November 2005, the Commission on Concealed Mass Graves was established. Its task is to find and document mass grave sites. More precisely, until 2008

Mitja Ferenc, the chief historian in charge of grave research registered 581 graves: Kočevski Rog, the Tezno forest, Lancovo, Škofja Loka are just some of the locations that have been hiding the forgotten victims for decades. Summary executions were a more or less closely guarded secret and people only spoke about it in closed circles. For almost five decades, people were also not allowed to visit the graves, while many of them were destroyed or covered by waste. Even today, people do not feel comfortable revealing this dark chapter of the history.

Who Did It? Crimes from the years following 1945 are still unaccounted for and so far, none of the executioners has been brought to trial. There was an attempt in 2005, when a former Slovenian communist leader, Mitja Ribičič was charged with genocide for his role in the killings but the charges were dropped because of lack of evidence. According to Jože Dežman the evidence was gathered, “...but the fact is that most evidence was systematically destroyed in the past.” However in the connection of the Huda Jama killings the president of the Slovenian Association of WWII Veterans Janez Stanovnik said that the murders took place under the leadership of Josip Broz

President’s Slip As if the discovery of the mass grave alone had not upset the Slovenian people enough, the statement of the Slovenian president Danilo Türk added fuel to the fire. When asked about the discovery of Huda Jama, he replied that he would not comment on second-class issues. When challenged whether post-war executions are a second class issue, he answered that this was referring to political manipulations of the subject, since the question was made on the occasion of the international women’s day, which was supposed to be the main topic then. The agitated Slovenian People’s Party (SLS) immediately demanded president’s apology or his resignation. However Türk later clarified his position saying that post-war executions were not a second-class issue, but that political manipulations were.

Remembered Victims

Tito. “The Partisan army was dissolved in March 1945 and joined the Yugoslav Army. It acted under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito, and not the Slovene headquarters,” Stanovnik explained. In response, Anton Drobnič, former state prosecutor replied that Slovene partisans were behind all the crimes headed by the communists. “Tito was his commander, commander of Janez Stanovnik, the partisans and the communists,” he said. It seems that even after more than six decades, post-war events still divide the Slovene nation and reconciliation appears to be impossible. Endless debates weigh the motives between revenge and ideological cleansing, staining the image of Partisan fight against Nazis. Perhaps the best illustration of how strongly history separates the people is the case of Janez and Justin Stanovnik, who often appear in public commenting on the post war executions. They are cousins; however Janez Stanovnik is the president of the Slovenian Association of WWII Veterans, while Justin Stanovnik was a member of the collaborationist Domobranci (Home Guard) militia, whose brother was among those secretly killed in 1945. Two cousins found themselves on opposite sides during the war and, after all this time, they remain so.

The first commemoration in memory of post-war victims was held at Kočevski Rog in July 1990. The event, known as the reconciliation ceremony, was addressed by Milan Kučan, the then president of Slovenia, who stressed, that such a symbolic act of reconciliation “could have or should have happened before.” However, according to Kučan, “New times had to come first for the Slovenians who were at the opposite sides in WWII to be able to reconcile with our past in order to let it become history.” Besides the one in Kočevski Rog, another monument to the victims was established at the village of Teharje in eastern Slovenia, which is also an important step towards national reconciliation. Another step closer to the reconciliation would be the adoption of a longdisputed war victims law. The differences in opinion persist over Article 6 of the act, which says that collaborators of occupying forces in WWII cannot be considered as victims of war violence. However i n the m iddle of March, the ruling Social Democrats (SD) put forward the latest coalition-sponsored war victims bill, which would extend victim status to children whose parents were killed or who suffered any other form of damage as a result of actions by Partisan or the Allies during WWII. The proposal is yet to be discussed with the opposition and if the debate would be successful, Slovenia just might close an important chapter of its history and bring this nation closer to reconciliation.

Burying Our Dead As the future is being painted

in different shades of black, Slovenians got a glimpse of their not-so-glorious past as well. As a part of a concerted effort started un- By Aljaž Pengov Bitenc der the previous government to map every unmarked WWII grave, an abandoned mine near Huda Jama in the municipality of Laško was opened and found to contain hundreds of skeletons, victims of post-war summary executions. The discovery immediately – within hours – reopened the seemingly perpetual debate of the role of various Slovenian political and military factions and their roles in WWII. Or – to put it more bluntly – it gave impetus to those who tend to revise history in order to facilitate their political needs. The Second World War in Europe literally ended in Slovenia. As much as a week after Nazi Germany surrendered their units, various collaborationist armies from all over the Balkans tried to make a dash for the British-controlled part of Austria. As Slavs were only half a notch above Jews in Nazi ideology, the Germans did far more than just occupy this part of the world. They were hell bent on eliminating whole nations and found willing collaborators within the occupied countries. In 1942, Hitler visited Maribor and uttered the now-infamous sentence “Make this land German again”. Often collaborators were even crueller than their Nazi masters. Thus, as the war drew to a close, all the various armies of the losing made haste to avoid capture by those whom they tried to exterminate. Some made it, but most didn’t. And even of those who did, the British chose to return the collaborators back to Slovenia (at the time part of the re-established Socialist Yugoslavia). Obviously, slaughter ensued, proof of which is – among others – the mine at Huda Jama. Fast forward sixty-five years to an independent Slovenia, an EU member state, which is still haunted by its dead. But rather than giving them eternal peace, their remains are used as relics and a rallying point for those who refuse to admit that theirs was the losing side and deny having done anything wrong by collaborating. Had it been only for a few surviving geriatrics hating each other to the bone (if you’ll excuse the turn of phrase), one could safely assume that the issue will slowly fade away. The problem is that the rift between the victorious and the losing side has been transplanted into present-day politics, where – at the risk of oversimplification – the political left is seen as heirs to the victorious side and the political right as descending from the losing collaborations side. The latter has made a habit of using every discovery of a post-war mass grave as yet another proof of the monstrosity of the communist regime that ruled Slovenia and Yugoslavia from the end of WWII to 1990, basically trying to explain (to themselves as much as to anyone else) that the fight against the occupation is somehow less noble because of the post-war executions of the collaborators and – by extension – that the latter didn’t really collaborate but only fought communism, somehow knowing what would happen after the war if the left side had won. The post-war massacres were a sad affair and it was wrong to deny due process to all those who were suspected of collaboration and treason. But after six years (four in case of Slovenia) of fighting the Germans and their henchmen tooth-and-nail, the Allies (including the Yugoslav Partisan Army) didn’t exactly dwell on niceties of the Geneva Convention. Not that there is any excuse for that, but that is what happened. Today, however, rather than acknowledge that there is no such thing as a clean war, and bury our dead, the political right wing is scoring cheap political points by trying to rewrite history and again prove that theirs was a noble cause sixty-five years ago. Therefore, it is high time to set the record straight once and for all and to finally see through the adoption of so-called “war laws” – proposed and failed to be passed by every government to date - which would legally define victims of inter-war and post-war violence in a historically accurate manner and make possible for the erection of a monument commemorating all victims of WWII, regardless of their persuasion. Only then will Slovenians be ready to tackle the problems of the future head-on. April 2009

10 POLITICS

Interview: Majda Širca

Avant-garde Cultural Politician Minister of Culture Majda Širca comments on the state of cultural institutions after four years of politics she strongly opposed and evaluates the opportunities of her mandate. By Jaka Terpinc

it is a kind of social anomaly to neglect the fact that we now live in a different, constantly evolving time and space.

wo years ago, The Slovenia Times published a feature about the cultural controversies under Janez Janša’s government. Among the most vocal critics of the policies by then Minister of Culture Vasko Simoniti was the society called “the Liberal Academy”, which functioned as the intellectual wing of the Zares party. Today, the helm is essentially in their hands: the new government’s Minister of Culture is Majda Širca Ravnikar, a prominent personality with a

Majda Širca Majda Širca has a degree in art history. After working at the Cultural Organisations Association, she worked for Radio-Television Slovenia as a journalist, an editor of cultural programming, editor-inchief of the documentary and artistic programming and the author of more than 60 episodes of the documentary film show Povečava. She has written many articles on film, audiovisual culture and the humanities. She has received many awards for her journalistic work and artistic achievements in the electronic media. After 1997, she was State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture and, after 2000, she spent two terms as an MP in the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, particularly focusing on culture, education, social policy, human rights and equal opportunities. This year, she was elected to the National Assembly as a candidate on the list of Zares (New Politics). The National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia elected her Minister of Culture. The Slovenia Times

rich career in cultural publishing and broadcasting. The basic criticism of the former government’s cultural policy was applied to their perception of culture, which was labelled as highly conservative, divided between traditionally elitist artistic forms and folk culture – “as if the 20th century never happened.” Širca agrees that it is a kind of social anomaly to neglect the fact that we now live in a different, constantly evolving time and space. She believes it is essential to admit that we are living in the 21th century and anticipate the century that follows: “We should not remain discriminatory by privileging certain historical periods and thus erasing the memory of others.” In order to implement this stance, she finds important to not only preserve our cultural heritage, but to confront it with the present and its innovations, while cultural politics itself should take an avant-garde position.

Extending the vision It is evident that making the space for different expressive forms under the umbrella of a na-

tional culture quickly runs into ideological barriers. These variations are reflected in politics and provoke the question of whether or not it is possible to put a common denominator under the term “culture”. Širca says it is definitely bad if you head towards such a consensus through exclusion, “through looking for things that don’t belong because you live within the boundaries of what belongs. The key element is openness for those still uncertain practices, which aren’t totally established in our heads.” As an example, she points to the international graphic centre in Ljubljana. Such a museum should traditionally offer a collection of historical memories, but this one reaches further: it displays vinyl record covers, shopping bags, posters and other such ephemera. “The moves have already been made, and these need stimulation. If a cultural politics don’t see it or pretends that the globalisation, technology and new media don’t exist –damage is being done.” Years ago, when the music group Strelnikoff caused outrage by using the iconic image of the Vir-

POLITICS 11 gin Mary with a rat in her arms instead of the baby Jesus and put it their the album cover, Širca, a state secretary at a time, defended their artistic freedom. For this “blasphemous” stand, the current opposition accused her of justifying hate speech, further illustrating the relativity in the perception of culture. Širca as an art historian remains firm on the idea that such misunderstandings are rooted in the lack of means for a broader interpretation of the symbols some consider holy. “The environment should be suggestive enough to trigger a discussion what a crucifix is, so such discussion isn’t limited only to theoretical circles – which art historians actually prefer.”

Media madness Media was the largest bone of discontent under the former government. A campaign intended to “pluralize” the media was, according to the critics, in fact a crusade in which the state controlled the public service broadcaster, RTV Slovenia, and installed a number of politically loyal people in key positions. Answering to the cynical question of whether she feels the media is now finally balanced, she rejects the idea of a state creating their imagined media balance with subsidiaries and guidelines. “The mantra of the past four years was that we need balanced media and therefore must support them with budget subsidies in order to make the leftist press a bit more right wing and vice-versa. The media are well aware of their public responsibility, while the state should leave them a great deal of autonomy - autonomy with a great share of responsibility. The political calibrating of RTV Slovenia negatively affected both their employees and their viewers.” The staff changes under the previous government were, according to the Minister, nothing less than barbaric; but can the damage be repaired without resorting to new unjust actions? She finds the mentality behind the staff changes itself disturbing. Since she took over the ministry, she has been faced with direct demands for specific staff to be dismissed. “Many institutions, in which the state can (in)directly appoint officials, found themselves in a critical situation. Such radical demands for removals, which I keep receiving through e-mails or in conversations, surprise me. I see these demands for the removal of people who - they say - do damage, fuelled by hidden political agendas, as a cruel consequence of the previous government’s policies.

It seems to have become normal to cut using the former models. It makes me uncomfortable, because I think we need to change things differently.” She believes the only alternative to perform these changes in a just and beneficial way is to take the harder way: through precise analysis of management and effects.

Living on subsidiaries The size of the Slovenian population significantly determines cultural expenditures. In fact, very few cultural forms can live on exclusively market profits. Critical is the fact that the works of art in Slovene language can only be presented to a very small audience; typically, the books that sell a few thousand copies make the bestseller lists, yet such sales levels hardly cover the expenses. Considering the uncertain times we live in, it is not expected that cultural workers will become richer. The cultural minister sees the financial crisis a moment for consideration of how to use these assets in a more innovative and useful, transparent and organized way. “Systems should be refreshed and changed. The public sector should give more security to the non-institutional sector, finding more efficient synergies.” An example of great potential she gives is the formula of linking the abandoned and decaying castles and palaces with galleries and festivals, since “the contemporary pilgrimage paths are a part of a cultural tourism.” On the individual level, being a cultural worker is an underrated occupation. Širca makes clear that the intellectual work has no lower expenses than any other, but the traditional notion of an artist makes a change in mentality an extremely exhausting process, “because it’s self-evident that someone paints something, according to these fairy-tale positions of romanticism when the artist was suffering and all he needed was a cup of water and a chunk of bread. It’s a complex question of a cultural mindscape. Does it acknowledge culture as something you essentially need? This is not a burden, or a tax, this is a deserved payment, which is difficult to measure, despite there being no stop watch or scale available for it.”

ical mass produces more output. Smallness, on the other hand, can be an advantage, because it creates a fiercer struggle for recognition, which provokes better results … the only failures were made when the artists were reserved.” This formula seems to demand pure audacity, without prejudice or reservation, because of our small size. “The bigger world isn’t better or more innovative. It only has more options and opportunities, but not more creativity. Our artists should be aware of that.” Širca indicates one bright example in cinema, which is one of her favourite fields of expertise: “Among the four or five film features annually produced in Slovenia, you can find at least one as good as the top one in countries whose annual production has over seventy features. This means the effectiveness of our people who’ve made it in the larger world can’t be underestimated. But still, despite our wishes, we can’t be placed in the same category as Hollywood production, or in the terms of environments, where a tradition of a more stimulating artistic creation is greater.” However, she believes the role of cultural politics at this point can contribute to major advances when it goes hand in hand with other executive branches – such as the foreign ministry. A good practice is Slovenian artistic studios in bigger European centres. Despite the opening of the first of such in New York was accompanied with much doubt, she thinks it is a highly cost effective investment.

The mantra of the past four years was that we need balanced media and therefore must support them with budget subsidies in order to make the leftist press a bit more right wing and vice-versa.

Among the four or five film features annually produced in Slovenia, you can find at least one as good as the top one in countries whose annual production has over seventy features.

Less is more Culture is yet another field where Slovenes find it traumatically difficult to position themselves on the global front. “Darwinian logic demands much more effort than in environments where a larger critMarch April 2009

Economy

FACTS AND FIGURES

source: STA, Slovenian Press Agency

Bonjour, Tristesse: Recession Just Around the Corner

All smiles: Pahor does not panic, yet

If anybody had still been entertaining fanciful theories about decoupling, the release of the latest economic indicators must have been a reality check. Not only did Slovenia not escape a sharp slowdown of economic growth, it will likely follow its main trading partners from the EU into recession. Defined as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth, the recession obviously has its foot in the door; in the fourth quarter of 2008, Slovenia’s economy contracted by 0.8 percent compared to the same quarter of 2007. This is the first quarterly decrease of GDP in more than 15 years. Quarter-on-quarter figures were even more shocking. The economy’s output was lower by a

Industry

To those acquainted with the economic situation in Germany, the biggest export market for Slovenian companies, the fact that declining exports are the main culprit for the weak performance of the economy in the last months of 2008 should come as no surprise. Germany has been hit severely by sagging demand for capital goods from emerging markets in Asia, which rode the debt-fuelled consumption boom in the US. As the bubble burst, Asian and consequently German exports tanked; so did the orders for Slovenian firms that earn their living as suppliers to German exporters. Slovenian exports fell 9.4 percent year-on-year in the last quarter of 2008. The worst, however, is not over yet. The western Balkan markets, a destination for a sixth of the country’s exports, are teetering, suffering from capital flight as international investors seek the safety of more mature markets. Slovenian firms fear that the countries of the region may be forced to devalue their currencies, which could erode the competitiveness of Slovenian exports. Strange as it may seem for an economy touted as export-driven (exports account for around two thirds of the GDP), the contribution of trade balance to Slovenian GDP has been largely negative in the past five years as the economy imported

more than it exported. It is, therefore, all the more worrying that investment, the second most important engine of the country’s economic growth, swung from 16.9 percent growth in the first quarter to a negative growth of 5.3 percent in the fourth. Once generously financed by Slovenian banks (which in turn borrowed the needed funds from the still moribund international syndicated loans market), investment in real estate and cars fell victim to the credit crunch. Still, households spent marginally more than the year before. Despite the crisis, unemployment has not soared and paycheques got fatter in the fourth quarter. However, as the recession starts working its way through the economy, consumption will suffer. One thing is for sure: the economy has not yet reached the bottom. Feeling the pinch economic growth, y-o-y, in % 8

0 2007 Q1

Energy

Petrol Must be Involved in South Stream Clio 2 Moving from Novo mesto to France Chairman of Petrol Marko French car maker Renault will move the production of the Clio 2 compact from the Slovenian plant of Revoz in Novo mesto to a plant in France. However, the move is not expected to lead to job cuts in the Slovenian plant, which will in turn step up production of another compact model.

Kryžanowski said that the energy group must participate in the South Stream gas pipeline project if the Slovenian economy is to reap regional benefits from the project. Kryžanowski added that Petrol was present in the whole region and an alliance with Gazprom would give it a competitive edge on other markets. Although there is no official confirmation of the direction of talks between Slovenia and Russia on the project, unofficial information suggest that the Slovenian government is discussing the creation of a joint venture for the construction of the gas pipeline. It has been suggested that gas company Geoplin is being favoured over Petrol.

Broadband

Photo: Revoz

EUR 12M for Broadband Networks

The Slovenia Times

Source: SURS

whopping 4.1 percent. In the EU, only Latvia and Estonia, the once fast-growing Baltic tigers which are now trying to contain the damage from housing busts and looming private debt, registered larger quarterly drops in GDP.

Development Minister Mitja Gaspari said that Slovenia could look forward to about EUR 12m for the development of broadband networks in underprivileged areas out of the EUR 5bn from the EU economy stimulus plan dedicated to energy and communications projects.

2008 Q4

Media

Time Warner Becoming Co-Owner of POP TV and Kanal A Media giant Time Warner was reported on Monday of planning to spend US$ 241.5m on a 31% stake in Bermuda-based broadcast network operator Central European Media Enterprises (CME). This would give it an indirect stake in Slovenian commercial stations POP TV and Kanal A, which are owned by CME.

Telecommunications

Mobile Prices Drop Slovenian mobile phone users saved an average of EUR 3.77 a month in 2008 compared to the year before, as the average monthly prices of mobile calls decreased from EUR 19.28 to EUR 15.51. The average monthly savings on EU level stood at EUR 2, according to a report published by the European Commission.

13 Exports

Energy

Slovenia’s Exports Fall by 26 percent in January

HSE Group Posts EUR Telekom Slovenije moves East Telekom Slovenije, Slovenia’s 48m Profit in 2008

Slovenia’s exports in January amounted to EUR 1.18bn, a yearon-year fall of 26%. Imports stood at EUR 1.25bn, down 31.5%, the Statistical Office said. The trade gap fell to EUR 69.67m (327.76m in December last year) and the exportto-import ratio in January stood at 94.4%. In January, Slovenia exportExports ed EUR 866.1m worth of goods to EU members, which is 73.2% of all exports, and imported EUR 951.2m (76%) from them. Free falling exports and imports, in EUR m 2200

Imports

1900 1600 1300 1000

Telecommunications

Slovenia’s largest power producer, the HSE group, made EUR 48m in net profit on net revenues of EUR 815m in 2008. The group projects its numbers to decline somewhat in 2009 due to the economic downturn, although it plans to end the year in the black. Plans for this year envisage the group to generate net sales of EUR 650m. The net profit is expected to stand at EUR 9m.

Dec 2008

Source: SURS

Debt problems

Istrabenz: First Bank Jumps Ship The future of Istrabenz hangs in the balance as banks decide on what to do with the massive debt of the energy-through-tourism conglomerate, reports say. UniCredit Slovenija has already jumped ship by opting out of a contract with the conglomerate, effectively seizing some of its assets. The Koper-based conglomerate is currently in talks with the banks on restructuring of what is said to be its EUR 900m debt. The deadline for an agreement is the end of the month, however, the biggest obstacle is said to be the differences among the banks.

