Interview: Niko Grafenauer

ISSN 1854-0805
politicsenvironment
culturebusinesssports
6
June 2007
The Slovenia steel industry
Interview: Niko Grafenauer
Kočevski Rog
sinfo june 07
SLOVENIAINFIGURES
ERASMUS IN&OUT
Ramón Miklus
In 2007, the Erasmus exchange programme is celebrating its
20th anniversary. Launched in June 1987, and named after
the Dutch humanist and theologian Erasmus of Rotterdam
(1466-1536), the Erasmus Programme is intended to encourage mobility among higher education students and teachers,
and to promote trans-national cooperation projects among
universities across Europe. Erasmus is now probably one of
the best-known Community undertakings: over 1.5 million
students have so far benefited from Erasmus grants, and the
European Commission hopes to reach a total of 3 million
by 2012. Students who join the Erasmus programme study
for a period of between 3 months to an academic year in
another European country. The Erasmus Programme guarantees students that the period spent abroad is recognised
by their university, thanks to the European Credit Transfer
and Accumulation System. An important feature of the programme is that students do not pay extra tuition fees to the
university that they attend. Students can also apply for an
Erasmus grant to help cover the additional expense of living
abroad. At present, Erasmus involves all 27 European Union
countries, European Economic Area countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and EU candidate countries, such
as Turkey.
mus students, which shows a growing interest in Slovenia as
a destination for an alternative study experience.
Due to its growing success, the Erasmus Programme in
Slovenia is has received an increasingly bigger budget from
the European Union, rising from €419,980 in 1999/2000 to
€2,848,571 in the 2007/2008 budget.
The universities participating in the Erasmus Programme are
the University of Ljubljana (the leading university in the country, also in terms of the number of Erasmus students, providing 80 per cent of Slovenian outgoing students), the University of Maribor, the University of Primorska, the University of
Nova Gorica, the GEA College of Ljubljana, and the School of
Business and Management in Novo Mesto.
The average period spent abroad by Slovenian students is
six months, whereas foreign Erasmus students spend an average of six months studying in Slovenia.
From 1999 to 2006, the countries most frequently chosen by
Slovenian students were Germany (21%), Austria (12%), Spain
(10%), France (10%) and Italy (9%). A smaller percentage went
to Iceland, Romania, Estonia, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Slovakia
and Bulgaria. Among the 3,356 of Slovenian students so far
involved in the Erasmus programme, 27% have studied economics and business subjects, 16% foreign languages, 11%
social sciences, and 10% law. Technical and scientific faculties have been less involved in the exchange programme.
Erasmus Students in Slovenia
Slovenia joined the Erasmus circuit in the academic year
1999/2000, five years before joining the European Union on
1 May 2004.
Statistics demonstrate that the Erasmus Programme has
been a success in Slovenia, and other EU member states.
The number of Slovenian students who participated in the
Erasmus Programme increased from 173 in the academic
year 1999/2000, to 879 in 2005/2006. The number of foreign
students participating in the Erasmus Programme in Slovenian universities has also increased: whereas in 1999/2000
only 20 European students came to Slovenia, in the academic year 2005/2006 Slovenian universities hosted 396 Eras-
ACADEMIC YEAR
The number of Slovenian students, according to subject areas, participating in the Erasmus Programme in the academic
year 2004/2005 (source: European Commission - Education
and Training)
The foreign students hosted by Slovenian universities have
come mostly from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal,
Austria and Finland, while small numbers of Erasmus students have been from Slovakia, Romania, Norway, Latvia and
Estonia.
99/00
00/01
01/02
02/03
03/04
04/05
05/06
Total
OUTGOING STUDENTS
173
230
364
422
546
742
879
3,356
INCOMING STUDENTS
20
63
112
127
223
378
396
1,319
Number of students involved in the Erasmus Programme in Slovenia (source: Cmepius Slovenia)
sinfo june 07
Editorial: Government Communication Office, Director: Gregor Krajc, Gregorčičeva 25, 1000 Ljubljana, tel. +386 (0) 1 478 2636, fax +386 (0) 1 251 2312, www.ukom.gov.si
Editor-in-Chief: Sabina Popovič, [email protected], Editor: Polona Prešeren, MA, [email protected], Editorial board: Andreja Šonc Simčič, Vesna Žarkovič, Anja Lorenzetti, Nataša Marvin,
Nataša Pavšek, Production editing: Nataša Simsič, Translation: U.T.A. Prevajanje Miha Žličar s.p., Printed by: Tiskarna Pleško d.o.o., Number of copies printed: 3.500
Available also at: http://www.ukom.gov.si/eng/slovenia/publications/sinfo
Sabina Popovič
Golden Narcissi
In Slovenia, the production of steel has a rich tradition spanning
almost four hundred years. At the foothills of the Julian Alps and
the Karavanke range, over Dolenjska and southern Štajerska, our
ancestors melted iron as early as the 14th century. The abundance
of natural resources – deposits of iron ore, vast forests for the
production of charcoal, and water resources for powering
sledgehammers – enabled the bloomeries to thrive. You can
read about the current situation in Slovenian steel industry in this
month’s cover story.
8-13 WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
three years of slovenia in the european family
three slovenian cultural landmarks become european heritage sites
restoration of ljubljana opera house
14-17 INTERVIEW
niko grafenauer
In the interview we introduce Niko Grafenauer, poet, translator,
essayist, writer and long-term editor of Nova revija, a magazine
which has been existed for 25 years, with the issue 300 just being
published.
In Sevnica, a town with fewer than 20,000 inhabitants, the
manufacturing of exclusive lingerie has a long tradition. Lisca, the
leading Slovenian swimwear and lingerie company, has been in
the European market for a number of years, selling fashionable, yet
functional items. In recent years, it has been expanding its range
with collections for special occasions and activities which are
marketed by appropriate advertising campaigns. The employees
are well aware that lingerie has to be exclusive and fit perfectly.
21-24 COVER STORY
The landscape surrounding the town of Kočevje, usually referred
to as Kočevsko, or more accurately, Kočevski Rog is one of the
most preserved natural spots both in Slovenia and Central Europe.
It is a region in the south-west of Slovenia, known primarily for its
abundant forests. Among other things, it boasts well-preserved
protected virgin forests. One of the characteristics of this part of
Slovenia is that Slovenes and Germans lived side by side here for
several centuries.
THE SLOVENIA STEEL INDUSTRY
One of the unforgettable and magic May activities is undoubtedly
hiking to Mt Golica a peak in the western Karavanke mountain
chain, which towers above the town of Jesenice. On Golica’s
slopes, narcissi are in full bloom, while the mountain top offers
exquisite views of the rest of the western Karavanke Mountains,
Julian Alps, and the Austrian Koroška and its capital, Klagenfurt.
26-27 MADE IN SLOVENIA
Lisca
In this issue we also discuss the restoration of the Ljubljana
opera house, which is to finish by 2009, the group Laibach, the
only music group from Slovenia that counts for something in
the contemporary music world, the first Slovenia bobsled team,
which is preparing for the next Olympic Games, and many other
interesting topics.
32-39 THIS IS SLOVENIA
The recovery of the wolf in Slovenia
Kočevski Rog - virgin forests in Slovenia
Enjoy your read.
41-44 SPORT
COMMEMORATING LIBERATION WITH SPORT
DOS-RAS Extreme 2007
ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DIVISION
Medals for judokas from Slovenia
Cover photo: Iztok Hočevar
Government PR and Media Office: www.ukom.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
sinfo june 07
Monthly Report
Andreja Šonc Simčič
Members of the cabinet visited the region of Podravje. Photo: Arsen Perić
Government Visits Podravje Region
After Two Years
by 3.6 per cent, and is decreasing faster than the Slovenian
average. According to Mr Janša, the situation today is very
different from what the government faced on their first visit,
since some sectors are actually experiencing a labour
shortage. He added that economic growth and efforts to
revive traditional economic sectors are the reasons for the
improving social conditions in the region.
Podravje, 10 and 11 April
After two years, the Prime Minister Janez Janša and members
of the cabinet visited the region of Podravje. The main working
conference and other 83 different events and meetings were
held in Maribor Pohorje. The visit was intended to review the
work which had been done, and to see how the promises
and agreements of two years ago had been implemented.
At the conference, the government studied the situation in
the 22 municipalities of the Podravje region, analysed their
potential, and discussed developments and perspectives.
Mr Janša stressed that in the 2004-2006 Financial
Perspective, 591 projects have been co-financed by the
EU, which contributed 16 million euros. Since four times
this amount is available from the same budget within the
2007-2013 FP this year, there will be additional development
opportunities for the region.
According to the PM, the development potential of Podravje,
which statistically ranks seventh among the twelve regions,
is much greater. The region could progress to fourth place by
2013, if advantage is taken of new opportunities, particularly
those arising from the introduction of administrative
provinces. Mr Janša stressed the fact that the region has the
highest number of newly-founded companies, while it has
also seen a substantial increase in tourism over the past two
years. Positive steps have been taken in the employment
sector, and since the PM's last visit, unemployment has fallen
sinfo june 07
Prime Minister Janez Janša and
Business Delegation Visit Greece
Athens, 23 and 24 April
On his official visit to Greece at the end of April, the Prime
Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, stressed
that after 15 years of diplomatic relations, bilateral relations
are excellent. He also expressed the desire to strengthen
economic cooperation, which has been rather modest. Both
Mr Janša and his host, the Prime Minister of Greece, Kostas
Karamanlis, agreed on closer collaboration in the Western
Balkans, touching upon the issue of stability in the region
and the status of Kosovo.
On his visit, Mr Janša was accompanied by a delegation
of over seventy business representatives. With a view to
promoting positive trends and strengthening cooperation,
a business conference was organised on 23 April entitled
Slovenia – Your New Partner in the Eurozone, which was
attended by some 130 Greek business people. The next
Monthly Report
day saw the opening of Slovenian Days in Athens, the
largest business, culture, culinary and tourist promotion of
Slovenia in Greece so far, which continued until 29 April. The
main Greek partner was the Greek-Slovenian Chamber of
Commerce and its representative, Dr Evangelos Tziavos.
In 2006, trade between the two countries amounted to just
under €261 million, an increase of 150 per cent over 2005,
while exports from Greece rose by more than three times
(mainly through oil products) to €202.5 million. Both PMs
progressing according to schedule. Nine months after the
construction was launched officials in charge say the centre
will open on time to host some 150 events.
The three-story building with over 9,000 sq. metres of
meeting areas, including a large conference room and
rooms for bilateral meetings, is being built on the site of a
smaller building that stands adjacent to the Zoisova pristava
which was used to host official luncheons and dinners.
Completion of the centre was initially planned for the end of
September for a test run, but the deadline was put back to 15
October, according to Iztok Purič, the head of the Brdo.
Nevertheless, he insists that the project is running according
to schedule. "At the present pace, the facility will be ready
when necessary." Purič dismissed fears that the centre would
not be ready in time to host some of the events.
Aside from the construction of a new convention centre,
other facilities at Brdo are also receiving a facelift. This is
also on schedule, according to Anže Logar, spokesperson
for the Government Office for European Affairs.
Resistance Day
Rogla nad Zrečami, 27 April
"It is time for Slovenes to grow up, to grow beyond civic
adolescence, which we can still see, and join forces to
take advantage of the great opportunities that fate has
granted to current generations," said the Prime Minister of
the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, at the main state
ceremony commemorating Resistance Day, which was held
at Rogla nad Zrečami. Other politicians who attended the
ceremony included the President of the National Assembly,
France Cukjati, some ministers and MPs.
Before the official ceremony, the heads of various Slovenian
veteran associations placed a wreath on the monument to
the fallen of the Pohorje Battalion on Osankarica.
Labour Day Commemorated with
Bonfires and Celebrations
Kostas Karamanlis and Janez Janša. Photo: Kristina Kosec/Bobo
expressed the need for more balanced trade, with Mr Janša
stressing the interest in strengthening transport connections,
particularly from Koper Port and Ljubljana Airport.
To that end, the foreign minister Dimitrij Rupel and the
economy minister Andrej Vizjak, who were accompanying
the PM, signed three Memoranda: on Hydrography, on
Cooperation in Tourism, and on Collaboration within the
Athens Multinational Sealift Coordination Centre.
Slovenia, 1 May
On May Day, international Labour Day, bonfires were lit
across Slovenia, and numerous events and celebrations
were organised. "Today we can proudly say that our country
is progressing quickly," wrote the Slovenian PM in his
address. According to Mr Janša, the basis of this progress is
the creative work of Slovenian workers and the result of the
efforts of Slovenian pensioners, who often worked in harder
conditions than we know today,
In his address, the President of the National Assembly,
France Cukjati, wrote that building a society of justice and
solidarity continued after Slovenia joined the EU. Gradually,
all executive powers begin to realise that the purpose of
economic success is to improve the life of all, employers,
workers and job-seekers.
