4 Parks in Slovenia Interview: Tone Peršak Lipica Stud Farm

ISSN 1854-0805
politicsenvironment
culturebusinesssports
4
April 2006
Parks in Slovenia
Interview: Tone Peršak
Lipica Stud Farm
sinfo april 06
SLOVENIAINFIGURES
Slovenia more successful
in drawing EU funds
Andreja Šonc Simšič
Slovenia is one of the more successful new Member States
in terms of efficient phasing of EU funds. Some measures
taken by the Government some time ago should facilitate
the use of all available funds for the period 2004-2006 by
the end of this year.
the deadline was extended and the ministries now forecast
that final contracts will be concluded by the beginning of
summer.
The Government took financial measures to optimise the
absorption of Structural Funds sources, redistributing funds
and authorising additional budgetary commitments, and thus
enabling Slovenia to facilitate the absorption of EU funds in
the future. Additional commitments would ensure optimal
absorption, which means Slovenia could draw upon all available funds by the end of the current financial period.
In 2005 Slovenia took a significant step forward in drawing on
EU funds. At the end of 2005 the tendered amount was 86%
of all available funds, with a total value of 67.5 billion tolars,
and 80% of the funds were allocated (63.1 billion tolars).
According to the Government Office for Local-Self-Government and Regional Policy, 77.3 billion tolars, that is 98% of
all available funds, had been tendered out by the end of
February this year (at the end of 2004, 57.7% of funds had
been tendered out, and at the end of 2005 the figure was
85.6%), while 62,1 billion tolars, that is 78.7% had been allocated (36.4% in 2004 and 80% in 2005).
Additional budgetary commitments amount to a 15% surplus
to all available funds, which means over 11 billion tolars more
for development incentives. These will be primarily used to
finance the implementation of key measures of Slovenia’s
Development Strategy and the Lisbon Strategy, in the fields
of technological development, encouraging innovative environment, tourist destinations, and training and education in
the business sector. The funds will also be targeted at those
areas with the greatest capacity for absorption.
Contracts awarded by the end of February amount to 66.7%
of all available funds, or 52.6 billion tolars. At the end of 2004
expenditure on contracts was 10.5% of all available funds,
while by the end of last year the figure had reached 58.1%.
Slovenia has successfully applied projects to the Cohesion Fund, as more projects than the available quota were
forwarded to Brussels. The European Commission has approved all Cohesion Fund projects filed in 2005.
The Government first predicted all contracts would be signed
by the end of March. At the beginning of this year, however,
On 31/12/04
in %
in %
On 31/12/05
in bln SIT
Tendered funds
58
86
67.5
Allocated funds
36
80
63.1
Signed contracts
11
58
45.8
Disbursed funds
7
30
23.5
Reimbursement applications
made to the paying authority
0
20
11.8
Source: Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy
sinfo april 06
Editorial: Government PR and Media Office, Director: Gregor Krajc, Gregorčičeva 25, 1000 Ljubljana, tel. +386 (0) 1 478 2636, fax +386 (0) 1 251 2312, www.uvi.gov.si
Editor-in-Chief: Sabina Popovič, [email protected], Editor: Polona Prešeren, [email protected], Editorial board: Andreja Šonc Simčič, Vesna Žarkovič, Janja Knapič, Nataša Marvin, Nataša
Pavšek, Production editing: Nataša Simsič, Translation: U.T.A. Miha Žličar s.p., Printed by: Tiskarna Pleško d.o.o., Number of copies printed: 3.500
Available also at: http://www.uvi.gov.si/eng/slovenia/publications/sinfo
Sabina Popovič
SPRING EVERYWHERE
8-14 WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
FRANC RODE IS A NEW CARDINAL
THE EU SETS AMBITIOUS GOALS FOR THE FUTURE
SLOVENIA IS A DONOR COUNTRY
A FESTIVAL OF CREATIVITY
Somewhere deep within us there are stories about pure
nature, clear streams, endless green forests and birds
singing lively songs. Natural parks are areas where we
can still experience the bounty of primal nature with all of
our senses. These parks are the pride of Slovenia. Lipica
Stud Farm is definitely one of the most valuable Slovenia’s
treasures, and the Lipizzaner horse, named after a village
called Lipica, located near the Italian border in the Slovenian
Karst, is one of its symbols.
Friday, 24 March, was a historic day for Slovenian Catholics
and for the Republic of Slovenia. At the Vatican, Dr Franc
Rode, the former Archbishop and Metropolitan of Slovenia,
was appointed Cardinal.
There are not many people in the world who can say that
they have had as adventurous a life as Tone Vogrinec, a
skiing legend and Director of the Slovenian Alpine Skiing
Fund, who has been awarded many times for his outstanding
achievements. Matic Osovnikar, last year’s best Slovenian
athlete, is also one of those who carry the good name of
Slovenia around the globe and help us to gain international
recognition.
As spring came to the streets and squares of Slovenian cities,
so did various festivals that really changed their atmosphere
and made them somewhat special. The legendary Druga
godba is one of these festivals, a festival that focuses on
music from all around the world. With springtime ‘Green
George’ also visits our country. For revivifying nature he is
celebrated in verse and is well-known to all the Slavonic
nations.
Don’t miss the interview with Tone Peršak, President of the
Slovene Writers’ Association, and read about the Slovenian
Advertising Festival, and martial arts with a long and rich
history in Slovenia.
Enjoy your spring reading!
15-18 INTERVIEW
TONE PERŠAK
22-26 COVER STORY
PARKS OF SLOVENIA
36-37 MADE IN SLOVENIA
COFFEE THAT BRIGHTENS YOUR DAY
31-39 THIS IS SLOVENIA
LIPICA STUD FARM
MASTER VIOLIN MAKER - VILIM DEMŠAR
43-46 SPORT
Government PR and Media Office: www.uvi.gov.si
Government Institutions: www.gov.si
Slovenian Tourist Board: www.slovenia.info
Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry: www.gzs.si
Slovenian Chamber of Craft: www.ozs.si
Public Agency of the RS for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments: www.japti.si
Ljubljana Stock Exchange: www.ljse.si
Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia: www.stat.si
State Portal of the Republic of Slovenia: http://e-uprava.gov.si
MATIC OSOVNIKAR
GREAT SAILORS
TEAKWANDOO
DANCING CHAMPIONSHIP
Cover photo: STO
sinfo april 06
Monthly Report
Slovenia to Run for a Seat on UN Human
Rights Council
consistently in advocating the dignity and freedom of every
individual. In June the new Council will replace the muchcriticised Human Rights Commission. It was established on
15 March, with 170 votes in favour. The US was one of the
countries voting against, claiming that UN reform was not
radical enough.
The elections to the new 47-strong body are scheduled for
9 May, when the candidate countries will try to get 96 votes
of 191-strong UN General Assembly. The outcome of the vote
is expected to indicate whether the UN reform has truly
brought any kind of change.
New York, 27 March
Slovenia is to run for one of the six seats reserved for countries
of the East European group in the newly-established United
Nations Human Rights Council. Eight countries from the
group have already announced their candidacy.
According to a diplomatic source in New York, Slovenia is to
present its candidacy to the other countries from the group.
The country’s chances in winning a seat are said to be as
good as those of other states in this region with a good
human rights record. Its chances are enhanced by its EU
Presidency in the first half of 2008.
In the East European group, Poland, the Czech Republic,
Hungary, Ukraine, Romania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Lithuania
and Russia have either already announced their candidacy,
or intend to do so.
The Slovenian Foreign Ministry has welcomed the
establishment of the new body. It said that the country would
endeavour towards making it act in a credible manner and
Recommendations of the International
Monetary Fund for Slovenia
Ljubljana, 28 March
The regular annual mission of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) has concluded regular annual 14-day consultations with
Slovenia. The aim of these consultations is to review current
Representatives of IMF visited Slovenia. Photo: Grega Wernig
sinfo april 06
Vesna Žarkovič, Andreja Šonc Simčič
Monthly Report
economic trends and future challenges. At press conference
the Head of the Mission, Juan-Jose Fernandez-Ansola, said
that Slovenia was one of the most developed new member
states, and that the forthcoming adoption of the euro was
a considerable achievement. He added that it seemed the
Slovenian Government was well aware of the long-term
challenges, as it had covered them in its programme of
economic and social reforms. He also stressed that there
are a few particular long-term challenges, such as the
implementation of pension and fiscal policy reforms, and
creating conditions for a more flexible labour market.
The Slovenian Minister of Finance, Andrej Bajuk, said that
Slovenia’s challenges were long-term sustainability, and
progress in certain key areas, and agreed with Mr FernandezAnsola that in the area of fiscal policy the country must
undertake the necessary structural reforms.
Mr Bajuk likewise stressed the need for reducing public
spending and increasing its effectiveness. He added that
Slovenia is aware of the fact that it is ‘’a society facing the
greatest challenges regarding the ageing of the population
in Europe’’.
According to the Minister, Slovenia must ‘’purge the pension
system, and at the same time ensure that it continues to be
financially sustainable.’’
to everyone, and Slovenia will thus be able to prove that new
member states can also be a part of the eurozone,’’ said Ms
Hübner.
European Supervisors Satisfied with
the Sea Border Control
Ljubljana, 4 April
EU experts who assess the readiness of countries to enter
the Schengen Zone, have scrutinised the situation on the
Slovenian sea border. Seventy police officers will be in
charge of the security of the border area and unofficially,
the European inspectors are said to be satisfied with their
competence.
So far the inspectors have assessed the areas of police
cooperation and data protection, and have issued favourable
reports. Land borders will be inspected in mid-May, and at
the end of July air borders will be examined. At the same
time as the border inspections, the inspection of visa policy
will take place at two diplomatic missions or consular posts
abroad. The evaluation of the seventh area, the operation of
the Schengen Information System, will be conducted by the
commission in the middle of the next year, as the system is
currently being updated, and will be ready only immediately
before the scheduled expansion.
When the inspection finishes, the inspection team prepares
a report and recommendations. The country then needs
to rectify the identified deficiencies. The EU is to pass a
resolution on the enlargement of the Schengen Zone in the
middle of next year, so Slovenia could enter the border-free
area in October 2007.
European Commissioner for Regional
Policy, Danute Hübner, Visits Slovenia
Maribor, 31 March
At working meeting in Maribor, the European Commissioner
for Regional Policy, Danute Hübner, and the Slovenian
Minister without portfolio responsible for Local SelfGovernment and Regional Policy, Ivan Žagar, focused on
the process of absorption of funds under the present EU
financial perspective, and on preparations for the absorption
of funds in the period between 2007 and 2013.
At a press conference following the meeting, Mr Žagar said
he had discussed with the Commissioner the current state
of affairs in Slovenia in this area, and assured the public
that the Government would use the experience gained
during the current perspective to further improve its work
in the future. The Minister also said they had talked about
Slovenia’s presidency of the European Union in the first half
of 2008, the preparations for the tenure, and cross-border
cooperation.
The Minister also stressed that important progress has been
made in the formation of regions, the first step towards the
regionalisation of Slovenia. A debate is already underway in
the National Assembly on constitutional changes that would
facilitate easier formation of regions. Mr Žagar trusts that all
the necessary measures for the onset of regionalisation can
be ready by the end of this year or the beginning of 2007.
The European Commissioner said that they had discussed
the current financial perspective, and told the press she was
pleased with Slovenia’s successful use of resources from
the Structural Funds. She added that in the coming seven
years Slovenia would be able to draw funds from even more
financial resources.
“It is a genuine pleasure for me to visit Slovenia, especially
as it will most probably be the first new EU member state to
adopt the euro with the New Year. This is a great challenge
European Commission Employs 111
Slovenes
Brussels, 4 April
Almost two years after Slovenia joined the EU 111 Slovenes
have been employed at the European Commission, three of
them in top positions and 108 administrators, according to a
report released in Brussels.
A total of 1,627 citizens from ten EU newcomers have been
recruited as administrators, while 74 representatives hold
the highest positions, numbers with which the Commission
is pleased. The highest-ranking Slovenian official in the
Commission’s administration is Zoran Stančič, who has
been appointed Deputy Head of the Research DG. Slovenia
is thus among six EU newcomers that have their nationals
occupying the post of director-general or deputy directorgeneral, with two representatives from Hungary and the
Czech Republic each.
The plan is to have at least one representative per new
member state at such a high position in the administration.
A total of 240 citizens from the new member states are to
get the highest-ranking jobs in the Commission by 2010, with
ten places reserved for Slovenia. However, the head of the
European Commission’s Representation Office in Slovenia,
Mihela Zupančič, is the only Slovene with a middle-level
administration position, although seven out of 189 jobs have
sinfo april 06
Monthly Report
In the session of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. Photo: Primož Lavre
been foreseen for Slovenia on this level. Out of 111 Slovenes,
81 were recruited as administrators in the top category A,
while 27 are employed in the categories B and C, which
include assistants’ posts and secretarial jobs respectively.
The Commission’s goal in 2004 was to have 3,441 officials
from the ten EU newcomers by 2010, and at least 134 from
Slovenia.
The Trialogue agreement is in accordance with the December
agreement reached at the European Council regarding the
amount and allocation of cohesion funds. As it is known, the
December agreement envisaged four times the amount of
funds in comparison with the current Financial Perspective.
Although the Trialogue proposal may not be ideal for the
development of the EU, it is a good compromise which will
enable smooth implementation of the EU policies and a
complete integration of all new member states.
The agreement needs to be approved by the European
Parliament, which will vote on it in May, and by the EU
Council.
Prime Minister Janez Janša Welcomes
the Agreement on the Next Financial
Perspective
Ljubljana, 5 April
Gas Terminals in the Gulf of Trieste
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez
Janša, welcomes agreement regarding the next Financial
Perspectives of the European Union for the period 2007–
2013, as it facilitates effective operation and funding of the
EU. Mr Janša believes the agreement is good for Slovenia, as
Slovenia’s position will not change, since the new proposal
does not envisage cuts in the cohesion funds.
sinfo april 06
Ljubljana, 6 April
At its session the Government discussed developments
surrounding the construction of gas terminals in the Gulf of
Trieste. The Interdepartmental Commission for Studying the
Issue of Gas Terminals in the Gulf of Trieste and the Coastal
Zone, which the Government established, will draw up
Monthly Report
proposals and studies of actions relating to power facilities
in connection with the gas terminals, and will investigate
their impact on the marine environment.
The six-member commission, chaired by Marko Starman,
State Secretary at the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial
Planning, will also coordinate the work of the ministries
involved in responding to the issue of the construction of
the gas terminals in the Gulf of Trieste, and coordinate the
guidelines and positions for Slovenia’s involvement in the
procedure for making a cross-border environmental impact
assessment. The Government expects the commission to
issue its first report in one month.
Environment Minister Janez Podobnik briefed the
Government on developments surrounding the proposed
construction of the gas terminals, presenting material he
had received from the Italian Environment Minister, Altero
Matteoli. “Based on the information we have received, it
seems as if the project will be located in a highly vulnerable
marine ecosystem in the Gulf of Trieste. The proposed
location is in the immediate vicinity of the border between
Slovenia and Italy, and we therefore have every reason to
believe that the project would have a significant impact on
the environment in Slovenia, and could lead to certain risks,”
said Mr Podobnik after the session.
The Minister added that in a letter to his Italian colleague
he would reiterate Slovenia’s request for involvement in the
procedures to assess cross-border environmental impact
as regulated by the European Directive on the Assessment
of the Effects of Certain Public and Private Projects on the
Environment. In so doing he will also state that Slovenia
expects Italy to provide further information on the planned
project.
According to Mr Podobnik, the Government believes that
this would lead to a model of good practice in the field of
regional cooperation. “Slovenia is confident that Italy will
uphold European principles and practice,” the minister
added, expressing his conviction that a concrete solution to
the problem can be found.
8%. Domestic demand will significantly contribute to higher
GDP. In 2007, an upward revision of investment spending
is expected, as the increase in residential construction
will continue. In 2008, however, when the lower rate of the
Value Added Tax will no longer apply to the purchase of
new dwellings, investment spending will slow down. On the
other hand, the growth of private consumption is expected
to rise to 3.6% in 2008, the reasons for this being favourable
predictions regarding employment, and the purchase of
durable and semi-durable goods which will follow the growth
of investment in residential construction.