Banks

Loan Guarantee Guaranteed for NLB The cabinet confirmed a loan guarantee for Slovenia’s biggest bank, NLB, in line with the state guarantee scheme adopted in November 2008 to help alleviate the credit crunch. The guarantee will be used by the bank to issue bonds on international financial markets.

Crime

Police Break Business Crime Cartel

Exports

Jan 2007

biggest telco company, filed in a binding offer for the acquisition of a 100% stake in Macedonia’s no. 2 mobile operator Cosmofon. Cosmofon has more than 600,000 users. Telekom is already active on the Macedonian market via its ownership in On.net, the second biggest internet provider in the country. Telekom is already well-established in Kosovo where it has so far invested about EUR 200m in its subsidiary Ipko. The Telekom Slovenije group and Ipko acquired a licence for a second mobile operator in Kosovo in February 2007, and launched their own mobile network in December 2007. Ipko has 350,000 mobile telephone users today and holds a 35 percent market share in Kosovo. Its network covers 96 percent of the Kosovo population and 85 percent of the Kosovo territory, while the current penetration of mobile phone services on the Kosovo market is just under 50 percent, explained Ipko’s CEO Ismaili.

Industry

Gorenje and Acroni Switching to 32-Hour Working Week While a number of Slovenian companies have switched from a 40- to 36-hour working week due to a drop in orders caused by the economic crisis, home appliance maker Gorenje and steel producer Acroni, among the country’s biggest exporters, cut the working week by an additional four hours on 1 April.

Taxes

Jobs

January Jobless Rate at 7.8 percent Slovenia’s registered unemployment rate for January reached 7.8%, up 0.8 of a percentage point on December, according to data released by the Statistics Office. There were 73,911 people registered as unemployed in January, 37,220 of them women and 36,691 men. The number of people in paid employment stood at 783,004, while 89,242 were self-employed. On the rise unemployment rate, in % 8 6 4 2 0 Jan 08 Source: SURS

The police, the Tax Administration and the Money Laundering Prevention Office have uncovered a criminal organisation that channeled more than EUR 5m through missing traders and caused a total of EUR 7.75m of damage to the state, the police revealed. The police also presented on Thursday worrying white-collar crime data for 2008. The Ljubljana Police Administration has filed criminal charges against 55 people suspected of 39 criminal acts acts of abuse of power. The latest cases also involve 21 active companies accused of issuing fake bills to missing traders.

Jan 09

VAT Break for Hospitality Services Slovenia won a permanent break on value added tax (VAT) on hospitality services as EU finance ministers agreed on a list of services that can be taxed under a reduced VAT rate at their meeting in Brussels. Hospitality services in Slovenia are currently taxed at a rate of 8.5 percent of VAT, which is the discount rate (with the normal rate being 20 percent) allowed under an exemption valid until 2011. However, the agreement means that it will be able to keep the reduced rate permanently.

Tourism

Slovenia Places 35th in Tourism Competitiveness Slovenia placed 35th in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report for 2009, published recently by the World Economic Forum (WEF). This improves Slovenia’s ranking by one place compared to the last year’s report. Among the most important sub-indices, Slovenia was ranked highest in travel and tourism business environment and infrastructure, where it placed 16th. The best countries under this criterion are Austria, Spain and Italy.

14 Economy

Management buyouts

Go with the Bank In the boom years from 2005 to 2008, the top managers of some of the big Slovenian companies got greedy, teaming up to take over the firms they led. “Greed is good,” goes the old capitalist adage; management buyouts are not something that should be frowned upon in a market economy, especially if they make businesses more efficient. In Slovenia, however, the holdings set up as vehicles to carry out the MBOs are crumbling under formidable debt burdens, with banks increasingly reluctant to refinance their loans. Photo: Mercator

By Marko Vuković

If he gets his hands on Mercator, Mr Šrot will sleep soundly. But if not …

Šrot is stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. He took out enormous amounts of debt to finance the takeover of Mercator, posted its shares as collateral and saw the stock market tank.

o get a glimpse of how just how excessive leverage can backfire when the economy shifts down a gear or two, a look at Infond Holding, the majority shareholder in Pivovarna Laško, a drinks producer, will suffice. The holding company is itself owned by another firm which was long in the shadows, its only tangible asset being a post box in a suburban apartment block. In the middle of 2008, it became clear that Boško Šrot, the boss of Pivovarna Laško, was behind it, exposing the takeover activities of Infond Holding as an MBO by proxy. While money was cheap and banks competed for business, Infond Holding and Pivovarna Laško were all too happy to tap the credit lines (and post shares

of firms taken over as collateral), consolidating first the Slovenian drinks producing business and then taking hold of Delo, Slovenia’s leading newspaper and Mercator, a retailer and the country’s biggest company by revenue. Although he amassed around EUR 400 m in debt in the process, it seemed that Šrot’s buying spree elevated him to the position of the country’s most influential businessman. However, Mercator may yet prove to be the undoing of Šrot as a man to be reckoned with in the corporate world.

Overstretch There is no doubt that Mercator is the jewel in Šrot’s business empire. With EUR 2.7bn of revenues

in 2008, it makes perfect sense for Infond Holding to use the retailer’s strong cash flow to repay the debts incurred in the MBOs over the past couple of years. However, when Šrot was manoeuvring to take over Mercator in 2006 and 2007, he obviously did not give much thought to competition law. Now this omission has come back to haunt him. What Šrot wants is to take control of Mercator’s supervisory board and the management, which would allow him to start tapping the retailer’s cash flow to repay his debts. The Competition Protection Office (CPO) is not amused; the watchdog says Laško’s takeover of Mercator flouted the takeover law. It has therefore decided to freeze half of Šrot’s voting rights in Mercator (Laško owns 48 percent of it), in effect robbing him of the influence over the firm’s management decisions. Now Šrot is stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. He took out enormous amounts of debt to finance the takeover, posted shares as collateral and saw the stock market tank. With the value of collateral down by half, the banks are growing restless and increasingly unwilling to refinance Šrot’s takeover loans. While the sale of Mercator would definitely solve Infond Holding’s debt problems, it would also put an end to everything Šrot fought for.

At pawnborker’s (Mercator ownership structure, before and after debt-to-equity conversion) Before...

... and after debt-to-equity conversion NLB 13,4 % Infond Holding 25 % Infond Holding 11,3 %

Other 41,6 % Other 56,1 % Union Brewery 12,3 %

UniCredit Slovenija 9,5 %

Banka Celje 5,1 % Laško Brewery 8,4 % Rodič M&B 4,6 % Source: Finance, www.finance.si

The Slovenia Times

UniCredit Slovenija 8 %

Rodič M&B 4,6 %

Economy 15 It is no wonder then that Šrot is frantically looking for a friendly buyer for Mercator. That would allow him to offload a part of Laško’s stake in Mercator that the CPO has a problem with and at the same time keep control over Mercator’s management. However, the CPO is adamant that it will not let any such deal pass. It thus seems there are only two options: either Šrot sells or the bankers will descend on the retailer once it becomes clear the debts will not be honoured. Recently, Laško has said that it is not selling its entire stake in Mercator anymore, but only half of it. Pundits think this is just another of Šrot’s increasingly desperate ploys to outwit the CPO and keep Mercator in his hands.

Saving Istrabenz Igor Bavèar, the head of Istrabenz, knows how it feels to be caught in a debt trap. After the MBO, he went off the rails because he ran out of money to buy out his partners in the takeover; the banks became edgy. After all, they

had accepted Istrabenz’s shares as collateral when approving takeover loans. With Istrabenz’s debt exceeding EUR 900m, Bavèar has been trying to sell everything he can to service the loans, from food processing businesses to marinas. Last month, Bavèar met with 19 creditors to discuss loan reprogramming. Apparently, he also reached an agreement with Petrol, the fuel retailer which owns 33 percent of Istrabenz, to let its representatives sit on Istrabenz’s supervisory board. Some commentators think this is a prelude to the dismantling of Istrabenz, with Petrol taking over the former’s energy business and the rest of the sprawling company being sold off in chunks. Observers say that the politically well-connected Bavèar might not be forced to leave in disgrace, but it seems that the state-owned banks will not be bailing him out. In any case, the banks got their fingers burned in the MBO wave, so they will be much more selective when

Tangled Boško Šrot

100 %

78 %

CEO

Laško Brewery (owns Union Brewery)

controls

Kolonel

Center Naložbe

63 %

71 %

Infond Holding

it comes to requests for financing; even if that results in the demise

of one or two stalwarts of the Slovenian corporate world.

Economic growth

That Shrinking Feeling The Slovenian economy will shrink by 4 percent this year, according to forecasts by the government Institute for Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD). As a result of the economic downturn, IMAD expects Slovenia’s unemployment rate to edge towards 100,000. First signs of the upturn will come in the second half of 2010. Prime Minister Borut Pahor said that there was no reason for panic.

MAD’s spring economic forecast is a marked downgrade on the 0.6 percent growth forecast for the Slovenian economy in the autumn forecast. It is also the first time that either a domestic or international organisation has forecast a recession for Slovenia in 2009. Pahor announced that the government’s crisis task force would convene a session next week to begin drafting new measures to allow Slovenia to escape the clutches of recession stronger than before. He said the measures will be two-pronged, consisting of efforts to contain the budget deficit followed by radical structural reforms. “We will require a lot of courage, boldness and decisiveness, but will nevertheless stay true to social dialogue,” said Pahor. He indicated where some of the first government measures may go by saying that it was not sustainable that public sector wages were growing at 6 percent while private sector wages remained virtually flat.

Moreover, he said that pension reform was needed to secure the future of those who are working today but will retire in the coming years. This was echoed by Economy Minister Matej Lahovnik, who said that Slovenia will need to take comprehensive measures to boost the economy. Meanwhile, Pahor said that the government would draft a new supplementary budget bill if required due to a bigger deficit than that expected in the supplementary budget bill that was passed in March. That document was based on the forecast that Slovenia’s economy would grow by 0.6 percent in 2009. A second supplementary budget would postpone certain investments and payments that are not related to welfare, he added. IMAD director Boštjan Vasle told the press today that the major downgrade in the economic outlook for Slovenia is a result of the rapid deterioration in the economic situation in Slovenia’s key trade partners, including Germany and France.

According to Vasle, the change in the forecast was prompted by the data that show that the economy contracted by 0.8 percent in the final quarter of 2008. “This turned the fundamentals on their head,” he said. The think tank forecasts that Slovenian exports will fall by 8.6 percent this year and investments by 12 percent.

Moreover, IMAD expects that private consumption will drop by 0.6 percent th is year, the first drop in years. Total domestic consumption will expand 3.2 percent in 2009 and 3.8 percent in 2010 due to extra state spending. The think tank forecasts inflation to stand at 1.4 percent at this year and 2.2 percent next year.

including including virtual virtual reception, reception, daily daily workstation workstation rental, shared and serviced offices rental, shared and serviced offices

April 2009

16 ECONOMY

Interview: Bill Spence

“Can We Wait for a Sunny Day?” that it wasn’t strict enough between 2005 and 2008. Now, the EU commission has announced that the restrictions are going to be stricter. What does it mean for Shell? Will it raise your production costs or affect your competitiveness? Regarding the question of the emissions: from our point of view, we thought it was very successful for three years. By not having a strict target, it allowed all of us to understand how we measure emissions, putting in place trading schemes, and it gave us a threeyear period for ourselves and for the industry to learn how all this works. So, it was great to improve before it starts becoming very tight.

Efforts to fight climate change are increasingly taking centre stage in discussions about the risks that the world will have to face and deal with in the future. Shell, a global energy group with more than 100,000 employees in more than 100 countries around the world, is at the forefront of these efforts. We talked to Bill Spence, Shell’s Vice-President for CO2. By Marko Vuković

I think we are all going to witness a lot more coal. We are in the world today with six billion people. It’s a lot. By 2050, it will be nine billion people on the planet. This makes demand much bigger. It is good news, however, that we are going to see renewable products taking a much larger share in energy consumption by 2025. The Slovenia Times

We have heard a lot about climate change, its dangers it causes for the world at large. What is Shell doing to help protecting the environment? Climate change has been on the Shell agenda for over a decade now, before anybody else had regulation. We believe climate change is real, and we believe we need immediate action. And we are really pleased to see things like emission trading schemes coming in the place. We are doing a number of things internally, new regulation, and new targets in terms of reduction of the emissions. We heard criticism about the EU emissions trading scheme,

Do you see the EU restrictions and the financial crisis as a double whammy? Could the crisis affect the industry and have repercussions? When I look at my program here in Shell, I have got a very clear idea where and how we need to get started on this challenge. And what is the most challenging for me, for the industry, for the public, for governments: we don’t know how to get there yet. We all have good ideas how to get started, but without strict targets, without clear targets, we will never make it. The other side of the equation is, as we speak, the remaining ability for the atmosphere to hold CO2 which is diminishing. So, can we wait for a better day, can we wait for a sunny day? The problem is that I don’t think so. We’ve got a program, but it is a double whammy. It is going to be especially difficult, but we are committed to achieving our goals. So, to focus more on the company side, what technological solutions does Shell offer to other energy firms to lower emissions. Let’s go across the spectrum. There is coal. I think we are all going to witness a lot more coal. We are in the world today with six billion people. It’s a lot. By 2050, it will be nine billion people on the planet. This makes demand much bigger. It is good news, however,

that we are going to see renewable products taking a much larger share in energy consumption by 2025. So, we are going to see coal, oil and gas still required by 9 billion people. Well if you start with coal, we have technology that we call “coal gasification”. And that is really big. We transform coal into what we call “synthesis gas”. And from synthesis gas you can convert that into hydrogen. Then you can use the hydrogen to generate electricity. And the CO2 that comes from the outside would then be handled using carbon caption storage. That’s the first technology: coal gasification Then the second technology we are working on is CO2 caption and storage. We are also working on natural gas. In the past, moving gas around the world was not possible. You could not have a pipeline to cross the ocean. We have been developing the ability to liquefy natural gas, so it is possible to put it on ships. You mentioned the increase of energy demand because of the increasing population. How do you feel about the peak oil theory? Will we be out of oil any time soon? “The stone age didn’t end because we were out of stone.” There is a lot of gas and oil to be found, to be produced, but it is becoming more difficult. So I don’t think we are running out, we haven’t moved to the most difficult end of extraction. The challenge, for a company such as ours is great, but it’s very much technology-based. In the context of the financial crisis, could some projects and investments on the market be affected? How could the lack of money affect the sector? The economic crisis is coming down quite rapidly. Incomes are declining, yet projects costs are coming down but not quite nearly at the same rate. So, we will witness projects being deferred, but I would be surprised if projects would be cancelled.

Nice, nice… but there is a shorter way via Budapest.

www.malev.com

New destinations and increased flight frequency for the Malév summer timetable

Malév Hungarian Airlines, the national flag carrier of Hungary, is one of the leading airlines in the Central-Eastern European region.

Some facts for choosing Malev: • The Best Cabin Staff in Eastern Europe by SkyTrax • The best European Network Airline of the Year by US Global Traveler Magazine • Quality services supplied • Special travel insurance options by Mondial and Malév

More than 3 million customers fly on its scheduled flights each year. The company’s planes are in the air virtually continuously from morning to night, providing coverage to 49 cities in 32 countries.

Fly with Malév!

From Ljubljana through Budapest – excellent connections to Eastern and Central Europe and to the Middle East. Malév Hungarian Airlines Ljubljana

Malév offers: • 12 flights to Budapest each week • excellent connections through Budapest to numerous European cities and cities around the world • exceptional service and comfort • all the benefits of being a member of the oneworld alliance

Aerodrom Ljubljana Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport Zgornji Brnik 130a 4210 Brnik Tel: +386 4 2061 665 ljubljana@malev.hu

New destinations 1. Malév strengthens its position in East Europe with two new destinations: ST. PETERSBURG in RUSSIA and IASI in ROMANIA

• The number of flights to both Thessaloniki and Tirana has increased by three a week.

• Malév will operate two flights a week to St. Petersburg between 22 April and 21 October.

• Malév is also lifting its service density to Tel Aviv and strengthening its Bucharest and Helsinki routes by adding two extra flights to the Romanian capital and one to the Finnish capital.

• Malév will operate daytime flights to Iasi five times a week until the end of May, and then six times a week from June. 2. Amman, the fourth destination in the Middle East: • The Jordanian capital takes the number of Malév destinations in the Middle East to four. 3. Increased frequencies on nine routes

advertisment

• Malév will provide a morning and and evening departure to Hamburg connections to Hamburg

• With an extra two flights per week, the popular Black Sea resort of Varna becomes directly accessible from Budapest every day of the week and twice a day on Saturdays and Sundays. 4. Top holiday destinations: Malaga and Split: • Malév aircraft will fly to the Spanish city twice a week and five times a week to the Croatian coast. 5. Joint flight to Moscow:

• On the Rome route, the airline has also added one more daily flight service bringing the offer up to two flights per day.

• With the launch of the summer timetable, Malév and Aeroflot restart their joint operations between Budapest and Moscow.

• The Zagreb frequency is being boosted by six flights per week, providing three connections a day, four days a week between Budapest and Croatian capital

Malév is the only carrier operating scheduled connections between the new destinations and Budapest

18 Economy

Real Estate in Eastern Europe

Under Pressure Photo: Dreamstime

As real estate prices have plummeted and banks have tightened credit in the USA, Europe seems to be following the same trail. Economies that had been registering exponential growth in recent years due to the construction investment - the motor driving several countries’ economic growth - are now struggling. Many corporate and private speculators all over the world invested large amounts of capital in property, betting on continuous rises in prices. The bubble, however, has burst, and the losers are those who did not sell in time. Slovenia is unlikely to be spared the turmoil.

Construction is taking a big hit as real estate market cool down rapidly

Spreading East

The real estate bubble first burst in Spain, with the property markets of Eastern Europe quickly following suit. The real estate giant Martinsa-Fadesa, once Spain’s biggest developer, went bankrupt in July last year, leaving behind an estimated EUR 7 bn of bad debts. The fall of the company sank its projects in Eastern Europe. Vast developments in Budapest, Hungary’s capital, including several shops and luxury apartments, suffered immediately. At the same time, the Spaniards started selling property investments in Romania, Poland and the Czech Republic, setting up a perfect transmission channel for the crisis to spread eastward. Forced real estate sales have also been reported by the Orco Property Group, which has offices across the whole eastern European region from Russia to Croatia. The group recently announced its intention to sell projects in Romania and Hungary to improve its liquidity situation. The company says it will be disposing of its “non-core assets,” meaning it will sell whatever it can to raise cash in the short term. A report published by PriceWaterhouseCoopers indicates that the Hungarian market increasingly seems “non-core” to investors all over the world, with Budapest being one of the lowestranked capitals for both investment and development in 2009.

Austrian connection Vienna’s biggest real estate development group Immoeast is also facing serious challenges, largely because of the state of its large investments in the risky eastern European region. With EUR 4.4 bn worth of ongoing projects, the The Slovenia Times

group decided to stop most of its development activities. Last December, 29 projects were placed on hold and 51 others were cancelled. Several others were sold off to improve the cash flow of the company. At the moment, one of Immoeast’s biggest challenges is how to secure its future liquidity; bankruptcy is not out of the question. The group is now going through one of the most difficult phases in its history. A significant part of the current problems are the result of a business strategy that was too aggressive and involved several risky investments in recent years.

Nothing new in Slovenia The Slovenian real estate market is not immune to the crisis. In fact, several of the real estate developers present in Slovenia are deeply connected with foreign groups and depend highly on foreign banks for their funding. This is the case of TriGránit, represented in Slovenia by Emonika d.o.o., in which Immoeast, mentioned above, has a share of 25 percent. In 2006, the company won a tender for the construction of a bus and railway travel centre located in the heart of the Ljubljana, together with a business tower and a shopping centre. With a total forecasted cost of EUR 250 m, the project is now partially on hold due to the banks’ reluctance to lend money. A contracting economy, the reluctance of banks to lend and the consequent drop in demand for property has lead to a fall in the value of building construction work. In comparison with the same month in 2008, such work in Slovenia registered a drop of 29.8 percent in January.