People in almost every bigger village erected May poles and
lit bonfires. This tradition was also observed by the villagers
of Boštanj pri Sevnici, where representatives of the
Brdo Conference Centre on Time for
EU Presidency
Brdo pri Kranju, 28 April
The construction of a new conference centre at the Brdo pri
Kranju diplomatic protocol complex which is to host all main
events during Slovenia's presidency over the EU next year is
sinfo june 07
Monthly Report
A separate study by the Slovenian Institute of Macroeconomic
Analysis and Development (IMAD) estimated the effect of
the changeover on inflation at 0.24 percentage points, the
report points out.
The Commission furthermore established that a two-week
dual circulation period is sufficient, provided that the
changeover is well and timely prepared.
In some aspects, the return of legacy cash, for example,
Slovenia even performed better than when the euro was
introduced in 2002, thereby minimising costs and burdens
on businesses, the report says. "Slovenia's adoption of
the euro was a swift and smooth affair. This once more
underlines the importance of early and careful preparations
and of timely information and communication on the euro,"
European Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner
Joaquin Almunia said.
Constituent Meeting of the Committee
on Status and Legal Issues Affecting
Slovenian Minorities in Neighbouring
Countries
Ljubljana, 7 May
Bonfires were lit across Slovenia on Labour Day. Photo: Primož Lavre
The Committee on Status and Legal Issues Affecting
Slovenian Minorities in Neighbouring Countries held its
constituent meeting. It is part of the Council for Slovenes
Abroad, and was attended by Prime Minister Janez Janša.
The Committee agreed to draw up a detailed analysis of the
status of Slovenian minorities in neighbouring countries and
their organisations.
Participants at the meeting also discussed possible new
proposals from the Austrian government, and the political
situation in Austrian Carinthia, which is an important factor in
resolving the said issue. "Because of the active involvement
of minority organisations and the stronger position of
Slovenia in the international community, the recent period
has seen more willingness to resolve this issue," said the PM
with optimism, adding that an agreement had been reached
Surveying and Mapping Authority established at midnight
that the bonfire in the middle of the field was the biggest in
the world, measuring 44.44 metres, which should put it in the
Guinness World Records.
Brussels: Slovenia's Changeover to
Euro a Clear Success
Brussels, 4 May
On Friday the European Commission presented its report on
the euro changeover in Slovenia, labelling it a clear success,
which in certain aspects even surpassed the performance
of the countries that adopted the euro in 2002. The big-bang
approach works and can be a valuable example to other
continues still to adopt the shared currency, the Commission
says. It adds that the Slovenian experience illustrated once
more that perception, expectation and reality with respect to
price evolutions do not "necessarily go together". While there
were concerns about price increases and some unusual
rises did indeed occur, such fears were largely unjustified,
the report says.
Slovenia's example confirmed that a change of currency
affects people's scales of values and requires a mental
adjustment process that is only gradual.
The report, adopted four months after the introduction of the
euro in Slovenia, says that inflation remains broadly stable,
although the prices of some goods and services have
increased. Based on preliminary information reported by the
Slovenian Statistics Office, Eurostat puts the total impact of
the changeover on consumer price inflation during and after
the changeover period at 0.3 percentage points, which is
similar to the experience of the first-wave changeover.
sinfo june 07
The Committee agreed to draw up an analysis of the status of
Slovene minorities in neighbouring countries. Photo: Nebojša Tejić
Monthly Report
Prime Minister Janez Janša Attends
the 10th SEECP Meeting in Zagreb
on adopting a uniform position with regard to possible new
solutions for tackling this issue. According to Mr Janša, a
solution which is acceptable to both Slovenia and the
Slovenian minority in Austrian Carinthia entails Austria
meeting its international and constitutional obligations
towards the Slovenian minority, given that this commitment
has been reaffirmed on several occasions through decisions
of the Constitutional Court of Austria. "The Council for
Slovenes Abroad and its three committees are bodies which
include representatives of Slovenian umbrella organisations
in the neighbouring countries, of the government, and of the
Office for Slovenes Abroad. In this way, we will reach solutions
through joint efforts and ensure continuity, thus preventing
this issue from being addressed only occasionally," said the
PM.
Zagreb, 10 and 11 May
Following a special invitation by the Prime Minister of the
Republic of Croatia, Ivo Sanader, the Prime Minister of the
Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, attended the Meeting
of Heads of State and Government of the South East
European Co-operation Process (SEECP) on 10 and 11 May
in Zagreb. The Republic of Croatia, which holds the current
Chairmanship-in-Office of the SEECP, also invited senior
EU officials and heads of state and government of donor
countries to the meeting.
Europe Day Celebrated in Slovenia
Slovenia, 9 May
Slovenia celebrated Europe Day: in the centre of the capital,
there were stalls with promotional material and brochures on
the EU, a "European boat" decorated with logos of the EU and
Janez Janša attended the SEECP meeting in Zagreb. Photo: Bobo
The meeting in Zagreb approved a revised scheme of
regional cooperation in South East Europe, which is the
result of the states in the region having increased their
influence on processes of Euro-Atlantic integration. Under
the auspices of the SEECP, tasks which have hitherto been
the domain of the Regional Table of the Stability Pact for
South-Eastern Europe, will gradually be transferred to the
newly-established Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).
Slovenia, which has been among the most active members
of the Stability Pact, supports reform of regional cooperation,
and has also announced that it will make a donation to the
newly-established RCC.
Mr Janša's participation at the SEECP meeting in Zagreb is a
confirmation of Slovenia's long-standing focus on South East
Europe, particularly in the light of its EU presidency in the
first half of 2008, when Slovenia - in collaboration with the
next SEECP presiding country, Bulgaria - intends to put due
emphasis on the inaugural meeting of the Regional Council
for Cooperation in February.
Europe Day was celebrated across Slovenia. Photo: Nebojša Tejić
the 50th anniversary plied the Ljubljanica River, and at the
ŠKIS market, exchange students presented their countries
– Sweden, Greece, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Lithuania,
Poland and Turkey. In the evening there were magnificent
fireworks.
Touring the EU member states, the "Diversity Truck" visited
Maribor. It is part of the EU campaign For Diversity. Against
Discrimination. During its visit, there was a whole-day event
with diverse information, educational and entertaining
programme. Europe Day was also commemorated at the
square shared by the towns of Nova Gorica and Gorizia,
where the main ceremony celebrating Slovenia's membership
in the EU was held three years ago. The local authorities
organised a ceremony entitled "At the border...music!" ("Na
meji...glasba! - Sul confine...musica!"), which included a host
of Slovenian and Italian musicians.
sinfo june 07
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
Three years of Slovenia
in the European family:
achievements and future challenges
Andreja Šonc Simčič, photo: Uroš Hočevar
It was on 1 May three years ago that Slovenia joined the EU,
becoming a part of the great internal European market that
is clearing a path for the free movement of goods, services,
persons and capital. On 1 January this year Slovenia was the
first of the new member states to introduce the common
European currency, the euro. At the end of this year Slovenia
is to become a member of the Schengen area. In the first
half of 2008 one of the greater challenges ahead is the
presidency of the European Union.
favourable, which means that accession to the EU is a story
of economic success. Reality has shown that the frequent
fear of losing a significant number of jobs, which could
potentially be endangered by being subjected to greater
competition in the common market, was unfounded. The
Slovenian economy has proved to be resilient and that it can
continue to be successful in the future."
Slovenia will be the first among the new member countries
to undertake the half-year term of the EU presidency. The
preparations began at the end of 2005. Certain priority
tasks are already known, such as enlargement or the
Western Balkans, energy, the implementation of the Lisbon
Strategy, intercultural dialogue and possibly the European
constitution or the institutional reform of the EU. Apart from
the substantive preparations, logistical preparations for
the presidency are also taking place, especially in Brdo pri
Kranju, where the new conference centre will be the venue for
most of the meetings that are to take place in Slovenia in the
first half of 2008. Immediately prior to the commencement
of the presidency Slovenia will also become a member of
the Schengen Area, which means that systematic border
controls on the borders with the neighbouring EU members
(Italy, Austria and Hungary) will be abolished. Simultaneously
the Schengen border control will be put into effect on the
border with Croatia. At the end of this year only land and sea
border checks will be abolished. At the end of March 2008
the Schengen regime will also come into effect at airports.
On 1 May 2004 Slovenia became a member of the European
Union. The nine other countries that joined the EU in the
same year were Malta, Cyprus, Slovakia, Poland, the Czech
Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. This year
the EU was joined by two more countries: Bulgaria and
Romania.
With regard to this three-year period the Slovenian Prime
Minister, Janez Janša, pointed out two important advances
Slovenia has made in this time: "One of them is membership
of the European Monetary Union, or the smooth adoption of
the euro. Everyone has recognised that the adoption of the
euro was carried out better than in most of the old member
states which adopted the euro in the first wave. Moreover,
the fact that Slovenia, being a new member country, was
offered the EU presidency for next year also demonstrates a
special acknowledgement. The key factor in evaluating the
success of Slovenia within the EU is the question of whether
this step has influenced our capacity to ensure the widest
possible welfare of citizens. And the answer is yes."
By entering the Eurozone and the Schengen Area, Slovenia
will become one of the most tightly linked EU member
states. Nevertheless, in some of the older EU member
states Slovenes seeking work still face restrictions. Fifteen
of the primary member states have the right to enforce
restrictions on job-seekers for a period of up to seven years
after their home country's accession to the EU. On 1 May
the Netherlands also abolished these restrictions. Slovenes
currently face restrictions in only France, Germany, Belgium,
Austria, Denmark and Luxembourg.
Prior to joining the European integration process there was
fear among the general population that the country would be
hurt by the fierce competition with the economies of other
member countries, but this did not occur. Igor Masten of the
Faculty of Economics in Ljubljana states that the state of the
economy in Slovenia has been very good since accession
to the EU. "We have achieved a state of economic growth
and macro-economic stability. The growth is incredibly big,
and the projections show that it will continue to be similarly
sinfo june 07
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
Three Slovenian Cultural Landmarks
Become European Heritage Sites
Jože Osterman, photo: Katarina Krmelj
A relatively recent project of the
European Union set to further
unite member states in a common
environment with cultural heritage is
becoming a reality. A special board
based in Madrid is controlling and
shaping this initiative. In the first year of
its existence, the Board has considered
many proposals for the European
Heritage label, which has been granted
to certain sites in Bulgaria, Cyprus,
France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia,
Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia,
Germany and Spain, as the above
countries were perhaps most efficient
in drawing up their proposals. A cultural
monument thus labelled should meet
certain criteria: particular emphasis is
given to the trans-national dimension
which is intended to encourage a
sense of European identity. Also of
great importance is the constant
international promotion of the landmark
and its inclusion in international
programmes. The maintenance of the
landmark remains the responsibility
of the state, while the European
label undoubtedly makes it more
recognisable internationally, helps with
its promotion and, as a consequence,
increases visitor numbers.
the ridged surroundings. The European
Heritage Board explained its decision
by stressing the church’s artistic value
and the fact that it conveys a message
of peace, forgiveness and the necessity
of coexistence, which stems from the
cooperation of soldiers from diverse
national and religious backgrounds.
Another European Heritage landmark
is the partisan hospital named Bolnica
Franja, after Dr Franja Bojc Bidovec. The
Board explains its decision by stating
that the site is a symbol of humanity, as
the hospital, operational between 1943
and 1945, was built to heal wounded
partisan soldiers who were bravely
fighting the German occupation forces
in the Littoral and parts of Carniola.
The partisans would never abandon
their wounded comrades to fall into the
hands of the enemy or consider leaving
their recovery to chance. In spite of
enormous logistical difficulties, they
built hidden facilities which provided
the wounded soldiers with good
chances for recovery with the help of
the men and women doctors who had
exchanged the safety of regular jobs for
a dangerous life among the partisans,
which could even have cost them their
lives. The Franja was the best organised
of partisan hospitals and was the most
successful in terms of soldiers making
a recovery there.
The third monument is the complex
of buildings at the entrance to Žale,
Ljubljana’s main cemetery. It was
built between 1939 and 1941 to the
designs of the famous Slovenian
architect Jože Plečnik. The complex
consists of a monumental gateway, an
administration building, and fourteen
chapels where coffins and urns are
placed before burial. The chapels are
named after saints and correspond to
Ljubljana’s parish churches. According
to the European Heritage Board, the
monuments convey an exceptional
respect for the dead, as the architect
drew inspiration from one of the core
notions of European cultural traditions
– an affinity for the dead. Plečnik’s
architecture expresses equal respect
for all deceased people, as each and
every one enters their final resting place
underneath the same arch, underlining
their equality at the end of their earthly
existence.