The spring forecast of employment growth is higher than
predicted in the autumn, as the favourable economic activity
is to continue, and disburdening labour costs due to the
gradual abolition of the payroll tax. In 2006, employment
growth should amount to 0.8%, and to 0.6 and 0.8% in 2007
and 2008, respectively. Due to the higher rate of the activity
of the population the ILO unemployment rate will remain
at approximately 6.5%, while the registered unemployment
Favourable Spring Forecast of
Economic Trends
Ljubljana, 7 April
Janez Šušteršič, Director of the Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis
and Development. Photo: Leon Vidic
The Spring Forecast of Economic Trends for the period until
2008 is based on the established measures of economic
policies and adopted budgets for 2006 and 2007. Among
the measures which have an important impact on the trends
of macroeconomic aggregates are the gradual abolition
of payroll tax, already in force, and changes in investment
benefits. Their effects on economic growth and employment
are expected to be positive.
Annual economic growth for 2006 is expected to stand
at 4.2%, slightly higher than it was in the autumn forecast
(4.0%). The adjustment of the forecast is primarily due to
the expected higher growth of investment spending, which
is a consequence of accelerated growth of investment in
infrastructure. The growth of investment in gross fixed capital
formation will also be higher than last year. In the following
two years, economic growth will be only slightly lower than
in 2006; 4% in 2007, and 3.9% in 2008. Each year will see an
increase in the export of goods and services by approximately
rate will gradually fall below 9.5%. At the same time the
employment rate will grow – from 66% this year to 66.2%
and 66.6% in the next two years.
Last year inflation in Slovenia continued to decelerate
and in November reached the level of the Maastricht
convergence criterion. Slovenia fulfilled the criterion also in
March this year, when the average inflation was 2.3%. The
Spring Forecast predicts a somewhat faster fall in inflation
in 2006 than predicted in the autumn (which is mainly due
to the favourable inflation trends at the end of last year and
in the first months of 2006). Thus the annual HICP inflation
is expected to stand at 2.0% at the end of 2006, while the
average inflation should amount to 2.1%. Considering that the
current falling of inflation has been achieved in a sustainable
way, inflation should remain below the Maastricht criterion in
the future and the possibility of failing to fulfil this criterion
is low.
sinfo april 06
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
Great Honour for Slovenia: Franc Rode is a New Cardinal
Albina Podbevšek, photo: Iztok Dimc
Friday, 24 March, was a historic day for Slovenian
Catholics and for the Republic of Slovenia. At the Vatican,
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Dr Franc Rode, the former
Archbishop and Metropolitan Bishop of Slovenia, Cardinal.
Already as a young boy, he knew that his hands were not
made for hard labour, but for reaching up to the sky. The
journey from his birthplace, Rodice, to the Vatican, was
not always easy. He is well-read, speaking many foreign
languages, using clear, but frequently harsh words. He is a
person who, in seven years, made a significant impact on
Slovenia, especially during the process of claiming back
nationalised property for the Church. In the wider world,
he never forgets to mention that he is a Slovene, born and
raised.
One of the most important events for Slovenia
It is true that the man who was draped in a crimson Cardinal
robe is the first Cardinal in independent Slovenia, but, in
fact, he is the third Slovene to be given this honour. The first
Slovene with this title was Jakob Missia, at the end of the
19th century; he was first the Archbishop of Ljubljana and
later Archbishop of Görz (Gorica); but back then Slovenian
territory belonged to the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Alojz
Ambrožič, the Archbishop of Toronto, who is of Slovenian
descent, but a Canadian citizen, was the second.
Dr Franc Rode – let us exclude various scientists from the
past – is certainly one of the most successful Slovenes.
sinfo april 06
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
The Fiat 600 drive to his first place of employment
Young Franci attended primary school for three years during
the German occupation of Yugoslavia. Later, he continued his
schooling at camps in Austria. He started studying theology
in Buenos Aires, continued in Rome, and finished in Paris in
1960. Three years later he took his doctorate, and shortly
after that, he returned to Slovenia. His family drove him to
his first place of employment in Šentjur near Celje in a Fiat
600, but soon he ventured to Ljubljana, where, after a few
years, he became an Associate Professor at the Theological
Faculty. He stepped into the limelight several times with his
criticism of the political system of the time, and with the
Church’s demands on the Government. He was called for
advocacy. He was summoned to the Papal Secretariat in
Rome in 1981. In 1997, however, he became the Archbishop of
Ljubljana and Metropolitan Bishop of Slovenia, the position
he held until 2004. When he was departing, he said that he
was leaving the battlefield and returning to headquarters.
With his actions and his words, Dr Franc Rode has made
a historical impact on Slovenia and has done a lot for the
universal Catholic Church.
At bottom he is a patriot who never fails to state where he is
from. It is rumoured that he would like to spend his declining
years in Goričane Castle near Medvode. He worked very
hard for the Church to get it back, and as a result all its
museum exhibits had to be put in storage. There will be
enough space in it for all the paintings that now embellish
his Vatican residency. Among them are paintings by famous
Slovenian artists like Lojze Perko, Maksim Gaspari, Dora
Plestenjak, and many others.
Before the arrival of Dr Rode the Slovenian Church was
ruled quietly and placidly by Archbishop Šuštar, who during
denationalisation even said that the Church did not need
land or forests to perform its functions. Dr Rode lobbied for
the return of land taken from the Church after the war. This
included the protected area of Triglav National Park and
the Bled Island, which is a symbol of our small country. He
achieved practically everything he set out to. This helped him
a lot in Vatican, because all of the Cardinals have special, or
even, extraordinary merits for the universal Catholic Church.
Among other things, he holds several foreign awards; he is
an Officer of the French Legion of Honour, and an honorary
Doctor of Laws of the American university of St. John’s. If we
judge by the consistory in Vatican, where, on 24 March, the
new Cardinals were appointed, than we can say that he is the
third man of the papacy. Rode was the second in line when
Pope Benedict XVI was presenting the Cardinals with the
famous birettas. He came directly after an American, William
Levada, who is Ratzinger’s successor as the guardian of the
true faith, while our Cardinal is responsible for millions of
consecrated persons around the world.
There were approximately five hundred Slovenian pilgrims in
the crowd of fifteen thousand people in St. Peter’s square,
with Slovenian flags raised high at the appointment of Rode;
some wearing Slovenian national costumes also attracted
attention. In its short history, this was one of the most
important events for this small county on the sunny side of
the Alps.
Monstrance from the wreckage of an American aircraft
Rode’s very interesting life story began in Rodica, which is
now a part of Domžale, in 1934. He was the seventh child
of Frančiška and Andrej Rode. He had two sisters and four
brothers. Among other things, his sister Francka, who is a
devotee of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul,
stated that even as a young boy he often said he would
become bishop: “In wartime, when children were playing
soldiers, he would always lead them and play the role of
chaplain when they held funerals for dead birds. His maturity
was most surprising when we were in a refugee camp in
Austria; even there he played the role of priest, and the boys
built him a monstrance out of the wreckage of an American
aircraft that had been shot down.”
The Rode family escaped to Austria with their four younger
children on 8 May 1945, while the two older boys, Andrej and
Nace, fled to Vetrinje in Territorial Army uniforms. From there
they were deported back to Yugoslavia, to Teharje camp:
the younger brother was released, but the older brother,
sadly, ended up in an abyss in the Kočevje region along with
several thousand other deportees. The remaining members
of the Rode family migrated to Argentina.
A Slovene with a coat of arms
All of the new Cardinals received a gold ring from the
Pope during a special mass, but usually these high
officials of the Church also wear their bishop’s ring.
Rode’s is very interesting: it is engraved with a coat
of arms depicting a rose, because in Greek a rose is
‘rodos’, which resembles his surname. However, as the
Cardinal explained, his surname probably originates
from the German word ‘rot’, red. Otherwise, “a rose is
a symbol of frailty and the fleeting nature of human
kind. In the terminology of the Middle Ages the rose
was also a symbol of the Virgin Mary, who used to be
called, and maybe still is somewhere, Rose Mary. The
rose embellishes one side of the gold ring, while the
other boasts the colours of the Slovenian flag.” The
coat of arms has been updated, and five more red
cardinal tassels have been added to the side.
sinfo april 06
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
Prime Minister Janša:
the EU Sets Ambitious Goals for the Future
Andreja Šonc Simčič, photo: Bobo
The Meeting of the European Council in Brussels at the end
of March focused on economic and social issues. After the
meeting, the Slovenian Prime Minister, Janez Janša, said the
conclusions that were adopted present Slovenia with some
new challenges. ‘’At the national level, no changes will be
needed with regard to growth and employment, as some of
the national goals are even more ambitious than European
ones. However, certain adaptations will be needed in the area
of energy policy, which is a challenge,’’ explained Mr Janša.
is expected to pass resolutions which would make the EU
facilitate the establishment of companies within a single week
in 2007. According to the Prime Minister, this was attainable, as
Slovenia had set an even more ambitious goal in its economic
and social reform framework.
Apart from energy policy and promoting economic growth
through small and medium-sized companies, the discussion
also focused on employment and investment in research and
development. Mr Janša emphasised that these issues were
closely connected. Without a reliable supply of energy, there
can be no sustainable economic growth, which facilitates
employment growth, which in turn depends on investment in
research and development.
The Prime Minister said that energy was the key strategic issue,
and emphasised that mainly due to the different consumption
structures in the member states, there were differences in their
views on the forms of integration of energy policies.
‘’To ensure a reliable supply of energy, we have decided to
enter into joint negotiations with foreign suppliers, and also
agreed to establish an internal electricity and gas market by
mid-2007. We have also predicted that the use of energy would
be reduced by 20% by 2020, and set concrete goals regarding
renewable sources,’’ said the Prime Minister. He also added,
‘’Of course, the choice of the combination of sources remains
the exclusive domain of every country.’’
Heads of states or governments clearly adopted ambitious
goals. By the end of 2010, funds for research and development
are expected to increase to 3% of GNP in the areas of private
and public investment. With regard to promoting business
potential, the introduction of ‘one-stop contact points’ making
it possible to establish a company in a single week was
emphasised. The EU has also set a goal to create 10 million new
jobs by 2010, and implement policies to enable young people
to find a job or do additional training almost immediately after
finishing school within six months by 2007, and four months
by 2010.
With regard to the wave of protectionism that has recently
swept through some member states, the Prime Minister is
convinced that protectionism is detrimental to establishing an
internal market. ‘’As far as Slovenia is concerned, by entering
the EU it has become more open than some of the older
member states; nevertheless, measures will need to be taken
in the future,’’ he concluded.
Following the proposal by the Chair of the Summit, Austrian
Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, the Prime Minister gave
the opening speech, and talked about unlocking business
potential, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.
With regard to this he also mentioned the EU’s ambition
to create a more favourable business environment. This
area does not receive due attention, although it is the main
engine of growth and employment in the EU. To ensure this,
the tax system and procedures need to be simplified, and
bureaucratic obstacles eliminated. The European Council
sinfo april 06
10
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
Guidelines
for Slovenia’s
Participation in EU
Institutions in 2006
Anja Otavnik, photo: Arsen Perić
The Prime Minister said it was an ambitious plan which would
be implemented over several years. In particular with regard
to the preparations for the EU Presidency, Slovenia intends
to be an example which can help boost confidence in the
EU. The Prime Minister is convinced that Slovenia, as the
most successful new member state, will be the first to be
included in the inner, more integrated core of the EU.
The National Assembly passed the Declaration
on Guidelines for Slovenia’s Participation in the
EU Institutions in 2006, which was presented
to MPs by the Prime Minister Janez Janša. The
Declaration outlines the underlying principles and
tasks for the state administration and institutions
in the adoption of the euro and preparations for
the EU Presidency.
The Deputy Director of the Government Office for European
Affairs, Katja Rejec Longar, assured MPs that the preparations
for the EU Presidency were in full swing and that the
Government had already established the organisational
structure of the Presidency, and had also prepared a draft
calendar of main events and an overview of current issues,
including the future of the EU, institutional development,
enlargement, the western Balkans, the new neighbourliness
policy, energy sector, and intercultural dialogue.
The key tasks set out in the Declaration this year are:
preparations for the EU Presidency, adoption of the euro,
efficient absorption of European funds, implementation of
the Lisbon Strategy, and the establishment of the external
border of the EU.
Prime Minister Janez Janša in the National Assembly.
11
sinfo april 06
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
In addition, Slovenia has joined a partnership of the EU and
African, Caribbean and Pacific states. Beginning in 2008,
Slovenia will work within this framework by contributing to the
European Development Fund, which allocates its resources
to partner states in these regions in accordance with the
Cotonou Agreement.
Slovenia has an active environmental policy. Globalisation
has taught us that there is only one global environment,
which is why a comprehensive effort is needed to preserve
the environment we have inherited. On the basis of excellent
experience with the Global Environment Fund, which
financed projects in Slovenia in the past, Slovenia decided
to contribute substantially in the next four years. We are
now contributors because we were once recipients, which
enabled us to develop, and we now want to give the same
opportunity to others.
Slovenia Is a
Donor Country
The extension of Slovenian development assistance is, in
addition to working within multilateral organisations, directed
above all towards the field of bilateral relations. The financial
capacity for Slovenian development aid is limited, so the
country seeks alternative solutions in terms of cooperation
with partner countries. Slovenia provides knowledge and
financial resources, but above all it directs its attention to
the West Balkan region, assisting the region’s approach to
the EU and in its economic progress, using its organisational
and expert capabilities and its comparative advantage.
In this spirit, the government has concluded agreements
on bilateral development aid with priority countries. Thus
the agreements with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia
and Montenegro, Moldova and Macedonia have been
concluded.
Anja Hreščak, photo: Primož Lavre
With its accession to the World Bank and its EU membership,
Slovenia has joined the developed countries of the world.
A special place within the international community brings
many advantages, but a privileged status entails certain
obligations and responsibilities that must be accepted. One of
Slovenia’s obligations as a developed country is to cooperate
in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals
agreed upon in Monterrey, and European commitments
made at the European Council session in July 2005.
Slovenia will gradually increase resources for official
development aid. It will continue its success story by
increasing the financial resources available for bilateral
projects with partner countries. Projects under the Slovenian
flag in the area where help is needed will, in addition to
the recognisable donor role within international relations,
ensure the recognisability of Slovenia in the Balkan region.
The precondition is, of course, that projects are effective
and goal driven, which will have to be a priority of Slovenian
development cooperation. In the coming years Slovenia
will thus prove a bilateral partner that, through successful
bilateral projects also demonstrates its concern and a
general readiness to offer development aid.
Slovenia is a modern donor country and aware of the moral
obligation of developed countries to ensure assistance to
those who need it. Development assistance is not simply
altruism; providing assistance is an instrument used by
Slovenian foreign policy because it significantly lowers the
dangers of terrorism, migration pressure on developed
economies, armed conflicts, and crime, and above all
it stimulates international trade and ensures economic
growth.
In 2004 Slovenia contributed 6.14 billion tolars, 0.1% GNI, to
development assistance. Current pledges commit Slovenia
to doubling this by 2010.
Cooperation with international financial organisations has
already been strengthened. Thus, in addition to regular
cooperation with the UN, Slovenia as a donor country already
contributes to the International Development Association
fund at the World Bank, which provides resources to the
world’s poorest countries. Slovenia has also pledged to work
with the so-called HIPC (highly indebted poor countries)
initiative to cancel the debt of the poorest, highly indebted
world countries, thus relieving them of debt payments which
make impossible their development and poverty eradication
investments.
As an EU member, Slovenia finances assistance with
its contribution to the European budget; and with its
contribution to the work of the European Council is involved
in the conduct of European development cooperation policy.
sinfo april 06
12
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
promote the development of Slovenia’s advertising over many
years.
The 2005 winner of probably the most prestigious award among
advertisers, the Advertiser of the Year Award, which is awarded
annually by the Slovenian Advertising Chamber, was Si.mobil
d.d. from Ljubljana. The jury, which selected the winner from the
eight finalists, reached its decision unanimously. It considered
the following selection criteria: originality and innovative market
approach, overall communication excellence, a long-term
market communication strategy, creativity and consistency of
communication messages, innovative approaches in reaching
target groups, balanced use of media networks, responsible
use of resources, and brand management.