By Carlos Marques Silva

Dark prospects Across Europe, investors, developers, bankers, and brokers expect that 2009 will be a very difficult year. In PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ report on real estate, the ratings for overall attractiveness of investing in Europe in 2009 are the lowest ever recorded. In Slovenia, the number of real estate transactions dropped by 20 percent to merely 7.800 units sold in 2008, meaning the market is down to the level of 2003. Property prices dropped in the second half of 2008. House prices plunged on average 15 percent in Slovenia, the city of Maribor being one of the most affected. Ljubljana, on the other hand, has kept its trade of homes stable in 2008. The average condominium price per square meter reached EUR 2,700, two percent higher than in 2007. House prices in the country increased by an average of 10.1 percent, which at first glance might seem high. Compared with previous years, however, the rate of growth was paltry. In 2008, the advertised price growth of houses in Ljubljana was only 3.4 percent com-

pared with nearly 23 percent the year before. The slowing market may be the result of oversupply, but most likely it is the less attractive borrowing terms offered by banks that explains the lack of buyers. Indeed, funds for real estate development will continue to be in short supply in both equity and debt markets; nobody knows when this trend will reverse. For those who bought at the top of the market, there could be a struggle for survival, particularly if banks start foreclosing.

Bad for everybody? However, despite the overall gloomy conditions, opportunities remain for those who have cash to invest. Banks might be reluctant to give a loan to certain individuals, but will be glad to give it to others with whom they have a good longstanding relationship and trust. Given the tendency towards low interest rates in order to stimulate the economy and the actual real estate market situation, there are and will be even more bargains available out there for those who are in the position to buy.

Bloated New non-residential construction 17,9 %

Non-residential renovation 13,2 %

Residential renovation 23,1 % Source: Euroconstruct

Civil engineering 21,1 %

Total: EUR 1308 bn

New residential construction 24,6 %

BUSINESS EVENTS 19

Central Europe in London

On a Growth Path The organizers and participants of a recently held conference in London which focused on building relations and partnership between United Kingdom and Central and Eastern European (CEE) region, believe that due to the injection of EU funds and other external investment, the CEE region will become a focus of major regeneration and growth in the coming years.

t the conference, the senior government officials and representatives of inward investment agencies from UK, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic,

Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Slovenia represented their countries as investment opportunities. Iztok Jarc, Slovenian Ambassador in London, nicely represented the

Business conference

Slovenia, the Gateway to Southeastern Europe? Even before Slovenia joined the EU, it had advertised itself as a bridge between Western Europe and the former Yugoslav republics. But how well does the country fit the role? This question will be dealt with at the conference organized by the International Business Platform of Slovenia (SDBP) on 8 April 2009.

rofound knowledge of the Western Balkans region, of its languages and familiarity with the local business culture gives Slovenian businessmen a big advantage over their competitors from the EU. Not surprisingly, several Slovenian companies are very successful in the ex-Yugoslav markets. As far as foreign policy is concerned, Slovenia’s focus rests firmly on the former Yugoslav republics. During its presidency of the EU in the first half of 2008, Slovenia made the speeding up of negotiations between the countries of the region and the EU its priority. However, there are some issues that could put Slovenia’s role as a bridge between the EU and the Western Balkans in question. A sea border dispute with Croatia and support for independence of

Kosovo, once a province of Serbia, may lead to tensions with the two biggest countries of the region. As the region integrates ever more closely into the EU and with businessmen from the EU roaming the Western Balkans, the question must be asked whether Slovenia can still act as a base for foreign companies. Is Slovenia indeed the valuable gateway to South Eastern Europe? And if not, should it strive to be? On 8 April 2009, starting at 5.30 p.m., Slovenian and foreign businessmen and policymakers will discuss this issue at the Chamber of Commerce in Ljubljana. The round table will be led by John Groffen, Dutch Ambassador to Slovenia. SDBP (www.sdbp.si) is a global networking platform open to all international entrepreneurs doing business in or with Slovenia.

advantages of Slovenia and its business environment. One other ver y i nterest i ng speech was made by Mr. Szwoch from Deloitte as he presented the top 500 companies in CEE region. Unfortunately no Slovenian companies made the list. Since the aim of the conference was to build relationships and partnership with colleagues from across Europe, JAPTI, Slovenian investment promotion agency, presented Slovenia as an investment opportunity and the British Chamber of Commerce in Slovenia (BCCS) presented their member companies. Companies from different sectors were also strongly present at the conference. At sector breakouts (Real Estate, Private Equity, Manufacturing and Structural fund)

Kevin Morrison, BCCS president

experts presented their ideas on how these sectors will develop in the current economic situation. British Business Day The Slovenia Times and BCCS are organizing a British Business Day. The special focus of the event will be how to practically help Slovenian companies enter UK market via more than 75.000 business contracts available for the 2012 London Olympic Games. This one day will include important Slovenian and British experts and speakers and will be held in the middle of May 2009. For more information visit www. bccs.si

The International Business Platform of Slovenia We are delighted to invite you to the SDBP’s spring conference

SLOVENIA: GATEWAY TO SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE? Wednesday April 08, 2009 Gospodarska Zbornica Slovenije / Chamber of Commerce Slovenia, A-Hall Dimičeva ulica 13, Ljubljana (free underground parking zone) We are honoured to present you the following program: 17:30 Welcome 17:45 Mr. Vojko Volk (SLO), Ministry of Foreign Affaires Slovenia “Western Balkans: European Neighbourhood of Opportunities” Ms. Jacqueline Stuart (UK), director SloveniaInvest “Exploding the Slovene real estate market myths” Mr. Mirza Hajrić (BIH), director Hajric-Davidson Consulting “Foreign investment in South Eastern Europe” 19:00 Round table: Mr. Vojko Volk, Ms. Jacqueline Stuart, Mr. Mirza Hajrić, Ms. Mirjana Dimc-Perko (Gorenje), Mr. Jure Cekuta (Zlatarna Celje) and Mr. Stephen Fish (Ernst & Young), led by His Excellency the Ambassador of The Netherlands to Slovenia, Mr. John Groffen 20:15 Networking reception We are very much looking forward to meeting you there. Please confirm your presence at info@sdbp.si F.M. Zupančič, President of the SDBP Executive Committee

Our Media partner:

TELecommunications SPECIAL

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

Photo: Telekom

Exploring New Horizons The 2008 earnings season was never going to be a stellar one for most European companies. Telcos, however, fared reasonably well, surprising investors with solid revenue growth and lower than expected declines in profits. This does not make the sector recession-proof, but at least in Slovenia telecommunications services providers have proved to be a better bet than other corporate stalwarts. By Marko VukoviÄ&#x2021; The Slovenia Times

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL 21

A rip-off? Are the users of telecommunications services getting a bad deal in Slovenia? Quite a few economists think so, laying the blame on the state, which owns the biggest telco in the country, Telekom Slovenije. By not selling its 70 percent stake in the incumbent, the argument goes, the government has allowed Telekom Slovenije to maintain its dominant position, squeezing competitors out of the market and thus keep prices high. To see how a hasty privatization can go wrong, a look across the border will suffice. A few years ago, the Croatian government sold the country’s telco incumbent to Deutsche Telekom, the German telco giant, which immediately proceeded to exploit its dominant position by raising prices for its services. The lesson is clear: privatization is not a panacea, especially if it means switching from a state to a private monopoly without adequate regulation. There is no doubt that Telekom Slovenije, which combines fixedline, mobile and internet services, is the dominant firm on Slovenian market. Comparing incumbents’ market shares across the EU, it is clear that the group’s position is much stronger than that of its peers in other European countries (see chart). Nevertheless, Telekom Slovenije’s market share has been dropping steeply, especially in the fast-growing internet and mobile segments. Given that the incumbent controls such a large share of the market, one would expect that prices would on average be higher in Slovenia than abroad. However, this is not the case. The prices business and residential users in

the country pay for the standard telco services package are below the EU average. The regulators are obviously doing their jobs; recently Telekom Slovenije even felt the need to issue a statement, saying that the regulatory pressure might have a negative impact on its bottom line.

Breathing down their necks APEK, the Slovenian telco regulator, as well as the competition watchdog, UVK, have many open fronts with the incumbent. Most of the cases concern the group’s unwillingness to offer access to its telecommunications infrastructure on appropriate terms to its competitors. The latter complain that, despite European regulations and directives mandating a level playing field in the provision of telco services, Telekom Slovenije is still in a position to harass the competition. Users switching providers have reported that it takes an unusually long time for the incumbent to respond. Although it seems that new providers of broadband internet access are entering the market every few months, this does not necessarily mean that the market itself is competitive. Not only can the incumbent restrict the access to its infrastructure by imposing onerous conditions, it can also leverage its market power to undercut competitors by lowering prices for its services. In Slovenia, the implementation of local loop unbundling (LLU), where the incumbent must open up the access to the so-called “last mile” connecting the telephone exchange to customers’ premises was crucial in ushering in a new era of competition in the telco market. As the European Commission noted, Slovenia is amongst the best performers in terms of LLU lines per capita in the EU. With LLU in place, broadband internet access providers have started chipping away at Telekom’s market share in this segment. The share of LLU lines in total broadband lines surged to 23 percent in just two years by end of 2007.

Optical illusions While local loop unbundling is an efficient remedy to solve the problem of the natural monopoly that incumbents tend to exercise over the copper wires, the latter are becoming increasingly obsolete as data carriers. With the arrival of fibre optics, not every new entrant to the telecommunications market is forced to deal with the incumbent, as the costs of building one’s own fibre optics infrastructure are not prohibitive, as is the case with copper lines.

T-2, the biggest alternative provider of broadband access in the country was the first to seize the opportunity. While at the start, residents of bigger Slovenian towns were irritated by heavy machinery ripping up their streets and pavements, they can now subscribe to much faster internet access than in the past. In addition, Telekom Slovenije was suddenly kicked into action, offering its subscribers to upgrade to fibre optics. It seems that in the fear of losing market share even a behemoth such as Telekom Slovenije group can move quickly. The ultimate benefactors of these battles are households and businesses. Broadband penetration has been rising, although it is still below the EU average. What is more problematic is the so-called digital divide within the country. In towns around the country, households can be reasonably confident that they can get the broadband access, if they so decide. In rural areas, however, only around three quarters of the population has broadband coverage. Of course, it is much more profitable to build the broadband infrastructure in densely populated areas with many potential subscribers than in rural areas; still the regulators should start thinking about prodding the operators into doing something about this divide.

The prices business and residential users in the country pay for the standard telco services package are below the EU average. The regulators are obviously doing their jobs.

With the arrival of fibre optics, not every new entrant to the telecommunications market is forced to deal with the incumbent, as the costs of building one’s own fibre optics infrastructure are not prohibitive, as is the case with copper lines.

Room for growth mobile penetration rate, October 2007, in % 100

Slovenia*

Lithuania

Germany

EU *Q4 2008

Source: APEK, European Commission

Dominant incumbents’ mobile market shares, October 2007, in % 100

Leading operator Main competitor Other

Slovenia*

Source: APEK, European Commission

Slovakia

Austria

EU *Q4 2008

April 2009

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

erhaps this has to do with the fact that the Slovenian telecommunications market still has room for growth. In the last quarter of 2008, the number of mobile subscriptions surpassed the number of residents in the country for the first time, taking the mobile penetration rate to 100.1 percent. However, by European standards, this is not very impressive. Slovenia has always lagged behind the EU average with regards to the penetration rate. Judging by the uptake of mobile phones, not only in western Europe, but also in other central and eastern European countries, Slovenians have a lot of catchingup to do (see chart). This bodes well for the six mobile operators active in Slovenia; with the market not saturated to the level observed elsewhere in the EU, telecoms do not have to worry about selling their customers more handsets and services.

22 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

Photo: M. Botte

Interview: Dejan Turk

The Crisis as an Opportunity, Not a Threat TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

In these uncertain times, one cannot blame managers who encourage themselves by saying that the crisis will separate the wheat from the chaff and assume that it will be their companies that will emerge from the crisis stronger than ever before. However, Dejan Turk, CEO of Si.mobil, Slovenia’s second biggest mobile operator, is not your average manager. His company has been gaining market share in an intensely competitive environment for some time; Turk should therefore be taken seriously when he says the crisis is an opportunity for Si.mobil. By Marko Vuković

What is important is that this attitude, this willingness to find ways to do things differently, doesn’t just find expression in waste separation or being more prudent with natural resources such as water, but permeates the whole business culture of the company. The Slovenia Times

To start on a more cheerful note: On the way to your office, I noticed a line of attractively designed waste separation containers; you poured us water from what seems to be a ordinary bottled of water, but it really isn’t. What’s it all about? When Si.mobil entered the Slovenian mobile market, we first had to focus on setting up the necessary infrastructure to compete with our rivals. Since then, we have successfully increased our network’s coverage of the country’s territory to 99.6 percent, putting us on a par with the competition. We have also solved the technical problems that plague all new entrants to the market.

With that behind us, we shifted our attention to what matters most: the people that work for the company and our customers. I am confident that if you take good care of your employees, they will make an effort to take care of our customers. The water we are drinking is filtered tap water, not bottled water. Two years ago a group of employees asked themselves: What can we do differently? Do we really need to buy thousands of bottles of water every year? The tests said that tap water is of the same or even superior quality as bottled water, so we just installed a filter and bought every employee a New Year’s present, a glass rep-

lica of a plastic bottle to fill it with tap water. What is important is that this attitude, this willingness to find ways to do things differently, doesn’t just find expression in waste separation or being more prudent with natural resources such as water, but permeates the whole business culture of the company. Your business results are excellent: Si.mobil has been gaining market share. What are the reasons behind the performance of the company? I’d again emphasize the importance of the management style that takes employees needs and

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL 23

The mobile penetration rate in Slovenia recently exceeded 100 percent. Is there still room for growth? Certainly. If you look at Si.mobil’s market share, you’ll see it’s not that big, so there is certainly room for improvement there. With better services, we can attract more users. The crisis is an opportunity here as people and businesses are becoming increasingly costconscious. We can help them cut their mobile expenses by 20 or 30 percent, quite a significant saving in times where every euro counts. Businesses are cutting costs wherever they can and households are looking harder at their expenses. This is exactly where we can make a difference. When talking about penetration, it is not as if people will only want or need to own just only one SIM card in the future. Many people already own more than one mobile phone and mobile internet usage is on the rise. The same can be said of data services that are becoming increasingly important as a source of revenue for mobile operators. Voice and SMS still account for significant majority of the Si.mobil’s revenue, but things such as mobile internet, machineto-machine communications and Blackberries are slowly making their presence felt. In the future,

mobile operators will become even more focused on mobile technology and services for use in houses, cars, electric meters and the like. How does Slovenian mobile services market compare to other European markets? Very well, in fact. As a result of intensive investment, first by the incumbent, and then by other operators entering the market, I can say that the Slovenian mobile market’s development is significantly above the European average, not just in terms of coverage, but also in terms of the quality and variety of services offered. We are absolutely in the forefront.

Among the younger mobile services users, we have a strong position on the market, substantially higher than our overall market share. You can usually depend on the fact that younger users are more likely than older ones to choose an alternative operator over the incumbent. A few years ago, we started targeting younger users and our competitors followed.

Simobil Boosts Revenues by 11 percent in 2008 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-on-year, the operator. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) at the Mobilkom Austria-owned operator were up 10.4 percent to EUR 58.7m. Its operating profit rose by 23.9 percent to EUR 37.6m. Subscriber numbers rose faster than pre-paid customer numbers, Simobil said in a press release that accompanied an earnings re-

port from its parent. Of the total number of users, two-thirds were subscribers. The operator added that it was continuing to upgrade its network, placing emphasis on the roll out of broadband third-generation mobile services, with which it currently covers 50 percent of Slovenia’s population.

Steady as it goes Si.mobil’s market share, in % 28

2007 Q1

Q4 2008

Source: APEK

April 2009

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

It is common knowledge that it is the younger people that find Si.mobil’s brand the most attractive. That is correct. Among the younger mobile services users, we have a strong position on the market, substantially higher than our overall market share. You can usually depend on the fact that younger users are more likely than older ones to choose an alternative operator over the incumbent. A few years ago, we started targeting younger users and our competitors followed. We know

how to address such an audience, which is especially important in times when the young are the first to recognize the advantages and uses of new technologies.

Photo: M. Botte

initiatives seriously. We have just received a Golden Thread Award for the best employer and we were one of the first in the country to receive certification as a “familyfriendly company”. The managers are not locked in the ivory tower, but make an effort to mix with other employees. The second reason behind our success is, of course, the technology. We have made a number of upgrades, offering our customers faster and more reliable mobile standards such as UMTS and HSDPA. Our network’s coverage, which had long been seen as a weakness, is no longer a problem. Last but not least our partnership with Vodafone, the world’s leading mobile operator, has helped Si.mobil to shed its image of a small company in a big industry. Lately, we have also done a lot of work on upgrading our brand, making it more serious and at the same time infusing it with emotional appeal.

24 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

Telekom Slovenije

A Versatile Giant? Slovenia’s biggest telecommunications services provider, the state-owned Telekom Slovenije group, has been accused of many things, including of holding back the development of the country’s telco market. A couple of years ago, the sale of the group was touted as the best way to make the telco sector more dynamic. As the economy soured, however, the privatization plans were shelved.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

Photo: Telekom

By Marko Vuković

Telekom Slovenije looks for growth in the markets of southeastern Europe

is not entirely clear, but judging by the squabbles that erupted between the leading managers after the sale was called off, not everybody thought that the government’s privatization strategy was in the best interest of Telekom Slovenije. While observers did not expect serious repercussions for the industry as the result of the government’s decision to halt the sale, stock market participants were not so sanguine. When the news about the suspension of the privatization process broke in March 2008, the stock price of the Telekom Slovenije group plunged from EUR 320 to around EUR 120 a year later. The group is Slovenia’s biggest provider of fixed and mobile telephony services as well as broadband internet access, which makes the disappointment of potential investors (and of those who expected to pocket a sizeable takeover premium) quite understandable. Of course, Telekom’s shares did not take a hit only from the botched privatization attempt but also from a flight to safety that was battering the stock prices across the emerging markets throughout the 2008. At the beginning of this year, the share price of the group stabilized. It now looks cheap by any standard (see chart), but with the credit crunch in full swing, buyers are lacking. Even if a prospective buyer appeared, the government would probably not be interested in selling at such a low price, especially as it needs every euro from the dividends to fight the economic downturn.

Claiming that because Where’s the bottom? of Telekom’s anti- At the beginning of last year Lawsuits galore competitive practices everything looked good. Skipti, However, it is not only the share telecommunications services they lost millions in aprovider from Iceland on the one price that is getting battered: so revenues and profits, a hand, and a consortium made up is the group’s reputation as a fair number of smaller telco of Bain Capital, Axis Capital and player on the country’s telco marservices providers are British Telecom on the other both ket. Being an incumbent with the offered EUR 400 a share for the biggest market shares in all segalso after the incumbent government’s 49 percent stake in ments of the market, not only in in the courts. Taken the group. That was significant- fixed telephony, but also in mobile together, claims for ly more than what the stock had services and broadband access, worth on the market, where the group is natural prey for regdamages against Telekom been it had been trading at around ulators and competitors claiming amount to more than EUR EUR 320. Why exactly the priva- abuses stemming from its domi250m. tization process was suspended nant position. The Slovenia Times

In February, the Competition Protection Office initiated proceedings against the group, suspecting it of shutting off competitors from the market for broadband access. Although Slovenia has implemented local loop unbundling, Telekom’s competitors have been complaining that their access to the so-called last mile of copper cables running from telephone exchanges to users’ premises is being hindered either by onerous conditions or prohibitive prices imposed by the incumbent. Telekom Slovenije denies the charges, but if they turn out to be true it could cost the company dearly. T-2 and Amis, the second and the third biggest broad band access providers in the country are already suing the group for damages well in excess of EUR 100m. They are not the only ones, however. Claiming that because of Telekom’s anti-competitive practices they lost millions in revenues and profits, a number of smaller telco services providers are also after the incumbent in the courts. Taken together, claims for damages against Telekom amount to more than EUR 250m.