European Heritage sites are marked
by a special unified logo design. The
board has chosen the combination of a
stylised architectural arch and a yellow
star, which symbolise the connection
between Europe and the EU. These
are complemented by the inscription
‘European Heritage’.
In March, three Slovenian sites
became part of the European Heritage
framework. The first is the wonderful
memorial church of the Holy Spirit
at Javorca nad Tolminom, along the
WWI battlefront on the River Soča.
The church, designed by the architect
Remigius Geyling of Vienna, was built
in 1916 by soldiers fighting for Austria to
commemorate their brothers-in-arms
killed in battle. They spent a long time
choosing the right location, one invisible
to their opponents. So the tiny church
was erected in the midst of a wild
mountain landscape accessible only
via steep mountain trails. The visitors
are charmed by its calm and almost
otherworldly beauty accentuated by
Žale, Ljubljana’s main cemetery.
sinfo june 07
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
Restoration of Ljubljana Opera House
audiences of Ljubljana. The seating plan (which seats 600
people), theatre boxes and the overall décor will remain
unchanged. Likewise, the exterior of the Opera House will not
be visibly altered and the building will remain a characteristic
site in this part of central Ljubljana. The restoration work
is focused primarily on the improvement of technical and
rehearsal facilities, and will require the rebuilding of the rear
sections of the theatre which are not visible from any of the
surrounding streets.
Ljubljana Opera House stands in the centre of the town. Many
of its typical architectural elements are reminiscent of the
late 19th century theatres built in other regional capitals all
across the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. But for decades,
the imposing façade has concealed a different reality: a
stage dilapidated to the point of being almost unusable, a
completely outdated air-conditioning and heating system,
as well as derelict foundations. Such conditions have long
been unsuitable for the largest opera and ballet company in
Slovenia. The Ljubljana Opera House, which was designed by
the architects Hrasky and Hruby and is one of the country’s
most important neoclassical buildings, is undergoing
complete restoration. The restoration, which is set to be
completed in 2009, will not only rectify the current deficiencies
and weaknesses of the building materials arising from the
theatre’s existence and constant use for over one hundred
years, but will also result in major improvements of conditions
for those who work in the Opera House and its public.
The stage area in particular will undergo important alterations.
First, its surface area will be enlarged considerably – it
will almost double in size – and the ceiling will be raised.
Improvements will be made to the pit and the loading galleries,
making the stage suitable for the ever more popular largescale opera performances. Also, enlarging the stage area
was a necessity due to the fact that in the past few years,
the Slovene National Theatre’s Opera and Ballet Company
has been cooperating and making exchanges with national
opera companies from other countries: the theatre has been
hosting a growing number of guest performances, which
required a considerably larger stage than the one available.
The need for urgent restoration of the Opera House was
recognised as far back as 1970, but despite numerous
investments in the maintenance of other venues for cultural
events, the building was not scheduled for major work for
another twenty years. It was only when a special law on the
funding of cultural buildings was passed that the Opera
House was entered on the selected buildings list. This was
followed by the 1998 public architectural tender, won by the
architects Jurij Kobe and Marjan Zupanc, who proposed
several variants up to September 2000; in January 2001,
they submitted definitive plans for the restoration project.
Following relatively lengthy procedures caused by a fair
number of complications – the preparation of the required
documentation was delayed for almost two years, the reason
being the need to cut a protected tree standing next to the
theatre – a building permit was issued in November 2006,
allowing for the start of work, which is currently in its initial
phase.
All visitor areas will remain within the existing building with its
authentic theatre atmosphere. Certain spaces for gatherings,
such as a foyer, are missing from the original building due
to lack of funds when the theatre was first built. Now, these
will be added beneath the stalls area. Apart from the main
entrance to the Opera House, two additional pavilions will
provide access to the underground foyer from the streets
on either side of the theatre. On the underground foyer level,
other facilities will be available, such as wardrobes, a ticket
booth and a shop selling audio and video materials, as well
as a theatre restaurant, which will be a welcome addition to
the vibrant character of this part of Ljubljana.
As for the costs - up to the second restoration phase (which
does not include the necessary equipment) the cost is
estimated at 21.7 million euros, which is by far Slovenia’s
largest investment in culture-related projects for the period
2007-2010.
It is not planned to modify the auditorium itself, as it is
sufficiently large and meets the requirements of the opera
sinfo june 07
Jože Osterman, photo: Primož Lavre
10
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
Laibach and the Eurovision Song Contest
Ičo Vidmar, photo: Ivan Matošič
verses from others, most readily, at moments of inner turmoil.
Anthems are arche-pop songs, the home of monumental
catchwords – land, freedom, sacrifice, people, nation.
May, we like to say, is the month of youth. This year in May,
two completely different musical events have coincided.
The first is a European musical “spring of nations” which has
been going on for half a century already – some sort of
Olympic Games of countries competing at the Eurovision
Song Contest. The second is a rather rare event for Slovenia
and its capital for the last 25 years – a concert by the music
group Laibach in Ljubljana. At first sight, there is no special
connection between the two. But appearances can be
deceptive.
Whoever witnessed the early performances of the group from
the coal mining town of Trbovlje in the 1980s can perceive,
in the new Laibach performance the old dramaturgical
structure with the recurring elements, the combining of
spectacle and music. Only the most faithful followers discern
the variations from one album to the next. From the early
stagings of totalitarian rituals with the radical politicisation of
art, which was the cause of offence to and conflicts with the
authorities, to the thematic leaps after the fall of the Berlin
Wall, Laibach has been performing the “same thing” even if
the subject they deal with is Capital or NATO. In Slovenia, it
has gradually become a musical product taken for granted.
It was never pleasing, although the gloomy drummers were
replaced by attractive girls. Also abroad, in the world of
(un)popular music, it gained audiences and conquered new
territory. This can be seen in the film documentary by Sašo
Podgoršek about their USA tour in 2004 – Divided States of
America.
The only music group from Slovenia that counts for something
in the contemporary music world placed, on their latest,
much talked about album Volk (German for people or nation,
as Fichte fatally promoted it in his Addresses to the German
Nation in 1808; in Slovene meaning a bloodthirsty beast that
devours Red Riding Hoods or lambs grazing on the grass),
the adaptations of national anthems of former and current
imperial powers. Laibach’s gesture is an a completely
different intervention than the biggest international singing
competition. It shows that the field of popular culture is
far from the conception of “neutral fun” and that, in it, a
subversive, creative artistic intervention with the use of the
same means is possible.
Through the dialogue between Laibach’s master’s voice and
a soft woman’s voice, the concert performances of national
anthems on Volk (Old German, French, American, Russian,
Turkish, Chinese, “Panslavic Slovania”) break the seemingly
homogenous time line where national affects intensify into
one voice. They also rely on the brilliantly conceived video
and graphic projection.
The Eurovision Song Contest is a historically unimportant
event which, except for the Swedish group Abba in 1974, has
not left anything lasting on the music scene. The Eurovision
Song Contest produced parallel trans-national audiences.
National anthems are the most widespread, but also more
monumental and unbearable examples of how national
states are presented musically, on the outside, and how
they musically homogenise their people, Volk, on the inside.
From their historical beginnings, they have been unbearably
monotonous. They are exact look-alikes, regardless of
whether they are based on a folk song, religious tune or
march. Numerous states have borrowed the melodies and
The offered solution in the form of the trans-national
anthem of the utopian NSK state is a promise of nothing
but groans, sweat and tears. Laibach’s “Eurovision” is the
current description of musical geography and the history
of the conquering and subjected nations of the world. Also
of how the two like to change roles when lambs turn into
bloodthirsty wolves.
11
sinfo june 07
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
Slovenian
The International Forum Bobsleigh Team
on Pension Reform
Ana Frangež, Center of Excellence in Finance
The Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF) announces the
International Forum on Pension Reform: Exploring the Link to
Labour and Financial Market Reforms that will take place from
7 to 9 June, 2007 in Hotel Golf, Bled, Slovenia. The Forum is an
initiative of CEF and will be delivered in close cooperation with
Robert Holzmann1 of the World Bank, and Slovenian experts
from the Slovenian Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and
Development, the Ministry of Finance, and the Bank of Slovenia.
Representatives from the ministries of finance, ministries of
labour and social affairs, macroeconomic institutes, central
banks, and universities from the CEF member countries2 and
new EU accession countries will attend the Forum.
Pension reform is an issue at the centre of public debate
in many countries around the world right now. Given the
importance of its social and macroeconomic implications,
it confronts policy makers, practitioners and academia with
challenging questions.
The diverse reform needs of pension systems in aging
societies require parallel reforms of labour and financial
markets. Faced by an ever aging population, countries have
to reform pension systems to promote longer working, and
labour markets to ensure that people can actually do so.
At the same time the working population, including young
people, should be motivated to start contributing to the
pension scheme. Diversifying the great spectrum of risks
in a multi-pillar pension scheme with compulsory and/or
voluntary pillars could be the answer that would also allow
more flexibility in individual retirement decisions. However, to
do so on a major scale requires a well-developed financial
market.
To compensate or to complement reduced public pension
benefits requires longer work or higher individual savings for
retirement. To make saving worthwhile for individuals, the net
rates of return from retirement saving products have to be
sufficiently high and with an acceptable risk profile. While
countries in the region have made crucial efforts to prepare
or implement funded pensions on a mandatory or voluntary
basis, the net returns still have room for improvement. To
accommodate a sustained retirement savings effort on a
larger scale will require the further strengthening of financial
market development, including new savings products and
improved regulation and supervision.
The Forum will open with a debate between the Ministers of
Finance, Ministers of Labour/Social Affairs and Central Bank
Governors from CEF member countries who have been invited
to actively participate at the Forum. The Forum is expected
to make a significant contribution to discussions on pension
reform and promises to range beyond the boundaries of the
region. The Centre is expecting close to 130 participants and
more than 20 speakers.
The Forum is organised back-to back with the CEF Supervisory
Board Meeting. Members of the CEF Supervisory Board are
ministers of finance and central bank governors from SEE
countries who meet once a year to discuss issues related to
public finance reforms in the region and the contribution of
the CEF to these processes.
The CEF was founded in 2001 within the framework of
the Stability Pact for South East Europe by the Slovenian
Government as a joint initiative of the Ministries of Finance in
the countries of the region. Its primary mandate is to address
the urgent need for capacity building in public finance
management in the countries of South East Europe. For more
information about the CEF, please visit www.cef-see.org.
•
•
Preparations for the
Coming Olympics Already
Under Way
Andraž Pöschl, photo: Slovenian Bobsleigh Federation
According to the popular tourist slogan, Slovenia is the
country on the 'sunny side of the Alps', with a rich winter
sports tradition. Alpine and cross-country skiing, ice hockey
and climbing snow-clad mountains are second nature to
Slovenes. That said, the nation never really warmed up to the
sport dubbed ‘the Formula One of winter sports’ – bobsleigh
racing. Therefore, the story of Slovenian sportsmen deciding
to tackle man-made iced tracks is interesting not only
because it provided this nation of winter sports enthusiasts
with another occasion to prove its worth, but also because it
proves that sports really know no boundaries.
A few years ago, the now 30-year-old athlete and coach Matej
Juhart accepted the invitation of Ivan Šola, former Croatian
motorbike racer, who was keen to put together a four-man
bobsleigh team. Since Juhart is quite tall and a bit heavier
than most sprinters, he was perfectly suited to be one of the
crew’s pushers, whose job it is to reach maximum speeds
on the initial, approximately 50-metre section of the track.
The respect went both ways. Matej Juhart claims that “Mr
Šola even went as far as to sell his house to purchase a fourman bobsleigh to compete at the Salt Lake City Olympics
ten years ago. A great deal of self-motivation, good will and
considerable personal investments were also required from
the team.” Juhart accepted the challenge and the team
achieved notable results at their very first competition – a
World Cup race in Calgary, Canada. “We were there treated
like the famous Jamaican team: nobody paid any special
attention to us. But after the first official practice run, when
we clocked in at thirteenth place, we earned instant respect.
It is only when others see you as potential competition
that they start to show some respect for you.” It should be
noted that the Croats, and before that the Jamaicans, are
not the only exotic participants in the sport. Prince Albert of
Monaco is a bobsleigh pilot himself, and major bobsleigh
competitions have seen the participation of teams from
Puerto Rico, Japan…and Brazil, a country which is usually
associated with sea, sand, water sports and football.