Polona Prešeren
A Festival
of Creativity
This year’s jury was presided over by Zoran Gabrijan, Creative
Director of Futura DDB. Other members were Igor Arih, Director
and Creative Director, Arih agency, Gal Erbežnik, Creative
Director, Publicis Studio pet, Ana Ivandič, Creative Director,
Formitas, Vesna Koselj, Creative Director, Luna TBWA, Boštjan
Napotnik, Creative Director, Reaktor, Stojan Pelko, Director
and Creative Director, Korpus (proposed by Mediamix),
Jana Sedej, Creative Director, Votan Leo Burnett, and Vera
Stanković, Creative Director, Mayer McCann. The Agency of
the Year Award went to Futura DDB, while the competition of
young creatives was won by Urša Klajder and Saša Primožič
(Publicis), who were awarded two tickets to the Cannes Lions
Festival. The Grand Prix in the TV Commercials Category
was awarded to Futura DDB (Modri ADSL Ribič – ‘Blue ADSL
Fisherman’) and (Modri ADSL Tuš – ‘Blue ADSL Shower’). In
the Printed Ads and Posters Category the winner was Mayer
McCann Agency (Brisače – ‘Towels’). The Corporate Identity
Campaign Category was won by Formitas BBDO (Elektroluxova
pralnica na Rock Otočcu – ‘Electrolux Rock Laundry Service at
Rock Otočec Festival’); the Other Advertising Means Category
by Votan Leo Burnett agency (Tradicionalna tajska masaža –
‘Traditional Thai massage’); the Radio Commercials Category
by Saatchi & Saatchi, a member of the Publici Groupe S.A.
(Izredni dizel – ‘Outstanding Diesel’); the Web Advertising
Category by Mediamix Agency (‘Arcadena Film Production
House’). The award for best TV commercial as voted by the
audience went to Največje slovensko mesto – ‘The Biggest
Slovenian City’ commercial by Agencija 41 agency.
The fact that advertising is an integral part of business making
was one of the topics discussed by Slovenia’s professional
advertisers at this year’s Slovenian Advertising Festival (SOF),
the central advertising event in Slovenia, in March. This
annual spectacle of creative advertising brings together the
best advertising, and offers a comprehensive overview of
activities in the field. SOF awards and encourages creativity
and entrepreneurial spirit, and presents new knowledge. The
Festival features a competition and a festival programme, and
thus has a strong influence on the development of advertising.
The participants discussed trends, dialogue and the future,
and at the same time assessed the advertising achievements
of the previous year. As becomes such a festival, it awarded
the best of them. This year’s President of the Festival, which
hosted over 800 visitors, was Dejan Turk.
SOF traces its roots to the Yugoslav festival of propaganda film
in Portorož, which began at the beginning of the 1970s, and was
the brain child of the then Slovenian ‘propagandists’ Marko
Dular, the Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Belgium, Jože
Remic, a professional philatelist, and Jure Apih, editor-in-chief
of MM magazine, and others. In 1991 SOF became a Slovenian
festival under the auspices of the Golden Drum Advertising
Festival. The latter has since grown into a major international
advertising festival of the New Europe, and SOF became an
independent event. Today, the Slovenian Advertising Festival
offers a comprehensive and critical overview of Slovenia’s
advertising production of the previous year, becoming a mirror
of professional advertisers’ creativity.
Prizes were also conferred in the OFF SOF category. The prize
for the best corporate identity design went to the Arih Agency
(AS); the prize for the best photography in advertising to Mayer
McCann Agency (Brisače – ‘Towels’); the best illustration in
advertising prize to Mayer McCann Agency (Naslednja postaja
Berlin – ‘Next Stop Berlin’ and Naslednja postaja London – ‘Next
Stop London’); the best original music in advertising to Si.mobil
(‘If I...fell in love’ – Sylvian feat. Urshyna); the best unpublished
printed ad to Formitas BBDO (Blagoslov za želodec – ‘Blessing
for the Stomach’).
The organiser, the Slovenian Advertising Chamber, awarded
the most prominent achievements of the previous year.
The Advertising Personality of the Year 2005 Award went to
Gordana Petek Ivandič, certainly one of those individuals who
have contributed to the overall development of advertising
with their work, professionalism, dedication and love. Ms Petek
is Public Relations Director for the Belinka Group. For her
work and professional attitude she has received recognition
from the young and the old. She has always been thoroughly
dedicated to her work; and her ideas and actions have
always complemented each other, according to the jury. The
Advertising Personality of the Year Award is awarded by the
managing board of the Slovenian Advertising Chamber either
for an exceptional achievement which made a significant
impact and contributed to the advancement of advertising
in Slovenia in the previous year, or for continuous efforts to
Photo: SOF
13
sinfo april 06
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
New Legislation for Greater Media Plurality
C. R., photo: Luka Fabčič
In the fifteen years of Slovenia’s independence the media
sphere in the country has undergone nothing short of a
small-scale evolution. It was regulated by various laws
that were amended and changed through time, and this
enabled it to evolve into a democratic, plural, open, and
publicly accessible system. But above all, it has become an
environment in which expressing opinions and views is no
longer taboo, as it was in the past.
provisions with regard to the right to correction. Judging
by the Austrian example, the new law should not endanger
freedom of speech. The right to correction, which has not
been extended, but merely defined in more detail, thus
additionally protects human and democratic rights.
‘’With the changes, the Government is enacting rules
that enable journalists more convenient access to public
information, which is clearly defined in the new draft law
on media. The new law sets out well-defined time limits for
issuing public information to journalists. The old law did not
stipulate the period in which the public official had to answer
the journalist’s enquiry,’’ adds Mr Hajdinjak. He also rejects the
claims about the pressures of politicians on the media, which
has been confirmed by the latest analyses conducted by
the Institute for Development and Strategic Analyses (IRSA),
and by indicators of public support for the Government, also
measured by IRSA in recent months using special analyses.
According to their analyses, the media generally portray the
Government and the Prime Minister in a bad light, which
explains the lowest value (0.08) of the measured indicator
(normally hovering between 0 and 1), which is approximately
level with the one measured in the last week of December
2005, but notably lower than in all other weeks surveyed in
December and January. The average value of the indicator
of public support for the Government in the five-week
period in December and January, which was measured
using the same method, stood at 0.22, or three times the
current value. Also, there are 11.5-times more negative than
positive opinions about the Government. According to the
results of IRSA’s analyses, it is possible to conclude that the
media are generally not inclined towards the Government.
In addition, the same results do not support the suggestion
that the media have assumed (due to alleged pressures or
other reasons) a pro-government position. The Government
Press Officer guarantees that by implementing changes, the
Government is endeavouring to ensure the plurality of the
media and greater accessibility of information.
At the April European Federation of Journalists Annual
Meeting gathering in Bled, the EFJ criticised the Slovenian
media by expressing deep concern over the intrusion of
politics into the Slovenian media sphere, the Government’s
increased pressure on the media and journalists, and the
likelihood of its affecting editorial decisions. With regard to
this the Federation drew particular attention to the new law
on Radio Television Slovenia (RTV), and discussed the right
to correction, which would give politics a de facto right to
exclusive access to editorial content.
‘’The Slovenian Government strives for greater freedom
and plurality of the media; therefore, I most strongly deny
insinuations and accusations about pressures on the media
and journalists,’’ asserts Valentin Hajdinjak, the Government
Press Officer. With regard to this, Mr Hajdinjak has also drawn
attention to the fact that the new law on public radio and
television reflects the decision of citizens who voted for it in
a referendum. The new law stipulates that all consumers of
the programmes of RTV Slovenia can be elected to the RTV
Programme Council, while the old one was very restrictive and
discriminatory in this area, as it enabled such participation
only to selected associations and organisations. The new
law thus enables much broader participation in decisionmaking at the national TV station, which again confirms that
the effects of the new law are positive.
According to the Government Press Officer, Austria, which
implemented such changes last year, has the same legal
sinfo april 06
14
interview
Tone Peršak:
The main platform of
PEN is freedom
of speech
Vesna Žarkovič, photo: Uroš Hočevar
Photo: Arsen Perić
15
sinfo april 06
interview
TONE PERŠAK (DIRECTOR OF THE SLOVENE PEN CENTRE):
MASS CULTURE IS EVER MORE ADAPTED TO THE CONCEPT
OF UNIVERSAL CONSUMERISM, WHILE INDIVIDUAL
NATIONAL LITERATURES ARE BECOMING MARGINALISED.
THE EMPHASIS IS THUS ON LITERATURE TRENDS SET BY
BESTSELLERS, WITH PEOPLE REDUCED TO CONSUMERS.
exactly our Meetings that have the longest tradition among
all of PEN’s activities. Despite Slovene PEN celebrating the
80th anniversary of its foundation this year, the Meeting took
place in a working atmosphere. In May the International PEN
Congress will take place in Berlin, which is also why the Bled
Meeting was moved up.
Between 29 March and 2 April Slovene PEN hosted the
38th International Writers Meeting in Bled, which in the
last two decades focused primarily on its humanitarian
activity, setting aside the fact that as a result of increasing
popularisation, “real” literature is endangered, the
participants pointed out. In this context the question of the
relationship between literature and the social situation is
repeatedly debated. What is this relationship like?
At the Meeting there was much discussion on the effect
that ever more present globalisation has on literature and
culture, and on how the problem of terrorism is reflected in
literature, and how to reduce it.
Both questions are closely connected; globalisation evokes
reactions such as terrorism. Responding to these pressures
is a reaction to this cultural project, to the enforcement of the
concept of a certain thought. This is why writers and cultural
workers in general have a duty to start working seriously on
this question, or else this merciless tendency of capital will
bring grave consequences. Globalisation is a trend we have
been noticing for a few decades now, and it is based on a
certain ideological concept – the concept of neoliberalism.
We want to neutralise this concept. Globalisation seeks to
eradicate the differences arising from different traditions
in order to establish free market principles, the norms and
the way of thinking that suits the hegemony of capital.
Culture, on the other hand, puts forth creativity, which
is an individual characteristic, and certain values as the
highest achievements which are elitist and are not the
bearers of mass culture. Mass culture builds short-term
values, sort of instant hits. Dostoevsky would be completely
inappropriate for globalisation. As a doctrine, globalisation
is in serious conflict. Terrorism originates in prejudices and
misunderstandings that can be overcome only by a better
understanding of each other and dialogue. It is in this that I
see the power and role of PEN in the world today. PEN has
no tanks and not much money, but it can speak out. How is
an artist to step out of a globalisation that demands uniform
products and turns people into consumers? Only through
their commitment to the authentic word which echoes the
particulars.
PEN is of great importance in a place where there are
repeated debates on the question of the relationship
between literature and politics. This relationship is very
important also in view of the fact that, until recently, there
was a war in Europe. Let me emphasise that the Slovene
PEN, celebrating the 40th anniversary of its operation this
year, has also organised two International Congresses. Up
to 1990 the Meetings represented a spiritual meeting point
of East and West. Slovenia had always been open, and so
such a meeting point or contact was possible. After 1990 this
changed, of course, another space having opened up. It is
With what evaluation standards can one fight this?
It is a fight against the concept of universal consumerism.
We must preserve the principle that it is worth observing
and grasping things in different concepts and from different
viewpoints, in different languages. The mere presence of
more languages is a treasure. Each language carries in it its
own philosophy. If we reduce everything to one language, this
also means one view. This means a great impoverishment
of the possibilities people have. We come across different
situations. Writers are deciding more and more to write in
English, although this is not their mother tongue; others still
return to their own language, because this is how they can
reach the depths of experience; some even write in several
languages. But every writer is at home only in one language.
He or she dreams only in one language. You also reach
furthest in one language. By all means, language diversity
is a treasure and has to be fostered. The point is that the
tendency of globalisation is a tendency for unification, a
uniform standard that has to suit everyone and therefore
establishes an average; the essence of culture, on the other
hand, is to achieve the individual and reach beyond the
average.
sinfo april 06
16
interview
What are the chances of succeeding in such endeavours?
such as politics and economics are important. Everything
else is as if it did not exist or is unimportant. I see the key
role of culture precisely in that it talks about things that
were left out. It is in the nature of culture to ask questions
that politics pushes aside. The freedom of the press as a
means against terrorism has brought the realisation that, in
the modern world, states are coming closer to dictatorships,
trying to silence those who oppose their values or rather
anti-values. Those that act in accordance with different
values have to pay a price – in exile, prison, or death in the
undemocratic world, and in marginalisation, ridicule, and
isolation, in Western society.
Throughout history there have been many situations when
there were no chances. Fortunately, there is an impulse
in people which drives them towards not succumbing to
a totalitarian concept. Globalisation is such a totalitarian
concept - trying to make Buddhists into consumers, and
seeking to establish a common way of thinking. It has
reached its highest point in the US. Freedom of expression
is in its essence a democratic norm, the key point of human
rights that Slovenia promotes as a signatory of the European
Convention on Human Rights. Every political view seeks to
sustain itself, that is clear, but it would have to be democratic
enough not to be violent, manipulative. This is always present
to an extent. Dr France Bučar talked in Bled about how politics
always tends to control people, thus narrowing their area of
freedom. A state is a phenomenon repressive in itself. A big
problem today is that the public media can be a means of
manipulation. The essential question is whether politicians
allow for the possibility of freedom of expression, to what
extent they seek to control public media, and whether with
their constant screening of information, the media do not
influence people and violate the freedom of expression.
The problem today is that we have all succumbed to such
a mentality. We think that if something is not on TV, it does
not exist. We do not react to events we should respond to,
because we do not find them important since they were not
on TV. They want to convince us that only certain subjects
How do you yourself combine the role of politician and the
role of writer?
Perhaps it is this duality that makes me a rather unsuccessful
politician. I have never wanted to give up the role of
intellectual and writer, probably because I am convinced that
professional politicians are brainwashed. Given that ours is
a young democracy, our politicians usually do not have the
pedigree that would provide them with a certain broader
outlook on the world. In older democracies politicians do
have a broader outlook on the world and are, as a rule, more
educated. In Slovenia there are often uneducated people
coming into politics, with a weak spiritual background, with a
narrow focus, evident already in their speech, which reflects
a poor vocabulary. This is dangerous. Such people
17
sinfo april 06
interview
do not understand what is behind things, what is really
going on. The problem with politicians is that they think
they are above everything. The essence of democracy
is exactly in admitting other fields such as art, science,
and agriculture as equals. There is definitely not enough
acceptance here. This is essential for a political culture in
the most general sense. Writers deal with similar things as
politicians, but from our own viewpoint. I therefore see no
major rift between a politician and a writer; there could be
more interchange.
The five-day PEN Meeting in Bled was coloured by
numerous thoughts on the power of the word. What power
do words have today?
Not as much as they once had. European civilisation
is based on words, whereas that of India for example,
on movement. The first sentence in the Bible is: In the
beginning was the word. There exists the word; this is the
foundation and it is unquestionable. If the word loses its
primary place, it will mean substantial changes in thought.
If in Western civilisation the word were to lose its binding
role, we would have to replace it, and this would be a great
cultural shift. These are far-reaching things, which mean a
change of mindset. We do everything through words: we
think through words, we speak through words. If there are
no words for thought, we cannot think. Words have great
power, a key role. We have become through the word.
Is fighting wars with the pen sometimes or even more and
more often a quixotic act?
With words people remain people and not merely robots
led by modern capitalistic society. Writers do work in
accordance with basic PEN guidelines, emphasising in
particular equality and freedom, but the reality outside
conference rooms is different. This is exactly why it
sometimes seems that writers act in a quixotic manner,
which is not always bad. Don Quixote is one of the most
positive figures in civilisation. Of course, we associate
it with unproductive acts, but in history it was ever thus.
Prešeren and Trubar were also Don Quixotes; types of
idealists, pointing the way. I suppose there is no other way.
It is a metaphor for people who take up projects which
raise the value system above average and who are willing
to sacrifice themselves for it.
Globalisation trends have not bypassed the literary field.
How is this reflected?
It often seems there are too many books, but still we are
becoming a culture of unius libri – the Bible, the Quran,
The Name of the Rose or The Da Vinci Code. The data from
the American market, which is mistakenly thought to have
staggeringly high editions, is also very telling: 93 per cent
of all editions in the US sell in less than a thousand copies,
the rest is filled with “global” bestsellers. In the UK only
two per cent of the books on the market are translations;
in Slovenia it is seventy per cent. To be is to be translated;
English-writing authors are born translated. Others can
become translated, but the task of all members is to
react to the situation in the world. Although they are not
all internationally known writers, there is a creative genius
inside them and that is our weapon.
sinfo april 06
18 18
BUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESS
Government to Retreat from its Role
in Business, but without its Leading
Reformer
Minister Jože P. Damijan, Head of the
Government’s Office for Growth and
leader of the group that proposed the
reforms, resigned from the Government
on 21 March for personal reasons.
Unlike Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk,
Mr Damijan, the country’s leading
reformer, was committed to a more
liberal approach of a government stake
of no more than 25% in NLB. KBC, a
Belgian banking and insurance group,
currently holds 34% of NLB, but is
looking to increase its stake. Under the
Damijan plan, it would have been able
to acquire up to 49% of the bank. About
10% is owned by minority shareholders.