In a tight spot That is more than the profit the company made in the last three years, which should further lower the value of the company in the eyes of prospective buyers. The management shrugs off the lawsuits, saying that the group has not done anything wrong. The courts, however, will not necessarily agree. It could, therefore, happen that the damages will eat into the profits in the future. In 2008, the group’s net earnings were EUR 86 m, three percent less than the previous year. Although corporate taxes fell by a quarter, amortization costs were higher, Bojan Dremelj, Telekom Slovenije’s CEO explained. With revenue of EUR 852 m, the group is one of the biggest Slovenian companies. As fixed telephony services slowly become less popular and profit-

OPINION able, it is no surprise that Mobitel, the group’s mobile services arm, brought in more than half of the revenues. Compared to the previous year, its profit rose by 17 percent to EUR 59 m: an especially good result given that Mobitel’s market share has fallen by almost seven percent since the end of 2007. Hounded by regulators and beleaguered by competitors in the fastest growing segments of the market, it seems that Telekom Slovenije has reached the limits of growth on the domestic telco market. Like other Slovenian companies trying to escape mature and saturated markets at home, Telekom Slovenije decided to venture east, to the Western Balkan region.

Go east The company has been building up its presence in almost every market in the region, from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina to Kosovo and Macedonia. While the group is already well established in Kosovo where it owns Ipko.net, the country’s second biggest mobile services provider,

Macedonia is still uncharted territory. There, Telekom Slovenije is eyeing Cosmofon, a mobile operator owned by OTE, a Greek telco giant. Apart from Serbia, Croatia is the most important regional market, its attractiveness only enhanced by the fact that it will soon become a member of the EU. Telekom Slovenije has recently set up a subsidiary that will be in the business of broadband access provision. An often-overlooked fact is that the group also owns Najdi.si, the most popular Slovenian search eng i ne. Vent uring into what could be called new technologies for a company that only a couple of years ago made most of its revenue from the relatively boring fixed-line telephony is a sign that its management has recognized where its future challenges lie. Whether Telekom’s search engine will be similarly successful in Croatia and Serbia remains to be seen, but its presence there testifies to the versatility of a group that was once deemed a clumsy giant fit only for a sale.

Bottoming out? Telekom Slovenije share price, in EUR 500

Staying clever in a downturn

By Patrick Gill, Director (Business Advisory Services), Deloitte Slovenia

A continued economic downturn in 2009

may buffet the smart phone’s fortunes. At a time when Slovenia has now surpassed the 100% mobile penetration rate, what can we expect next? Let’s consider two aspects of ‘smart phoning’ in today’s economic environment - cost cutting and innovation, both vital in attracting customers new to the market and luring customers from competitors. Then, what are the next big threats to the traditional mobile business model? In an effort to reduce costs, mobile operators, the main channel to market for smart phones, may start reviewing handset subsidies, which the industry invests tens of billions of Euros in each year. Mobile phone manufacturers need to show mobile operators how their smart phone could provide a superior return on investment compared with both their competitors and with other, cheaper types of phone. They should focus on developing and marketing smart phones whose features consumers are willing to pay for despite tough times. For certain business users, they could even position devices as replacements for laptops. Handset manufacturers should pass on some of the downward pricing pressure to mobile component manufacturers, who, in turn, may need to cut costs. As for mobile operators—they should reduce smart phone subsidies with care: these devices generate over 25 percent of mobile data traffic.

200

100

3. 1. 08

25. 3. 09

Source: LJSE

Are good times over? Telekom Slovenije profit in EUR m 100

However, smart phone ‘conversions’ are still rising fast. With the pace of business continuing to accelerate the need for mobile email is continuing to grow rapidly. The advent of new online applications including mobile VOIP, chat and tweeting, online gaming applications, and mobile banking, traditional handsets are a dying breed. Challenges for telecommunications companies are coming from all sides. Regulatory challenges will continue to push down prices for consumers, costs of maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure are mounting, and cost conscious business and private users are carefully watching usage in volume and rates. Sharing of infrastructure amongst operators is one way in which some of the infrastructure challenges may be met. However, the greatest threat to the traditional voice traffic models of telecommunications operators may be technology itself. The presence and use of picocells, femtocells and similar technologies (localized wireless mobile networks that by-pass traditional mobile phone technology and route calls through the internet) are on the rise. Meanwhile, free wireless internet access is gaining in popularity, with many towns and parts of cities becoming free hot-spots. As with most industries in times of change, those telecommunications companies that combine vision and flexibility to see and react to market shifts will be best placed to take advantage. As for those who don’t, it is likely that no-one will remember their names in 10 years time.

2005

Source: Telekom Slovenije

2006

2007

2008

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

300

Smart phoning

While smart phone manufacturers will continue to compete in the race for the ultimate smart phone, it is likely that new technology development will slow. Global cost-cutting in all sectors will impact the development focus of smart phone manufacturers and the consumer market. Technologies such as the ‘credit card phone’, the ‘security pass phone’ and ‘super sims’, (smart sim cards that seek and choose a provider based on pre-determined criteria) will be slower in reaching the mass market. Ironically, the infrastructure based telecommunications industry may be placed on hold while infrastructure in the payment and security industries catches up.

400

26 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

Photo: M. Botte

Interview: Danilo Tomšič

Still Enough Room for Growth TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

When the latest statistics on the state of Slovenia’s telecommunications market were published earlier this year, the fact that mobile penetration exceeded 100 percent for the first time attracted much attention and had commentators guessing whether the market is saturated. Danilo Tomšič, sales director of Mobitel, the country’s leading mobile operator, says that such guesses are much too simplistic, as mobile services have greatly evolved since the times when people used their mobiles just to talk to each other. By Marko Vuković

We have actually managed to increase the number of subscribers, which is an accomplishment we can be proud of, especially when the current situation on the mobile market, which is not exactly rosy, is taken into account. The Slovenia Times

The latest data confirm that Mobitel’s market share is in decline. It dropped to 58.8 percent in the last quarter of 2008. Yet the company nevertheless managed to increase its profit by 17 percent to EUR 59 m in the previous year. How do you explain these seemingly incongruous trends? Mobitel is the oldest and still the leading mobile operator in the country. Market shares are calculated on the basis of the number of mobile service users and this number has been growing; the market has been expanding. Of course, new operators have en-

tered the market and market share figures are constantly changing. What is also important is that Mobitel has been successful in persuading the users of pre-paid packages to switch to subscriptions. We have actually managed to increase the number of subscribers, which is an accomplishment we can be proud of, especially when the current situation on the mobile market, which is not exactly rosy, is taken into account. In addition, the use of non-voice services has been on the rise. Mobitel is without doubt the leading

provider of mobile data services on the Slovenian mobile market. Together with professional user support, attractive prices and superior quality, this explains our business results very well, in my opinion. Mobitel has won awards for the quality of its advertising campaigns on more than one occasion. Which principles do you follow when planning your marketing activities? Mobitel has always been known as a company that markets its products efficiently and strives for the highest quality of its ad-

Unlimited Calltime/Unlimited Text and Multimedia Messages/Unlimited Internet Experience/Unlimited Email Access/Unlimited Online Chat … to be continued

Communicate Without Limits w êêêêêêêêêêêêêêêêêêtvip{ls±ê ±ê¡¥£§ês êê

h ê ê ê ê ê ¸êj ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ¸êi ê ê p ê ê ±ê ê ê ê ê ê ¸êk ê ê ê ê ¸êw ê§§ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê êz ê ê ê ê êE§§ê ê ê{ ê ê ±ê ê êp ê{ ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê êi i ê êp ê êp ê ±ê ê ê ê¢ªªê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ±ê êw ê§§ê ê ê êt®z ê¾ê ê ê ê ê êz ê êt êp ê ê ê ê ê ê êµ ´ê ê ê êw ê§§ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ¾ ê ê~ ê ê ê ê ¸

jovvzlêmyvtêhtvunê{vwêtvipslêwovulzêmvyêq|z{ `¡

{ ê ê ê ê ê ê ê êp ê ê êt ê ±ê ê ê ê ê ê ê êt ê ±ê ê ê êz ê ê ê ê ê ê¢ªªê ê ê ê ê ê t ê ê ê êz ê ê êv ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê ê êl|yêª¡¤½ ê w ê ê}h{ê ê{ ê ê ê ê ê ê ê êt ê { ê ê ê ê êw ê§§ê ê ê ê ê êt ê ê

DXU cdb_^WUcd dYUc QbU dX_cU gU SQ^^_d cUU

28 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

Photo: M. Botte

We are one of the biggest advertisers in Slovenia, so we can obtain attractive rates. We are not planning to introduce any special costsaving measures in the field of advertising, but we will continue to monitor trends on the market and make necessary changes when dividing our budget between different media.

What does an average Slovene carry with him at all times? OK, there’s the wallet and the keys to his or her apartment, but you can be sure there is also a mobile phone somewhere in his or her pockets. So it is only natural that more and more people use their mobiles for a widening range of purposes rather than just telephony

vertising campaigns. This has been recognized not only by the advertising profession, but also by our customers and the market in general. Our business results testify to that. Our messages are clear, and we are fair to the people we target. In times of crisis, many companies have already made substantial cuts in their advertising budgets or are expected to do so. Will Mobitel follow suit? The crisis itself is not a sufficient reason to cut the advertising expenditure. Mobitel always tries to adapt its advertising budget to the latest developments on the market.

Mobile services other than voice telephony have registered impressive rates of growth all over the world. What is the share of data services in Mobitel’s revenues? I can tell you this: that share has been getting bigger and bigger. This is a trend we have been observing for several years. On the Slovenian mobile market, Mobitel was the first to exploit the wide range of possibilities offered by data services, setting up the mobile portal Planet, for example, which is already known by more than a million of Slovenes. We must not forget about mobile payment services, mobile internet and mobile TV: the segments of the market where Mobitel is the leader. By offering our customers a chance to use these services, the company has increased revenues flowing from them. The exact figures, however, will not be disclosed, as this is very sensitive information. Mobile communications are definitely moving away from voice telephony. What is Mobitel doing to stay ahead of this trend? Our assortment of mobile services is very wide; we try to meet the needs of our customer base, which are highly varied indeed. Once one recognizes that a mobile phone is not a device to be used only to talk to other people, such a wide array of services becomes understandable, and even necessary.

Take mobile TV. In 2003, we started putting video content on our mobile portal, so that the users could access it from their mobile phones. In the previous year, we decided to upgrade our video services by introducing true mobile television. The users of our services can now follow the leading TV channels and receive text messages about upcoming shows. In Slovenia, we are the first operator offering this service. Do you think that sooner or later everything that has to do with telecommunications will migrate to mobile devices, that the things we now usually do on our desktop computers and laptops will be taken care of from our mobile phones? Think about it: What does an average Slovene carry with him at all times? OK, there’s the wallet and the keys to his or her apartment, but you can be sure there is also a mobile phone somewhere in his or her pockets. So it is only natural that more and more people use their mobiles for a widening range of purposes rather than just telephony – to surf the internet, check their email, engage in conversations on social networks such as Facebook, or even add a post or two to their blogs. Network specialists at home and abroad agree that Mobitel’s network is the best in the country as far as its capacity and quality of data transmission is concerned. We can, therefore, offer solutions that allow for seamless integration of mobile devices, be it telephones or laptops, and efficient machineto-machine communication. A large majority of companies trust Mobitel not only because of its high-quality service, but also because of professional support. I am confident that this will also be true in the future.

»Deploying intelligent systems for strategic advantage«

DAYS OF SLOVENIAN INFORMATICS 2009 15 – 17 April 2009 The Grand Hotel Bernardin - Portoro` Congress Centre

Conference made possible by

Conference Host Slovenian Society Informatika

Events: Interesting lectures by local and international experts from all areas of informatics

Conference Organiser

A new section: Informatics in Public Administration Varied round table discussions entitled "Obama and the Internet" and »Deploying intelligent systems for strategic advantage« Workshops and 1-2-1 meetings

The honorary sponsor of the DSI 2009 conference is the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk.

Social events

The Slovenian Audit Institute gave the Days of Slovenian Informatics conference the following points: K = 0.9, u = 18; Ku = 16.2 (B).

And much more…

"the biggest independent expert conference that fully covers the informatics area”

Based on the Rules on professional skills of the entities under public law employees and providers of equipment and services dealing with documents, the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia recognised 0.45 credit points to the DSI conference.

Conference Partner

Media Sponsors

Equipment Sponsors

Event Sponsor Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia

30 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

Mobile and broadband services

On the Rise The rapid development of electronic communications shows no signs of slowing down. On the contrary, the integration of the European telecommunications services market will drive investment in innovative, attractive and affordable services for some time to come. The trend is pointing towards the reinforcement of the single European market with strengthened competition rules and a reduction of regulatory burdens. By Roman Oberč in the fast-growing data services segment.

Photo: Mobitel

More competition

A great shift: Mobile internet and data services are taking centre stage

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

he EU has praised Slovenia for good results with regard to the regulation of the telco market on more than one occasion. This is evident in the increased number of service providers and decreasing prices; especially vibrant are broadband internet and mobile telephony services. Due to efficient price regulation, broadband penetration and the number of unbundled local loops have g rown substantially. In a response to a highly competitive environment, so has the quality and range of mobile phone services.

Lately, the focus has The first, the best shifted to services The biggest provider of mobile provided by services in Slovenia is Mobitel. next-generation networks In 1994, the state-owned Telekom such as IPTV (internet Slovenije group became the sole shareholder in the company. ToTV), IP telephony and VOD day, Mobitel has a little less than (video on demand). The 60 percent market share, although introduction of these this figure has been slowly deUnlike in other counservices is already creasing. tries in Europe where the drivwell under way and the ing force behind innovation and optical networks that technological breakthroughs are allow faster data smaller operators, in Slovenia it has always been Mobitel. In fact, transmission are being observers of the market say, it is set up by all the major the operator to choose if you want players on the market. the most recent and the fastest The Slovenia Times

services. Over the years, Si.mobil emerged as Mobitel’s biggest competitor. Si.mobil entered the market in 1999 as the first alternative mobile operator in Slovenia. The way Si.mobil differentiates itself from Mobitel is the ease of choice between different packages and prices. The quality of service provided is second only to Mobitel’s. Though Si.mobil lags behind Mobitel in terms of network capacity, this is not a significant problem in voice and text services, but more

Recent years have brought quite a few new players to the mobile telecommunications market. A year ago there were only two operators with their own infrastructure, Mobitel and Si.mobil. Today, there are four, T-2 and Tušmobil being the new entrants, and a further two that do not have their own infrastructure. There are now six operators fighting for their share on the market, which generates fierce competition. Lately, the focus has shifted to services provided by next-generation networks such as IPTV (internet TV), IP telephony and VOD (video on demand). The introduction of these services is already well under way and the optical networks that allow faster data transmission are being set up by all the major players on the market.

Converging Fibre optic cable allows the bundling of a number of formerlyseparated services into a single package. Users can choose between double, triple or quadruple play packages combining broadband internet access, IPTV, fixed telephone and mobile telephone. Bundled packages are proving very popular. Especially attractive

Exponential growth number of VoIP connections and triple play subscriptions, ‘000 250000 VoIP 200000

150000 Triple play 100000

50000

0 2007 Q1 Source: APEK

Q4 2008

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL 31

Internet reigns supreme… The most important of these services is broadband internet access; in fact, it is one of the main driving forces behind the development of information society in Europe. It is not surprising that the number of broadband connections has risen dramatically in recent years and that competition is so fierce. Broadband penetration in Slovenia is very near the European average, suggesting that the Slovenian market is relatively well-developed. The competition between various providers of broadband access is ensured in two ways: by the local loop unbundling and access via an optical cable network. Local loop unbundling is the result of regulatory measures designed to support a competitive market, as the last mile of copper lines is owned by the incumbent, which is not necessarily willing to cede control over them.

…and so do mobile phones Mobile technology has also been developing very quickly. In addition to the entry of new infrastructure operators to the market, a number of technological upgrades were carried out. This

was spearheaded by Si.mobil’s introduction of its own UMTS network which has already been upgraded with HSDPA (a protocol upgrades UMTS to higher speeds and capacities). Mobitel, of course, countered with the completion of its UMTS upgrade soon after. In 2007, it became very popular to transfer your stationary or mobile phone number to another operator. Of course this meant that you could change your operator with an unprecedented ease and speed; as a consequence, such number portability resulted in quite a few price cuts, and promised benefits to the consumer.

Fast evolution An important new area in the segment of mobile telephony was brought about by the rapid development of infrastructure and mobile services. Data transfer over mobile networks is a step that was made possible by technological developments in recent years. The so-called 3G or third-generation standards and technology for mobile networking allow for the development of a wide range of advanced services as they have greater network capacity. The key technology for 3G is UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System). The basis for UMTS development is to ensure small, portable pocket communicators to be used anywhere, anytime. The advantages of UMTS are in the simultaneous transfer of speech, text and video data. Consequently the use of mobile phones as internet-enabling tools has increased. The uptake of mobile internet services, however, is still hampered by high costs. But once mobile internet really takes off, you will literally have internet, live TV, camera and a host of other services in your pocket. We can only imagine the impact on our lives that this will have.

Manager Education

Improving Leadership Skills by Learning From Golf Metaphor One of the possibilities how we can develop leadership and management skills in an innovative way is by studying the parallels between business organisation and sport. For this reason, IEDC-Bled School of Management, one of the world pioneers in holistic approach to management development, has already for several years been running a seminar entitled ‘Management and Strategic Challenges – Learning from the Golf Metaphor’. The seminar takes place in the beautiful environment of Bled and is led by Prof. Pierre Casse, Leadership Chair at IEDC-Bled School of Management, a Professor at Kellogg Business School and at Moscow School of Management. We have talked about the seminar with Prof. Pierre Casse and IEDC President Prof. Danica Purg.

Golfers and managers share a number of characteristics

“Experience shows that managers can learn a great deal from metaphors since they help them to think outside the established frameworks and can thus encourage them to communicate more effectively,” says Prof. Casse. In his opinion, top golfers and successful business leaders have at least three characteristics in common: both groups are self-confident; they are constantly setting themselves higher goals and challenges; and they measure their achievements and progress systematically.

Different methodologies of golf are like different management styles

We can transfer the rules of golf to the management of a company or individual business unit. “You choose the methodology according to your knowledge of golf and the management style according to your skills, personal attributes and the environment around you,” says Prof. Casse.

A game that teaches modesty

When playing golf, managers also consider their limitations. Prof. Casse is convinced that “during a game, the individual can learn how to engage with unexpected problems, how to improve his performance and how to practice modesty.” A good golfer is not always a successful manager. “If you don’t care for others, you might win the game, but you’ll never be a good manager,” concludes Prof. Casse.

Innovation is important also in the area of business education

Average performance broadband penetration rate, lines per 100 inhabitants

For many, the idea of combining the study of management with the playing of golf might seem strange, but Prof. Danica Purg, President of IEDC-Bled School of Management, explains it thus: “As in any other field, in business education we need to innovate constantly. We can also learn management and leadership through a study of the parallels that exist between the business world and sport. For this reason, IEDC has for several years now been running a seminar entitled “Management and Strategic Challenges – Learning Through the Metaphor of Golf”. The idea of learning management and leadership through the metaphor of golf came to me after a discussion about the sport and leadership development with the head of Slovenia’s main yachting team and the trainer of the Italian national basketball team.’

40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Slovenia Source: European Commission

Hungary

Austria

EU27

Denmark

The “Management and Strategic Challenges – Learning Through the Metaphor of Golf” seminar will take place from 26 to 29 August 2009; the theoretical part will be held at the premises of IEDC-Bled School of Management, while the practical part will take place at the Bled golf course, considered as one of the most picturesque in Europe. April 2009

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL

seems to be the triple play service that includes internet, TV and fixed telephony. This is the service that is showing the highest growth in terms of subscriptions at the moment, mainly because the number of service providers offering triple play has increased to seven in 2007. The country’s telco regulator, APEK, was instrumental in opening up the incumbent’s lines to competition with stringent application of local loop unbundling provisions. In addition, cable operators also began offering triple play.