1 Robert Holzmann is Director of the Social Protection Department of the Human
Development Network of the World Bank and author of 20 books and over 100
articles on social, fiscal, and financial policy issues.
2 Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bolgaria, Croatia, Macedonija, Moldova,
Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, and Serbia.
sinfo june 07
12
WHAT MAKES THE NEWS
The ‘I Feel Slobob’ Campaign
The mutual respect with the Croats led Matej Juhart to
turn over a new page. Given that the combined CroatianSlovenian bobsleigh team was so successful, why not give
it a try on our own? After all, there are quite a few strong
and fast athletes in this country, who thrive on a good
adrenaline rush. They started out with a two-man bobsleigh,
which is the usual first step according to international
standards. Because, in the words of Matej Juhart, the newly
elected President of the Slovenian Bobsleigh Federation,
all competitors must compete for two or three years in this
category in order to gain the necessary experience. “First
of all, we have to master the technical aspects of racing
at this level. We still have a long way to go in the two-man
sleigh, which is some 200 kilograms lighter, a metre shorter,
slower and more easily manageable. The other reason for
our decision is naturally purely financial. Currently, we do not
have enough money to buy a two-man bobsleigh, let alone
a four-man.” The price of a two-man bobsleigh might come
a slight shock to those who think that it is no more than a
cheap plastic shell with some cast iron parts: it varies from
30,000 to 70,000 euros depending on whether the sleigh is
bought second-hand or new. A single descent on the track,
the nearest ones being at Innsbruck, Austria and Königsee,
Germany, sets our lads back at approximately 50 euros.
This is why the enthusiastic young crew did not think twice
when they had to devote a lot of their free time to presenting
their intentions and aspirations to the Slovenian public. They
organised a project named ‘I Feel Slobob’, which consisted
of several presentations in the shopping centres of major
Slovenian towns and at the national ski-jumping extravaganza
at Planica, where they displayed a real bobsleigh, which
incidentally, was borrowed from the Croats for the current
season. Those who approached the sleigh and contributed
from five to twenty euros to support the development of the
Slovenian bobsleigh team, were asked to smile at a camera.
They left the shopping centre knowing that their face would
be one of the four thousand photo portraits in a collage
adorning the top of the composite body of the very first real
Slovenian bobsleigh. This campaign raised a third of the
funds they need to buy a used bobsleigh.
finish line, there should be no braking. It is a feeling which
requires experience. At the start, Anže Šetina, the crew’s
driver, applies a massive thrust on the exterior handle, runs
as fast as he can and is the first to jump into the body of the
bobsleigh. “The pilot holds two handlebars with which he
steers the sleigh. In the corners, it is essential to successfully
follow the curve, the radius, and it all happens very fast. The
corners are extremely short, and cannot be compared to the
situation on the road, where the corners intended for such
speeds are at least two to three times longer. Danger is an
integral part of the sport, and maximum concentration when
tackling corners is essential. If the driver gets confused for a
moment, he can still fix it. But if he makes one mistake after
another, the bob quickly reaches the point of overturning.”
In the 2007 inaugural season, the Slovenian bobsleigh team
will consist of pilots David Urankar, Damjan Zlatnar and Anže
Šetina, and brakemen Matjaž Lazar and Uroš Stegel. The
athletes were selected on the basis of psychophysical tests,
and they all took part in training organised by the International
Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation in Innsbruck. The coaches
present commended our crews’ explosive starts. Both crews
also exceeded expectations when, at the first European Cup
event, they were 40th and 52nd, respectively.
That said, it should be noted that there are very few such
accidents, especially if one takes into account the number
of practice runs and competitions. Let us hope that it stays
that way in the future and that the Slovenian team will soon
qualify for the world’s elite with good results. On 27 March
2007, the Slovenian Bobsleigh Federation was admitted
to the Olympic Committee of Slovenia. Everyone involved
sees this as an important step towards new successes. In
the 2007/2008 season, the team will take part in European
Cup races, but they are already thinking further ahead – to
Canada, where the city of Vancouver will host the XXI Winter
Olympic Games.
When asked about how they feel sitting when they are all
squeezed inside the sleigh’s rigid body and speeding down
an iced track at 140 kilometres per hour, the Slovenian lads
just shrug their shoulders and smile. Well, it is adrenaline
- what can you say? It defies simple explanation. The forces
the crew experience can exceed 5G, the domain of jet
fighter pilots. One more thing: until the sleigh slides over the
13
sinfo june 07
INTERVIEW
Niko Grafenauer
Nova revija magazine a vital critical mind and
culture workshop
Vesna Žarkovič, photo: Primož Lavre
sinfo june 07
14
interview
Niko Grafenauer (poet, translator, essayist, writer
and editor): Even though the Contributions to
the Slovenian National Programme in the issue
57 of the Nova revija magazine represented an
act of intellectual dissidence to the Yugoslav
political arena of the time, the issue experienced
a political destiny for which it seems to have
been fated, given the important role the magazine
played in the showdown between the old and
young communists within the communist party. If
this had not been the case, the party would have
shut down the issue before it had even gone to
press. Also, the outcome of this showdown would
determine the fate of the magazine, editors and
contributors.
subversive. It was clear that the political occurrences in
Yugoslavia had long since ceased to be a political practice
based on a communist ideology and had become nothing
more than a pragmatic power struggle between various
party factions, in which the faction that could adapt
better to current conditions and make better use of social
developments to further its political causes would prevail.
Issue 57 came at exactly the right time to carry out the task
within the described political struggle that gave the Slovenian
"nation-centric" party nomenclature the edge over the rigid
centralists. Not to imply that this nomenclature bore any
intention towards Slovenian independence. It was entirely
fixed within the Yugoslav mind-frame, primarily attempting
to secure as high a level of federal autonomy as possible.
And what was going on at the time?
… taking the role of a scapegoat suffering wave after wave
of political criticism and condemnation in the name of
Yugoslav internationalism.
Issue 57 was merely a culmination. Nova revija unintentionally
and against its own will supported the same communist
faction that was, as opposed to the centralists, well aware
of the disintegration processes within the Yugoslav Party
and even successfully furthered them with the so-called
"alternative within the party" organised by the former ZSMS
(League of the Socialists Youth of Slovenia). The slogans
about Euro-communism, socialism with a human face and
stepping-down from power fall under the same heading.
None of the contributors imagined that the words they
were writing could bring about anything worse than the risk
any imagined utopia carries with it. In the monastic party
system these words were quickly condemned as politically
This is true. The issue received the entirely unfounded
reputation of a Slovenian pendant to the Serbian
Memorandum, even though in this case the issue was a
reflection on exiting the Yugoslav crisis with regard to the
vital interests and the historical perspective of Slovenes – an
instatement and defence of those extensions of Slovenian
national existence that were threatened by the attempted
changes in the federal constitution. We need only remember
the infamous "common nuclei" of the education system. On
the contrary, the Memorandum of Serbian Academics was
all about a hegemonic programme for Greater Serbia. The
contributions were thus above all else an act of resistance
against Serbian hegemony in the guise of Yugoslav unity.
15
sinfo june 07
interview
One of the consequences of the Party's witch
hunt aimed against Nova revija was the
establishment of an opposition that began
demanding a radical change of the existing
regime with ever growing vigour.
Civil social developments, such as the forming
of new political parties and various political
leagues soon followed. Issue 57 was an
indicator of the undercurrents within society.
The 3,500 copies were sold immediately,
under the counter. Once it was sold out, the
magazine was photocopied. Later, in the
independent Slovenia, we cooperated as
best we could in all areas. During the war we
established a special headquarters which was
in charge of notifying the world public of the
course of events – the post office immediately
laid down 5 telephone and two fax lines. We
established relations with world authorities
of various political persuasions. For example
– Milan Kundera wrote a commentary about
our independence efforts in Le Monde
magazine. Once emancipation was achieved,
there were some who suggested that the
magazine be abolished, stating that the
goal had been achieved and that we could
now go our separate ways, but I said that it
was now more important than ever that we
apply ourselves now and remain a part of the
political arena, since our experience enabled
us to constructively influence public opinion
and the democratic process in many ways.
In the 1980s Nova revija published authors
from all over Yugoslavia that had no means
of getting published locally. Usually they were
former prisoners and we were interested
mainly in their court cases. The basis for issue
57 was a result of thoroughgoing debate that
took place in Mrak restaurant with Dobrica
Čosić and his circle. We were observing the
state of the country. We clearly communicated
to the Serbs that their actions were leading
towards the dissolution of Yugoslavia. And,
as you can see, this is exactly what they are
facing now; Serbia is about to be reduced to
what was once the Pashaluk of Belgrade.
When issue 57 came out, it caused an
uproar throughout Yugoslavia. The federal
prosecutor Miloš Batić immediately prepared
four bills of indictment against four authors:
Jože Pučnik, Ivan Urbančič, Tine Hribar and
France Bučar. The federal administration was
already loose at the bolts at the time and so
the Slovenian authority evaded the pressure
of the state prosecutor through the republic's
prosecutor's circumventing of the demand.
Issue 57 was a testing ground, enabling the
Slovenian leadership to see how far they
could go in relation to the party leadership.
There was nothing else they could do but
rely on their autonomy or they would have
been blown away and the party would have
strengthened the Greater Serbia interests
within a monolithic party structure.
sinfo june 07
16
interview
Issue 57 was certainly the one that brought about the first
serious confrontation with the communist authorities, a
break in the history of the magazine dating back to 1980.
What was the birth of Nova revija like?
striving towards a differentiation of thought and politics. The
Nova revija Club is also working intensely towards this goal,
stirring the democratisation process in the first transitional
period through public debates and speeches.
I took the position of editor fifteen years ago. Now, after 25
years' worth of publications, I am relinquishing my position. It
is somebody else's turn. Five years ago we started publishing
Ampak as a supplement. It is a separate magazine with a
different image that branched out on its own and has a more
matter of fact approach to social phenomena. To achieve
maximum results the commentaries by Slovenian authors
are complemented with translations from the foreign press.
I was chief editor of both publications for three years. We
have also founded the Nova revija Club, which has hosted a
great number of foreign and domestic guest lecturers. It has
had quite an important role, organising several exhibitions,
literary readings and discussions, and until 2000 was
occupied intensively with organising discussion nights.
In the context of the regular publishing of the magazine
we have also put out special thematic issues. Recently
we also founded an institute of Nova revija – The Institute
of Humanities – a place of gathering for people who are
expressing themselves through research and are reviving
the dieing humanities as science. For the future I am
planning to further the independent publishing house
of Nova revija, which is going to evolve into an important
publishing house. Ampak is a magazine of critical thinking
which looks into events in Slovenia, and strives to follow
processes within the globalisation trend of the EU and retain
its own image and intellectual identity. We are certain that
without critical thinking and self-reflection there is no real
intellectual criterion by means of which this kind of writing
can be regulated.
It was difficult. We took the initiative in 1980, but two dramatic
years passed before the first issue was published. At that
time we did not confront the political authorities (The League
of Communists and the Socialist League) as much as we
were confronting Marxist centres, colleagues from other
magazines and media that were in those days more some sort
of a mouthpiece of the state. We put together a declaration
appealing to key representatives of the leadership that went
on to be signed by 60 cultural workers. There was great
opposition to our magazine since it was the only one of its
kind in Slovenia at the time. Many negativist opinions were
voiced as well. In 1982, when the first issue actually came
out, we had to check whether any of the published poems
could be construed as offending Tito's good name.
At the beginning we were developing very critical views on
the crisis in Yugoslavia. We published a great many articles
that were not in keeping with the party's guidelines. Even then
we were trying to promote the types of social movement in
Slovenia that would lead to a greater autonomy of individuals
within society, and towards a greater freedom of choice.
Nova revija never presumed to have any sort of prophetic
role, but it always critically followed political developments
in Slovenia and Yugoslavia.
The 25th anniversary was one of the factors that gave
occasion for this interview. The 300th issue, which has just
been published, is dedicated to Jože Pučnik, Rudi Šeligo
and Dane Zajc who are no longer with us, particularly
focusing on European integration.
What are your views on the "now"?
History marks them as specific and morally sound figures
that did not shy away from critically examining the current
events they encountered in society. Pučnik, like the thinking
man and sociologist he was, quickly realised how stupid and
evil the consequences of the party's ideological violence
were.
I have mixed emotions as far as the present is concerned.