No Major Developments in
Privatisation
Negotiations between the Government
and KBC have still not been completed
after almost half a year, and the retreat
that the Government announced
that it would make from Slovenia’s
largest companies is similarly held up
for the moment. The latest unofficial
briefings indicate that the list of
major privatisations also includes
Nova kreditna banka Maribor (NKBM),
Slovenia’s second largest banking and
insurance group, telecommunications
firm Telekom Slovenije, and Holding
slovenske elektrarne (HSE). The model
for privatising these companies has not
been announced yet, but alongside the
search for strategic partners there is
also mention of privatisation by IPOs.
The Government group for drawing up
a proposal by which the state funds
KAD and SOD (which manage and act
as custodian for Government assets
in the majority of companies yet to be
privatised) can retreat from their role in
the business sector finished its work at
the end of March.
The details of the official proposal
are not yet known, but there is
information that Krka, Slovenia’s largest
pharmaceutical firm (traded as KRKH
on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange), is
included among the companies where
the Government intends to relinquish
its role. The company’s management
board, headed by Jože Colarič, is
very opposed to a takeover by any
foreign competitor, even though close
competitors such as Croatia’s Pliva
are prominent among the potential
bidders.
Mecator the Hottest Company of the
Month
It was Slovenia’s largest retailer Mercator
(MELR) that caused the greatest stir
last month. Having fallen from 40,000
tolars (€167) when the Government
stake was bought last year by Istrabenz
(ITBG), a financial holding company,
and Pivovarna Laško (PILR), Slovenia’s
largest brewer, to 35,000 tolars (€146),
its share price began to surge on
rumours of a Serbian/Russian takeover.
Mercator’s owners held discussions for
several months about establishing a
retail holding company linking Mercator
with Serbian retailer Delta and Croatia’s
Agrokor, but the negotiations soon
foundered. Altima, a British hedge fund,
announced a bid for a 24.99% stake
in Mercator at the beginning of April.
Acting as an advisor on the bid was
former Mercator CEO Zoran Janković,
who ran the company for eight years
before being ousted by Istrabenz and
Pivovarna Laško last November. By the
middle of April, only members of the
former Janković board had sold shares
to Altima, the fund acquiring a stake
of just over 2%. Altima paid a price of
41,000 tolars (€171) for the shares, and
speculation about an increased bid
saw the shares reach a record high of
45,299 tolars (€189) on the exchange.
PETRA SOVDAT
Business Daily Finance
The majority of the shares traded (there
was a record high in volume on the
Ljubljana Stock Exchange in the middle
of April thanks to trading in Mercator
shares) were bought by companies
around the two largest shareholders,
Istrabenz and Pivovarna Laško. In the
middle of April Mercator’s supervisory
board (all six of the shareholder
representatives are from the two largest
shareholders) proposed a new capital
injection. The most recent capital
injection, in which the former Mercator
managers also participated, was
completed at the end of this January.
There was therefore speculation that
the proposed capital injection is merely
a defensive manoeuvre by the two
largest shareholders against any major
changes in Mercator’s ownership.
Istrabenz Announces Bid for full
Takeover of Droga Kolinska
In the middle of March Holding company
Istrabenz announced its intention to
buy all the shares in Slovenia’s largest
food company, Droga
Mercator was the hottest company of the month. Photo: Primož Lavre
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Kolinska (DRKR), of which it already
controls 55.63%. It has offered 2,450
tolars (€10.2) for each share. Although
in Slovenia a mandatory takeover bid is
triggered at 25%, Istrabenz came by its
current stake through the acquisition
of Kolinska in 2004 and its merger with
Droga, which also held a 20% stake in
Kolinska. Analysts were not particularly
impressed with the valuation, as it offers
a premium of just a few tolars over the
current share price on the exchange.
Droga Kolinska Takes over its
Macedonian Copier
At the beginning of April Droga Kolinska
took over Slovin Jugokokta, one of
Macedonia’s largest soft drink bottlers.
The valuation was approximately €0.5
million, including debt, the level of
which has not been revealed. Droga
Kolinska made the takeover in order
to protect its Cockta and Jupi brands,
which are very popular in the former
Yugoslavia. Slovin Jugokokta was one
of a number of companies that made
fake copies of the two drink brands,
but they will no longer be made at
Droga Kolinska’s Macedonian plant.
Bottling will be moved from Skopje to
the Palanački kiseljak plant in Serbia,
while the Slovin Jugokokta site will
become a logistics centre for the whole
of Macedonia. Both Droga and Kolinska
were active on the Macedonian market
before their merger, and the Serbian
company Grand Prom, in which Droga
Kolinska holds a 75% stake, also has a
coffee roasting plant there.
when CEO Libor Vončina stood down
for personal reasons in the middle of
March.
Telekom Slovenije goes Yugoslav
Slovenia’s largest insurance group
Zavarovalnica Triglav bought a 72.52%
stake in Kopaonik osiguranje, a
Serbian insurer, in the middle of March.
Zavarovalnica Triglav won the bidding
in an international tender to take over
the Belgrade-based company, which
deals in both property insurance and
life insurance and holds a 3% share
of the market. The Slovenian company
has committed itself to buying up
the remaining shares, having paid 4.7
billion tolars (€19.6 million) for its current
stake.
Government-owned Telekom Slovenije
would also like to strengthen its
presence on the markets of the former
Yugoslavia. It is currently negotiating to
take over Sinfonika, Slovenia’s fourthlargest internet service provider, which
has full or partial control of companies
in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and
Serbia-Montenegro. Telekom Slovenije,
which also provides internet services
via its Siol subsidiary, was also
negotiating to take over Iskon, Croatia’s
second-largest ISP, but lost out to THT, a Croatian telecom firm owned by
Deutsche Telekom.
However Telekom Slovenije already
has new Croatian targets in its sights.
At the end of March it bought On.net,
Macedonia’s second-largest ISP, for
€4.7 million, and immediately injected
a further €1 million of capital into the
company.
The helm of Telekom Slovenije was
assumed by Bojan Dremelj, already a
member of the Management Board,
Telekom Slovenije on the road to the markets of the former Yugoslavia. Photo: Uroš Hočevar
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Zavarovalnica Triglav also Looking
South
The Euro is Coming
The final report on the fulfilment of the
convergence criteria for adopting the
euro is expected to be approved in the
middle of May, making Slovenia the first
of the countries that joined the EU on 1
May 2004 to introduce the currency, on
1 January next year. Ecofin should give
the green light by the middle of July.
March saw the onset of mandatory dual
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from which the Tomažič board was
excluded back in November, have
been underway since last summer, and
are not yet finished.
New Companies Act Passed
In the middle of April the National
Assembly passed a new companies act
(ZGD), which introduces the concept of
a European plc (the Societas Europaea).
This allows for the creation of a singletier corporate governance system to
replace the current form of a separate
management board and supervisory
board. A new mergers and acquisitions
bill will also be ready soon, and will
raise the threshold for launching a
mandatory takeover of a plc from 25%
to 33% of its capital.
Joaquin Almunia and Janez Janša. Photo: Primož Lavre
pricing in Slovenia, and its readiness to
introduce the euro was also confirmed
in the middle of the month by Joaquín
Almunia, Commissioner for Economic
and Monetary Affairs, during his visit
to Ljubljana. He expressed satisfaction
with the macroeconomic picture in
Slovenia, but warned that the pressures
of an ageing population cast a longterm shadow over its public finances.
He said that structural reforms were
therefore urgently required.
Hit’s Old Management Board Sacked,
but nothing yet on the Casino
Complex
On 21 March the supervisory board
of Hit, which is Slovenia’s largest
gaming company and is under majority
Government
ownership,
sacked
CEO Branko Tomažič on commercial
grounds and reached agreement with
management board members Borut
Jamnik and Silvan Križman for their
resignations. Niko Trošt, previously a
member of Istrabenz Management
Board, was confirmed as the new CEO,
while Jana Grbec also joined the board.
A third board member will be appointed
in the next three months. Hit is soon
to face a great challenge: building a
casino complex worth approximately
€0.5 billion in conjunction with Harrah’s
Entertainment, an American gaming
giant. The project, which was launched
by the Tomažič board, will demand
changes in legislation and taxation.
The current gaming act does not
allow foreign ownership of casinos in
Slovenia, while Harrah’s also wants to
soften the tax legislation in this area.
Negotiations involving the two gaming
companies and the Ministry of Finance,
Hit Casino Perla in Nova Gorica. Photo: Leon Vidic
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COVERSTORY
Parks of Slovenia
When Nature Reaches Out to Us
Manca Mirnik, photo: STO
Somewhere deep within us there are stories about pure
nature, clear streams, endless green forests and birds
singing lively songs. Some of us remember these stories
from our childhood, while others are preserved in the
memories of our grandmothers, and we very rarely have
the opportunity to experience them in real life. Natural
parks are areas where we can still experience the bounty
of primal nature with all of our senses. These parks are the
pride of Slovenia.
preserving the biological variety of flora and fauna and their
corresponding habitats, while protecting landscape diversity.
In parks, the possibilities for development, recreation and
the spiritual enrichment of the population are also taken
into account. The idea of a park in Slovenia is therefore in
accordance with the Parks for Life action plan supported by
the World Conservation Union IUCN in 1994.
WHERE TO GO FOR RECREATION AND NEW
ADVENTURES?
Protected parks all over the world have been created to
protect the diversity of flora and fauna and natural habitats.
The first nature reserves in Europe were established in
Sweden in 1910, and Slovenia followed as early as 1924
when it established a protected area around the Triglav
Lakes, becoming the fifth country in Europe to have a nature
reserve.
After this, the number of protected areas around Europe
continued to increase, and so today, EU member states have
almost 600 different categories and over 42,000 protected
areas.
In Slovenia, the Nature Conservation Act divides protected
areas into small and large protected areas, and distinguishes
between six different categories. Small protected areas
are strict nature reserves, nature reserves, and natural
monuments, while large protected areas, also called parks,
include natural parks, regional parks and landscape parks.
While small protected areas are mainly subject to nature
preservation measures, parks play a much broader role, in
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At the national level, Slovenia has one national park (the
Triglav National Park), two regional parks (the Kozjanski Park
and Škocjan Caves), three landscape parks (the Sečovlje
Salina Nature Park, Strunjan, Goričko), and one nature
reserve, Škocjanski zatok. At municipal level, one regional
park has been established (the Notranjska Regional Park),
and 34 landscape parks which are scattered all around
Slovenia.
THE NATIONAL PARK
Triglav National Park has national significance for Slovenes
and at the same time it forms part of our country’s identity
within the context of the international community. Natural
parks form a special category in environment preservation
and as such, they must meet the strict European and
international preservation criteria in order to be placed on
the international map.
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COVERSTORY
REGIONAL PARKS
Unlike with national parks, the state can independently set
the conditions and criteria for regional and landscape parks
and decide on their degree of protection. The law defines
regional parks as well-preserved natural environments,
which can also include large populated areas (this is not the
case in the national park).
Slovenia has two regional parks which attract visitors with
their uniqueness and natural wealth.
The Škocjan Caves Regional Park lies in south-western
Slovenia and is listed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage
Sites, and on the List of Wetlands of International Importance.
The park is also a habitat for bats, an endangered animal
in Slovenia. There is an automatic meteorological station
in Škocjan which is used to monitor the quality and
quantity of rainfall, winds, temperature and humidity. There
is also a natural science centre in the park, which has an
archaeological, geological and biological collection, as
well as a natural science study centre. The Park’s central
landmark, of course, is the Škocjan Caves, a jewel of the
subterranean world, followed by the Škocjan educational
trail and two museum collections on display in converted
barns. Almost 90,000 visits are recorded every year, and the
whole park comprises 413 hectares of protected areas and
Triglav National Park.
Two years ago the Triglav National Park celebrated its 80th
anniversary and received the European Diploma of Protected
Areas issued by the Council of Europe. The park is host to
many kinds of activities and attracts many visitors. In 2004,
the King Gustav and Queen Silvia of Sweden came here as
part of their official visit to Slovenia, and visited the village
of Čadrg, at their express request. The park has established
a cooperative network with other national parks across
Europe, and organises numerous activities and projects.
One activity is cycling along one of the many cycle paths,
or learning about the environment on the Barje Goreljek
educational trail, where you can see how peat marshes are
created, and also encounter many interesting creatures and
plants, including carnivorous species.
The staff of TNP endeavours to combine nature preservation,
agriculture and tourism, which is an important industry that
has attracted between 2 and 2.5 million visitors annually for
the past few years. The park offers guided hiking tours along
theme routes and mountain trails.
Some additional information: TNP covers an area of 83,807
hectares, it has 25 settlements and the combined population of 2,200. You can find more information at the website
www.tnp.si.
Škocjan Caves Regional Park.
45,000 hectares of zones of influence. The park hosts three
settlements and a population of 69, and you can find more
information on the website www.park-skocjanske-jame.si.
Kozjanski Park covers the alpine highlands, with wine
producing hills, plains along the River Sotla, a diverse natural
environment and a rich cultural heritage. Here you will find
the Rudnica geological educational trail and numerous other
hiking trails, as well as tourist wine routes. This is also the site
of the traditional international Apple Festival of Kozjansko, at
which organic farmers present their produce. The Podsreda
Castle is another landmark, and serves as a broader regional
cultural and social centre.
Kozjanski Park extends over 206 square kilometres, with 82
settlements, and attracts some 35,000 visitors every year.
You can find more information at www.gov.si/kp.
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COVERSTORY
LANDSCAPE PARKS
In the past, landscape parks were distinguished from regional
parks by size, but now the category is no longer limited by size,
and mainly relates to the landscape itself. A landscape park
is an area with intrinsic natural value where the influence of
people shaping, maintaining and caring for the environment
is very evident. The establishment of a particular area as a
landscape park is proposed by the environment ministry, or
by local authorities, on the recommendation of an expert
committee, or even the initiative of private individuals or
NGO’s.
The Sečovlje Saline Landscape Park preserves the tradition
of salt production, while providing a home for numerous
indigenous species of flora and fauna. Every year there is
a Saline Festival here, at which the key elements of salt
production are presented. This is also where numerous
artistic events and plays are staged, all in the interest of
preserving the numerous species and habitats indigenous
to the Sečovlje region. The park features educational and
hiking trails, and free guided tours at weekends. You can
also have a look at the cultural heritage of salt-workers in
the Saline Museum. With 650 hectares of land, of which 552
hectares are covered by water, the Sečovlje Saline Landscape
Park attracts about 27,000 visitors each year. There are no
settlements in the Park. You can find more information about
it at the website www.kpss.soline.si.
Not far from the Sečovlje Saline, you can find Strunjan
Landscape Park, and in the immediate surroundings is
Škocjanski zatok, a habitat for rare birds. The Strunjan nature
reserve is part of Strunjan Landscape Park. The reserve
covers the north shore of the Strunjan peninsula, with the
corresponding 200-meter strip of coast. Its most characteristic
feature is the 4 km long and up to 80m high flysch cliff. Along
the length of the cliff, horizontal layers of marl and sandstone
are clearly visible, and there are also interesting geological
and geomorphological phenomena, such as rock outcrops,
A view of Piran from Strunjan.
jutting overhangs, micro-tectonic fractures and creases,
particularly noticeable on individual capes. The land area of
the reserve is abundant in characteristic sub-Mediterranean
shrubs and trees, an h as myrtle and the strawberry tree. The
coastal area reserve hosts both hardy and Mediterranean
plants, and animals. More information can be found at www.
portoroz.si. Another national landscape park is Goričko
Landscape Park located in the north-eastern part of the
Sečovlje saltpans at sunset.
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COVERSTORY
THE FUTURE
Currently there are several national projects to establish
new parks and protected areas. Foremost among these
is the proposal to establish the Kamniško-Savinjske Alpe
Natural Park, which has been listed among proposals for
parks for several years now. Other planned parks include
a landscape park at the Ljubljana Marshes and another
at Kolpa, with initiatives for the establishment of a Pohorje
regional park and a park located at the border of the Karst
region.
The attitudes of the local people who live in this region
concerning the park are often still very reserved. Alma Vičar,
Vice Secretary of the Sector for Nature at the Environment
Directorate of the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial
Planning, says that there is still a strong stereotype that parks
stand in the way of development, since no activities can take
place in the area because of the protection. “Of course, this
is not true. Fortunately, there are fewer and fewer people
with this belief, mostly because some of them have firsthand experience. Perhaps this common belief is caused by
the fact that the areas covered by parks are mainly located
in regions with low development potential. There are few
jobs, and these regions are recording a significant brain
drain from the population at large.” It is because of these
specific characteristics that local authorities are beginning
to see that establishing a park in their region would mean a
good opportunity for local development, Vičar claims. She
sees great potential in tourism, because many Slovenes
seek recreation in nature, and many foreign visitors come
to Slovenia mainly because of its natural beauties.