32 PEOPLE

Vinko V. Dolenc MD, PhD, neurosurgeon

Cavernous Sinus – You Better Don’t Know About It Dr. Vinko V. Dolenc, who has shared his extraordinary professional knowledge on around 500 lectures worldwide and performed around 2500 demanding neurosurgical operations in more than 60 different countries, is well renowned and highly respected in the international professional circles. He is best known for his contribution to the field of microsurgery, where he focused on the cavernous sinus surgery and contributed important innovations, which he started introducing at the beginning of the 1980s. Text and photo Marjan Žiberna His work is considered as a landmark in the history of neurosurgery, as quoted by Mahmut G. Yasargil in the Foreword to Dolenc’s book: “Anatomy and Surgery of the Cavernous Sinus” in 1989. M. G. Yasargil – Neurosurgeon of the Century – wrote: “There is no doubt that this type of microsurgical anatomy study is a new step in the 100 year history of neurosurgery. Finally, this work reconfirms the necessity for the future generations of neurosurgeons to work in the microsurgery laboratory; not only for understanding the surgical anatomy, but to acquire the considerable technical skills necessary to perform surgical approaches of this complexity.”

Beginnings

D Those who know Dr. Dolenc say that if they were destined to sustain an illness or injury calling for a brain surgery, they would wish it to happen while he is still an active neurosurgeon. The Slovenia Times

r. Dolenc is a member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts as well as an honorary or permanent member of numerous international neurosurgical associations. He is a lecturer at the Medical Faculty in Ljubljana. Since 1987, he has been the Head of Neurosurgery Department of the University Medical Center Ljubljana. He is also Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA. He is even better known abroad than in Slovenia.

He recalls his professional beginnings to be a strange coincidence connected with a terrible accident. In 1966, an English airplane crashed at Ljubljana Airport and almost one hundred passengers were killed. The late Dr. Janez Miličinski, Head of the Forensic Medicine Institute at Ljubljana Medical School, together with his team identified most of the victims despite the fact that the bodies were badly damaged. The British people were amazed by this extraordinary effort, and the British Consul wanted to thank Ljubljana’s Hospital where 18 survivors were treated. He wanted to award the Hospital, and Dr. Milan Žumer, chief of Neurosurgical Department expressed his wish for an operative microscope. That is how Dr. Dolenc started working with a microscope, at first on cadaver specimens but in 1969 already on the patients. In 1967, the first report on microsurgical reconstruction of injured peripheral nerves was published by Dr. Smith from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, USA. Only then did the microsurgical method start

spreading around the world. In 1968, Dr. Yasargil, who studied micro-techniques in Vermont, USA, organized the first International workshop for micro-neurosurgical techniques in Zürich. Dr. Dolenc carefully followed all these novelties. He started with peripheral nerve surgeries because he thought them the least dangerous. But in the early 1970s he started to push forward the frontiers of what seemed impossible. He introduced microsurgical techniques into brain operations; he operated an intracranial aneurysm (an abnormal blood-filled swelling resulting from a localized weakness in the wall of the brain vessel) already in 1974, during the period of his residency program. Clipping of the aneurysm and/or strengthening of a weak segment of the vessel’s wall, which can easily rupture and cause severe consequences or even death of the patient, takes an extraordinary skill. The use of the operative microscope in such an operation, which later became a standard, was a pioneering idea at the time. It was also Dr. Dolenc’s idea – new at the time – that a patient with a ruptured intracranial aneurysm is operated sooner than it was then usual; usually such patients were hospitalized, they had to rest for six weeks before the diagnostic procedures were done, and so many patients died during this period due to repeated ruptures. Dr. Dolenc suggested and started performing surgeries in the acute stage, which had been performed only once before in England. Slovenia was then followed by Japan. The method was later accepted as a routine practice worldwide.

Pushing the Frontiers Later, he focused on the microanatomy dissections of the central skull base. He was especially interested in the cavernous

PEOPLE 33 sinus, which was at that time a still poorly understood region. It seemed surgically almost inaccessible. The cavernous sinus is a collection of thin-walled veins in the vicinity on the left and on the right side of the hypophysis, including the carotid artery and four cranial nerves, which are all extremely important and sensitive structures - that is why this region is also referred to as a “veritable jewel box”. Operating in this region is extremely demanding. In the past, people suffered permanent consequences after operation: double vision, paralysis, even death due to the injury of the carotid artery and the veins in course of surgery. In 1980, after long-continued experimental microanatomical studies, Dr. Dolenc successfully approached this area – he performed the first successful surgery in the cavernous sinus without stopping the heart; that is without extracorporeal blood circulation, which was a standard procedure at the time. Extracorporeal circulation during this surgery presented to surgeons two main problems; one was limited time due to the fact that extracorporeal blood circulation results in damage of the body cells after a certain period of time. The second problem was the shortage of space for operating within the skull base (as mentioned above it is a very ‘crowded area’). Dr. Dolenc solved the first problem by means of temporary stoppage of blood flow through the carotid artery inside the cavernous sinus. Equally important was removal of a part of skull base bones to gain the space for surgery. But none-

theless, when he presented his operating procedure at the International Neurosurgical Congress in Munich in 1981, only two out of three thousand neurosurgeons did not object it!

Neurosurgical Books But Dr. Dolenc continued his work together with his colleagues in Ljubljana, coming to new discoveries, and the interest for those grew. In 1986, in Ljubljana, he organized the 1st International Symposium on the Cavernous Sinus (The 1st ISOCS). All the questions asked were impossible to answer, that is why he decided to publish a book titled “A Multidisciplinary Approach to Vascular and Tumorous Lesions” in 1987. In 1989, it was followed by a ‘manual book’ “Anatomy and Surgery of the Cavernous Sinus”, which sold out in less than one year. The latter was the leading neurosurgical book of the year and the discoveries of Dr. Dolenc were estimated as a landmark in the history of neurosurgery. Dr. Dolenc kept working in clinical as well as in research fields. In the course of the following years, preparing a new book based on new discoveries (he rejected the publisher who wanted to reprint his book published in 1989). In 2003, his third book “Microsurgical Anatomy and Surgery of the Central Skull Base” was published, analyzing more than 2,500 clinical cases. Dr. Dolenc says he’s proud of it because “it is readable even to tired and sleepy neurosurgical residents due to their workload”. In September 2006, in Ljubljana, he organized the 2nd ISOCS – 20

Years Later, because cavernous sinus is still in the focus of his interest. Recently, he and his good friend and colleague from USA, Dr. Larry Rogers, edited the next book “Cavernous Sinus - Developments and Future Perspectives”, which contains articles by world experts presenting the state-ofthe-art in this field. It is interesting that after decades of surgical workload, long surgeries do not seem tiring to him; he does not see the surgeries as hard work, because he always finds them extremely interesting.

Dr. Dolenc considers it necessary for medicine to respect nature and simply accept its laws. He does try to understand nature and is far from trying to command it. The rules in brain surgery, as he sees them, are strict; a neurosurgeon is allowed no mistake because there is no second chance with the brain.

Future Perspectives Today, after almost three decades of neurosurgical practice and work in the laboratory, the eyes of Dr. Dolenc are – as ever – directed towards the future. Currently, he is working on the recently-founded International Institute for Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch (IINN). The Institute, which links numerous experts around the globe, will be focused on demanding operations in the skull base tumors and vascular lesions, but equally important is research and postgraduate education. “Slovenia has already its important position on the world map of neurosurgery”, explains Dr. Dolenc, “and if we manage to join the experts and activities of the IINN under one roof, preferably in Ljubljana, this position will only strengthen I have always been proud to be Slovene; not because our nation settled this beautiful part of the world, but solely because of its contribution to the world’s treasury of science and art”.

Dr. Dolenc believes that computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other modern procedures are important for a future neurosurgeon, but equally important is the knowledge of microanatomy. Dissections on cadaver specimens are a must, since from them he obtains his three-dimensional understanding of the brain.

A SUPERIOR EXPERIENCE Pleasant company. Gentle lighting. Sensual looks. And seemingly by chance, they are both there again. Step by step, they come closer… Like sipping deeply. And when things are at their best, they run their course smoothly… Dveri Pax. The door to the world of premium wines.

Warning from the health minister: excessive drinking of alcohol may harm your health.

Dveri-Pax, d.o.o., Polički vrh 1, 2221 Jarenina T: 02/ 644 00 82, F: 02/ 644 00 83 office@dveri-pax.com, www.dveri-pax.com

April 2009

34 SOCIETY

Marriages and Divorces

Only for Better and Not for Worse Every third marriage in Slovenia ends in a divorce. Told differently, if approximately 6,500 couples marry each year, some 2,000 will not see a happy ending and will sooner or later file for a divorce. Still, according to the Statistics Office, Slovenia has one of the lowest divorce rates among the 27 EU member states, but at the same time, the country also has the lowest marriage rate in the EU. By Barbara Štor, photos: Irena Jurca

hirty-eight-year old Petra got divorced last summer. After ten years of marriage and two children, she and her husband realised that their matrimony was at a dead end. “We never really argued, we simply stopped talking and communicating,” explains Petra, who moved out of their apartment and now has a flat of her own. The couple managed to reach a mutually-agreeable arrangement on the division of their joint property and the custody of their children; the divorce procedure was rather quick and painless. Her ex-husband kept the apartment (they had their own place in his parents’ house), they have shared custody (each parent has the children every other week) and Petra gets monthly alimony.

No Prenuptial Agreements When a marriage comes to an end, one major issue often stands in the way of a settlement: the

property. Who will keep the house? What about the car? Who will pay off the debts? How should the savings be divided? Regarding the division of joint assets, Slovenian family law holds that the share of the spouses should generally be equal. However, each partner may, in the divorce process, prove that he or she contributed more to the joint property and is therefore entitled to a bigger share. It is also possible that the separated partners themselves previously agree how to divide their assets and therefore lodge a written and certified agreement to the court. While a prenuptial agreement is a very common practice abroad, Slovenia knows no such instrument. A couple may sign a document in which they set out their rights in relation to any debts, income, property or other assets purchased together or brought into a relationship, but Slovenian legislation does not acknowledge this agreement and it is therefore not valid in court.

Marriages and divorces, Slovenia, 2007 Marriages Divorces

1977

1987

1997

2006

2007

15,026

10,307

7,500

6,368

6,373

2,406

2,163

1,996

2,334

2,617

Per 1000 population Marriages

8.2

5.2

3.8

3.2

Divorces

1.3

1.1

1.0

1.2

1.3

160.1

209.9

266.1

366.5

411.0

Groom

27.5

27.0

30.7

32.8

33.2

Bride

24.2

23.7

27.6

30.0

30.3

Divorces per 1000 marriages Mean age

Mean age at first marriage Groom

25.8

25.6

28.5

30.6

30.7

Bride

22.6

22.5

25.6

28.1

Sources: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of the Interior-Central Population Register.

The Slovenia Times

Prolongation of the Marriage According to Eurostat, Slovenia is one of the EU member states with the lowest divorce rate; only in Italy and Greece is it lower than in Slovenia. Before Slovenian couples get divorced, they generally spend 13 more or less happy years together. This means that the marriages are lasting longer. Three decades ago, a third of all divorces happened in the first four years of marriage and more than a quarter of marriages lasted between five and nine years, while only about 12% of marriages ended after 20 years. In recent years, however, approximately one third of marriages that fell apart had lasted more than 20 years.

Falling out of Love Maintaining a good marriage takes a lifetime of work and not everyone is equally dedicated to their marriage vows. “For richer or for poorer, for better or

for worse” is one of the promises couples make to each other on their wedding day. But the hectic pace of modern life has put a lot of strain on the marital bond, many fail to keep their pledges and divorce has become inevitable. There are many reasons why people walk away from each other and opt for a divorce. The most common reasons for a couple to break up are infidelity, money, lack of communication, different addictions, such as alcohol addiction, physical, emotional or sexual abuse, different personal and career goals, and simply falling out of love. Although divorce is not always the answer to a problematic marriage, some relationships simply do not work. As painful as it seems, divorce is sometimes the best option. Staying together in a painful relationship for the “sake of children” can do more harm than good. Of all marriages that fell apart in Slovenia in 2007, half of them were without dependent children, because they had already left their families by the time their parents separated. After the divorce, fourfifths of dependent children were assigned to mothers, some 6 % to fathers and approximately 12 % to both parents. “Although we grew apart and we did not understand each other anymore, my husband was always a good father,” explains Petra. “Therefore, I had no reason

SOCIETY 35 “Elderly” Newlyweds

to decline him the right to spend time with our sons,” she continues, “I admit, I feel sad, when I am separated from my boys, but my ex-husband has every right to be with them as I do.”

As already mentioned, Slovenian couples are not particularly enthusiastic to set a date for their weddings. It is, therefore, completely logical that, as the number of marriages decreases, the trend of living together without being married increases. There are some 40,000 couples in Slovenia living together without a marriage certificate. Metka and Andrej have been together for almost 15 years. They are middle-aged and they both experienced one marriage; she is a widow and he is divorced. “We like things the way they are; we do not need a marriage certificate to prove that we love each other,” they explain when asked why they have never confirmed their love before the registrar. But those who do officially promise their love, loyalty and fidelity to each other are getting older. The mean age of grooms and brides at all marriages has exceeded 30 years of age since the mid-1990s. A groom married for the first time in 2007 was on average more than 30 years old, while a first-time bride was on average over 28 years old, more than two and a half years younger than a groom. Three decades ago, a groom at first marriage was, on average, almost five years younger while a bride was 5.5 years younger.

Wedding as a Big Expense There are several reasons why couples decide for a later marriage: they want to finish schooling, get a permanent job, maybe do some travelling or exploring, they want to have their own apartment and last but not least, they want to be able to afford their wedding. A couple can easily spend up to EUR 10,000 for the biggest day of their lives. An average Slovenian must work almost an entire year to earn so much money. In the last thirty years, the number of weddings in Slovenia has been reduced by almost 60 per cent. From the mid-1950s to the end of the 1970s, some 14,000 couples annually decided to get married; nowadays, only some six to seven thousand do so. Similar drops among European countries have been observed in Hungary, Bulgaria and Portugal.

Eloping Abroad Slovenian journalist and TV presenter Rajka V. Pupovac got married when she was 29. Like many other Slovenians, she was perfectly happy without a wedding ring and did not consider marriage, until her partner asked her to marry him. She changed her mind and accepted the proposal.

“When spending our summer vacation on the Dalmatian island of Vis, we discovered the perfect spot to commit to each other,” explains Rajka “I am in love with the Adriatic Sea and I simply knew this was the place where I was going to get married,” she says. Many other Slovenians, like Rajka and her husband, decide to get married abroad. The Seychelles, the Maldives, Las Vegas, and the Dominican Republic are just some of the exotic locations where couples decide to bond for life.

April 2009

36 LIFE STYLE The perfect day in the perfect place

Getting married in Slovenia

Let us join hands, and then our hearts...

Slovenia offers a variety of very romantic places for weddings to suit any style – from very traditional to something completely different. By Mateja Stanta, photos Dean Duboković

etting married is a serious commitment; therefore, a wedding day is considered an important milestone in our lives. The stress of a traditional wedding can, however, be as great as the importance of the act itself and it is, therefore, not at all surprising that more and more couples decide to elope, or else get married in a foreign country, with just a few close friends and family members as their witnesses. While many consider tropical exotic places to be the perfect place to say there: “I do,” others began The Slovenia Times

to search for new, romantic wedding destinations in hope to do something different. Slovenia, a jewel in the heart of Europe, may be small in size, but nonetheless offers a vast variety of opportunities to make your special day truly unforgettable. It is a dazzling place with spectacular mountain scenery and lets visitors slow down and observe serene green fields and silent forests. Most tourists are amazed by the close proximity of all important and interesting destination points, since it is virtually impossible to spend

more than two hours, travelling by car or a train from nation’s capital, Ljubljana, to anywhere inside the country. In spite of the fact that the population is slightly under two million, it seems that though small in numbers, these are warm people with big hearts, always willing to lend a helping hand and meet you half way. While its neighbouring country Italy has long been known as the country of romance, it is easy enough to see that, given a chance, Slovenia, with its pristine charm and genuine warmth, is more than a worthy competitor.

Slovenia will undoubtedly pleasantly surprise tourists with its diverse options for prime wedding spots. Something can be found for each season and every taste. Seaside: Be it the ancient town of Piran, the lively city of Koper, or Portorož, the city of roses, the Slovenian coastline provides perfect wedding places for all who love summer and have always dreamed of a seaside wedding. There are options to consider and different providers to choose from; though the most renowned in specializing at weddings is Life Class Hotel in Portorož, Hotel Kempinski is quickly gaining clientele among those with deeper pockets. Mountain scenery: Logarska Dolina is beautiful throughout the seasons. So, whether a couple wants a spring wedding with a gentle breeze carrying with it the subtle scent of spring flowers, a summer marriage ceremony by a beautiful waterfall, if they dream of autumn colours to paint their special day, or they always imagined themselves getting married in a winter wonderland, this valley delivers all that and more. Down by the river side: The never-failing mystique of the River Krka is bound to win you over and, combined with a small, but beautiful castle Otočec, without a doubt is one of the most charming wedding destinations in Slovenia. Lake of love: Lake Bled has long been known as the lake of love. Completed with a boat ride, the ceremony in the ancient church set on the small island in the middle of the lake, it is not too hard to see why it is considered by many to be Slovenians’ most romantic wedding destination.

Decisions, decisions, decisions The place, the style, the budget, it all comes down to the decisions. None of them are easy and the fact that there are so many of them does not help at all. Ultimately, these decisions can be made a lot easier by knowing what sort of a wedding you want. By setting the style, date and location, everything else falls into place. Civil or church? While some prefer to keep religion out of their wedding, others wish for a more traditional ceremony that includes a wedding recognised by a church. Both ways are practiced in Slovenia, although you may find it a bit more difficult to arrange if you are practicing a religion other than Catholic, Muslim or Orthodox Christian.

LIFE STYLE 37

Zemono estate

Royal wedding: Renaissance weddings became a trend in Slovenia a few years ago and have been growing in popularity ever since. Most likely it is due to the fact that Slovenia has numerous locations that enable such events to take place in the authentic environment of magnificent 17th century castles and mansions throughout the country. The castles Stari Grad Celje, Grad Mokrice, Ptujski Grad and many others offer weddings in a Renaissance style, complete with period clothing, court jesters, fanfares and harps as a musical background, getting wed by the lord of the castle and rounded out by an amazing feast. In short, they will do everything in their power to make the happy couple and their guests feel like royalty. All these venues offer something unique and special; it is, however, a widely accepted fact, that among all the castles and mansions in Slovenia, none can compare with Castle Zemono, where they deal with each and every wedding (and other events as well) in a unique manner, making it as individual and personalized as it can be. One of their special aspects, making it even more exquisite, is unparalleled cuisine, provided by the

award-winning cooks of Gostilna pri Lojzetu restaurant.

Adventurous I do Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, they say. It is the same with romance; while a long white wedding dress, subtle music and rose pedals on the floor may be the height of romance by some, others see it as plain tacky. Those are usually the ones who see their wedding day as an opportunity to do something adventurous, wild or just something different. Pledging your eternal love high in the sky, among the clouds and beyond the cities and mountain tops, in the basket of a colourful hot air balloon, must truly be amazing. That is, of course, as long as you are not one to get vertigo. Those more grounded might prefer a wedding in one of many easily-accessed Karst caves, which can be decorated by candles and flowers, adding to their natural mystique. Still others wish to commemorate their wedding by tying the knot in the same way they love to spend their free time. Some might take pleasure in organizing a biker wedding, others again by getting married on the top of a mountain. Slovenia can accommodate all that

and more. All a couple needs is a firm idea, some time to find the right people to make it all happen and all their adrenalin-fuelled wedding dreams can come true. Deciding for a wedding abroad may indeed reduce some of the wedding-related stress and timeconsuming planning. Sadly, however, it will not entirely eliminate it. Some research will still be necessary as will making the necessary arrangements a few months ahead; especially if you are looking for something a tad out of the ordinary. It should not be too difficult though, since most Slovenians speak English and those in the tourism-related businesses are more than fluent. You will also need to obtain all the legal permits and a marriage license in their home country before embarking on their journey to the wedded bliss.