It seems to me that, as far as politics goes, the social arena
is not politically differentiated enough; there is too great a
tendency to divide among two blocks, which is not the way
to go. In politics a synergic connection with critical distance
must always be present. More and more it seems that
everyone is gravitating towards the centre. We are probably
going to have to wait a little bit longer before things clear
up more, especially as far as programmes go. The EU is
bringing with it specifics that define our political conduct
as well. I view the introduction of the euro as a step in the
right direction. Our justice system seems to fall far behind
compared to Europe. It just cannot break away from its
backward ways. It is going to great pains to conform more
to European standards, but somehow fails. I also see a great
problem in the social deprivation of some classes, especially
youth, who are exposed to pressures that should be legally
regulated.
Entrepreneurs should not be allowed to treat the youth in any
way they see fit and crown themselves absolute monarchs
over them. I am also openly sceptical about the conditions in
the sphere of culture and university level education; there is
great resistance to the new law. I am bothered by the amount
of corruption, spiritual, economic and political, encountered
during the so-called transition. European civilisation is in a
state of spiritual and moral crisis and in we should critically
examine ourselves. Critical intellectuals, and I deem myself
one, are here to constantly stress the deficiencies of the
state of the spirit.
How do you see the magazine now?
It still in many ways questions the relationships between
culture, society and politics as a whole, because it is not
possible to treat them separately. It endeavours to follow
the philosophical, scientific and other intellectual currents of
world thought with a critical approach. This is why we have
been and still are publishing a variety of thematic sections
on ideology and transcendence, the state of mind in modern
times, on Slovenes and Europe, politics and morality,
universalism and individualism, language and identity, the
sacred and the truth of being, national consciousness
and nationalism, innovative aesthetics, Church and state,
national culture and globalisation, media society, cybernetic
civilisation etc. We focus both on the issues pertaining to our
national position and the interests of Slovenes with regard to
the cultural dimension, and the social, political and identity
context.
The magazine has always published contributions by many
foreign authors. All this time the magazine has been bringing
together editors and contributors, thus maintaining a dynamic
and intellectual diversity, which ensured that the magazine
could never become a stereotypical publication. We are
17
sinfo june 07
BUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESS
PETRA SOVDAT,
Business Daily Finance
Logistics companies having a ball at
stock exchange
NKBM. Photo: Primož Lavre
Privatisation of Second Largest
Slovenian Bank Announced
In mid-May, the Minister of Finance
Andrej Bajuk revealed the details of
a privatisation programme approved
by the government. Slovenia's second
largest bank, Nova kreditna banka
Maribor (NKBM) is to be privatised in
two stages. First, a 49 per cent share
will be offered, and the sale of the
remainder carried out later. "In the first
stage, we will offer the said share at
road shows to institutional investors,
and later also to private investors,"
said Bajuk, adding that the government
would not limit the size of the share
each investor could acquire. In the long
run, the state will retain its 25 per cent
plus one share stake in NKBM. The
finance minister also stressed that the
government wants NKBM to become
a good bank, appreciated by clients,
and to maximise the synergies arising
from its connection with Poštna banka
Slovenije.
group drawing up the privatisation
programme, the government decided
to drop its original plan to sell one fifth
of NKBM to a key investor.
As to Slovenia's largest bank, Nova
Ljubljanska banka (NLB), no changes
in the ownership structure are likely.
The government remains adamant:
"We are not selling the over 50 per
cent share of Slovenia's largest bank
to foreigners," stressed Bajuk. The
second largest single owner of NLB is
the Belgian KBC Bank and Insurance
Group, which threatened last year to
withdraw from ownership when the
Janša cabinet refused to honour an
oral agreement between KCB and the
previous government on raising the
company's share in NLB. The Belgian
investors have so far not acted on their
threat.
Shares to be listed before the end of
the year
The government estimates that NKBM
shares could be sold at 2.5 times
their book value. The first stage of
privatisation, during which the bank
will be integrated into a banking and
insurance pillar, could be finished by the
end of November. According to Bajuk,
the formation of the pillar, consisting
of three insurance companies, Maribor
Insurance Company, Tilia and the
Reinsurance Company Sava Limited, is
expected to be completed in eighteen
months. At the proposal of the expert
sinfo june 07
Luka Koper. Photo: Primož Lavre
18
In May, prices on the Ljubljana Stock
Exchange (LJSE) rose as they have not
done in a long time. Having recorded
nearly 89 per cent growth, this year's
star of the LJSE is Luka Koper (listed
as LKPG), in which the state has the
majority stake. The port is one of the
state-owned firms from which the
government does not plan to withdraw,
in line with a policy adopted last year.
The growth is linked to speculation
on the sale of Luka Koper's 24.9 per
cent share in another Koper-based
logistics company Intereuropa. The
putative buyer is Schenker, a German
logistics company and a subsidiary
of Deutsche Bahn (DB). Although
officially denied, there is a rumour
that transport minister Janez Božič
and finance minister Andrej Bajuk
have discussed the sale with German
representatives. Both ministers have
officially met the management of DB
on at least three occasions. In addition
to selling Intereuropa to Schenker,
there are several other projects on
the horizon. Allegedly, Luka Koper is to
form a public-private partnership with
DB and the government to construct
a second railway connection between
Koper and Divača; and there are also
rumours of a concession being granted
to DB to restore and manage the route
connecting Koper and the Karawanken
Tunnel via Ljubljana, and possibly the
Ljubljana-Šentilj route. However, the
most important aspect of the deal
BUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESS
would be DB getting the concession
to build the third pier at Luka Koper.
Unofficial sources also claim that
ministers Božič and Bajuk will conclude
negotiations on the alliance between
DB and Intereuropa, and between Luka
Koper and the railways by the end of
the year. At this point we should also
add that, since the beginning of this
year, Intereuropa's share price has
risen by over 61 per cent.
French company Gefco aiming to
secure car deals in Slovenia
Recently, two global transport and
logistics companies entered the
Slovenian market. At the end of
February, the French company Gefco
opened a subsidiary in Slovenia. Part of
the Peugeot Citroën Group, the French
corporation is counting on business
opportunities with cars shipped from
Turkey. "We have established the
company in Koper, from where we
plan to expand our business activities
throughout Central Europe," say
Gefco's representatives. The company
has 22 subsidiaries in 80 countries. As
of the end of 2006, it employed nearly
ten thousand people and generated
€3.2 billion in revenues. The second
global player in the Slovenian market is
the Swiss logistics giant Kuehne+Nagel,
which has purchased Cenšped, a
Koper-based company. As of the end
of last year, Kuehne+Nagel had over 46
thousand employees and generated
CFH18.2 billion (over €11 billion) in
revenues. The arrival of these two
transport and logistics corporations in
Slovenia promises fiercer competition,
so domestic companies, according to
experts, will have to seek alliances with
one of these two giants.
Igor Bavčar. Photo: Leon Vidic
disposed towards both CEO’s. It should
be recalled that in 2005, these two
companies bought from the stateowned funds KAD and SOD what
analysts claimed were cheap stakes
in Slovenia's largest retailer Mercator.
The new owners also orchestrated the
replacement of the Mercator board,
headed by Zoran Janković, now Mayor
of Ljubljana, who did not support Janša.
Istrabenz and Pivovarna Laško now
control some 62 per cent of Mercator;
but despite the coordinated purchase
(same time, same price and same
conditions) they have still not made a
takeover bid. In Slovenia, the threshold
for a takeover bid is 25 per cent.
Istrabenz to own Droga Kolinska with
Serbian management
On 21 May, the shareholders meeting of
Slovenia's largest food company, Droga
Kolinska, will decide whether or not to
exclude minority shareholders from
the company. The outcome is more
or less clear, as in April, after making
a takeover bid, Istrabenz increased its
stake from 62 to 91 per cent.
On 11 April, CEO Robert Ferko resigned,
quoting disagreement with Igor Bavčar.
With him, the company's leading
financial manager Marko Jazbec also
quit. Under Ferko, the integration of two
food companies, Droga from Izola and
Kolinska from Ljubljana, was successful.
He was replaced by Slobodan
Vučićević, a former executive director
of the Droga Kolinska Group for SouthEast Europe, and director-general of the
Serbia-based company Grand Prom,
which he had sold to Droga Kolinska
for €45 million two years before. He will
be assisted by Milena Štular, a former
director of Unilever Slovenia.
Consolidation of government-friendly
companies continues
In terms of share price rises this year,
the Koper-based financial holding
company Istrabenz, headed by Igor
Bavčar, and the beverage and financial
holding company Pivovarna Laško
headed by Boško Šrot, are also stars of
the LJSE, having recorded 78 per cent
and 63 per cent growth, respectively.
The growth is related to expectations
of management buyouts in both
companies, for which the boards have
been preparing intensively for the last
two years. Through friendly companies,
Bavčar has control of approximately 65
per cent of Istrabenz's capital, while
Šrot controls at least 41 per cent.
The Janša cabinet is favourably
Droga Kolinska. Photo: Arsen Perić
19
sinfo june 07
BUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESSBUSINESS
Peter Ješovnik to attract foreign
investment from now on
On 10 May, the government relieved
Franc Hoffmann of his duties as Director
of the Public Agency of the Republic
of Slovenia for Entrepreneurship and
Foreign Investments (JAPTI). He had
headed the agency since February
2006, and handed in his statement of
resignation on 25 April. The Ministry
of the Economy has also reviewed
JAPTI's system of internal auditing,
which was aimed at examining the
agency's general operations. The final
review report states that there are
discrepancies between JAPTI's legal
basis for regulating the organisation
of work, employment legislation
and occupational safety, and the
implementation of the agency's internal
rules. It also includes recommendations
that these discrepancies be eliminated
as soon as possible in accordance
with the recommendations. After the
agency's board had examined the
report, it instructed the agency to write
a response and submit it to the board.
The government has appointed Peter
Ješovnik, formerly a deputy director at
the Government Office for European
Affairs, Acting Director of JAPTI until a
new director is appointed, but with a
maximum tenure of six months.
KD financial holding company looking
for a strategic partner
The KD financial holding company, the
largest mutual fund asset management
company in Slovenia, and owner of
Brnik. Photo: Arsen Perić
Group, Matjaž Gantar, is said to have
discussed the issue with some global
players, as well as some major EU
companies; however, it is not yet known
when further steps will be taken.
Matjaž Gantar, who has always been
openly right-wing, caused some
bewilderment in May, when he
resigned from the Strategic Council for
Economic Development. Prime Minister
Janša commented on his decision by
saying that some business people had
obviously expected too much from the
Council. Last year, Ganter was also open
about his interest in NLB and Abanka,
but failed to win the government's
consent. His idea of merging AS and
Vzajemna, Slovenia's largest mutual
insurance company, also fell through.
We should also mention that in 2004,
when new tax legislation unfavourable
to large capital owners was introduced,
he transferred his wealth to the
Netherlands Antilles.
Zmago Skobir new President of
Aerodrom Ljubljana
Matjaž Gantar. Photo: Arsen Perić
Slovenia's second largest insurance
company, Adriatic Slovenica (AS), and
one third of a smaller bank Deželna
banka Slovenije, is looking for a foreign
strategic partner. The head of KD
sinfo june 07
On 25 April, the supervisory board
of Aerodrom Ljubljana (AELG) as
expected appointed Zmago Skobir,
a management board member, the
new CEO. Skobir, who will replace the
veteran Vinko Može, takes up his post
on 5 July. Može was one of the few
remaining managers not replaced by
the government after the elections
in 2004. Members of the supervisory
board expect Skobir to continue Može's
2015 airport development strategy,
which they approved in March.
20
From Helsinki direct to Ljubljana
As of 10 May, a tenth scheduled carrier
starts operations at Ljubljana airport
(the airport is also cooperating with 11
charter airlines). Finnair will connect
Slovenia not only with Scandinavia and
the Baltic, but also with the Far East, as
it is the third largest airline operating
between Europe and Asia.
Inflation up, unemployment down
In April, as in March, consumer prices
in Slovenia grew relatively steeply; in
comparison to the previous month, by
1.1 per cent. The high monthly price
growth affected annual price growth,
which increased by 2.6 per cent, while
average annual price growth has not
changed from 2.5 per cent for the
last three months. In April, average
annual inflation as measured by the
harmonised index of consumer prices,
which is used to compare price growth
throughout the EU, was 2.9 per cent, an
increase on March. April inflation was
caused by the higher prices of both
goods (1.4 per cent on average) and
services (0.3 per cent).
At the end of April, 72,573 unemployed
persons were registered with the
Employment Service of Slovenia. In
comparison to March, unemployment
fell by 2.2 per cent, and in comparison
to April 2006 by 19.4 per cent. The
average number of people registered
with the Employment Service in the first
four months of 2007 was 76,107, which
is 17.9 per cent lower than in the same
period last year.