The parks are therefore active agents in preserving the
environment, while at the same time they also help top
reserve cultural heritage, carry out development projects,
provide unique opportunities for tourism, education and the
international promotion of Slovenia.
country. It has a mix of cultivated and uncultivated areas
enjoyed by many cyclists and hikers. Goričko boasts many
craft workers. They will be happy to show you the process of
wicker roofing, making belt buckles, weaving products from
corn leaves, pottery, blacksmithing and crocheting. The park
covers an area of 462 square kilometres, with 90 villages
and total population of 23,000. You can read more about this
jewel at www.park-goricko.org.
Tamar.
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COVERSTORYVIEWPOINT
Photo: Personal Archive
Janez Podobnik
Minister of the Environment
and Spatial Planning
UNSPOILED NATURE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FORM THE
BASIS OF IDENTITY OF PLACE
AND THE PEOPLE WHO INHABIT
A PARTICULAR AREA, AND ARE
THEREFORE VALUES IN THEIR OWN
RESPECT. THE PRESERVATION
OF NATURE IS BECOMING A
EUROPEAN STANDARD AND ALSO
A CHALLENGE FOR SLOVENIA,
SINCE IT IS A COUNTRY WITH
THE RICHEST BIO-DIVERSITY IN
EUROPE.
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With the establishment of the Triglav
National Park in 1924, Slovenia
was the fifth European country
to use land in this way. In the last
twenty years the world’s protected
sites have increased three-fold in
number and size, so today there
are more than 100,000 protected
areas, comprising twelve per cent
of all the land.
Eleven and a half per cent of
Slovenia’s territory is protected
under different protection policies.
Slovenia’s legislation follows the
well-established
conservation
categories
of
the
World
Conservation Union IUCN, which
has six conservation categories
and is, therefore, in compliance
with
international
standards.
The new National Environment
Protection Programme (NEPP) aims
at extending the protected areas in
Slovenia by five per cent by 2008
and by ten per cent by 2014.
National parks are like bridges
between nature and people. They
are territories that teach us our
values and offer the possibility of
sustainable growth. Since there is
no proper wilderness in Europe or
in Slovenia, it is possible to speak
of values that formed during the
constant collaboration between
nature and people. Taking into
consideration one of the rare
comparative advantages of nature,
unspoiled scenery and cultural
heritage, national parks offer
opportunities for development.
‘Natura 2000’ is a network
of ecological sites which are
important for the conservation
of important species and habitat
types in the European Union and it
holds a special place in European
legislation. The sites span fifteen
per cent of Europe. In Slovenia, the
sites cover thirty-five and a half
per cent of the country. Slovenian
national parks represent a quarter
of the network; however, with the
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establishment of new national parks,
the percentage will increase.
Although the main purpose of
the legislation is environmental
protection, the ‘Natura 2000’
network surpasses environmental
concerns, since ‘Natura 2000’ and
protected sites, especially parks,
are given an increasingly important
role in forming developmental
projects in different countries
and regions. Conserved nature
is an important resource and
is economically significant and
therefore an indispensable part
of
sustainable
development.
Thus, every national park is also a
development project.
There is a strong connection
between nature and tourism and it
should be taken into consideration
that a third of all tourists visit
Slovenia on account of its natural
wonders. Furthermore, a third of
Slovenes spend their free time
in the country and the number of
nature lovers across Europe is on
the rise. Conserved nature and
protected areas are indisputably
Slovenia’s comparative advantage.
It is, however, important to be aware
that it is the conservation of biodiversity, valuable natural features,
and cultural heritage that are of
primary importance and form the
basis for spatial planning, including
sport and tourism facilities, and not
the other way around.
Under the auspices of regional
development, support of local
communities, farming and environmental programmes, tourism, selfemployment training programmes
for the local popula-tion, as well
as conservation of nature and
cultural heritage, the European
Union supports protected sites
through various developmental
programmes. The opportunity for
Slovenia therefore, lies in parks,
both existing and future ones.
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Exhibition of National Geographic. Photo: Primož Lavre
Klara Krapež, Polona Prešeren
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO EXHIBITION
included a list of military and civilian war casualties among the
population of Tolmin in the descriptions of the contemporary
life of soldiers, the local population, and the military
cemeteries which began to cover the many pastures and
grasslands of the region soon after the battle erupted. The
book also contains the very first lists of the Austro-Hungarian
soldiers killed at the Tolmin bridgehead, compiled on the
basis of information from various archives. So far, the authors
have managed to account for 11,780 known and unknown
Austro-Hungarian soldiers. With the publication of these
two books, the Tolmin Museum has completed its project of
several years to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the
first battles on the Soča River. The project began with the
collection of documents from archives in Vienna and Rome,
and continued with the opening of an exhibition entitled The
Tolmin Bridgehead.
From 14 April the National Geographic magazine is available
in Slovene. On this occasion National Geographic Slovenija
organised an exhibition of one hundred outstanding
photographs from its rich collection. The exhibition in the
National Gallery, which will be open until 14 May, features the
works of renowned photographers including Steve McCurry,
Chris Johns, David Doubilet, and Emory Steinmetz. Also on
display are eleven photographs of Slovenia, which have
been published in the National Geographic, some as early
as 1930.
National Geographic Slovenija has a distinguished editorial
board; Dr Miha Kovač is Editor-in-Chief, and Arne Hodalič,
a world-class photographer, who has collaborated with the
National Geographic, and is known mostly for his press
photography, is Editor of Photography.
BRADFORD FILM FESTIVAL SHOWS SEVEN
SLOVENIAN FILMS
TWO NEW BOOKS ABOUT THE EVENTS ON THE
SOČA FRONT
The 12th Bradford Film Festival, taking place in the second
half of March in the English town of Bradford, featured a broad
overview of Slovenian film making in 2006. The programme
was put together by English film publicist Neil Young, a
connoisseur of Slovenian film production, its films and
filmmakers. He compiled a selection of films for the English
audience: ‘Here and There’ (Tu pa tam) by Mitja Okorn, ‘Boys
Like Sexy Legs, Girls Like Ice Cream’ (Fantje imajo radi seksi
noge, punce imajo rade sladoled) by Matej Ocepek, and ‘Eyes
Full of Water’ (Oči polne vode) by Jože Baša, which received
the Audience Award and the Best Script Award at the last
Slovenian Film Festival held in Portorož. Besides these, the
festival also showed ‘Bullet Avoids the Fool’ (Norega se
The Tolmin Museum recently published two new books about
events during the 1st Soča Front. Together, the two volumes
entitled ‘The Tolmin Bridgehead’ (Tolminsko mostišče) span
800 pages and report military movements and casualties in
detail. They describe the consequences of the battles, which
were felt most strongly by the people of the Posočje region
living along the Soča River.
The first volume, The Tolmin Bridgehead I, contains the
writings of WWI expert and researcher Lovro Galič and
historian Branko Marušič. The second volume is by Petra
Svoljšak, Darja Pirih and Damjana Fortunat Černilogar, who
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typically changeable April days were
thus devoted to fiction and poetry
readings. In Ljubljana the winner of a
short story competition, organised by
Sodobnost magazine and the Slovene
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photographs tell the story of the oldest
Lipizzaner stud farm in the world. The
photographs were taken along the
study and hiking routes surrounding the
Lipica stud farm, which was declared
Odgrobadogroba. Photo: Željko Stevanič
metek ogne) by Mitja Novljan and the
documentary ‘Peterka: Year of Decision’
(Peterka: leto odločitve) by Vlado Škafar,
and the feature films ‘Gravehopping’
(Odgrobadogroba) by Jan Cvitkovič
and ‘Suburbs’ (Predmestje) by Vinko
Möderndorfer.
All films presented in Bradford are
accompanied by critical writings by
Frank Mangus and Neil Young, who
draw interesting parallels with world
achievements in film. For example,
Mangus compares Suburbs with the
work of Gasper Noe and the Coen
Brothers, and describes the young
Jože Baša as “Bresson Meets Good
Will Hunting”. He also wrote about the
influence of Werner Herzog on Škafar.
According to announcements by the
Slovenian Film Foundation, there should
be retrospectives of Slovenian films
in Katowice, Poland, and Budapest,
Hungary, this year.
CELEBRATION OF THE
SLOVENIAN BOOK
The eleventh annual Slovenian Book
Days, which seek to promote and
popularise reading, took place in several
towns across Slovenia. The festivities
reached their peak on 23 April, which
has been declared UNESCO World
Book Day.
“We will endeavour to keep the book
one of the key media of Slovenian
culture and protect it from the influence
of trashy consumerism,” Minister of
Culture Dr Vasko Simoniti stated in his
opening speech. Many enthusiasts and
passers-by gathered around books
stalls in Ljubljana’s Zvezda Park, which
suggests literature is very popular. The
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Book Days at Zvezda Park in Ljubljana. Photo: Arsen Perić
Writers’ Association, was announced.
This year, the award was conferred
on Tomaž Pavčnik for the short story
Pelikanov čopič (Pelican’s Brush).
LJUBLJANA CASTLE STAGES
AN EXHIBITION ABOUT
LIPIZZANER HORSES
The photographic exhibition entitled
‘’Outstanding
Cultural
Landscape
of Lipica’’ has been running in the
Gallery “S” of Ljubljana Castle until 14
May. In this exhibition, Etbin Tavčar’s
a cultural monument of outstanding
significance by a special law in 1996.
The protected area of the Lipica stud
farm comprises the cultivated karst
landscape, a relatively large herd of
Lipizzaner horses, and the architectural
and artistic heritage: the castle complex
with the Velbanca stable and church,
the stable complex with silos and
dressage facilities, the Hotel Club, the
collection of works by Avgust Černigoj,
their characteristic layout in the gallery,
and the outdoor park sculptures made
of karst stone.
“The cultural landscape of Lipica is
a complete and cultivated natural
Lipizzaner horses exhibited at Ljubljana Castle. Photo: Grega Wernig
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environment whose development is
based on the centuries-old tradition
of breeding thoroughbreds. People
had to improve and cultivate the karst
terrain in order to breed horses, and
cultivate it into pastures and haymaking
land. Even before 1817 the whole estate
was surrounded by an eight-kilometre
stone wall typical of the karst region.
These efforts provided not only the
functional aspect, but also the symbolic
significance of the finished facilities.
And it is this that gives the cultural
landscape of the original Lipizzaner
stud farm its stamp of uniqueness, even
on the global scale.
YOUNG AND PROMISING
Neisha. Photo: Cankarjev dom Archives
This year’s spring Cankarjev dom was
enlivened by performances by two
immensely popular Slovenian music
performers. First, Cankarjev dom was
rocked by the increasingly popular
group Leeloojamais, who label their
music as ‘alternative meets pop’. To
conclude their ‘Nextasy’ tour, the band
staged a memorable evening of jazz,
Another exciting event, which got the
capital grooving at Easter time, was
a performance by Neisha, the best
Slovenian performer of 2005. The girl
from Ljubljana is a versatile musician,
composer, arranger, pianist, singer,
and studio musician, who studied
composition and piano at the Academy
of Music in Ljubljana. She has also
written music for symphony orchestras
Leeloojamais. Photo: Cankarjev dom Archives
rock, pop, R&B and funk, spiced with the
distinctive voice of Lara Love. Although
Cankarjev dom is not a typical venue
for such an event, the concert was a
real success, and it also featured guest
appearances.
and chamber choirs. She only ventured
into the world of popular music last
year, and immediately captured the
hearts of the audience, who voted her
best Slovenian act, and her debut CD,
Album of the Year.
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DRUGA GODBA: A FESTIVAL
WITH CHARACTER
As spring came to the streets and
squares of Slovenian cities, so did
various festivals that really changed
their atmosphere and made them
somewhat special. The legendary
Druga godba (That Other Music) is one
of these festivals, a festival that focuses
on music from all around the world.
This year’s Druga godba begins with
an introductory concert to warm up the
audience at Križanke on 13 May.
Other concerts will be staged between
30 May and 3 June on the streets of
Ljubljana, in Cankarjev dom, and at
the open-air theatre Križanke, which
is, because of its architectural design
by Jože Plečnik, the festival’s signature
venue. This year’s introductory concert
will be especially memorable, because
it features three acts. The Slovenian
band Brina will premiere their first
album in five years, Ljubljana will host
the Senegalese musician Cheikh Lô,
and the Boban Marković Orkestar will
join both with a new taste of Serbian
brass band music.
The
main
programme
contains
some real treats. A Slovenian-Indian
ensemble united in a band called Sagar
will perform at the start of the festival’s
first night. An Indonesian contemporary
music band, a 15-member group Samba
Sunda, playing in Slovenia for the first
time, will follow. Meeting the legendary
Nigerian band Egypt 80 will also
certainly be exciting. A night known as
Desert Blues is also part of the festival.
This evening will celebrate the heritage
of the recently deceased Ali Farka Toure
and his efforts towards cultural
sinfo april 06
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Druga godba is coming to Ljubljana. Photo: Druga godba
intermingling of different Malian and Tuareg peoples. This
is exactly what is happening in the travelling Malian caravan
called Desert Blues. It contains an African master guitarist
Habib Koite from Bamako, the charismatic Afel Bocoum, and
Tartit, a band coming from even deeper in the desert.
Three very different bands will share the stage at Križanke
on 1 June. A Croatian hero, Mojmir Novaković, will be first,
followed by the princess of the new wave of British folk music
Eliza Carthy and the Ratcatchers. The diva Susan Baca, first
lady of Afro-Peruvian music, will end the concert. Beñat
Achiary, a good and a distinctive musician, who has rarely
performed at prominent festivals, is also returning to this
year’s Druga godba. His music is intertwined with Basque
influences, as well as the tradition of the Navajo. His concert
will also feature a Slovenian band Caminoigra and one of the
most fascinating French bands Dupain. For the finale, the
Marseilles atmosphere will be further intensified by DJ Boris
51. A great accompanying programme, which takes place
every day of the festival in the City Museum of Ljubljana, is
THE 16th BIENNIAL EXHIBITION OF SLOVENIAN
ARTS AND CRAFTS IN SLOVENJ GRADEC AND
LJUBLJANA
Dr Janez Bogataj*
The Chamber of Craft of Slovenia has been organising
biennial exhibitions of Slovenian Arts and Crafts in Slovenj
Gradec since 1977, and since 1994 also in Ljubljana. At first
the exhibition was a two-year overview of various types of
arts and crafts products, as well as the techniques of arts
and crafts. However, since 1996 the exhibition features
only those products that have been awarded a stamp of
quality in the previous two years based on a regular quality
assessment by the expert committee of the Chamber of
Craft of Slovenia. The decision regarding quality is essential
for the use of the ‘Rokodelstvo – Art&Craft – Slovenija’
label which is put on the tags and stickers of only the best
handmade products. This label has become a trademark
of quality that the expert committee verifies on the basis
of a specific system and criteria. The decision on quality or
other positive evaluations of products made by a certain
craftsman is also the basis for obtaining a small business
license, which no longer ensures tax relief. According to new
legislation, craftsmen are only entitled to 70% of normalized
expenses. Individual craftsmen can, of course, make arts
and crafts as a subsidiary occupation. The exhibition in
Slovenj Gradec and Ljubljana has an important purpose,
because there are many issues related to arts and crafts
cottage industries, and because the exhibition itself also
ensures the latter’s continued existence. Arts and crafts
cottage industry offers self-employment opportunities and
various forms of subsidiary occupations, and is therefore an
important element of social policy. These are businesses that
manufacture products in an environmentally safe way and
are an asset to Slovenia, since they are of crucial importance
for the continuation and improvement of cultural heritage, as
well as finding new creative solutions. The expert committee
of the Chamber of Craft of Slovenia evaluates products
throughout the year, except in July and August. Since 1994
they have been reviewing and assessing an average of over
one hundred products a month, which points to a very strong
creative force in the industry. Few products are of sufficiently
high quality to be approved, so only the best products are
featured at the biennale. There are about 1,500 products
by 240 craftsmen on show at this year’s exhibition, which is
open from 7 April to 7 May in Slovenj Gradec, and from 17
May to 30 June in Ljubljana.
Eliza Carthy. Photo: Druga godba
planned to parallel this year’s Druga godba. Altogether, there
will be fifteen performers from twelve countries performing
at the 22nd annual Druga godba. And if during the festival
you happen to be in the vicinity, we strongly recommend you
visit some of its events.