What it all comes down to Regardless of what style of wedding is chosen or the place that is decided on, your wedding day will undoubtedly be special. A day to remember for a lifetime. Be it at home or abroad, it should, much like the choice of your significant

other, first and foremost be the right choice for you. Remember that all the careful planning wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean much if you are not happy with the fundamental layout of your wedding. While to many the idea of a wedding abroad may seem appealing, it is not necessary the right thing for everyone. Those who always dreamed of a big wedding ceremony or those who cannot imagine getting married without numerous family members and all their friends should probably consider arranging a ceremony somewhere close to home. Another thing to consider is dealing with the potential hurt feelings of your loved ones who may wish to share our special day and witness your exchange of vows. After all, the last thing a newly-wedded couple needs is dealing with a family dispute or disappointed friends. If however, taking all the above into consideration, you still find the idea of an intimate wedding abroad intriguing, you truly ought to consider Slovenia as your wedding destination. After all, getting married is the ultimate celebration of love and what better place to pledge your eternal love for one another than the country that has â&#x20AC;&#x153;loveâ&#x20AC;? embedded in its name.

April 2009

Ayurveda

Oriental Medical Treatments Suited to the West How many of us pause during work days to take a moment and allow ourselves to get in touch with our essence? How often do we ask ourselves why we developed a certain illness? It is usually easier to complain a little and just bear with it. But sooner or later, consequences will arise that may undermine our health severely. Health can be defined as a balance between body and mind. This realisation forms the basis of the Ayurvedic natural treatment. Ayurveda is an ancient Hindu system of medicine, which is extremely widespread in India, where it is also an officially recognised medical treatment. In the mid-20th century, India saw its revival and soon after, its official recognition. Today, Ayurveda is an integral part of the Indian national health system, the subject of scientific research and a course of study at many higher education institutions and universities, with a growing presence in the Western world as well. Ayurveda is an art and a way of life in union with health and healing. It is an exclusively natural method resting on 5000 years of the knowledge and experience of Indian natural physicians. It is not just massages and face or body care; Ayurveda is a way of living, eating and behaving. In the earliest records, Ayurveda is defined as “the science of life”, treating life as a harmonious blend of the body, the senses, the spirit and the mind. Representing a body of principles for maintaining health in healthy people, Ayurveda also offers therapeutic methods of treatment. Preventive practice is given special importance. As part of Ayurveda, a comprehensive system of analysis that enables the detection of changes in health long before the symptoms of illness are displayed has been developed. It thus allows the selection of the most suitable preventive therapeutic interventions. Ayurveda distinguishes three basic types or doshas of people according to their personal traits and body structure: VATA, PITTA and KAPHA. In a healthy person, all three doshas are in balance. Ayurveda treats all nature, including humans, on the basis of five elements: wind, air, fire, water and earth. When these elements are in harmony,

The First European Centre The first Shakti-Ayurveda centre in Slovenia, located in the Terme & Wellness LifeClasa complex, opened in 2006. This is the first European centre to run in collaboration with the Indian state of Kerala. From its very beginning, it has provided various Ayurvedic treatments based on traditional knowledge. The treatments are performed by professional Ayurvedic therapists who trained with Indian Ayurvedic experts with many years of experience, and since last year, also by eight certified and highly qualified Ayurvedic therapists from India who where selected by the government of Kerala.

Health is the greatest value of our age. In our ambition to improve our material situation, we sometimes lose our sense of fundamental values.

we radiate health, both physical and mental. The VATA, PITTA and KAPHA doshas represent the interrelation between the five elements. In maintaining or establishing a balance, the key role is played by a diet, lifestyle and treatments (body cleansing, massages, poultices and so forth) appropriate to a certain type.

Kerala – the Cradle of Ayurveda Today, the state of Kerala is one carrying out the most systematic development of the Ayurvedic system of treatment. In addition to a well-developed healthcare infrastructure of modern Western medicine, there are also several hundred Ayurvedic hospitals and clinics in place under government auspices. More than a thousand Ayurvedic institutions also operate in the private sector. Being a comprehensive system of treatment, Ayurveda can deal with many problems, especially those related to the frantic modern lifestyle. The main feature of Ayurveda is detoxification and cleansing. The body is cleansed with treatments such as Abhyangam, Neerabhyangam, Pinda Swedana and the Swedana Ayurvedic steam bath, whereas psychic cleansing and mental relaxation are provided by the Shirodara treatment.

On 5 and 6 March 2009, the international scientific conference entitled “Ayurveda: A New Way for Healthy Life in Europe” was held in Portorož, focusing the discussion on holistic approaches to the issues of health and medical treatment. During the scientific conference, the speakers presented the wider issue of health in Europe from the perspective of humanism, social sciences and medicine, the relationship between Western and non-Western (Ayurvedic) medical practices, the significance of upbringing and education for a healthy life, appropriate political guidelines with supporting legislation, intercultural issues of dialogue between different humanistic and medical paradigms, different medical practices, and views and visions on the way to live a healthy life in Europe.

Terme& Wellness LifeClass, 05 692 8009, wellness@lifeclass.net, www.lifeclass.net

Photo: LifeClass

Ayurvedic Conference

Garden – a spring of life We do not measure a life by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Experience these moments in your garden. Spring is the time of budding, growth and blossoming. What about us? What do we do at this time? Do we even notice the awakening nature outside our windows? If plants could talk, such wisdom they could share. The best remedy for someone who has lost their momentum is probably walking barefoot on dewy grass in the morning. Grow fond of your plants; at least create some peace in your own garden. You can gain the greatest advantages from the humblest of plants. It is interesting how a bowl of soup on a family’s table is as valuable as all the medicines in the world. One might even put it this way: “Tell me what you put in your soup and I will tell you who you are.”

charming garden flattering to look at and pleasant to smell has a considerable effect on how we feel in the garden. An appropriate cultivation of your soil and plants is the secret of growing lush flowers and healthy fruits and vegetables. Nature has its own rules that don’t always match the rules of garden architects. Nettle at the end of a fence may give a garden a wild look, but it also enhances the pleasant essences of aromatic plants that grow nearby.

They have a tender heart and a short life. They are very complicated and delicate organisms that we should study carefully. As goes for people, we cannot judge plants by their external appearance. It only shows that the plant you have loved, cared for and pampered most, is the best. Do not peel the speckled fruits that your trees give you. Their unsightly speckled peel is full of sun and much healthier than the silky peel of fruits produced with the use of insecticides, ripening and preserving agents.

It is difficult to grow plants on a larger scale if you reject the use of chemical fertilisers and products to combat garden pests. However, on a smaller area of land, it is absolutely possible to do so. Ask your parents how it was once done. Elderly people are glad when younger people ask for their advice. It doesn’t matter if you can’t grow top-level crops. Do not forget that it is first and foremost the matter of quality that will benefit your health.

The day when a misshapen apple and a speckled pear will be appreciated will be the day when the vegetable and fruit gardens regain their title of nobility. They will no longer be the poor cousins of arable farming, but rather uncles from America, who started from scratch and are now rich and will leave a fabulous heritage. In their old trunks, with which they travelled across the seas, one can find treasures, cook a hearty soup in old pots and pick the best fruits and vegetables in the little old gardens that our grandmothers used to keep.

People generally think that plants are not worthy of particular love. But it is not so. Treat them with love, because they will repay it abundantly.

Land and man are closely bound, as

a man draws his strength from land. One can maintain this connection in many ways. Once you decide to become the landlord of your garden, you need to learn to preserve it, tend to it and protect it from damage. Pay utmost attention to it. In the season of growth, pluck weeds patiently and save your plants, for later on you shall harvest treasures. In autumn, hang garlands of garlic and onions, bouquets of thyme, bay leaves, sage and rosemary inside your pantry and inhale their wholesome scent. In a peaceful corner of your garden you can avoid the crowded streets, fatigue and nervousness that comes with the everyday bustle of life. In order to recharge our batteries, we should seize everything nature is offering each and every moment. Go into your garden and let your face be pampered by the sun. It will do you good. A downpour of rain? Go out anyway and let your face get wet; rainwater is great for your skin. And besides, rain has a calming effect and can wash away your worries.

Picking is the moist natural and noble sport and should be permanently practised before all other sports in our free time, which is often so scarcely enjoyed. Let all of your senses take part in your contact with nature; let it become the spring of your joy. No one should disdain these simple little acts that are so important. Let us grow laughter, this plant of life that belongs to our inner garden. Let us also grow the art of love. We should not fear love or make excuses that love can also bring sadness. When I stroke a rose, I often prick my fingers and they bleed, but I continue to surround myself with roses, still stroking them, because a tiny drop of blood is nothing compared to the warm flush that rises towards my heart when I touch them. A flower that you will find blooming in your garden one morning will truly warm your heart.

Vanja Močnik Rozman s.p., uni.dipl.inž.agr. Bukovica pri Vodicah 52, 1217 Vodice 031 681 185, info@vrtnarstvo.com www.vrtnarstvo.com

Photo: Dreamstime

Take time to gather roses, pick flowers and wild herbs. Everyone should bend and pick up fruits, pick fruits from the trees, arrange bouquets, breathe in nature’s scents and bite into crisp fruits with strong teeth.

advertisment

Slovenian Natural Health Resorts Fifteen Slovenian natural health resorts. Fifteen exceptional stories about health and well-being. Each of them unique. The secret of the positive effects of Slovenian thermal waters was discovered in the times of the Roman Empire. The first written documents date back to the year 1147, while the curative properties of our mineral waters have been appreciated throughout Europe for more than four centuries. Slovenia enjoys a reputation as being one of the world’s top spa destinations, along with Hungary, Iceland and Japan. Some Slovenian

health resorts boast centuries of tradition; others go back to only a few decades. Many of their numerous guests become regular customers, who keep coming back to experience the healing capacities of the water that chase away fatigue, ease pain and invigorate the soul. Like the pearls on a necklace, Slovenian natural health resorts spread from the north-eastern through the southern parts of the country and then all the way to the coast. Different water temperatures (ranging from 32 to 73 °C) and healing properties give each of these resorts an entirely unique character. The common brand “Slovenian Natural Health Resorts” represents fifteen natural spa resorts that fulfil the strict conditions required for them to be recognized as part of the Slovenian national health-care system. Special attention is paid to new trends such as wellness programmes, which emphasise healthy lifestyle and well-being. Natural health resorts are now by far the most important Slovenian tourist service. With intensive investments in tourist infrastructure on one hand and constant service enhancements on the other, Slovenian natural health resorts keep developing and thus strengthening their envi-

able position in both Slovenian and European tourism contexts. Today’s stressful way of living and the accompanying negative health effects inspired experts to create new wellness programmes that are offered in the Slovenian natural health resorts. They include new healing methods and new disease– preventing procedures based on the latest medical discoveries. The essence of the approach is a holistic therapy that aims to treat both the mind and the body. It revives some of the long-forgotten healing practices and includes the valued findings of traditional medicine from distant lands. Guests can choose between lively spa centres that provide different sorts of entertainment to cater for all tastes, or they can opt for more peaceful health resorts that offer individually-crafted programmes. Slovenian natural health resorts constantly update their services and introduce innovations, so their guests

can easily withdraw from their noisy, urban and the ever-faster pace of life and enjoy the secrets of undisturbed land. They make every effort to provide their visitors with everything they need for either a relaxing holiday or an active one, be it for couples, families, friends or individuals. Irresistible indoor water worlds in the so-called ‘winter rivieras’ or appealing thermal complexes in the open; the tranquillity of calm waters or the excitement of numerous attractions; leisure-time activity or lazy serenity; hotel, bungalow or campground accommodation; proximity to the city or a getaway far from the maddening crowd; hedonistic or ascetic; solitary or sociable; as a stop in time or as part of a trip to the countryside – the choice is entirely up to you. Slovenian natural health resorts invite you to do something good for your body and soul, for your physical and mental fitness, for your health – for you…

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

42 SPORTS

Skiing

Hot ‘n’ Cold Skiing in Slovenia is a women’s world: No gold, but Petra “The Rock” Majdič, Tina “The Amazing” Maze and Teja “The Shooting Queen” Gregorin at least helped Slovenia to experience a glittering silvery season in winter sports. The men were destined to envy the ladies’ power.

or the army of Slovenian skiing fans, an average Slovenian skiing star would probably not be accepted as great enough, if (s)he would not be able attract at least a kind of tragic aura to his heroism. It may appear weird, but this is a long tradition. In the fifties, there was this famous ski jumper, Janez Polda, who never crowned his talent in the big events and departed for a life full of bitterness. Three decades later, Slovenia lost its former slalom ace, Rok Petrović, its first serial winner of the World Cup races, in a diving accident. Beyond the personal tragedies of some of the nation’s finest skiers, the Slovenian public always had to deal with the bad luck and miseries of their stars on the competition slopes and hills. This tragic heroism accompanied the nation’s first major alpine skiing star, Bojan

The Slovenia Times

Križaj, who was denied the first ever Slovenian Winter Olympic medal by a mere 0.02 seconds in 1980. Later, he was able to capture silver at the 1982 World Championships, but his Olympic dream remained unfulfilled forever. Even in the 2008-2009-season, the big heroines have continued this legacy of combining success with misery, although the positive aspects clearly prevailed in the end. So, Slovenia’s brightest skiing star, the cross-country champion Petra Majdič, proudly celebrated her second place in the overall World Cup standing after losing the leading position to Poland’s Justyna Kowalczyk in the very last race. Majdič (29) had an incredible season in which she continued her global domination of the sprinting events. In the World Cup, she

remained unbeaten and was able to win all eight of them. She even added a remarkable victory in the 30 km classical race in Trondheim, Norway, in the final phase of the season. Majdič lost her only sprint in the most important competition of the season, the 2009 Nordic Skiing Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic, in the month of February. There, she even failed to qualify for the medal races, but an illness was the apparent reason for the failure to at least defend her silver sprinting medal from the previous championships two years ago. Later the Slovenian snow empress from Dol, a village on the outskirts of the capital Ljubljana, recovered and fought a fierce battle for the overall World Cup, an unimaginable exploit even a couple of years ago for a cross-country skier from Slovenia, but finally fell in exhaustion to her Polish rival. “I’m not really disappointed, this will only make me stronger for the season to come,” claimed Majdič after her defeat in Falun, Sweden. An Olympic medal remains her biggest goal. The Winter Olympics next year in Vancouver, British Columbia, will probably be her last chance to crown her career and avoid the fate of Bojan Križaj. The Vancouver Olympics also remain the focus of Tina Maze, presently the leading Slovenian alpine skier, who will turn 26 in May. Her career took a questionable turn when she left the Slovenian national squad training

Photo: BOBO

Photo: Mediaspeed

By Igor E. Bergant

system last summer and opted for her own coaching team. The start of the season could be better for the sometimes moody beauty queen of the World Cup circus, but the Maze was able to win the Slovenian home race in Maribor in her preferred discipline of giant slalom. With this one hit, she conquered the hearts of the domestic ski fans again and boosted her self-confidence before the World Championships in Val d’Isère just in time. There, she exploded again and won a sliver medal in the same discipline – her first at major events – after a furious second run. Actually, she missed the historic victory by no more than 0.09 seconds. But, in general, there was no regret whatsoever – it was the first medal for Slovenian alpine skiing at the World Champion-

Doping

If You Can’t do Time, Don’t do Crime The Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled on the doping case of long-distance runner Helena Javornik, issuing a two-year ban to the a 42-year old athlete, who holds Slovenian records in all distances between 1,500 metres and marathon (42 km). Javornik violated the anti-doping rules of the International Athletics Federation and is not allowed to compete for two years. She had already been suspended before over alleged doping, but was acquitted in 2006.

Including her most successful 2008-2009-season in the World Cup, Petra Majdič captured a career-total of 15 single victories. She equalled the record of the most successful Slovenian participant in all skiing World Cup events, the ski jumper Primož Peterka. However, Peterka remains the only Slovenian to win the overall World Cup. He actually made it twice: in 1997 and 1998. Tina Maze declared after her season, that one of the secrets of her success was a special spaghetti mixture made by her SlovenianItalian coach Andrea Massi. The Slovenian women’s biathlon team was almost halved before the season due to the maternity leaves of two leading athletes. Tadeja Brankovič-Likozar and Dijana Ravnikar both temporarily left sports for motherhood before announcing their return in time for the 2009-2010 Olympic season.

Get it now!

ships after eight years. Even the relations between her team and the national skiing federation became less tense. Finally, after her giant slalom victory at the World Cup Finals in Åre, Sweden, the perspectives for Maze seem even more amazing. To complete the ladies’ hat trick of skiing silver, Teja Gregorin (28), surprisingly came in second in the 15 km individual race at the World Biathlon Championships in Pyeonchang, South Korea. It was the first medal ever for Slovenian biathlon (a combination of crosscountry skiing and rifle shooting) at major events. Although Gregorin has performed promisingly in last season, her success came quite unexpectedly since she struggled most of the season with injuries and bad health. While Slovenian skiing ladies booked their places on the sunny side of the season, the men in various disciplines were forced to freeze in their shadows. In alpine skiing, the internationally-recognized downhill specialist, Andrej Jerman, was unlucky with the configuration of the unorthodox type of slope at the World Championships. In slalom, the most traditional Slovenian event, various racers failed to reverse the downfall of recent years. The ski jumpers also produced bad results collectively. The only exception was Robert Kranjec, a ski flying specialist,

who came in third in the very last event of the season in the Slovenian valley of Planica. There, he Antiq Hotel Hotel Mons City Hotel Ljubljana proved his flying abilities on the Hotel Park Hotel & Casino Kongo Penzion Pri Katrci largest hill in the world by beating Celica Hostel Tour As Agency MK-Knjigarna the 200 metre-mark several times. It was a big boost for the VancouKonzorcij Botanical Garden Festival Ljubljana ver Olympics and the Ski Flying Avtobusna Postaja Ljubljana Ljubljana Bike ABC & Europcar World Championships to take place in Planica in March of 2010. Avis Rent a Car Budget Car Rental Hertz Rent a Car Unfortunately, this year the Casino Ljubljana Ljubljanski Grad Kinoteka DZS strong Slovenian snow boarding Epicenter Bachus Center Gospodarsko Razstavišče team around the 2007 World Parallel Giant Slalom champion, Rok Moderna Galerija Mestna Galerija Tobačni Muzej Flander, failed to meet their high Laguna Hana Vodnikov Hram expectations. The achievements of male biathletes and cross country Pri Vitezu Pizzerija Tunel Cantina Mexicana skiers can only get better, so there Skok Sport Nama ArtGlass will be quite a lot of work to do to catch up the success of the ladies in the respective disciplines. Joy and misery, golden hopes and the wrecks of shattered dreams – the extremes have alwaysLjubljana been Card ad forIn Slovenia Times 113x155+5mm.indd 1 3/27/09 our lovely Ljubljana, culture and entertainment are something so close in Slovenian skiing. The of a way of life. Each year the city hosts around 10.000 events. ongoing financial crisis, in which Throughout the year, Ljubljana and its surrounding areas host many of the important sponsors are increasingly affected, will a number of well-established international festivals - this year surely even change the situation will see an abundance of attractive events taking place in in this traditional sport in SlovLjubljana. enia. The public, which hasn’t lost much of affection towards skiing, Ljubljana, its tourism offer and all kind of events can be at least according to the television ratings and visits to the wellexplored very easily: The LJUBLJANA CARD offers visitors to established annual World Cup Ljubljana numerous privileges, such as free or discount tickets events in Maribor, Kranjska Gora to a large number of museums and galleries, free travel on city and Planica, watches the ups and downs closely. It is, apparently, the buses, free admission to fairs, lower prices of sightseeing tours inevitable fate of every Slovenian and souvenirs, discounts on accommodation fees at a number winter story.

Handball

Tennis

Season Ends on a Bad Note

Serving Aces

Slovenian women’s handball champions Krim Mercator wrapped up its EHF Champions League campaign with a 32:37 loss to Montenegro champions Budučnost in Podgorica. Krim Mercator ended the 2008/09 season with a record of 2 wins and 4 losses in the main stage. Meanwhile Slovenian man handball champions Celje Pivovarna Laško lost 31:18 to Croatia Osiguranje and has been eliminated from further competition.