COVERSTORY
Photo: Arsen Perić
The Slovenia steel industry one of the pillars
of the high-tech society
Dr Željko Warga
"Vertical integration is the key to the development of the
company in the future, because the SIJ, regardless of its
position with regard to market niches in global trends, is
very sensitive to the fluctuation of prices of raw materials,
and energy and other products. The goals of and reasons
for the privatisation are mainly to strengthen the efficiency
and competitiveness of the Slovenian steel industry by
establishing an appropriate ownership structure, achieving
the best acquisition price, and also withdrawing the state
from the economy. Eight interested parties responded to the
international tender, of which three submitted binding bids.
The key criteria governing the decision of the tender
committee were willingness to undertake additional
At the beginning of March, the Government sold
a 55.35 per cent state share in the Slovenian Steel
Group (SIJ) to the Russian corporation Koks for
105 million euros or 190.73 euros per share, thus
taking a great step in the withdrawal of the state
from the economy and providing the SIJ with a
responsible owner. The SIJ also benefited from
the fact that the government connected it with
a company whose primary activity is the recovery
of raw materials for the steel industry, thereby
establishing vertical integration and contributing
to the SIJ's competitiveness in the future.
21
sinfo june 07
COVERSTORY
investments, guarantees given to retain employees or
increase the number of employees by creating new jobs,
maintaining the business functions of the SIJ and the
scope of production, the contents of the business plan, the
expansion of the market, and the purchase price. In the
end, the bid made by the Russian company Koks was by
far the best. The share's value was estimated between 99.81
and 191.64 euros, with appraisers setting 137.25 euros as the
most likely price. The committee negotiated a price of 190.73
euros per share, which is just below the highest estimated
value," said the Minister of the Economy, Andrej Vizjak. "The
acquisition price is relatively high, which proves that it was
worth reorganising Slovenia's iron industry. The government
did the right thing," commented Mr Vizjak.
Koks and SIJ groups are complementary
and are not in competition
The buyer disclosed an ambitious investment plan, even
more ambitious than that adopted by the SIJ's supervisory
board. Koks plans to earmark about 250 million euros for
investment in SIJ in the next three years: just under 75 million
euros in 2007, 116 million euros in 2008, and just under 58
million euros in 2009.
Acroni. Photo: Roman Šipič
Koks and SIJ groups are complementary and are not
in competition. According to SIJ, the selection of Koks
is the best guarantee for the realisation of the strategic
development plans by 2012. Mr Šimonka believes that with
the entry of private capital the company will be ensured
of a big investment cycle, which is imperative for reaching
competitiveness and stable growth more easily and faster.
The number of employees (over 4,000) will remain the
same in the next three years. Slovenia will also retain a preemptive right in the next ten years, and dividends will not
be paid in the next three years, with profits being invested
in the development of the company. "We are very satisfied
with the selection of the Koks joint-stock company, and the
negotiated guarantees and other provisions in the purchase
agreement," said Tibor Šimonka, the Chairman of the
Managing Board of Slovenian Steel Group.
Koks group is a consortium of fifteen technologically
connected industrial companies in the fields of coke and
chemical production, coal mining, coal preparation and
the production of iron and non-metal materials. Most of the
companies are located in Siberia, in the Urals region and
in central Russia. In 2005 the Koks group generated 133.11
million euros net profit, while 2006 net profit is estimated
at 171.31 million euros and revenue at 1.69 billion euros. The
Industrial Metallurgical Holding Management Company,
parent company of Koks, is one of the 40 biggest Russian
companies.
Acroni – a European and world leader
On 13 March, exactly twenty years had passed since the
first batch of steel was produced in the new steel company
at Jesenice. The company Acroni, the successor to the
former Jesenice ironworks, produced almost five tonnes
of steel, enough to build 686 Eiffel towers, in twenty years.
The company now expects that the new Russian owner will
retain the current system of business operations. That the
investment into steelworks twenty years ago was a prudent
one can be seen today, when Acroni is one of the leading
European and world niche producers of top-quality steel
products. In the 1980s, the construction of a new factory was
quite extraordinary, as the global steel market was facing
many changes and steelworks were being closed across
Europe and the world. However, the management managed
to persuade the authorities to approve the project, which
facilitated the further development of the iron and steel
industry in the upper Gorenjska region.
Tibor Šimonka. Photo: Nebojša Tejić
sinfo june 07
22
COVERSTORY
numbers: the company manufactured almost 362,000 tonnes
of slabs, sold 296,000 tones of final products worth 363
million euros, and generated more than 13.3 million euros in
net profit. Added value per employee was 43,500 euros.
According to Dr Vasilij Prešeren, former general manager
of Acroni and one of this year's winners of the Chamber of
Commerce and Industry awards, this year will again see a
record high. Based on positive trends in the first two months
of this year, the company estimates more than 500 million
euros of turnover and about 20 million euros of net profit.
Acroni has been investing significantly in developing knowhow, technology, equipment and environment projects. In
the last five years, more than 100 million euros have been
spent on these investments, while in the next five years,
also with the help of the new majority owner, the Russian
giant Koks, another 250 million euros are to be poured into
modernisation of technology and environment projects.
The steel works prove that we are able to and know how to
continue the tradition of the iron industry.
SIJ – the Slovenian Steel Group
SIJ – the Slovenian Steel Group actively participates in
transforming heavy industry into one of the pillars of hightech society. The group consists of fourteen companies
which successfully operate home and abroad, as they export
as much as 70 per cent of their products. Acroni and Metal
Ravne manufacture flat steel and long steel products, while
Ravne Knives is produces high-quality industrial knives.
Slovenian Steel Group also includes Elektrode Jesenice,
The investment was groundbreaking, as the second plant
included the most sophisticated melting shop for producing
stainless steel, introducing an original technology for steel
making. In twenty years, 4,800,000 tonnes of steel have been
produced. Acroni has become the third biggest stainlesssteel producer in Europe. Last year was marked by peak
Photo: Domen Grögl
23
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COVERSTORY
Photo: Domen Grögl
two companies that employ disabled workers – SUZ and
ZIP Center Ravne – and Serpa Ravne, a subsidiary of
Metal Ravne, which mainly focuses on providing services.
Companies abroad include Acroni Italy, Acroni Deutschland,
Iuenna Stahl Pliberk, and Kopa International New York, and
three inactive companies.
nineteenth century. The crisis in the iron industry led to the
merging of iron plants. New technological developments in
metallurgic science around the world led to the first steel
furnaces and rolling mills being built in Slovenia.
Between the Wars, Slovenia accounted for two thirds of
Yugoslavia's steel production. The end of the World War II
brought major developments through active investment in
modern technology. The need for a joint presence in foreign
markets and for the division and specialisation of production
resulted in the founding of the United Company of Slovenian
Steelworks after a workers' referendum in 1969. Four years
later the company took over four manufacturing companies
(Veriga Lesce, Plamen Kropa, Žična Celje and Tovil Ljubljana)
and renamed itself the Slovenian Steelworks United
Company. In 1978 it was again restructured as a Slovenian
Steelworks SOZD (acronym for "complex organisations of
associated labour").
The group has abundant experience and a rich tradition.
The know-how and expertise in manufacturing steel is best
reflected in the high-quality production of high-grade steels.
Numerous certificates, including ISO 9000 and ISO 9001,
and certificates from Renault, Audi, Peugeot and Fiat, prove
that Slovenian steels are among the best in the world. The
Slovenian Steel Group is a company with sustained growth
and a clear vision of the future, whose objective is not to
blindly follow global trends, but to actively participate in their
invention and creation, strengthening the Slovenian economy
with quality and expertise in the steel-working industry
The company went through the processes of restructuring
and renaming three more times: in 1990 into Slovenian
Ironworks Ltd, in 2005 into Slovenian Ironworks Plc, and
this year into the Slovenian Steel Group Plc. Slovenia's
independence in 1991 caused a great crisis in the Slovenian
iron industry. Because of the loss of traditional markets and
lack of readiness to face international competition the future
of the country's steelmaking did not look bright. Therefore,
in 1991 and 1992, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia
began a re-organisational and restructuring programme
for the Slovenian steel industry, to be implemented in three
stages: nationalisation, reorganisation and privatisation. By
nationalising the company in 1991, the Republic of Slovenia
became sole owner of the Slovenian Ironworks.
History of the iron industry in Slovenia
– a rich tradition
In Slovenia, the production of steel has a rich tradition
spanning almost four hundred years. At the foothills of the
Julian Alps and the Karavanke range, over Dolenjska and
southern Štajerska, our ancestors melted iron as early as the
14th century. The abundance of natural resources – deposits
of iron ore, vast forests for the production of charcoal, and
water resources for powering sledgehammers – enabled the
bloomeries to thrive. Due to their uncompetitiveness, smaller
bloomeries began closing down in the second half of the
sinfo june 07
24
COVERSTORYVIEWPOINT
Coal Community, consisting of six initial members, which later
formed the European Economic Community, the predecessor
of the modern-day EU, this objective was pursued even more
efficiently. The founders were well aware of the necessity of
cooperation in the field of energy – coal, as was the case five
decades ago – and in the field of strategic materials, steel
being one, as it enables and drives forward the development
of new materials.
The European Union pursues the positive goals of the
Community, as it maintains an innovative approach in the
field of steel by promoting scientific research work at national
universities and institutes. It is thus able to follow up and adapt
to marginal conditions related to globalisation, while at the
same time looking for its own strategic solutions to facilitate
the competitiveness of national producers of steel, which is
the basic material for the development of other branches of
the economy, including state-of-the art technological solutions
within the framework of sustainable development.
Faced with globalisation, steelmakers have devised new
marginal conditions for strategic development, which can be
divided into several fields:
•
Combining departments within companies and better
use of own know-how for greater efficiency and a broader
scope of business activities
•
Investing in activities with strong growth potential
•
Goal-oriented development of product niches where
emphasis is placed on the knowledge required for
successful operation. This is related to close cooperation
with universities and institutes, customers and suppliers
of equipment and support materials
•
Cooperation between producers of raw materials and
steel companies, particularly those specialising in costlier
alloy elements: for company owners, direct sales of alloy
steel are more effective in terms of business results
•
Companies trading in steel and other metals have started
making direct investments in steelmaking companies
Photo: Primož Lavre
Dr Jakob Lamut,
Institute of metals and technology
For centuries, steel has been crucial to economic development,
and remains an innovative construction material offering
many new possibilities. New materials are important pillars of
economic development and are essential for the development
and manufacture of new products. Steel would not be possible
without iron, as this element is the main ingredient of steel.
During the production process, various alloying elements
are added to the iron, thus achieving mechanical and other
properties which make steel a material offering an ever
growing number of diverse uses for innovative constructors.
In the past few decades, the steel industry in Slovenia
underwent characteristic phases of restructuring the
production of steel. The use of Slovenian know-how and
experience allowed for the making of special steel alloys,
thereby creating the necessary conditions for the functioning
of niches. Cooperation has been established with educational
and research institutions, focusing on basic and applied
research, as well as with the suppliers of raw materials and
customers. Studies have also been made on the industry’s
relationship with the social environment, etc.
The importance of steel on an international or even global
scale is further boosted by the fact that the so-called BRIC
countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) consider it crucial
for their rapid economic development. Before the recent
accessions of new members to the EU, old member states
were concerned about potentially excessive quantities of
steel which some thought could arise from the additional
production capacities of new EU countries. And although
steel production has increased following the enlargement of
the EU, so has the demand for steel; and thus far, there are no
signs as to when the market might become saturated.
The development of the steel industry operates on both
global and regional levels. On a regional level, basic and
applied scientific research continues to be done by locally
trained experts. Great emphasis is placed on international
cooperation in research work and on mobility of students,
especially post-graduates (second and third cycles in the
Bologna process). This provides the necessary conditions
for development as set out in the objectives of the Lisbon
Strategy.
In the second half of the twentieth century, the steel industry
entered a restructuring process: steel giants were looking
for synergies within their companies in an attempt to merge
with them. Energy inefficient and environmentally unfriendly
technologies were being abandoned, replaced by more
efficient technologies in terms of productivity and quality,
which were also more environmentally friendly and ensured
better occupational safety, etc. The steel industry has always
played an important role for the economy and development
of Europe. With the foundation of the European Steel and
As for the global tendencies of the development of steelmaking
with a high concentration of production in a single society, it
is too early to tell how this situation will affect the formation
of top experts in individual countries. It may well affect the
development of post-graduate level education and research.
However, the prerequisite for the latter is state-of the-art
research equipment, necessary for developing new materials
for sustainable development.
25
sinfo june 07
Lisca
Underwear Fashion
J.P., photo: Lisca Archives
They say that clothes make the person.