For more information, please visit www.drugagodba.si
sinfo april 06
*Professor of Ethnology at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana
30
THISISSLOVENIA
Lipica Stud Farm
-one of the Most Beautiful Cultural
and Historical Landmarks of Slovenia
David Dolinar, photo: STO
All too often we Slovenes forget that there are some features
of our immediate national and cultural environment that
are famous and distinguished around the whole world. One
of these is a breed of horse, the Lipizzaner horse, which
was named after a village called Lipica, located near the
Italian border in the Slovenian Karst. At the same time,
we can say that Lipizzaner horses have been our link to
Europe and other parts of the world throughout our history.
Using the modern expression, we could jokingly say:
Slovenia’s contribution to globalisation…The Lipizzaner
horse, a breed created in the stables of Lipica, is bred
in six other studs – Piber (Austria), Djakovo (Croatia),
Fara Sabina (Italy), Szilvasvarad (Hungary), Simbata de
Jos (Romania), Topolcianky (Slovakia) and Karadjordjevo
(Serbia). There are also numerous Lipizzaner horse breeder
associations in other parts of the world, mainly in Western
European countries, the USA, Australia and South Africa.
The international fame of Lipizzaner horses was greatly
increased after the 1963 release of the Disney film ‘The
Miracle of the White Stallions’, which portrays a daring
campaign of the American military forces to save a herd
of Lipizzaner horses that were deep inside Czechoslovakia
at the end of World War II in an area controlled by the Red
Army.
landmarks, offering a classical horse-riding school, tourism
and recreational opportunities. There are two hotels on
Lipica Stud Farm premises, as well as a casino, several tennis
courts, a mini-golf course, a swimming pool; a spectacular
golf course is currently being created.
Lipica Stud Farm was under state ownership of some form
or another throughout its history. And there have been quite
a few state owners over the past few centuries laying claim
to Lipica. So it is really quite a miracle that Lipica Stud Farm
still exists to this day. The Slovenian Government will have
to continue to devote attention and care to it if it wishes to
assure its continued development, which is no less than it
deserves.
A Look at Recorded History
The name of Lipica is first found in documents dating back to
the second half of the 15th century, where it is written, among
other things, that there was a small guesthouse in the village,
with a small lime tree in front, which served as a gathering
place for the locals. The settlement is therefore named after
this ‘small lime tree’, which in Slovene is lipica. The name was
preserved despite the numerous foreign masters who ruled
this village over the centuries. The Bishop of Trieste owned
a neglected estate here, which he offered to the Austrian
Archduke Karl, then regent of the Slovenian districts of
Štajerska, Koroška, Kranjska, Goriška, Istria and Trieste, in the
Austrian Empire of the time. Archduke Karl bought the estate
with the intention of establishing court stables where horses
would be bred for riding, pulling carriages, and for parades,
and later on to supply horses for the Spanish Riding School
in Vienna. The deed to the estate was transferred in 1580,
and this year marks the beginning of Lipica Stud Farm.
Founded in 1580, there is no doubt that Lipica Stud Farm
is the cradle of all Lipizzaner horses around the world.
Today, the Lipizzaner is considered a noble yet sturdy and
undemanding breed. At birth, the foals have a brown, foxbrown or grey coat, gradually lightening to become perfectly
white between the ages of six to ten. These horses are
considered the most elegant draft and riding horses, and
are also suitable for training. In addition to horse breeding
and selection of thoroughbreds, Lipica Stud Farm is also
one of Slovenia’s most beautiful cultural and historical
31
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THISISSLOVENIA
In the 60s the owners decided that they should also look
towards tourism, and at the same time they began to
introduce a horse training programme. Due to increasing
numbers of visitors, the majority of them from neighbouring
Italy, they built both large and small covered equestrian
arenas, three outdoor riding facilities, stables with a
connecting annex, private stables, barns, a horse track, and
residential buildings for the staff. The historical image of
Lipica had greatly changed.
In 1974, Lipica hosted the first international tournament in
dressage, and in 1980 a great 4th Centennial was held; this
brought together representatives from all Lipizzaner stud
farms of other European countries. The Vienna Spanish Riding
School also made an appearance. Another exceptional
event was the Lipica dressage team’s participation at the
1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Slovenia’s declaration of independence was another time
of great uncertainty for Lipica Stud Farm: the herd was
decimated and the farm was drowning in debt. In 1996
Lipica Stud Farm became a public institution owned by the
Republic of Slovenia, which gave it the incentive for further
development and progress. Nevertheless, financial losses
cannot always be avoided. This is why new ideas are still
being proposed every year, suggesting the necessary steps
needed to ensure its existence and sustainable operation.
Following its entry into the EU, the Republic of Slovenia is
making efforts to achieve international recognition for the
stud farm as a breeding institution holding the original stud
book for the Lipizzaner horse. It should be pointed out again
and again that Lipica Stud Farm is the oldest European
stud farm to breed the same breed of horses since its
establishment.
Only a year later they bought twenty-four mares and six
stallions in Spain, and renovated the estate, and the existence
of the stud farm was ensured soon thereafter.
The development of Lipica Stud Farm progressed without
hindrance until the Napoleonic Wars, when in 1797 the herd of
three hundred horses had to be moved to Hungary for the first
time. However, the herd returned a few months later. In 1809,
after the peace treaty, the city of Trieste and the district of
Kranjska (Carniola) were placed under French administration.
This is why the Austrian emperor decided to move the stud
farm to Hungary once again, where it remained until 1815.
The herd and the estate suffered great losses due to the war.
Nonetheless, the stud farm was restored after peace was reestablished and the stud books of the surviving horses were
put back in order. There were several subsequent attempts
to relocate the stud farm closer to Vienna, but the judgement
that Lipica had the best conditions for the future breeding
of these horses prevailed. The Lipica herd was forced to flee
again during World War I; in 1915, the stallions and mares
were moved to Laxenburg near Vienna, and the foals were
moved to Kladrub in Czechoslovakia. After World War I, the
Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved and new states
were established, placing new challenges before the Lipica
herd. Lipica was ceded to Italy, and following a long period
of negotiation, one hundred and nine horses were returned
to Lipica, with all six classical pedigrees represented. This
made it possible for the Italians to restore Lipica Stud Farm.
During World War II, Lipica Stud Farm experienced new
tragedies and migrations: after the capitulation of Italy
in 1943, the land was annexed to the Third Reich and the
Germans moved all 179 horses along with the stud books
to the town of Hostinec (Hostau) in the Czech region of
Sudeti, where they collected a large number of other horse
breeds taken from occupied territory. When the war ended,
Czechoslovakia fell under Russian control, and the pure
pedigree blood of Lipica Stud Farm was at extreme risk.
Some of these events are described in ‘The Miracle of the
White Stallions’.
It is important to stress that following the withdrawal of Allied
forces, Lipica became part of the new Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia
also received eleven horses from the herd stolen by German
forces during the war, and eighty horses from the stud books
were returned to Italy. These books are still kept in the stud
farm at Monterotondi near Rome. Lipica Stud Farm was
forced to start almost from scratch and its existence was
often at risk due to the many reorganisations taking place
during the times of the former Yugoslavia.
sinfo april 06
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THISISSLOVENIA
Exceptional Natural and Cultural Heritage
In 1996 Lipica Stud Farm was declared a cultural monument of exceptional importance for
the Republic of Slovenia. The protected area of the stud farm comprises the cultivated karst
surroundings, a relatively large herd of Lipizzaner horses, and the architectural and artistic
heritage. The surrounding region, a specially protected area, includes grazing land and grassland
enclosed within protective fences, oak groves, and rows of trees. The cultural landscape of
Lipica is made up of a cultivated natural environment whose development was based on the
centuries-old tradition of breeding thoroughbreds. Even two hundred years ago, the entire
area was enclosed within eight kilometres of typical karst stone walls, pointing to the special
significance of the integrity of the stud farm. The historical centre of Lipica was fully developed
by the early 18th century, with each historical period and each state owner adding something.
One of the most recent cultural additions is a gallery of fine arts with works by the distinguished
Slovenian painter Avgust Černigoj who spent his last years in the village. He showed his gratitude
by bequeathing an extensive collection of his work to the stud farm.
Besides the herd of thoroughbreds and the display of dressage riding and the stables, visitors
to Lipica can also visit the ruins of the castle around which the estate was formed. The second
oldest building is the ‘Velbanca’, the central stable which, architecturally speaking, is the most
valuable building in the old town centre. A monument to once rich times the ‘Fontana’, is a
stone well dug in 1706 during the stud farm’s heyday. In the immediate vicinity you can also find
a chapel devoted to Our Lady of Lourdes, whose niche is chiseled into the very rock. It was
consecrated in 1889. In its day, the chapel attracted great numbers of visitors, as it was also
famous for miraculous recoveries.
Lipica Stud Farm is definitely one of the most valuable places in Slovenia, and the Lipizzaner
horse is one of its symbols. This makes Lipica worth visiting regardless of the season. It is visited
by all generations of domestic and foreign tourists; the educational trails are also very popular
among students, who can learn about the breeding of the horses, as well as features of the karst
landscape.
33
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THISISSLOVENIA
Few possess such well-trained patience and inner skill,
filigree-like precision, and an exceptional ear, all of which
are crucial qualities in the process of making bowed string
instruments. Vilim has been making violins, violas and cellos
for over fifty years, and the family tradition has been passed
from generation to generation.
The Demšar family come from the valley of Poljanska dolina.
In the village of Selce near Škofja Loka, the members of
the Demšar clan crafted wooden tubs for many centuries.
The pinewood abundant in the nearby forests was selected
by listening to the resonance it created. Vilim’s father Blaž
became an expert on resonance even before he began
crafting string instruments. His love for the sound of wood
was passed on to his sons Cvetko and Vilim. By 1960 he had
crafted over 600 violins, violas and cellos, and his models
became distinguished and sought-after around the world.
Blaž showed Vilim many secrets of making string instruments
and he taught him how to listen to the song of the wood.
Together they looked for the right timber, closely watched
the cutting into boards, taking great care to season them for
five years and more, and spending many hours on crafting
instruments from them. Even at the early age of 14, he helped
his father make these gentle instruments, and later went on to
study the violin, viola and cello at Ljubljana Music Academy.
After finishing his studies at the Academy he taught violin
and played viola in various professional orchestras.
The Man with
In the Workshop
of Master Violin Maker
Vilim Demšar
Andreja Comino
Photo: Katarina Krmelj
ANYTHING VILIM DEMŠAR TOUCHES
LITERALLY TURNS TO MUSIC. IT IS A
DREAM OF MANY MUSICIANS FROM
SLOVENIA AND ABROAD TO HOLD A
‘DEMŠAR’ IN THEIR HANDS, AS THEY
CALL THE VIOLINS, VIOLAS AND
CELLOS CRAFTED BY THE SKILFUL
HANDS OF VILIM DEMŠAR. VILIM, WHO
IS TO CELEBRATE HIS SEVENTIETH
BIRTHDAY NEXT YEAR, IS THE BEST
SLOVENIAN MASTER VIOLIN MAKER,
WITH AN ENVIABLE TRADITION.
sinfo april 06
34
THISISSLOVENIA
Located in the middle of Ljubljana city centre, Vilim’s workshop
looks as if time itself had stood still: here, centuries of noble
tradition blend with the future. In this workshop, the maestro
could easily craft Pinocchios. Despite being nearly seventy
years of age, Maestro Demšar spends a great deal of time
here, because he cannot imagine life without the violins he
loves so much. Like his father, Vilim has mastered the secrets
of the highly esteemed, old Italian timbre infused in his
instruments. He has patented numerous improvements and
created a nearly ideal instrument. He has devoted a great
deal of his time to the study and research of the art of making
violins. However, like many master violinmakers around the
world, he does not quite know why it is not possible to craft
a violin to recreate the exquisite sound of Amati, Stradivari
or Guarneri. Nonetheless, he tries to ensure that each of his
instruments creates that lovely sound which attracts people
to concert halls and leaves them speechless once they
hear the song of the violins. Violin making demands great
precision and skill, an understanding of the laws and secrets
of acoustics, and a profound knowledge of the materials.
realises that quality instruments are very expensive, he
makes agreements with the children’s parents to lend them
smaller instruments at first, and when they grow up their
parents can buy them a full size violin. Vilim’s great passion
is making smaller versions of “children’s” string instruments
with mathematical precision which have the same exquisite
sound as that of adult instruments.
The maestro, a strong man whose whole life has been
closely tied to music, and who taught violin at a Ljubljana
music school for twenty years, feels that the way musical
knowledge is transferred to children is also an important
element. “Children should practice on quality instruments
in order to develop their talent,” he tells us. Because he
h Magic Hands
35
sinfo april 06
Coffee That
Brightens Your Day
Photo: Katarina Krmelj
Julija Vardjan
History
Ever since we read the renowned Slovenian writer Ivan
Cankar at school, his short story A Cup of Coffee has forever
stayed in our hearts. Whereas Cankar’s short story explores
a mother and son relationship, a cup of real coffee is today
primarily associated with Barcaffé which, according to
most recent surveys, is one of the most recognisable brand
names in Slovenia.
The Barcaffé brand will soon celebrate an anniversary. It
was established on 8 May 1970 by a company called Droga
Portorož which, as well as its predecessor Začimba, had
been roasting and packing coffee since the 1960s. However,
the quality of that coffee mix, as well as its packaging cannot
compare to the later version of Barcaffé. It was because of
rapid ageing and declining aroma, the consequences of
poor packaging, that at the beginning of 1970 it was decided
to import better quality packaging. The latter reduced the
negative influences that air, moisture and light can have on
coffee quality. The coffee, which was now also not just one
individual variety of coffee, but a blend of many, was packed
in 100g containers. The product was named Barcaffé and
was, at least for those days, packed in quite trendy and
eye-catching cardinal red containers.
The colour of the packaging came
about purely by chance. When the
first packaging was being printed, this
colour was selected by mistake. Due
to the extra costs, the packaging was
Although Barcaffé coffee will soon come of age, which
indisputably signifies an end to youth and the beginning
of maturity, this particular brand still possesses youthful
characteristics and is bursting with energy. It is still strong,
reliable and is an invaluable friend to Slovenian coffee
consumers, who appreciate its tradition, quality and local
origin. It remains a coffee for connoisseurs and a perfect
companion while chatting with friends. It is still charismatic
and successful, in fact the most successful of
Slovenian coffee brands, as well as all retail
brands that are available in the shops. Today
Barcaffé is a Slovenian brand with 60 per cent
market share in Slovenia that has also entered
other south-eastern European markets.
sinfo april 06
36
Photo: Droga Archive
not reprinted and has never been changed. This particular
shade of red is still representative of Barcaffé. Consumers
are used to it and it contributes considerably to sales. It has
always been a distinct Barcaffé colour.
cannot take larger amounts of caffeine, but wish to drink a
few cups of coffee a day with a lighter flavour. The Dekofe
coffee line, which contains a maximum of 0.1 per cent of
caffeine, is perfect for coffee drinkers who are intolerant to
caffeine. The Grand coffee line is a blend of higher quality
coffee beans, mainly mountain varieties, and is intended for
coffee connoisseurs. The Aroma coffee line, with the flavour
of hazelnuts, will find fans amongst younger coffee drinkers
who are eager to try something different and indulge their
taste buds by drinking coffee or use it to make cocktails and
different desserts. The latter product is suitable for making
Turkish coffee as the blend is very finely ground. The instant
coffee products, which are sold under the names of Classic,
Gold and Dekofe, are intended for younger consumers with
an active lifestyle. The Cappucino line products are great
for people who feel young at heart and who like quick and
simply prepared delicious drinks. There is a Classical flavour
for those who like the traditional coffee flavour and Chocolate
and Vanilla flavoured coffee for gourmet coffee drinkers.
Foundations
The belief that a product needs to be the best in order to be
successful in the long run has always been the fundamental
drive behind the Barcaffé brand. The quality of products
and packaging, the gradual improvement in roasting
technology, packaging and warehouse storage, have been
the foundations of this brand for decades. Marija Tul, who
managed a team of dedicated colleagues, was the Barcaffé
coffee technologist from the beginning until her retirement
in 2001. The team were in charge of selecting the best
coffee beans from the world’s best coffee varieties from
Central and South America, Africa and Asia. They worked
with the world’s most famous coffee producers, technology
and packaging developers, as well as with manufacturers of
world famous coffee brands. Droga Kolinska (the company
which produces Barcaffé today) coffee technologists are
among those rare people that once a year still travel to the
heart of the coffee plantations to see how the harvest has
turned out. They taste the coffee in the laboratories of the
raw coffee producers. Only afterwards do they order large
amounts of unprocessed coffee beans.