M Hotel

Vila Minka

Zlata Ribica

Vinoteka Movia

Slovenia’s male tennis team kept up the winning spirit throughout the first round of the second EuroAfrican Group of the Davis Cup against Egypt. Slovenia clinched a strong 4:0 victory after Andrej Kračman defeated Mohamed Safwat 7:6 (4) 6:3 in Otočec. Slovenia had already secured their advance to the next round on the second day of the encounter. Now the team will be up against the winner of the matches between Georgia and Lithuania in July.

of hotels, discounts on taxi fares and car rental rates, discounts on restaurant, night club and bar bills, shopping discounts, and many other privileges. The card, which is valid for 3 days (72 hours) from the time of purchase, is priced at 12,52 EUR. Its privileges are granted by a network of 80 establishments offering tourist or tourismrelated services and products. Ljubljana Card is here for you to save time and money. The card comes with a free city guide, packed with useful information (working hours, transport and contact information), discount coupons and more so you can get the best of Ljubljana. The LJUBLJANA CARD can be purchased from numerous selling places in Ljubljana including the Tourist Information Centres located in the city centre. advertisement

44 EVENTS

The Slovenia Times Recommends

K4: Hot on the Heels of Love Peace, love, unity, and respect – PLUR, the rallying cry for a generation of rave afficionados has never ceased to echo in the vast halls of Berghain, Tresor and Watergate, the pillars of the Berlin clubbing circuit.

Dance performance

Empty House / Negro con Flores / Walking Mad Apr 6 at 8pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 12-15

In April, the electronic music capital of the world is sending two of its (in)famous sons to Ljubljana’s legendary K4, the home to the boldest beats and the hardest partying crowd you’ll ever likely to encounter this side of the Alps (or the paradise, for that matter). The first to spread the gospel will be the elusive Henrik Schwarz, the man whose name tops the clubs’ most-wanted lists all around the world. Funky basslines nicely spiced with jazzy intermezzos and soft vocals make Mr Schwarz’s take on deep house a relatively mellow, yet swinging one, although he is no stranger to harder beats. Those yearning for the latter should look no further than the already notorious Elements nights, by far the best series of techno events in the country. Berghain resident Marcel Dettmann is sure to take full advantage of K4’s formidable sound system, pumping out precisely crafted minimalist textures layered upon the steely thump of the bass drum. If his reputation is any guide, Mr Dettmann will soon have sweat dripping from the ceilings and punters guessing at which afterparty to finally dance their energies away. Not to be missed.

Marcel Dettmann

Dance & Disorder with Henrik Schwarz, Apr 10 (10pm-6am)., K4, Kersnikova 4, Ljubljana, EUR 15 Elements with Marcel Dettmann and Move D, Apr 24 (10pm-6am), K4, Kersnikova 4, Ljubljana, EUR 15

Classical

Wind in the Pines Apr. 3-21, SNG Drama in Opera Maribor, EUR 10-16

ficial. It is in this artistic skill that the beauty of Noh plays lies.

World Music

Accordion Tribe Apr 4 at 8.15pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 9-18

Jernej Lorenci, one of the most recognized young directors, has laid the foundation for a further exploration of traditional Japanese Noh plays (Hachinoki, Kantan, Kumasaka, Sekidera Komachi) and kyôgen (Busu), under the title “Wind in the Pines.” The long tradition of Noh plays is characterized by the theatrical whole, the ideal of perfect repetition, the balance of outer and inner worlds, precision and perfection, austerity and dedication. The actor is the narrator and the interpreter of his character at the same time. Narration and acting are stylized and portray the story as a bygone experience. Even feelings are “reshaped” into the realization of the transient nature of everything, and are therefore artiThe Slovenia Times

After the sold-out 2006 tour, with a stopover also at Cankarjev dom, we can witness yet another successful comeback of Accordion Tribe, which is lead by accordion master Bratko Bibič. Unfortunately, they are one member short this time, as Lars Hollmer passed away in December 2008. In memory of their music-making and friendship, the four accordion wizards have dedicated the entire concert tour to him. A new programme will be presented, featuring pieces by each member, composed either for collective renditions or various tribal combinations.

Established in 1967 by Swedish dancer and choreographer Birgit Cullberg, the Cullberg Ballet has stood at the frontlines of contemporary dance ever since. “I raise the mirror of my life up to my face/ With a swing I smash the reflection – The world as usual all in its place.” Johan Inger, Artistic Director of the Cullberg Ballet, chose these lines by Taigen Sofu from 1555 as the maxim for Empty House. Aiming to step beyond the established patterns and find new ones, Negro con Flores embraces darkness and light, austerity and lightheartedness. Pronounced the best performance in 2004 by Italian magazine Danza in Danza, Walking Mad humorously explores the way three women view themselves and the men in their lives, and draws inspiration from Ravel’s famed Bolero and Für Alina by Arvo Pärt.

Rock

Wynn featuring the Chris Eckman Band Apr 7 at 8.30pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 12

With over 300 songs to his name, the legendary frontman of the Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn released Crossing Dragon Bridge in 2008 after a seven-year break. The telling title reveals the album’s ties with Ljubljana, where Steve Wynn sojourned for three weeks, recording in studio of Chris Eckman, another American, who fell in love with Ljubljana and dedicated his whole album to Slovenian poet Dane Zajc. Slovenian premiere of a musical kiss to Ljubljana.

Rock

Majke Apr 9 at 9pm, Cvetličarna, Ljubljana, EUR 20 One of the best rock bends in ex-Yugoslavia, Majke is coming to Cvetličarna to present their latest album Majke – Unplugged, which offers 21 songs, including their unforgettable hits, which will be surely played at the concert.

terrorised Ciudad de Mexico during the revolution, the performance combines film with live theatre and improvised piano accompaniment. Stemming from the Japanese tradition of benshi, the narrator speaks in theatrical style for the characters onscreen and plays multiple roles, taking the audience on a rollercoaster ride through a diversity of languages, periods and cultures.

Classical

Beijing Symphony Orchestra Apr 22 at 8pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 21-45

Tribal Musical

Strojmachine

Confessions of a Pornodiva

Apr 16 at 9pm, Cvetličarna, Ljubljana, EUR 20

Apr 10 at 8pm, Grand Hotel Union, Ljubljana, EUR 15

Many fans of the tribe The Stroj - famous for playing on all sorts of objects as instruments, mostly as drums - were afraid the band would never play again after the break up, but the members formed an “old” band under a new name, Strojmachine, and they are already full of surprises.

Alternative Classical Patty Diphusa, Confessions of a Pornodiva is a cabaret, based on the urban stories from the famous Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar, who wrote about all that is human - sex, violence, love and desires. Director Ivana Djilas and actors/musicians Boštjan Gombač, Žiga Golob in Sergej Randželović reveal the story of Patty, a vulgar and very gentle girl, who is runs from solitude and herself. Full of music, humor and most of all good stories.

Film

El Automóvil Gris Apr 16 and 17 at 8pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 10-20 Based on Grey Automobile from 1919, a cult Mexican bloodand-thunder thriller tackling the eponymous criminal gang that

Volkswagner April 18 at 8.30 pm, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, EUR 32-65

On its European tour, the symphony orchestra of the Chinese capital (conductor: Tan Lihua; soloist: Li Biao, percussion) will showcase some of the most prominent composers of its homeland (Tibetan Dance, China Folk Songs) and also the legendary Romeo and Juliet from Sergey Prokofiev. The orchestra – since 1977 enhancing and enriching the Chinese cultural scene – has journeyed along three artistic paths. Apart from expanding the horizons of Chinese concerts, the orchestra has been introducing compositions by Chinese composers and popularizing music from different cultural environments among China’s young generation by holding concerts in high schools and universities. Its concert repertoire (annually staging over eighty concerts) showpieces a diversified collage of genres and tastes, involving works of every period, different composers, and varied nations.

Photo exhibition The new musical project entitled Volkswagner will present collaboration between the controversial group Laibach and the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra under the guidance of Izidor Leitinger. The performers decided to search their inspiration in the act of reinterpretation, which draws a subtle map of journey from disputed Wagner to decadent Jazz modernists. Wagner will be placed on interpretive borders of no man’s land between the specific Miles Davis sound and ambiental electronic music.

Pop

Magnifico Apr 18 at 10pm, Kongo, Grosuplje, EUR 25 The Slovenian king of pop, who is also appreciated beyond borders of Slovenia, will visit Grosuplje and will, as usual, be escorted by the Balcounty Quartet. A night, full of special Balkan rhythms and good vibes is guaranteed.

Roger Ballen Until Apr 30, Jakopič Gallery, Ljubljana, EUR 2-3 The art of an internationally-acclaimed photographer Roger Ballen, who lives in South Africa, is presented in Slovenia for the first time and it is impossible to forget. It goes deep. Gets at places we didn’t know were there. Maybe hoped weren’t there. It makes us wild. It opens us up to those uncertain, shocking and frighteningly banal aspects of the waking dream, twitching between animal and human, the clean and the unclean, the animate and the inanimate, the lived and the imagined, the natural and the performed. So, despite the fact that his early and mid-period works – stretching, say, from the late 1970s through to the 1990s – were made under the guise of the photo-documentary tradition, there was always something else going on, something much sharper, much hotter. Arguably, the dynamic is this: Ballen’s complex artistic vision transforms particular historical and social issues into private, felt, internally experienced matters.

Theatre of the Third Millennium Tomaž Pandur is one of the most admired directors in contemporary European theatre, especially in Spain where his plays are sold out weeks in advance. His theatre is a place where parallel worlds are made real, as can be experienced in his most recent production: Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The play is even more appealing, because the role of Hamlet is played by the well-known Spanish actress Blanca Portillo, one of Almodóvar’s muses. By Kaja Cencelj, photos Aljoša Rebolj

adrid has been applauding a new production of the legendary Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet, staged by one of the most highly-acclaimed directors in theatre today, Tomaž Pandur. From its premiere in February, this piece has left no one unmoved, starting with the fact that the main character, the tormented Prince of Denmark, is played by a woman. Spanish actress Blanca Portillo, the star of Los

abrazos rotos (Broken Embraces), a new film directed by Pedro Almodóvar, has dared to take on one of the most difficult and daring roles in the history of theatre. “I am so privileged and happy to be able to share this period of life and creation with such an exceptional artist and person as Blanca Portillo,” said Pandur at the premiere. Portillo is a dream partner for any director, who is searching

Tomaž Pandur His first love was painting, than literature, but at the age of sixteen he discovered that his personal artistic expression is the theatre of Antonin Artaud. In 1979, he founded his first theatre group Thespian Carriage-the New Slovenian Theatre. After he completed his studies at the Academy for Theatre, Radio, Film and Television in Ljubljana in 1988, he debuted at the Mladinsko Theatre in Ljubljana with the poetic drama Scheherezade. The performance, based on his cultural experience with the fascinating ritualistic Asian theatre, soon earned international acclaim. At the age of twenty-six, he took the position of artistic director of the Slovenian National Theatre-Drama in Maribor and transformed the city into a “theatre capital between Milan and Vienna”. When his mandate ended, he continued his creative work in New York, Hamburg, Beograd and Madrid and worked with outstanding artists, such as Rade Šerbedžija, Goran Bregović and Blanca Portillo. In 2002, he established his own independent and non-institutional theatre company, Pandur.Theaters, which collaborates with international theatre companies. The Slovenia Times

for the truth in the movies and in the theatre. “She simply IS the Hamlet of our times, the Hamlet of the third millen nium,” Pandur explained, stating that with her incredible devotion, talent, professionalism and her personalit y, she is search i ng for the other side of the known and the familiar. “She searches for the meaning of unspoken lines, unwritten monolog ues, silenced dialogues. She doesn’t

obsess over what the characters do or speak, she is interested in whom they are and everything they could be.” In Hamlet, she is accompanied by a carefully-selected cast, including Spanish celebrities Asier Etxeandía, Hugo Silva and Susi Sánchez, among others. “We are staging the play to reveal the very myth of Hamlet, the contemporary ‘world-machine’, absorbing and crystallizing the time-space of the very moment.” Pandur’s plays always have a deep and very personal interpretation; however, this production of Hamlet is true to Shakespeare and also entirely modern at the same time, as “theatre should always be mindful of the needs of its time,” as Pandur likes to add. There are politics opposed to morality, eschatological and metaphysical problems. It is the story of that what is hidden, trapped between a word and a silence. “A word is here a form and silence is the essence. Hamlet, who marks the space of mind and balances this derailed world, is re-inventing the Theatre itself.”

The very moment of theatrical time For Pandur, the theatre is a place of the magical irrevocable moments in time, where parallel worlds are made real. “The theatre becomes reality. It is a pure emotional reality, where thousands of years of historical experience

CULTURE 47

Endless spiritual journey This year Pandur has been nominated for the award Premio Max de las Artes Escénicas (Max Performing Arts Award ) with one of his most exceptional pieces, Barocco. For the audience, his thea-

tre has always been an endless spiritual journey through pure emotional reality. It truly is a pure aesthetic pleasure, which charms and solicits admiration. Pandur’s set designs and visual interpretations of the scene are like a mosaic of paintings and images, full of emotions. For Hamlet, the whole place, the old Madrid’s Slaughterhouse (Matadero), is magical and water helps to achieve even more dramatic and sumptuous effects on the stage. “In water, one can see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour”. It is like an endless landscape of solitude, emotional memories and melancholy, sunk in water, where every image has its own reflection, its other side of the mirror. It is designed especially for the Matadero by the Numen architects, Pandur’s long time collaborators in theatre. “We are developing the timespace of the performance in the direction of examining the visuality of the scene, stillness and mobility of the image, and then, finally, in the ratio of playable combinations between all this.” Although he is creating in different parts of the Europe, he still keeps his team of people, who have been completely loyal to him for years. They also worked together in Hamlet, where the dramaturgical structure was done by his sister Livia Pandur and the original soundtrack by Slovenian duo Silence. For Pandur, theatre is his home, his country, whether it is in Spain, Germany, Japan or Slovenia: “It isn’t just a state of discovery for me, but a state of creation and a sacred space. It is where I carve my verses into my own flesh every night.” And his audience can not be simply an observer, but has to be an active participant of the moment in the theatre.

Club dancing

My Drug of Choice is Dancing Vesna, a student of ethnology and cultural anthropology at the Faculty of Arts, is the first Slovenian to dance at the legendary Pacha Club in Ibiza, which she has now been doing for eight years. Not only is she exceptionally pleasant to talk to, she is also a polyglot, a clothing designer, and, above all, a true dance artist. By Irena Kržan

t a l l blonde, selected for the global summer promotional campaign of the Pacha Club in 2007, Vesna has been breaking down all myths about the usual club dancers, whom people too often connect with shallowness and exhibitionism. She is one who is able to express her personality and style through dance. It all started in 2000, when she and her friend went for a summer holiday to Ibiza. At first, she danced at another club, where she caught the eye of the Pacha Club managers. The Pacha Club is known for its wild parties, internationally famous DJs and electronic music vibrations. Already, the following year, she started dancing at the club and has now been doing so for the past eight years. The dance group consists of 20 women and 4 men from all over the world. Pacha offers everything: the managers provide dance costumes, make-up, security and, most importantly, highquality professional organisation. “This is their job and they are truly no. 1 in it.” Besides the parties in Ibiza, the club also organises international tours of Pacha parties in the most elite clubs elsewhere. In this way, Vesna has travelled to many countries – Brazil, England, Morocco, the USA, Argentina, Germany, Egypt, Japan, etc. This year, for the first time, the tour will stop in Slovenia. As for the differences between other parties and the parties at the “home-base” in Ibiza,

Vesna says that at home, one can really feel that people go to Ibiza to enjoy and have fun. The night life there is a fairy-talecome-true for many people. People simply enjoy themselves and truly surrender to the ecstasy of fun. It offers them what they do not get from the real world and lets them become what they are afraid to be in reality. The general belief is that the party scene is very much connected with drugs. Still, Vesna says that she has distanced herself from that: “I’ve witnessed how drugs can destroy a human body. My drug of choice is dancing. Music is where I draw my energy from. I have always been very vivacious and I have been dancing since I was a little girl. I studied classical ballet, I was a majorette, and so on.” Vesna, whom we will be able to see on 21 March at the Inbox Club, has advice for all those girls who would like to experience dance as she has: “Have fun, let yourself go, follow your dreams and taste the world.”

Photo: Žiga Intihar/InBox

and all spaces of the Universe are processed into a single tear on the actor’s face.” His distinctive artistic expression has left its mark on theatre in Europe and around the world with plays and productions, such as Barocco, Kaligula, Inferno, One Hundred Minutes, Dictionary of the Khazars, La Divina Commedia, Babylon, Russian Mission, Carmen, Hamlet, Faust and Scheherezade. Critics wrote of “images imbued with intense power of expression”, described the performances as “packed with subdued stylization and visionary strength” and hailed the group with superlatives, such as: “masters of theatrical representation”. In his first years in theatre, Pandur ventured into the exploration and examination of theatrical substance. “Theatre was the magical irrevocable moment in time, which is already the future; a cosmic timelessness of theatre where time and space merge and function spontaneously on different planes.” This is why one of his next projects will be Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time, to be staged in Berlin. “Hawking’s mind closes the 20th century in order to pave for the 21st century the path to the tasks of human spirit and mind that the past centuries could not even dream about. One of these tasks is also to solve the riddle of the miraculous secret of time”. Pandur’s theatre is an experience and emotional extract of reality. “I would like to believe that now I am creating reality, which is theatre.”

April 2009

48 CULTURE

Photography

Choosing the Right Moment For the first time in Slovenia, we have a chance to experience a great photo exhibition, reflecting the daily efforts of photographers and photo reporters. The exhibition was accompanied with a contest for the best domestic press photo. By Anja Lorenzetti

he Associated Press agency, which was founded as an association of the most distinguished American newspapers in 1846, is the global authority in the field of journalism. AP photo reporters come from variety of na-

The Slovenia Times

tionalities, cultures and religions and continually document global events. The organizer of the exhibition, the National Gallery in Ljubljana, highlights the variety and professional value of these works, which are daily revealed to

us through the media. The killings in Palestine, Iraq, Israel, Kosovo, the dead bodies of young and old, women and man; the cruel reality of the world not that far away moves us deeply. Enric Marti, a great photographer and editor at AP, came to Slovenia to contribute to the event as the president of the jury. He explained that the mind of a photographer when taking photos of people dying is set far away from the reality in front of the camera: “You are concentrating on doing your job. With the camera in your hands, the flow of adrenaline is so strong that the fear is blocked from your mind. You stop thinking and there is just the wish to make the best photo in your life. The camera is stronger than the cruel reality in front of it and sometimes it is more difficult to look at the picture after it is taken than to actually photograph it.” The SPP event brought to Slovenia many winning photos from great exhibitions from all over the world. Besides the famous Pulitzer Prize winner from 1969 of a Vietnamese general firing a pistol into the head of an officer, we could see the cruelty of the world hasn’t changed since, as seen in the 2004 World Press Photo Winner in which an Iraqi prisoner of war hugs his son while soldiers pull them apart. Besides many war photos, there were also some historical photos that brought back memories: Cuba’s president Fidel Castro during his speech on Revolution Plaza in Havana, world boxing champion Muhammad Ali letting out a shriek as he triumphs

over Sonny Liston in their fight in Lewiston, Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and many others.

The Contest The exhibition in Ljubljana had another purpose: the annual Slovenia Press Photo contest followed by a photo exhibition of the contest winners. The contest was created for all professional photographers who collaborate with Slovenian photo agencies, newspapers and magazines. “The idea of the contest is to motivate Slovene photographers in their work and to promote Slovene photography all over the world,” explains Matej Leskovšek, president of SPP, who was happy with the response from the photographers. Over one thousand photos were to be judged by the international jury; Leskovšek, who was also part of the jury, was confident about the success of the event. “The great names of the jury really added the value to the event. Their professionalism came out the moment we started debating the winning photos. Members of the jury agreed that most of the photos were very good, but in general the photographers should work on editing. As Enric pointed out, the camera is like a machine gun, shooting hundreds of pictures is fine, but you have to know how to choose the best photo. Photography is all about choosing the right moment,” he explained. The members of the jury were all previous prize winners and famous photographers. Besides Matej Leskovšek, there was the president of the jury Enric Marti,

Best news photo story: Financial crisis on Wall Street by Jaka Gasar

Prof. Susan Glen from England, multiple World Press Photo winner for photojournalism and Reuters photographer Damir Šagolj and Alfred Yaghobzadeh from the SIPA photo agency (also a member of the World Press Photo jury). They agreed to choose the winners out of five different categories covering the areas of News, People, Sports, Entertainment & Culture and Nature & the Environment. The prizes were awarded for the best single image and the best picture story in each category, as well as the best overall single picture and the best overall picture story of the contest. “The photo transmits emotion and this is how we judge. The more the picture transmits emotion, the better the photo is. The problem is when photographers sometimes include too much art into their job. The photography is to document and not to create art,” Enric explained one of the criteria of judging.