While anyone can comment on our
outer clothes, underwear is seen only
by people we are intimate with, and
our harshest critic, ourselves. It is for
this reason that it needs to be carefully
selected and made. Lisca, the leading
Slovenian swimwear and lingerie
company, is very well aware of this. The
company, which prides itself with a long
tradition of making exclusive lingerie,
was named after a hill above the town
of Sevnica, where it is based.
Lisca has been in the European
market for a number of years, selling
fashionable, yet functional items. In
recent years, it has been expanding
its range with collections for special
occasions and activities, which are
marketed by appropriate advertising
campaigns. Every item is a combination
of glamour, femininity, romance, and the
latest materials, and is made to fit softly
to a woman’s body. Lisca’s products
are very popular and respected by
Slovenian consumers, who trust Lisca’s
reputation for quality and for design,
which incorporates current global
trends.
The Company
sinfo june 07
the importance of investments, which
is why they have been investing in
foreign markets, new points-of-sale,
and the renovation of existing shops,
as well as updating marketing and
promotion tools. They are cautious
when starting new programmes and
are cost effective, thanks to production
internationalisation a few years ago.
For historical reasons Lisca has been
present in Slovenian and former
Yugoslav markets (Croatia, Serbia,
Montenegro and Bosnia) the longest,
where it is the most recognised brand.
It has also been successful in Germany,
Italy, the Netherlands, the Czech
Republic, Greece and some other
countries for a number of years. Lately,
it has been expanding into Eastern
European markets such as Russia and
Romania.
Lisca is the market leader in Slovenia
and Croatia. There is no precise
information, but according to market
research conducted by the Mediana
company in 2006, Lisca is by far the
most successful lingerie brand name
in terms of sales (33% Slovenia, 43%
Croatia) and top-of-the-mind recall
(30% Slovenia, 40% Croatia).
Lisca, which is a public limited company,
incorporates
seven
subsidiaries,
including Lisca G. Deutschland GmbH,
Lisca Beograd d.o.o., Lisca Sarajevo
d.o.o., Lisca Zagreb d.o.o. and Lisca
Stip d.o.o. They are distributors of
Lisca brand names and lines made for
individual markets. The company had a
relatively successful 2006, with profits
over €400,000, ten times higher than
the previous year. Sales revenue stood
at €20 million.
Comfortable in the Fashion World
Four fifths of Lisca’s sales are under the
company’s own brand names, a figure
which will increase, as the company
plans to extend this to a hundred per
cent in the medium-term period. More
than eighty per cent of goods are sold
abroad. The company is also aware of
Due to market needs and the needs
of the modern consumer, Lisca has
designed lines appropriate for a
variety of lifestyles and activities – the
Lisca Fashion line is characterised
by femininity and elegance, with the
designs reflecting the latest fashion
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Under the Lisca brand name, lingerie,
sleepwear, swimwear (photograph),
blouses and tops are sold. Lisca
products encompass a full range,
catering to different types of female
consumers, depending on their lifestyle
and everyday activities. A further
advantage of Lisca’s products is their
bigger sizes, which enable everyone to
find an appropriate item.
trends in cuts and colours. The items
sold in shops also reflect the current
season (photograph), with a special
line celebrating the festive evenings
of December. The Lisca Selection line,
which is to be launched this autumn, is
an exclusive and extravagant lingerie
collection for special occasions,
whereas the Natural line features soft
materials. The Active line is aimed at
sporty women.
Cheek by Lisca (photograph) is
intended for fashion-conscious young
women who wish to be trendy and
who are looking for lingerie resembling
their outer garments. So this brand
is playful and vibrant and comes in
fashionable colours and attractive
prints. Cheek by Lisca is another
brand with which a woman buys not
merely lingerie, but a certain lifestyle.
A typical buyer of Cheek by Lisca is
a modern, independent, emancipated
and confident woman who wishes to
be trendy and spends her free time
with friends and her partner. She likes
improvising with her clothes, which is
why she wears her lingerie, tank tops
and bodysuit with outer garments such
as jeans. Since this brand is intended
for young women, the sales strategies
feature internet sales.
Both brand names are characterised
by high quality and well-fitted items,
a variety of products for different
occasions and sizes, good prices, great
sales assistance, favourable feedback,
marketing and flexibility.
Production
Lingerie manufacturing is a long, timeconsuming process requiring a great
deal of effort. First, sample patterns are
created according to fashion trends
in colours and styles. In the following
few months these samples are then
tested, appropriately tailored and
technologically improved. Lisca pays
special attention to all their materials,
the quality of which is tested in the Lisca
laboratories. After the final tailoring,
production and market launch follow.
Sales are promoted through advertising
campaigns and promotional materials.
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Lisca is part of the fashion world, which
is very dynamic and works according to
its own specific market rules. Fashion
marketing has to be adjusted to the
characteristics and demands of a
specific environment, the seasonal
nature of clothes, and consumers’
personal characteristics, which tend
to greatly influence their purchases.
Consumers expect a carefully designed
product - made from high quality
materials - which is an extension of
their lifestyle, at a reasonable price.
With high quality, fashionable and
functional lingerie, swimwear, sleepwear,
tops and blouses, all of which provide a
perfect fit for a woman’s body, Lisca is
focusing on feminine beauty, enabling
women to be beautiful and confident
on different occasions and throughout
their lives. Therefore, the main aim is
customer satisfaction, since maintaining
and increasing this increases brand
loyalty.
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Language policy 2007- 2011
Slovenian Book Days
The people of great nations who speak
one of the most widespread languages
as their mother tongue, would probably
find the fact that concern for preserving
and strengthening the use of language
as an important part of a cultural
programme almost a strange thing. In
Slovenia, with its two million inhabitants,
this concern is quite logical, which is why
the parliament has been passing a law
on a national language programme.
23rd April, World Book and Copyright
Day, offered the Slovenian public
quite a few important events. First,
the culture minister Vasko Simoniti,
the head of the Slovenian Writers
Association, Vlado Žabot, and the
Mayor of Ljubljana, Zoran Janković,
opened the 12th Slovenian Book Days,
in Ljubljana’s Zvezda Park. This year’s
slogan is “With words against words”.
The address of the head of the Writers
Association did was not critical of the
volume of book publishing in Slovenia,
which has broken all records and
shown that, in general, Slovenes read
quite a lot, but was firm in emphasising
that it does matter what we read, and
called for effective and more frequent
publishing of the best quality literature,
which is often completely overrun by
free market forces.
In Kranj, one of the three main
Slovenian theatre festivals devoted
exclusively to the staging of Slovenian
plays has concluded. The award for
best original play of the year went to
Dragica Potočnjak for her play Za
naše mlade dame (“For All our Little
Ladies”) in which she examines sexual
violence in the family. Potočnjak, who
is also an excellent theatre actress
and
an
admirable
humanitarian
worker, is continuing to develop into
a remarkable writer. The award for the
best competition performance went
to the chamber opera Mnemosyne
based on the music by Gregor Strniša
and the libretto by Iztok Lovrič, who
also directed the performance. The
opera also won the audience award.
The biennial award for achievement in
Slovenian dramaturgy went to Nebojša
Pop Tasić.
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Photo: Arsen Perić
Jože Osterman
37th Week of Slovenian
Drama concluded
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A good response to this was the
promotion of new publications by
the Logos publishing house, which in
organisational form, is an association;
still, they managed to publish as
many as eight excellent new books,
all of which belong in the treasury of
world literature. The editor Gorazd
Kocijančič, today definitely one of the
leading philosophers and translators
in Slovenia, described the orientation
of the publishing house as paying
constant attention to the hidden but
lively intellectual and artistic currents,
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which the editorial board wishes to
present to the contemporary public.
A work by Serbian psychologist Peter
Jevremovič, a new book by French
anthropologist Rene Girard, the first
female biography, The Book of Margery
Kempe, joined by the translated poetry
of Friedrich Hoelderlin, Victor Hugo,
Empedocles, and Rainer Maria Rilke
comprise a notable body of world
literature that will enrich the treasury of
translated literature in Slovenia.
At the same time, the Ministry of Culture
also presented an important cultural
politics project, the foundation of a
special Public Agency for the Book
which is to oversee the acceleration
of the preparation, publication and
dissemination of Slovenian books. The
idea for this project goes back more
than a decade. It is aimed at bringing
together all government bodies
concerned with literary, educational and
scientific books and other interested
parties. With a unified policy, it would
try to make the most out of the public
funds earmarked for the Slovenian
book (an independent tax source is
planned as a basis for the agency’s
work). The agency does not have any
similar experience, but considering
the number of interested parties
and measures aimed at supporting
Slovenian books (which are sometimes
not perfectly coordinated), it might find
a perfect way for the further growth of
writing and publishing.
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Two awards for Rokus
darila books
We must certainly be glad about
two awards for books which, even
though not works of classic literature,
are nevertheless a great source
of information on Slovenia. At the
Gourmand World Cookbook Award in
Beijing, an international competition for
books about cuisine and wine, an award
went to the Slovenian publishing house
Rokus for its books for the fourth time
in succession. The Silver Award for Best
Wine Guide went to Wines of Slovenia
– 100 Selected Wines, and the Special
Award of the Expert Jury to the guide
The Cuisine of Slovenia – 100 selected
Dishes, and that from as many as 3,000
books in 46 categories.
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Tango in Cankarjev dom
The tango, of which it is said that it is much
more than just a dance, is not judged
only in terms of technical perfection,
since the glance, embrace and step
are also essential to the dance, which
is why real tango dancers always seem
deeply in love. The 3rd International
Tango Festival, between 12 and 15 April,
is definitely the largest in the broader
Central European region. According to
the head, Janja Frank, one reason for
this is that tango is developing rapidly
and that young dancers are introducing
more creativity, bolder moves, and new
expression – contemporary tango is
thus often danced to electronic music.
The festival visitors came from 15
countries and participated in various
Tomaž Pandur. Photo: Primož Lavre
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activities. At the festival, the excellent
Argentinean teachers gave workshops,
and a few first-class dance couples
performed; the highlight was the dance
performance Tango y Amor, in which
world-famous dancers from Argentina,
the homeland of tango, performed.
The main Slovenian theatre
in Belgrade
Between 21 and 25 April, the Slovenian
National Theatre SNG Drama Ljubljana
set off on a big, almost traditional
tour to Belgrade. On the stages of
two of the main theatres in Belgrade
(Atelje 212 and The Yugoslav Drama
Theatre), it staged six of the most
notable productions in its repertoire,
including Moliere’s Tartuffe, Genet’s
The Maids, and Jovanovič’s adaptation
of Anna Karenina. Original Slovenian
drama was represented by Matjaž
Župančič’s work The Class. This has
been the theatre’s biggest tour since
2002; almost the whole theatre went on
the road, around 100 people, most of
them actors and technical staff. Before
leaving, the general manager Janez
Pipan said that, as opposed to the tour
five years ago, this year’s journey to
Belgrade is not marked by memories
of the life in a formerly shared country,
but is a test of the artistic dimensions
of the main Slovenian theatre in a city
with a great theatre tradition to which
they are, despite the insecurity, quite
looking forward to. The tour in Serbia
has attracted great attention among
theatre experts and the completely
sold-out performances have proved
that the public’s interest has not in the
least been lagging behind.
Pandur back in Maribor
After eleven years in a sort of exile,
the famous Slovenian theatre director
Tomaž Pandur is coming back to his
town and his theatre. Pandur started his
dazzling career at the Maribor theatre
and won acclaim especially by staging
some of the world’s greatest literary
works (for example, Scheherazade) and
whose performances were, in addition
to Central Europe, admired above all
by South America, more than a decade
ago. He broke his engagement with
the theatre in Maribor because of his
unconventional theatre procedures,
and continued his creative work, mainly
in Spain. Now, he is coming back to
Maribor with Tesla Electric Company,
an international project about the
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personality of the great inventor in the
field of electrical engineering Nikola
Tesla. It has already been performed
in Belgrade and Ljubljana. Pandur said
that returning is by no means easy and
that he has never had such stage fright,
but that the Maribor performance is his
contribution to the city’s candidacy for
the European Culture Capital 2012.
Things are looking up for
Maribor
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events and information about the UK.
They will donate approximately 2,400
books, worth around €55,000, to the
Ljubljana Metropolitan Library. They
are moving away from traditional
bilateral ways of cooperation, and aim
to work multilaterally with countries
across Europe. This is a logical step
since thanks to the centre’s work in
Slovenia, the UK culture is known and
appreciated well enough. But Slovenes
will be very sorry to see the centre
that contributed much to the cultural
landscape of Slovenia close down.