Development
After the establishment of the Barcaffé brand in Droga
Portorož in 1970, three other important lines of products
were offered under the same brand name: a 1kg package of
ground coffee or beans, and coffee in tins. The 1980s were
marked by a crisis in the coffee industry, since it was very
difficult to obtain beans. All the development of coffee brands
in the former Yugoslavia came to a stop. The 1990s were
a golden age since more Barcaffé line products appeared
with coffee blends to suit different tastes, as well as modern
vacuum packaging that prolongs product freshness and
shelf-life. Furthermore, the company’s management at
that time began what proved to be a very successful and
ongoing advertising campaign featuring famous Slovenes;
it helped the brand image, increased sales, and allowed the
company to invest and develop. In the new millennium the
company has already introduced a new product, Barcaffé
Prestige, thus entering the even more competitive market
for hospitality business buyers. In the last two years instant
coffee and Cappuccino have been increasingly successful
lines which offer a variety of quick and easy to make drinks
with trendy flavours.
The Barcaffé brand comprises a variety of coffee blends. The
Classic coffee line is finely ground coffee with a traditional
flavour, intended for preparing Turkish coffee, among
which the traditional Barcaffé coffee in the 1kg package
holds a special place. The Espresso coffee line is intended
for espresso drinkers who like to enjoy their coffee in the
comfort of their own homes. It is more coarsely ground for
making in all kinds of espresso coffee makers, also called
stovetop models. The Filter line aims at people who enjoy
a more bitter taste, and for use in filter coffee machines,
which are popular in Northern Europe and America. The
Light coffee line, semi-decaffeinated, is for people who
Photo: Droga Archive
There are also products available for coffee preparation
with professional coffee machines which are intended for
hospitality businesses.
Whether a cup of coffee tastes good depends not only on
the right coffee blend and the roasting procedure, but also
on the preparation itself, which is an art. The proportion of
water, coffee, sugar and supplements, as well as the quality
of the espresso machine and coffee grinder are all extremely
important. Barcaffé coffee aspires to be liked by any coffee
drinker who drinks it on any occasion, to feel more energetic
and fresh, and in a better mood afterwards. It can be drunk
alone or with friends. Let it brighten up your day, too!
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THISISSLOVENIA
Prekmurska Gibanica
Ingredients:
300 g (10 2/3 oz) flour
200 ml (4/5 cup) oil
salt
150 ml (3/5 cup) water
60 g (2 oz) poppy seeds
250 g (8 4/5 oz) sugar
cinnamon
500 g (17 3/5 oz) cottage cheese
1 egg
500 ml (2 cup) sour cream
80 g (2 3/5 oz) raisins
100 g (3 1/2 oz) ground walnuts
500 g (17 3/5 oz) apples
grated lemon peel
Stir together flour, salt, lukewarm water and two tablespoons of oil to
make dough, then let it rest for an hour. Meanwhile prepare poppy,
cheese, walnut and apple fillings.
To make poppy seed filling, ground poppy seeds, add 50 g (1 4/5 oz)
sugar and cinnamon to taste. For cottage cheese filling mix cottage
cheese, egg, sour cream, raisins and 10 g (2 tsp) sugar. For apple filling
stir together ground walnuts and cinnamon. To make apple filling, first
wash and peel the apples, then grate them. Add 10 g (2 tsp) sugar,
cinnamon to taste and grated lemon peel.
After the dough has rested, roll it thin, let it dry somewhat, and cut it into
sheets the size of the baking tin.
Grease the tin generously, place in the first layer of dough, and
sprinkle it with oil. Spread over poppy seed filling, and cover with
another sheet. Pour over cottage cheese filling, cover with dough,
sprinkle with oil and the mixture of walnuts and cinnamon. Again,
cover with a sheet of dough, grease it and spread over grated
apples. Repeat all these steps and cover the gibanica with dough.
Pour over sour cream and bake at 180°C (350°F) for just over an hour.
Instead of making the rolled dough by yourself, you can buy readymade dough for gibanica. You can also use less fat and sprinkle the
gibanica with oil only immediately before baking. In this case coat every
dough layer with sour cream.
Photo: Tomo Jeseničnik
sinfo april 06
38
THISISSLOVENIA
Kremne
rezine
(Cream and custard pastries)
Ingredients:
2 packets of flaky pastry
2 l (8 cups) milk
8 eggs
300 g (10 1/2 oz) flour
340 g (12 oz) sugar
20 g (4.5 tsp) vanilla sugar
splash of rum
0.5 l (2 cups) whipping cream
Roll out flaky pastry and place it into a baking tin. Bake at 200°C
(390°F) until golden. You need to prepare two such layers. Pour 2 dl
(4/5 cup) cold milk in a bowl and stir in sugar, vanilla sugar, 8 egg
yolks, rum and flour. Whisk egg whites until stiff. Scald the rest of
the milk, pour in the batter and stir until it boils. Turn off the stove
and fold the whisked whites carefully into the mixture. Stirring the
mixture bring it to a boil again. While still hot pour it over one layer
of flaky pastry, and let it cool down well. Then pour over whipped
cream, cover with the second layer of flaky pastry and sprinkle with
icing sugar.
Boiled potatoes with
cottage cheese
Ingredients:
500 g (17 1/2 oz) medium potatoes
250 g (8 3/4 oz) cottage cheese
80 ml (1/3 cup) sour cream
salt
white peppercorns
Scrub unpeeled potatoes and wash them thoroughly, place them
into cold water, boil, and cook slowly about 20 minutes. When done,
halve the potatoes, and put them in a warmed bowl.
Prepare topping by mixing cottage cheese and sour cream. Season
with salt and freshly ground white pepper.
Dandelion salad
Ingredients:
250 g (8 3/4 oz) dandelion greens
80 g (2 4/5 oz) smoked bacon
2 potatoes
2 eggs
vinegar, olive oil
salt, pepper
Cook the potatoes and hard boil the eggs. Cut dandelion greens
into small pieces. Peel and slice potatoes and eggs, and mix with
dandelion greens. Season with salt and pepper.
Chop the bacon and fry it in a pan until crispy. Sprinkle over
dandelion salad, add oil and vinegar, and toss well.
39
sinfo april 06
THISISSLOVENIA
Pam Welsby, England
Despite early success with the language, progressing from
here was hard and I’m still learning. Of course, it’s an easy
excuse that everyone speaks English and they are delighted
to have the chance to practice their English, so it’s very
easy to be a foreigner here and not speak the language.
I’ve also noticed that Slovenes are not very understanding
of foreigners speaking their language anything other than
perfectly. Despite 40 different Slovenian dialects and the fact
that no-one actually speaks grammatically correct Slovene,
they often correct you when you don’t say something ‘exactly’
right and even fail to understand something very simple
because it’s not spoken with exactly the right pronunciation.
Still, practice makes perfect, and I still have a lot of practising
to do.
After five years of living and working here I decided I would
like to make Slovenia a more permanent home. So, I took
the decision to set up my own company and see if it would
be possible to run my own business. My experience and
expertise has always been in Human Resources, Training
and Development, and so I set up my own Training and
Development company, Fast Forward International d.o.o.
Initially I didn’t know if it would be possible to be successful
here as a foreigner, but soon discovered that I had no reason
to worry. Both international and local companies have been
keen to bring our expertise into their organisations, and by
also having a Slovenian trainer we have been able to provide
development programmes in English or Slovene and so offer
the best of the international and local approach combined.
Photo: Personal Archive
I moved to Slovenia almost eleven years ago. At the time I
lived in central England, but am originally from Manchester
in Northern England. I’d made the decision to live outside
the UK and was actively looking for work that might give me
this opportunity. One year earlier I’d visited Slovenia for a
holiday to visit a friend and so when an opportunity came up
to live and work in Slovenia I enthusiastically took it.
I’ve now also bought a house in the middle of the countryside
and I very much enjoy the peacefulness of living out of
the city, the slower pace of life and the more relaxed and
easygoing attitude that definitely leads to a better quality of
life. Despite this, I can be in the city centre in thirty minutes
and so can also easily meet with colleagues or just enjoy the
city life, especially in the summer when it’s so great just to sit
by the river, having a coffee and chatting with friends.
I arrived in April and couldn’t believe how warm it was, like
an English summer. Some of my first impressions were how
beautiful the country was, how friendly and welcoming the
Slovenes were, how amazing it was that in one hour you
could be in the mountains or at the coast or in the lakes or
forests, how cute Ljubljana was – so small and yet so full of
life and energy, what a wonderful lifestyle the Slovenes have
and how impossible it was to understand anything!
In the 11 years that I have lived here, of course I have seen
many changes, as ‘western’ life has made its presence
felt more and more, for better or for worse. The economy
and infrastructure has benefited from money coming into
the country, as shopping becomes a new hobby and more
and more tourists arrive to experience this small gem on
the southern side of the Alps. I hope that Slovenia will also
pay attention to keeping its quality of life and beautiful
environment and that the Slovenes themselves will realise
how lucky they are to live in what really is a small Garden
of Eden.
In our first few months I learnt some conversational Slovene,
enough for shopping and getting myself around. Although
I was quite proud of myself, I was not always successful. I
remember one occasion, thinking I had ordered a quarter of
a kilo of cheese when, after quite some wait, I was presented
with four kilos. I felt too guilty to explain the mistake and so
ate cheese for every meal for the next couple of weeks.
sinfo april 06
40
LETTERFROMABROAD
Peter Verdnik, Luxembourg
area for a set price and without agents resembles a mission
impossible. I was very lucky. I live with my colleagues Urša
and Tamara in a nice apartment in a great area which we
found the second day after we arrived. Because I live in a
shared household I have never felt lonely, which, I am told,
can be a very unpleasant experience at the beginning.
Another potential obstacle one faces on arrival can be a
poor or no knowledge of French. There are three official
languages spoken in Luxembourg i.e. French, German and
Luxembourgish, which evolved from German and is a kind
of a bizarre language mixture of German, Dutch and French.
Although, besides French, English is also a language used
in European institutions, it is easy to find oneself in situations
where one’s co-speaker speaks only French. So it is of
primary importance for anyone like me who does not speak
French to learn it as quickly as possible. And then there are
all sorts of administrative formalities that require a great deal
of patience and good will.
Luxembourg is a small, pretty and picturesque city, which
has not yet been spoiled and is, above all, safe. In contrast
to the neighbouring countries of Belgium, France and
Germany, Luxembourg is almost crime free. Many who have
had the chance to make a brief visit to this town would say
that Luxembourg is a small village, with not much going on. It
is true that it is nothing like any of the world‘s great capitals,
but it is far from being a sleepy city. With the chance to enjoy
concerts at the Philharmonic Hall, theatre performances,
Tuesday Jazz Nights at ‘Liquido’, numerous local events
and festivals, sports activities, exploring Luxembourg’s wine
roads or going for a drink in one of the local pubs, there is
something for everyone. Also, Luxembourg provides a perfect
starting point for weekend trips. For anyone who might miss
the excitement of a big city, Paris, London, Amsterdam and
Brussels are only a stone‘s throw away.
Photo: Personal Archive
At the end of last summer I was preparing to leave my
hometown of Maribor, as the day of moving to a new
and unknown country to start my first ‚serious‘ job was
approaching. What did I expect? Apart from a story here
and there told by my friend Romana, who has been living in
Luxembourg for two years, I knew almost nothing about this
country. Not having the slightest idea what to expect from
the city or the job, or all the new people around me, I left with
no particular expectations in mind. I had decided to take the
challenge without really knowing how long I would be away,
which I still do not; it could be a year or two, or living here
might even take up a larger part of my life.
Do I miss Slovenia? Not really. It might sound strange, but
Luxembourg in some ways reminds me of Maribor. I do crave
Slovenian cuisine, though, and the taste of home-cooked
meals. Since all the restaurants are closed on weekends,
I also miss the comfort of being able to go out for a nice
lunch on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Another thing I
miss is sunshine. It is not at all unusual in winter for the sun
to be invisible for two months because of constant cloud
cover and thick fog, which can be very depressing. But then
again, I am constantly surrounded by Slovenes, at home, at
work, or elsewhere. With only 200 Slovenes currently living
in Luxembourg, we are few and, unfortunately, not very
organised. Yet you can run into us anywhere and we often
meet at cultural events that we organise. So, if you happen
to be in Luxembourg, open your eyes and ears and we will
certainly meet.
Äddi!
I have now lived here for a good seven months, and I must
admit that I love it. I work at the Slovene Translation Unit of
the European Parliament, but apart from saying that I am
extremely pleased with my co-workers, which matters the
most, there is no point in discussing my job here. Still, there is
no such thing as an easy beginning and every newcomer to
the city encounters all sorts of problems. The first is finding
a place to live, which in Luxembourg can easily turn into a
nightmare. Demand is higher than supply, which results in
astronomically high rents. To find a good place in a desired
41
sinfo april 06
PEOPLE
and occasionally still likes to play with his friends.
In the years that followed, Tone became addicted to handball,
a sport he played for fifteen years. Besides playing handball,
he also skied. ‘’Back then, it was possible to actively train
and achieve good results in two sports at the same time. I
was so restless that I simply had to train in order to expend
my energy, which is why I played handball in the summer,
while during winter, I skied,’’ Tone says with a laugh, adding
that he was a member of the Yugoslav Ski Team from 1960
to 1968 i.e. for eight years. He also mentions that things were
very different back then.
Afterwards, turbulent years followed when he served in the
military, enrolled at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
and became a father. Since he somehow had to support
his family, he became a skiing coach. At first he coached
children at Maribor’s Branik club. After Tone successfully
completed grammar school, his parents had expected him
to study medicine or the like and were not particularly happy
when their son decided to study engineering because of his
passion for motorbikes. Already in the first few lectures, he
had learned so much that he was able to repair his old and
useless motorbike by himself.
In 1972 he took over coaching the women’s national ski team,
followed by the men’s team only a year after. Despite working
under harsh conditions and not getting his pay check on
time, his skiers were achieving better results within two
years of his takeover. A real celebration of Tone’s dedication
to work came in the next few years. In 1975 Bojan Križaj won
TONE VOGRINEC, Skiing Legend
A Connoisseur of Life
the European Slalom Championship, and afterwards the only
way was up. It seemed as if the skiing fairy tale had no ending
and Tone Vogrinec became a national hero. ‘’Those were the
dream times, which I am not sure will ever come back,’’ he
remembers with nostalgia. In 1980, Tone stopped coaching
in order to become director of all the alpine disciplines for all
the teams which he had been with for twenty-two years. ‘’It
was a time of constant goodbyes and being away from home,
and so it is not at all surprising that during that period two
of my marriages ended in divorce. What wife would endure
being on her own all the time, raising the kids? For many
years I was absent for three quarters of the year; when it was
less, I called it a holiday,’’ he remembers. He is very proud
to have remained friends with his two former wives and to
have a close relationship with all of his children. Besides his
son Miha, who has already made Tone a grandfather twice,
he has another son, Matija, and a daughter, Nike. With his
third wife, Alenka, whom he married in 1999, he has another
daughter named Lana. He says that having Lana made him
realise what being a father actually means.
Being a passionate golfer, Alenka aroused her all-rounder
husband’s interest in golf. Tone immediately realised that
this sport was perfect for him. When his contract with the
Ski Association of Slovenia ends, Tone is looking forward
to having more time to play golf, since he cannot imagine
sitting idly around.
Tone has been awarded many times for his outstanding
achievements, most recently the Viktor Lifetime Achievement
Award. His work as director of the Slovenian Alpine Skiing
Fund will be taken up by Tone’s protégé, Bojan Križaj.
Andreja Comino, photo: Tomaž Škerget
There are not many people in the world who can say that they
have had as adventurous a life as Tone Vogrinec. Because he
has thrived on life, taking on sporting challenges and other
adventures, he has had an outstanding career in sports
which caps an already eventful life. Other than that, being
very loud, easily approachable and very communicative,
he is a true Styrian.
Even as a young man, Tone Vogrinec was an enthusiastic
sportsman. The family lived near a sports park called Ljudski
vrt in Maribor, so when his parents wanted a little time on
their own, they would take him there. It was there that he
was introduced to many different sports, but he liked tennis
and basketball the best. ‘’I took up playing basketball to
spend time with my friends, who all played; but I was not
tall enough to become a professional basketball player. I
started playing tennis, but that did not work out either. At the
state championship in Subotica I was leading by a lot, but
joked around too much, and consequently lost the match,
which was my own fault,’’ he explains about his sports
beginnings. But Tone has never lost his love for the game,
sinfo april 06
42
S P O R T
Birmingham. In the UK, however, he came fourth in the 200
metres, which is no longer an indoor event. In Moscow, he also
equalled the Slovenian best time, which was his own result
at the 2004 World Indoor Championships in Budapest, when
he finished fifth. On the best-ever list of Slovenian athletics,
this sprinter’s exceptional achievements are only bettered
by three medals, won by Britta Bilač (silver in the women’s
high jump in 1995 in Barcelona), Jolanda Čeplak (silver in
the women’s 800 metres in 2004 in Budapest) and Brigita
Bukovec (bronze in the women’s 60-metre hurdles in 1995 in
Barcelona). Osovnikar’s performance in Moscow prompted
his coach, Albert Šoba, to announce, “From now on, we are
going for the medals. I think that athletes need their goals set
high and must know how to handle the pressures that come
with such aspirations. Three successful performances at the
last three World Indoor Championships prove that Osovnikar
is a good sprinter, with great psychological stability. It is true,
however, that certain top athletes, like the ski jumper Janne
Ahonen, who has not yet succeeded in winning an individual
Olympic medal, do not reach all of their goals. But without
high standards there are no top results,” said Šoba.