The sweet taste of Easter On Easter, the Christians remember the rising of Christ. According to Christian belief, Christ rose and saved the world, making that night exceptional. The symbols of Easter are Easter eggs and bunnies. An Easter egg is also called a pirh and, in some regions, a pisanec or pisanka. In Christianity, an egg symbolises the rising of Christ, resurrection and hope. Eggs are hard-boiled, then painted and decorated. Or they may be cooked in dye. Besides eggs, empty shells can also be decorated. In addition to Easter eggs, there is also the Eastern bunny, who brings coloured and painted eggs to children in practically all of Europe. A bunny is not a mythological creature, but an ancient symbol present across almost the whole world.

Masters of the camera

Best photo story: A series of photos from Israel by Maja Hitij

Best photo: Signing the book of condolences for president Drnovšek by Luka Cjuha

Every year, the Cukrček chocolate store prepares traditional chocolate figures of Easter eggs and bunnies. Handmade Easter eggs are especially decorated with chocolate and may be carefully painted using natural dyes. The highlight of our product range is hand-made praline Easter eggs with delicious nougat, champagne, marzipan and eggnog filling. Children will enjoy the chocolate bunnies offered by Cukrček in a variety of shapes, with or without Easter eggs. The range is completed by chocolate CDs with Easter motifs or chocolate puzzle sets portraying Easter heroes. We offer also a chocolate envelope with Easter motif. Furthermore, our range includes a chocolate Easter egg one meter across. Preparing such a large chocolate sculpture is no easy thing to do, but our masters are precise and careful in their work. When decorating such a large Easter egg, we gave our imagination free rein. At Cukrček, we support charity and all the funds from the sale of the one-metre chocolate Easter egg are donated to the Pediatric Clinic in Ljubljana.

Best news photo: US Marines researching a local in Dzaksabr, Afghanistan, by Jure Eržen

The winning image was a local story taken by Luka Cijuha. The jury decided on it, because it delivered a calm, simple sensitive image in a non-aggressive manner in a public event available to all the photographers. “It is very nicely composed with a good moment on the side,” finishes Enric. To him, this photo will remain iconic. The winning news story was taken by Jaka Gasar and is about the happenings on Wall Street in New York. “Jaka managed to combine strong construction together with strong artistic interpretation,” said the jury. One of the observations of the jury was that, in general, the photos taken are too local. “Not that the local stories are not important, but because they are but they are limited. Slovenia is a small community and too few people decide to go somewhere else,” explains Enric. To him it is important that a photographer goes out from the local community to experience and see different things. “This is what going out is all about - seeing another perspective,” adds Susan Glen. “We strongly suggest photographers to challenge themselves to push the boundaries. To take advantage of their privilege as photojournalists and go more in depth to provide a fuller description of the events they cover.” SPP explains that such contests give photographers an opportunity to reward their hard work and acknowledge the best achievements of the previous year; therefore, they plan to continue.

Benedict, d.o.o., Mestni trg 11, 1000 Ljubljana www.cukrcek.si, info@benedict.si Cukrcek chocolate shop locations: Mestni trg 11, Nebotičnik underpass and Mercator center Šiška

Guest Star 2008

New Stars Are Born

The fifth Guest Star award ceremony, this year set in the beautiful surroundings of the City Museum of Ljubljana, was a night of superb food, exquisite wines, eminent international guests and four starry sculptures for the winners, but above all it was a night of cultural blending, friendly bonding and strengthening the ties between Slovenia and its expat community.

his year’s unofficial motto resembled the one of the Olympics: the significance of the achievement is not measured by winning, but by nomination itself. Yet, as always, someone has to win and we are proud to announce the Guest Stars of the year 2008: musician, producer and composer Chris Eckman in the category of Culture, football player Marcos Tavares in the category of Sports, ambassador of The Netherlands John Groffen in the category of Diplomats and general manager of Kempinski Palace Portorož Thies C. Bruhn in the category of Economy. These are the four new names that joined the fourteen Guest

Stars who won this title in the previous four years. The winners now form a very diverse international bunch – coming from no less than thirteen countries from all over the world. The two organisers, The Slovenia Times and Radio Slovenia International, are very much aware of the importance of cultural variety and different national backgrounds for a small country like Slovenia. That is why in 2004 they decided to organize an event that would honour the growing expatriate community in Slovenia. The main objective of the campaign is highlighting those non-Slovenian residents who contribute to the greater development of Slovene

HE Mikhail Valentinovich Vanin, ambassador of Russian Federation and Ljubljana mayor Zoran Janković The Slovenia Times

society and its recognition abroad. It is intended to promote expats as important figures in the Slovene public for it is they who promote our country beyond its national borders and thus create an image of it in the world.

For the second year now, the Guest Star ceremony took place in Ljubljana and this year’s location was just the perfect setting for the gala occasion. The decoration and preparation of the reception hall was entrusted to the choreographer Igor Jelen. While the guests marvelled over the beautiful white concert piano on the upper floor, we must also credit

the no less than six strong men who carried that heavy instrument upstairs. However, it was well worth the effort. After the introductory address to the guests, given by the host of the evening, Michael Manske, all the attention was directed to the talented young pianist Ana Šinkovec who played a piece from her vast repertoire and earned a loud applause. The evening was officially opened and Mitja Meršol, a legend in Slovenian journalism and the co-host of the ceremony, presented the nominees and first challenged them to say a few words in Slovene. Selfconfident and eager to impress the audience with their knowledge of

V.S. Seshadri, ambassador of India with his wife

Attractive dance performance by Igen theatre

Under the Piano

Guest Star 51 the language, they all successfully passed the “test.” This year, there were sixteen nominees, suggested by the Slovene public and the editorial board of the organisers, who divided them in four categories – Culture, Diplomacy, Economy and Sports. The winners were chosen by the means of a popular vote through the internet and Radio SI phone-in programmes. “The public response was outstanding. We received more than 10,000 votes in just one month,” said Marko Stijepič, the Guest Star project manager. Though keen on knowing who the winning names are, the nominees and audience were left on tenterhooks for some more time. Suspense was eased by some more sweet-sounding piano music and a warm welcome given by the Mayor of Ljubljana, Zoran Janković. “The Guest Star event has a really deep meaning. At the moment, the world is not facing merely a global economic and environmental crisis, but above all a serious crisis in relations. I believe that events such as this one tonight can give us answers as to how overcome and resolve those negative courses in which the planet finds itself at present,” the Mayor said. He feels that the key to success lies in meeting one another, presenting different cultures and sharing experience. Then finally came the moment everybody was waiting for: the announcement of the four winners. The audience heartily applauded each and every one of them and the atmosphere was bursting with positive energy and goodwill. Numerous handshakes, hugs and friendly smiles proved that the true essence of the event was indeed deeper and nobler than merely winning the award. Painter Huiqin Wang, the only nominee who had already become a Guest Star, assured us that she was anything but disappointed for not receiving the sculpture again: “Winning the award is wonderful,

Pianist Ana Šinkovec and The Slovenia Times CEO, Brane Krajnik

The Guest Stars 2008

Culture: Chris Eckman I feel a lot of gratitude. It’s nice that people voted for me and it’s definitely a pleasant reminder that I’m on the right track. But it won’t really change anything in my life. I’m not a person who seeks celebrity and I usually let my work speak for me.

Diplomacy: John Groffen Economy: Thies Bruhn In the field of diplomacy, This award is a great I’m very excited, because it’s very difficult to honour and I accept it on this is the first award I got in measure whether you are behalf of my whole team. I’m Slovenia, and I do hope it’s successful or not. Becoming very proud if winning, but not the last. My family and I I must admit that I don’t really like the country and we a Guest Star is therefore an acknowledgement that see myself as a Guest Star want to stay here. The award people have seen what but rather as half Slovene has surely given me some already. We have big plans extra motivation to do my best you’ve done and that they to carry out and this award on the pitch and do everything appreciate it. It’s a boost and I’m very happy with it. has fired our enthusiasm to to achieve my aims. work even harder. Sports: Marcos Tavares

but also the fact that I was nominated is a huge honour for me. It is nice to know that my work is noticed and appreciated. This gives me even more motivation for my future work.”

A memorable evening Besides highlighting foreigners and their merits in making Slovenia a better place to be, the Guest Star campaign is also an opportunity for Slovenians to promote themselves in well-respected international circles. The domestic star of the evening, sup e r-t a le nt e d pi a n i st A n a Šinkovec, sees the event as an excellent chance which can open many doors: “I hold great respect for the campaign and was really honoured to have been given the

opportunity to provide the foreign audience with an insight into the Slovene art scene. Besides that, the performance was also a good promotion of my work and myself. I talked to some of the guests and, in the future, I might collaborate with the Polish embassy and their artistic projects.” Every year, Guest Star award ceremony attracts more and more media attention, increasing its recognition and importance in Slovenia. It is an event that brings together the most prominent domestic and foreign guests from business and diplomatic circles as well as the highest representatives of the state. According to the host Michael Manske, the 2008 Guest Star Awards was the best edition of the

Iris Mulej Miss Slovenia 2006 with Fabrice Delachambre, Editor of Luxorious Magazine, Thies Bruhn and Marcos Toress of Kempinski hotels

event so far. Such is the opinion of Ms. Wang as well: “I attended two ceremonies and I enjoyed both of them, but I must agree that this year’s was really something special. The choice of the City Museum was an excellent decision and it made the whole experience even more memorable and enjoyable.” The happy faces and positive energy coming from of the invitees throughout the evening speak for themselves. The Guest Star award ceremony 2008 achieved its goal of emphasising the significance of friendship and co-operation between Slovenians and people coming from different cultural environments; this remains the fundamental goal that the organizers have set to pursue also in the future.

Vivo catering chef April 2009

52 LEISURE Photo: Mediaspeed

Media Awards

Who’s the Media Mogul of them All? The year has come full circle and once more the prestigious (or not so much) Viktor awards have been conferred for 2008 media achievements. Needless to say, the event once again failed to reconcile the difference of opinion on the merits of such endeavours. By David Aleksander

Photo: M. Paternoster

very year the controversy surrounding the Victor ceremony tends to gravitate around the question as to what exactly is the purpose of such awards, which year in and year out seem to be glued to the same haggard faces. The Slovene media landscape is not only small and consequently sparing with outstanding achievements, but also excessively generous with a wealth of faces we all recognise yet no one seems to know why exactly that is so.

Comedian duo Slon in Sadež hosted the event for the second year The Slovenia Times

Every (media) cloud …

… has a silver lining

One should, therefore, humbly resort to hiding one’s raised eyebrows when the category of “Promising Media Personality” yields the names of media personalities that have been on the media scene virtually for a decade. Another heads up: when last year’s nominee in the aforementioned category becomes this year’s winner, enough is said, even if nothing is truly ever said. Yet since Slovenes are not known as a nation prone to despair and abuse of m i nd-a lter i ng sub stances, we also do not mind the fact that the three informative programme nominees are also the only three informative programmes we have. Others may have complained that our entertainment show hosts are a little more than school children doing their ABC’s in front of the camera, but that is as far as it usually goes. Where is the spontaneity? Where those elusive sparks of creativity? Have they long been gobbled up by the nation’s sense of utter rigidness? Possibly, but not all things are as bad as that.

There is one show that seems to be universally lauded by both media professionals (the Viktor Academy) and media laymen that have their say in who gets popular Viktor awards. The show aired during Sunday’s primetime hour “As ti tud not padu” stole the show by winning four Viktor awards, including for best Entertainment TV Show and best Entertainment TV Show Host that went to Jurij Zrnec (a multitalented comedian who revolutionised the Viktor ceremony a few years ago). And why exactly is the show so popular both with experts and ordinary people? If pressed for parallels, one would say that the show’s tremendous appeal evidently stems from a certain cosmopolitan outlook on life in which the narrow confinements of thinking along the lines of your nation’s box are transcended – in a way similar to Monty Python’s ridicule of English features transposed to the Slovene reality, but with guests and music. The award for Special Achievements was given to the news show Svet (The World). The show is noted for its unusual courage in cov-

ering stories of the small people in which the viewer frequently gets a sense that the big fish are foaming at the mouth when the show is aired. Combined with dramatic mood and intense music Svet is a far cry from the usual media diplomacy observed elsewhere; the show’s unyielding resolve to get to the bottom of things can sometimes be a bit brutal to watch. The other Special Achievements Award went to Tomaž Pandur. His story is interesting because here you have a theatre and film director so underappreciated by his home country (and a criminal investigation instigated against him for allegedly causing SNG Maribor to go bankrupt for envisioning projects that were too big for Slovenia) that he literally had to flee and make a name for himself abroad before Slovene rigidness at last gave credit to his talent. It seems that silver linings do not fall prey to national boundaries; heavy clouds, however, are a different story.

Media mirrors The Viktor ceremony has become a kind of a media mirror. Years ago

Photo: Mediaspeed

Dental Care

Dr Zoran Trajanovski

Modern Dentistry: Innovations in Focus In these times of rapid technological innovations in almost all aspects of everyday life, it seems to be taken for granted that dentistry will respond equally rapidly. However, such expectations have been unrealistic for a long time.

Jurij Zrnec and Lado Bizovičar, the most popular TV personalities.

show concerning media constructs in which it eventually transpired that part of the world of Slovene media is fuelled by people with questionable talents who are willing to, say, sell their souls to the devil in exchange for a TV or yellow newspaper appearance – the obsessive drive of tabloids in recent years to dig more dirt or info on just about anyone who wants to show their face publicly unquestionably bears some responsibility for the rather deplorable state of Slovene media; objections to Mrs Jeklin getting the Lifetime Achievements Award were therefore somewhat understandable. The summary of the media year would be incomplete without jokes and frequent references to one of the major media players of the second half of 2008 (and first three months of 2009) – the ubiquitous recession, which only deepened a sense of media emptiness pervading the Gallus Hall of Cankarjev dom and the overall vicious circle into which Slovene media seems to get entangled year in and year out (possible reason why a number of Viktor winners did not even bother showing up). Nevertheless, there are some bright spots in the story which can be carried over to the future. With Slovenes increasingly adopting a wider European perspective in which national confinements render national stereotypes obsolete (like taking yourself too seriously), the thing we can all look forward to is a new sense of self that will not be based on fear of failure (and consequent love for mediocrity) but on courage to think outside the box and try new things – i.e. not just doing more and more of what has certainly not been working so far.

Dentistry technology is extremely hardy: once it is set, it only edges to the background with difficulty to make way for more advanced approaches. Luckily, user-targeted research in the west, which is becoming increasingly precise, has also changed this flaw. New technological and cognitive leaps in modern health care not only alter the treatment of the most common problems, but also the perception of oral cavity health and the importance of a smile. Nowadays it is impossible to speak of dental services without referring to the aesthetic dimension of a smile. The border between classical and aesthetic dental care is therefore finally abolished, with the new designation “modern dental care” as the umbrella term encompassing all the wishes and needs of potential clients. It is no longer possible to talk about a clear distinction between aesthetic and classical dentistry, since beauty and health often overlap. One of the typical examples is an amalgam filling, which is an aesthetic shortcoming in any case, but the alternative white or ceramic fillings are also gaining ground on account of health. It is generally known that amalgam fillings contain numerous toxic substances that are secreted into the oral cavity and stored in the body’s nervous infrastructure. In the long run, a human body with amalgam fillings is turning into a storehouse of toxic substances. Therefore, the so-called inlays and onlays are becoming ever more popular: a form of ceramic filling that is fixed to the injured and treated tooth by means of dental cement. Besides being free from toxic substances, they boast obvious aesthetic advantages as their colour is identical to that of the teeth. At present, they represent one of the best solutions for treating dental rot: biocompatible and discrete. The second novelty of new-age dentistry is dental implants, which are becoming an increasingly widely accepted substitute for dental prosthesis. Dental implants were not available to the general public in the past, because the procedure involved required enviable skill and the training of specialised dentists. Unlike dental prosthesis, implants are independent of the other teeth. They eventually become like your own teeth and feel like them as well. An implant will make talking easier and greatly improve chewing and eating. The future dentistry trends unmistakably denote new guidelines: technological development is increasingly subordinate and tailored to the wishes and interests of individual clients. Without over-simplification, it is possible to predict that each and every approach to treatment will undergo a technological rebirth and be harmonised with the prevailing social values. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the aesthetic aspect does not evolve on account of poorer classical dental care.

it was a tedious mind-numbing show in which the only interesting thing apart from closely watching whether or not people would trip on their way to the podium was a sporadic scandal. The rest of the show used to be a manual on how to become a world-class anesthesiologist, comprised of the following exchange: “And the nominees are … And Viktor goes to … Congratulations!” pierced by occasional sounds made by musical guests that were hired to at least partly draw the audience from utter stupor. But ever since Jurij Zrnec made everyone believe that the Viktor ceremony does not in fact have to be a sample of how vacuum feels when bored beyond belief, the show has witnessed a growing trend in “media introspective”. Viktor hosts nowadays prepare a series of sketches in which various aspects of the Slovene media scene are mocked or simply go on a blatant insulting-spree targeting media wannabes and also those who do appear in the media with a good reason but some would like to see they did not. This year we got a taste of how a hybrid between the news and a soap opera would look like and a confirmation that certain job titles are simply dreadfully far-fetched to say the least (like ombudsman for viewers’ and listeners’ rights). This year’s most prestigious award – the Lifetime Achievements Award – was given to a long standing journalist and editor Bernarda Jeklin, whose name has virtually become synonymous with yellow journalism. Interestingly enough, a month or two prior to the Viktor ceremony Mrs Jeklin was guest on a certain primetime

April 2009

Photo: Žiga Intihar/InBox

The artist and the sponsor: presentation of the concert Volkswagner by Laibach (Photo: Marc Botte)

Exclusive Pacha Ibiza Night s Sarah Main, Alexom Baxterjem and Go Go dancers

Skier Jure Košir with his family modelling bottles at a charity event.

EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

Evalutaion of home made liquor and juices in Bela Krajina.

Moto-sport saloon in Ljubljana: Don’t you dare call it a video game, it’s a simulator!

Pruning the oldest vine: Karolina Kobal and Anja Jamšek, the actual Slovenian and Maribor Wine Queens with Franc Kangler, Maribor Mayor (Photo: Mediaspeed)

Education Minister Igor Lukšič congratulates Norvegian team who won the Planica ski flying competition. (Photo: Maja Kaplan) Special offer for the new subscribers. The first fifty subscribers to the Slovenia Times Magazine get a special gift - a free Thai massage!

Subscription order form Name

Address City Tel.: SLO

Worldwide

6 issues

EUR 28,80

EUR 39,60

12 issues

EUR 54,72

EUR 75,24

E-mail: Date:

Signature:

Fill in and cut out the enclosed form and send it to: The Slovenia Times, Trg MDB 12, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia The information: Slovenia Times More subscription@sloveniatimes.com, tel.: +386 (0)1 520 50 84, fax: +386 (0)1 520 50 82

Shoot to get the latest Sonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital camera! Everyone can compete in a prize competition for the best photography of entertaining winter motives from Slovenia.

Three funniest pictures will reward their authors with a brand new Sony Cyber-shot T77.

The jury will choose the best photos according to its potential to make a viewer laugh. The photos therefore should express good mood, humor and winter fun. So while you click, keep in mind the keyword

Send your photos to: photos@sloveniatimes.com Competition ends on 3rd April 2009. Additional info: www.sloveniatimes.com

Smile!

CelovĹĄka cesta 43, Ljubljana, Tel. 01 439 2970, www.lorex.si

Grow your business ... ... just as we do by nourishing professional relationship with our business partners.

www.simobil.si Si.mobil d.d. | Ĺ martinska 134b | SI â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1000 Ljubljana | 080 40 40 40