The next opportunity for Osovnikar will be the European
Championship in August 2006, in Gothenburg. “We will
dedicate a maximum of two months to preparations before
the start of the summer competition season. Our first entries
are scheduled for the first half of May, but we will devote
everything to the European Championships, and we will
select other competitions accordingly,” explained Šoba, who
is also the national sprint coach. He estimates that Slovenia’s
sprint relay team can achieve good results, as three runners
have reached the World Championship standard (along with
Jan Žumer), so the team would also feature Jože Vrtačič and
Boštjan Fridrih. The 4 x 100 metre relay team is said to be
able to finish in under 39 seconds, which should be enough
to qualify for the finals. Šoba also reckons that the women’s
sprint relay team could very well qualify for the European
Championships.
Last February in Düsseldorf, Osovnikar won the 60 metres
at the Indoor Athletic Meeting. After having clocked a time
of 6.62, he said, “My start was better than in the last few
competitions. I have a good feeling about my form, and I
don’t make mistakes like I used to. Besides, there is strong
competition among the Slovenian sprinters, which motivates
me even further. It’s a shame that only two runners from
our country will be able to participate at the Moscow World
Championships.” He won the 60 metres at the International
Indoor Athletic Meeting in Ljubljana in February, while his
result of 6.62 was only 0.04 seconds behind his personal and
national best.
Photo: Igor Napast
Matic Osovnikar
Last Year’s Best
Slovenian Athlete
Vesna Žarkovič
People like Brigita Bukovec, Jolanda Čeplak, Alenka Bikar
and Matic Osovnikar are extremely important for the benefit
and pride of our nation, for they carry the good name of
Slovenia around the globe. They also help us to gain
international recognition.
Matic Osovnikar (from the “Mass Ljubljana” team), a native
of Škofja Loka, is far from being a newcomer to the world’s
athletic tracks. For some time his international success has
not been merely a matter of momentary inspiration or a
lucky turn of events; resulting from hard work, his success is
now constant. According to his own words, he has reached
the point where he aims only for the medals. And he missed
this goal by only a fraction when he came in fourth in the 60
metre sprint at the 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships
in Athletics in Moscow between 10 and 12 March, 2006. He
clocked the time of 6.58 seconds, equalling the national
leading time, which he achieved two years ago.
In January, he won the 60 metres at the International
Meeting in Ljubljana’s ŽAK Sports Hall, and he also saw off
the competition at the International Indoor Athletic Meeting
in Tampere, Finland in February, when he won the 60 metres
(in 6.73) and the 100 metres (in 10.41). He then said, “I wasn’t
very happy with my running technique, because I run much
better when just training. But I’m getting better with every
competition, and I can expect even faster runs at the
meetings to come.” He added, “This hall is three hundred
metres long and this is where Frankie Fredericks achieved
the best result in the world ever (10.05). Although I have to
admit that a 100 metre run “drags on” longer indoors than
outdoors.”
Osovnikar’s placement in the event in the Russian capital
is reminiscent of the 2003 World Indoor Championships in
43
sinfo april 06
S P O R T
TAEKWONDO FROM SLOVENIA
Luka Šefic
Photo: Primož Lavre
Martial arts have a long and rich tradition in Slovenia. Besides
world-class male and female judo wrestlers, Slovenia also
boasts top athletes in the Korean martial art known as
taekwondo. The number of Slovenian taekwondo enthusiasts
is rising by the year. Generally speaking, taekwondo is divided
into two main organisations: the World Taekwondo Federation
(WTF), which is recognised by the International Olympic
Committee, and the traditional International Taekwon-do
Federation (ITF). The father of taekwondo, the sport which
emphasizes the forms and the aesthetics of technique, was
the Korean general Choi Hong Hi. His followers are joined
under the ITF. The name itself – taekwondo – translates as
‘the way of the feet and the hands’.
come new faces. In the past three years, Tomaž Zakrajšek,
of the Kang Taekwondo Club, has recorded several wins
in the Olympic category (WTF) of up to 78 kg. Recently,
he came fifth among some extremely fierce competition
at the Dutch Open Championship. After three victories
against Iraqi, German and Latvian contestants, he had to
surrender the fight for the medal to the European Champion,
Alonso Rosendo of Spain. The excellent fights of Tomaž
Zakrajšek were complemented by two young and aspiring
competitors: Gregor Pirš, who was third in the last World
Junior Taekwondo Championships, and Aleksander Miljevič,
of the Chagi Taekwondo Club. This was the first time the
eighteen-year old Miljevič had participated in a major senior
competition, so the victory over the Egyptian Ahmed Abdel
Ahman, but also the defeat by the French team member
Cristophe Negrel, provided experience and reassurance for
his future career.
The split between the two taekwondo federations aside,
the first Slovene to have won a medal since the country’s
independence was Tomaž Barada from Maribor, a member
of the International Taekwon-do Federation. In 1991, he won
the World Championship in the weight category of up to 63
kg. The talent of Tomaž Barada for martial arts has also been
demonstrated in kick boxing, where he has also reached the
top. He has won the title of Pro Kickboxing World Champion
no less than five times.
There is also a bright future ahead for women’s taekwondo
for eighteen-year old Slovenian Špela Šinkovec. Throughout
the current season, the former European Junior Champion
has been accumulating experience to help her break into
the world’s top seniors. Towards the end of the month, all
of the young taekwondo fighters will participate at the 9th
World University Taekwondo Championship in Valencia.
In the past few years, Slovenian athletes also had good
results in the Olympic version of taekwondo. Marcel More,
competing in the up to 84 kg weight division, represented
Slovenia in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. After a good
season, More had high hopes for the Olympics, but the
end result at the most important competition of his life was,
regrettably, not up to his standards.
But the main focus of the 2006 season is, of course, the
European Taekwondo Championships in Düsseldorf at
the end of May. The leader of the Slovenian team in the
Championships of the old continent will be coach Vlado
Krnetič, while joining the contestants will be the new
president of the Taekwondo Association of Slovenia, Zlatan
Ranđelović.
Both these athletes have retired from competition and are
now coaching. Life goes on, and with new generations
sinfo april 06
44
S
TINY SEA,
GREAT
SAILORS
P
O
R
T
class regattas. The fairytale continued with Gašper Finčec
in the Finn class and Vasilij Žbogar in the Laser class. It was
Žbogar’s bronze medal in the Athens Olympic Games that
set off a veritable explosion in the popularity of yacht racing
in Slovenia. Encouraged by this excellent result, Gašper
Vinčec, currently the world’s number four in the Finn class,
is already planning ahead and training extensively for the
coming season, but also preparing for the 2008 Beijing
Summer Olympics. It goes without saying that in the period
before the Olympic Games, he will do his best and aim for
top placings in other European and world competitions. In
the past season he made a giant leap ahead when he came
in second in the European Championship, thus climbing
from number fourteen to number four in the International
Sailing Federation (ISAF) ranking.
Luka Šefic
The sunshine, the sea and a pleasant breeze…Slovenian
sailing is again moving at full speed ahead, be it recreational
cruising or racing, whose protagonists are top sailing
competitors. Even though the total length of Slovenia’s coast
is only a little over forty kilometres, this is enough to develop
world-class sailing. The bays of Koper, Izola and Portorož
provide an inviting setting for those who love the sea, the
sun and the wind.
The first days of spring have also drawn recreational sailors
to the sea. The first major regatta took place at the beginning
of April, with the start at Portorož. The ‘Funnavtic 2006’
regatta, which marks the beginning of the racing season for
cruising yachts and racing sailboats, was won by the Veliki
Viharnik (Giant Petrel) sailboat team, led by Dušan Puh, a
skipper from Portorož. Another Slovenian participant in the
competition of fifty-five considerably smaller yachts was the
Amis from Maribor under skipper Uroš Žvan, and the Rosso,
whose team was led by Bruno Antonaco. One of the most
prestigious regattas in Slovenian waters is the Spring Cup,
which took place this year in the middle of April in the Bay
of Izola. Competition was strongest in the Laser class, where
the undisputed champion for the past few years has been
Vasilij Žbogar, a young man who always has a smile on his
face. The recreational sailors will have some more fun on 13
May, when they compete at the Marinada Regatta, organised
by Burin Yachting Club.
For as many as forty years, Janko Kosmina and Mario
Fafangel held the best placement in the history of Slovenian
competitive sailing. In the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics,
they secured eighth place in the Star class. But in the past
few years, carefully planned work and training have yielded
excellent results. The high placing of Vesna Dekleva and
Klara Maučec in the 470 class, and of Tomaž Čopi and Mitja
Margon, have again boosted the Slovenian competitive
sailing spirit. The Dekleva and Maučec team sailed into
second place at the 2004 World Championship. Prior to that,
Čopi and Margon had a string of successful entries in worldPhoto: Uroš Hočevar
45
sinfo april 06
NEXT MONTH
Selected by Anja Otavnik
Cultural events:
20 March – 21 May, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana: Festival of
Argentinian Culture.
5 May, Slovene National Theatre Maribor, Maribor: Attila,
an opera by Giuseppe Verdi; a lyrical drama in three acts.
8 and 9 May, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana: Impressing the
Czar, The Royal Ballet of Flanders. The ballet in three acts
is a thrilling collage of dance forms, conceived by Forsythe
in the course of his brilliant artistic career, and one of the
biggest achievements in post-modern dance.
9 May, Križanke Open Air Theatre, Ljubljana: Lady Salsa,
the first performance of the unique music and dance show
in Slovenia.
11 and 12 May, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana: 8th concert of
the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra.
12 May, Slovene National Theatre Maribor, Maribor:
Hamlet/Machine, by Heiner Müller. A theatre premiere. The
play is a modernist paraphrase of the Shakespeare’s famous
Renaissance tragedy.
18 May, Slovene National Theatre Maribor, Maribor:
Symphonic Orchestra of the SNG Maribor; Conductor: Petr
Vronski.
18 May – 1 June, Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana: Exodos,
International Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts.
30 May – 3 June, Cankarjev dom, Križanke Open Air
Theatre, Ljubljana: Druga godba, 22nd international music
festival.
Young Hopes of
International Dance
Photo: Daniel Novakovič / STA
Sport events:
Polona Prešeren
24 – 30 April, Murska Sobota: Qualifiers for the UEFA
European Women’s U-19 Championship.
29 April – 1 May, Koper: First of May Regatta, international
sailing competition.
5 – 7 May, Koper: May Regatta, international sailing
competition.
6 and 7 May, Izola: IDSF International Open Latin and
Standard, international dance competition.
6 and 7 May, Ljubljana: MM Ilirija ‘06, international swimming
meeting.
21 and 22 May, Ljubljana: City of Ljubljana Cup, international
swimming meeting.
22 – 28 May, Ljubljana: Challenger LJUBLJANA OPEN
2006, international tennis tournament.
22 May, Krško: 502/01 Grand Prix Slovenia, Individual
Speedway World Championship.
23 – 28 May, Lendava: Qualifiers for Youth European
Volleyball Championship.
27 and 28 May, Koper: Croatia v. Slovenia, international
swimming meeting.
27 May, Šempeter pri Celju: Ju-Jitsu, International Cadet
and Youth competition.
Over the Easter Weekend Ljubljana hosted the IDSF World
Youth Latin Championship 2006. Marina Sergeeva and Roman
Kovganov of Russia swept away the competition. Seventytwo dance couples from forty-one countries took part in the
competition. Among them were two Slovenian couples, who
both made it to the semi-finals. Špela and Matej Kralj came in
seventh, while Katsiaryna Mychkova and Urban Aljančič shared
eighth place with Latvian and Polish couples.
The judges were most impressed with the performance by
Sergeeva and Kovganov; second place went to Ekaterina
Vaganova and Gabriele Goffredo of Italy, and third to Nina
Bezzubova and Jevgenijs Suvorovs of Latvia. The most
successful Slovenes were the Kraljs, who came in seventh. ‘’We
did not expect anything from the World Championship. We
wanted to prove that we are also good Latin dancers. Up to
now we have been considered a couple who preferred standard
dances. With Latin dances we need to work on fitness, and learn
how to conserve our energy until the end of the competition.
Anyway, they say we have good technique,’’ the Slovenian pair,
who have a number of performances and competitions ahead
in the coming weeks, told the Slovene Press Agency after the
Championship. Katsiaryna Mychkova and Urban Aljančič were
also pleased with their performance, and with the support of the
home crowd. Eighth place was definitely no disappointment.
Other events:
23 – 28 May, Gospodarsko razstavišče, Ljubljana:
Ljubljana Spring Fair, an event that offers practically
anything from the tiniest sewing needle to an automobile,
food and wine tasting, social and sporting games, music
performances, and shopping.
The Championship was organised by Dance Club Urška, and
sponsored by the Slovene Dancesport Federation and the
City of Ljubljana. The event’s main emphasis may have been
competition, but it offered a chance to enjoy the exquisite
beauty of dance.
sinfo april 06
46
CULTURALTRAILS
St George’s Day (Jurjevo)
Ljubljana
Bela Krajina
Kornelija Ajlec, photo: TIC Črnomelj
The Carinthian Green George was somewhat different. Since
nature in Carinthia is usually not yet completely rejuvenated
and thus not yet green by the end of April, the Carinthian
Green George was covered in hay, while his boy companions
wore horns and carried cowbells.
St George’s Day was once celebrated throughout Slovenia
as well as in Croatia. In Črnomelj in Bela krajina, St George’s
Day was celebrated by Green George being walked in procession, preceded by a few boy companions who blew bark
horns and whistles, while others carried a decorated tree.
This procession was then joined by the rest of the young
people, who shouted and sang the Green George carol. The
Green George ritual in Črnomelj died out in the first half of
the nineteenth century, while the Shepherd’s St George’s
Festival followed soon after World War II.
St George’s Day (Jurjevo), which is still celebrated in Slovenia
every year on 23 April, is an old pre-Christian custom which
announces that springtime has finally arrived.
In the middle of the 1960s it was decided that folk traditions
in Bela krajina should be revived. In 1964 St George’s Folk
Festival, named after St George’s Day, was organised for the
first time. To this day it remains the oldest Slovenian folk festival; here, folk groups from Bela Krajina and the rest of Slovenia and abroad are given the chance to perform. Apart from
music, dance and traditional folk costumes, visitors to the St
George’s Festival can also enjoy home-cooking or browse
for handmade craft products. The festival offers an opportunity to be creative, to take part in sport activities, and party
into the night.
The only sure fact about Saint George is that he was a highranking soldier from Capadocia in Turkey, and that he died a
martyr’s death under Diocletian; the rest is legend.
St George was greatly worshipped in Slovenia, particularly in
the eastern parts of the country, which points to the possibility that he may have replaced an important spring deity with
the responsibility of rejuvenating crops and turning grass
green again, thus enabling cattle to graze. It is therefore understandable that St George’s Day turned into a shepherd’s
festival, and that, according to the folk calendar, it signals the
beginning of spring.
St George’s Day was once one of the most important feast
days, since our ancestors honoured nature revivified in
spring, on which they, as farmers, were greatly dependent.
They believed that Green George (Zeleni Jurij), who is celebrated in verse in all the Slavic nations, revived plants.
Through many centuries ancient beliefs were altered under
the influence of Christianity and gave rise to new customs. A
remnant of former St George rituals throughout the villages
of Bela krajina, which is home to the most famous Green
George, is the Shepherd’s St George’s Festival. Boys would
gather on St George’s Day, and one who was covered in
greenery would represent the Green George. Together they
would walk from one village house to the other, singing the St
George’s carol as a way of asking for donations. If they were
lucky, the lady of the house gave them an egg or two, and by
way of thanking her she was presented with a green sprig.
However, occasionally, boys left empty-handed, in which
case they put an evil spell on that particular household.
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sinfo april 06
photo: STO
CULTURALTRAILS
St George’s Day (Jurjevo)
sinfo april 06