Russian award to
Manca Izmajlova
Photo: Nebojša Tejić
We have already reported on the
extremely fierce battle of four Slovenian
cities for the European Capital of
Culture title which Slovenia will share
with Portugal. Four Slovenian culture
centres - Ljubljana, Maribor, Celje and
Koper - applied to the Ministry of Culture
call with exceptional programmes,
as assessed by the 12- member jury
which included foreign experts. With 10
votes for Maribor (2 going to Ljubljana),
the committee gave a distinctive
advantage to Maribor, which convinced
them, above all, with the fact that they
had managed to encompass within the
project all the more important towns of
the Slovenian eastern region - Murska
Sobota, Ptuj, Slovenj Gradec, Velenje
and Novo mesto - thus gaining on
diversity and the extent of the proposed
programmes. The committee’s decision
is not final, as the final proposal will be
made by the government, while the
Minister of Culture Dr Vasko Simoniti
said that the committee’s decision is
“by all means a certain guideline” for
making the final proposal.
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actually as good as first place, because
in the category of professional soloists
in which more than two thousand
musicians in several Russian cities
competed, she received the highest
award for best interpretation, as noone took first place. “The jury consisted
of the most renowned figures of the
Russian music scene – from composers
to producers and promoters. The award
is a great honour, something invaluable
and incredible for a Slovenian singer
and, at the same time, another proof
that the album Slavic Soul was a good
choice,” said Manca with joy.
Marij Pregelj on the coast
M.Č.
M.Č.
Actually, it is not even news that Slavic
Soul, the last album by Manca Izmajlova,
who spent the last few years at the
Conservatorium Tchaikovsky in Moscow
where she has been perfecting her voice
and learning the techniques of opera
singing, is selling very well: anyone who
hears her performances of the most
beautiful Slavic songs is impressed.
The great, good and completely fresh
news is that Manca, who is to become
a mother at the beginning of summer,
achieved extraordinary singing success:
at the prestigious competition for the
best interpretation of compositions
by the popular Russian composer
Solovyov-Sedoy, otherwise the writer
of the famous song Podmoskovnye
Vechera (“Moscow Nights”) and many
other wonderful Russian compositions,
Manca came in second. Well, it is
The opening of a retrospective
exhibition of paintings from the artist’s
main creative period was in March, but
you have not missed everything yet:
Marij Pregelj (1913-1967), forerunner to
the artistic theories relevant in the 1980s,
is one of the most prominent names of
20th century Slovenian painting and,
definitely the most European author,
at least in terms of message, originality
and expressivity of his works, especially
those created in the period from 1957
to 1967. On the fortieth anniversary of
his death, for the first time after a few
decades, a selection of forty paintings
from collections of the Museum of
Contemporary Arts Belgrade and the
Museum of Modern Art in Ljubljana
are being presented as part of the
retrospective exhibition at the Loža
Gallery and the City Gallery in Piran.
Photo: Miša Čermak
British Council to
close its doors
Somewhat saddening is the news that,
in line with its new strategy of work in
the EU, the British Council will close
its Information Centre in Ljubljana
in July. The Infocentre has been an
exceptional place, providing cultural
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Photo: Iztok Dimc
Having been awarded the Prešeren
Award in 1958 and 1964 for the mosaic
composition on the building of Delavski
Dom Trbovlje and for his paintings
exhibited in 1963 at the Museum of
Modern Art in Ljubljana, Pregelj is
considered one of the most important
painters of the second half of the
20th century in Slovenia. Through his
intellectual potential and creative
power, he has created a synthesis of
images with exceptional iconographic
and
symbolic
representations,
complimented by expressive colours
and carefully conceived composition.
In addition to numerous illustrations,
among the most famous are illustrations
of The Iliad and Odyssey, the distinctive
characteristic of Marij Pregelj is that his
work continued to improve up until his
death. Highly valued is his Diptihon, a
synthesis of influences ranging from
Picasso to Bacon; above all, it is a work
that is somewhat of a last will. Do not
miss out on a legacy worth seeing - on
exhibition until 3 July.
Living with Land Mines
An exhibition called Living with Land
Mines is currently on show in Ljubljana;
it consists of 16 life-size portraits
of Cambodian children who have
suffered the effects of land mines. The
celebrated Canadian photographer V.
Tony Hauser took the photographs. The
exhibition is being staged in Ljubljana
in collaboration with the International
Trust Fund for Demining and Mine
Victims Assistance (ITF), the Slovenian
Institute for Rehabilitation, and the
Canadian Embassy.
The objective of the exhibition is to
confront viewers with the devastating
consequences of land mines around
the world. Mine victims assistance
programmes are still facing a lack of
donor interest. The problem of people
affected by mines remains a key factor
in the normalisation of the situation. In
the region of South-East Europe, the
contamination of territory with mines
and unexploded ordnance is still very
high, with studies showing that over
3,200 square kilometres of territory are
still contaminated. According to an ITF
evaluation, with loyal donor support, the
problem could be eradicated by 2010.
Since its establishment in 1998, the ITF
has raised USD219.8 million, which has
been used to clear over 73.7 million
square meters of territory in South-East
Europe and provided assistance to more
than 927 mine victims from the region
in the Institute for Rehabilitation of the
Republic of Slovenia and rehabilitation
centres in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Fatal attraction
En-Knap dance company with its cult
leader Iztok Kovač, about whom we
have written in Sinfo several times,
has recently seen a recognition of its
growing reputation, but rather unusually.
Kovač and his group decided – which
is not unusual elsewhere in Europe
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– to hold international auditions in their
search for five to eight dancers to form
the permanent core of the group. For
the first audition at the beginning of
May, 170 dancers from Slovenia and
abroad turned up. But that was not the
end of things: at the end of this month
the auditions will continue for those
foreigners that could not attend the
first round, and the rest of the Slovenian
dancers that did not get their turn to
audition. For which job in Slovenia do so
many top people apply, group director
Tomaž Gerdina asked rhetorically. And
we can only concur.
When, at the beginning of June,
the selection is completed, the new
members will immediately begin
working on a dance project in three
parts devised by Iztok Kovač and
choreographers Andreja Rauch and
Sašo Podgoršek. Podgoršek’s evolution
as an artist is particularly interesting.
He only showed up on the dance scene
after achieving success as a film director
because he obviously needed a new
challenge. The opening night will be on
in September and, immediately after
this, the group will begin working on a
dance piece in two parts by the famous
Simone Sandroni of Italy, and Czech
Lenka Flory, his long-time associate.
The opening night is scheduled for midNovember, and after the performances
in Slovenia the group will set off on a
tour abroad, having already secured
their appearance at two renowned
European dance festivals.
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The recovery
of the wolf in
Slovenia
Ljubljana once again
prepares for the
summer festival
Polona Prešeren
This Ljubljana Summer Festival will once again include a
number of events. Apart from the main summer festival,
which runs from 2 July to 1 September, the festival season
will also be marked by the setting up of an open air
cinema at the Ljubljana Castle, the tenth International
Fine Arts Colony, several art exhibitions and some other
events. Over 3,000 artists from 23 countries will be taking
part in more than seventy events. The festival events will
be held under the honorary patronage of Zoran Jankovič,
the mayor of Ljubljana.
A conservation success
or unexpected trouble
The festive summer will kick off with an introductory concert
by the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and the RTV
Slovenia Big Band entitled Poletna noč (Summer Night)
on 26 June. On 2 July the Ljubljana premiere of Borodin’s
Prince Igor marks the grand opening of the festival. It will
be performed by the Ljubljana and Maribor opera houses
in a co-production with Festival Ljubljana. The opening
ceremony will be followed by numerous events of mainly
musical and musical-theatrical events. Darko Brlek,
the manager and artistic director of company Festival
Ljubljana, has especially noted the guest appearances
of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre Choir
performing three operas (Aida, Valkyrie and Salome);
the Bejart Ballet from Lausanne; the Bolshoi Theatre of
Russia performing a new production of Boris Godunov by
Moussorgsky; and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, who
close the festival with two concerts, the first conducted by
Zubin Mehta and the second by George Pehlivanian. West
End International from London will perform the musical
Dirty Dancing, the Slovene National Theatre Opera and
Ballet Maribor will present the opera Faust. There will also
be a theatre production entitled Tesla Electric Company
by Tomaž Pandur. The Slovene Philharmonic Orchestra
in cooperation with Marjana Lipovšek (mezzo-soprano)
and Eva Johansson (soprano) will perform a concert
of operatic arias. The Sinfonietta Cracovia Orchestra
will be conducted by Krzystof Penderecki. The violinist
Vadim Repin will be performing with the Vilnius Festival
Orchestra, and the Philharmonia Chorus will perform
Carmina Burana by Orff.
Miha Adamič, photo: Marko Masterl
The fate of the wolf throughout the cultural and socioeconomic development of the human race is complicated
and unique. Few other mammals have left so many tracks in
fables and legends in different parts of the world as the wolf.
But no other species has been so poorly understood, hated
and thus exposed to permanent extermination.
The wolf population in Slovenia was seriously reduced in
18th and 19th centuries. Firearms, poisonous bait and traps
of all kinds were in legal use. Site names such as Volčje
jame (Wolf Pits) in several parts of Slovenia still remind us
of the attempts of local people to cope with wolves. In 1976
the wolf acquired the legal status of a game-wildlife species,
with the hunting season set outside the breeding period.
It was the first real step towards the conservation of the
species in Slovenia.
After 1993, when the Slovenian government adopted the “Act
on the protection of rare and endangered animals”, which
gave wolves complete protection, the population in Slovenia
quickly began to recover. Wolf expansion had occurred
during World War I, during the World War II, and then after
1993. In the first two cases wolves were systematically
eradicated by groups of skilled professional, hunters. In fact,
the wolves never disappeared completely, but their number
and range have been seriously reduced.
The historical range of wolves in Slovenia was much greater
than it is recent now, and was not limited to the Dinaric
Mountains.
For more information on the events visit the Festival
Ljubljana website at www.ljubljanafestival.si, where you
can also buy the tickets online.
It is therefore to be expected that wolves will tend to reoccupy their historical ranges in future, if allowed by humans.
We believe that the general living conditions for wolves have
improved when compared with those at the beginning of
the 20th century. The area of forest has increased, recently
covering about 60% of the country, and the stock of prey
species (roe and red deer) has also increased. EU legislation
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THISISSLOVENIA
farmers, the general public), living inside and outside wolf
areas was among the important results of both studies. But
in the period of both studies the extent of the wolf range
in Slovenia and the species’ effect upon sheep and wildlife
were much lower than recent ones.
and programmes (e.g. Habitat Directives, Natura 2000, etc.)
have strengthened the legal conservation status of the wolf.
The population, particularly its core in southern Slovenia, is
connected to the wolves in Gorski Kotar in north-western
Croatia. Simultaneous radio-telemetric studies of wolf
movements and habitat use in Slovenia and on the Croatian
side of the border since 2000 show that the border was
regularly crossed by wolves from both sides.
Since wild ungulates are the main prey of wolves, it is
important to take into account the needs of the wolves in
wildlife management plans. We believe that keeping large
enough densities of both prey species will improve the
habitat (food) suitability for wolves and probably reduce the
level of predation upon domestic animals.
Due to its long absence over the greater part of Slovenia,
the wolf and its predator skills were poorly known by the
people. After 1990 the government launched a campaign
to re-establish sheep-farming, even in remote forested
areas in the traditionally wide carnivore ranges of southern
Slovenia. Repeated cases of predation upon livestock in
wolf recovery areas initiated fear and an aversion to wolves
among local communities. People were not aware of high
recovery potentials of wolves and their abilities to disperse
over wide areas The penetration of wolf packs into remote
pasture areas, where wolf predation was an unexpected
surprise for sheep-farmers, affected ideas for the further
spatial expansion of the wolf. Wolf damage, although
compensated by the government, have been among the
key issues in increased pressure for the culling of wolves in
post-2000 period.
Any sound conservation management plan dealing with
‘problem wildlife species’, which might harm human property,
compete with humans in the use of same resources, or even
pose threats to human safety, is a political issue. Since
the establishment of a bio-political strategy is of crucial
importance for the long-term conservation of wolves, the
interaction of biological facts and political reality on the
wolf’s acceptance by humans should be taken into account.
We are aware that any efficient conservation strategy
depends on positive human attitudes towards the problem.
Therefore we believe it is important to establish feedback
contacts with local communities, assess their attitudes and
improve their knowledge on wolf biology, with an emphasis
on wolf-human relations.
Sheep farming is an activity which is threatened by wolf
predation. There is a poor connection between development
plans for livestock husbandry in Slovenia and those
concerning the conservation of rare and threatened wildlife
species. These problems will arise through the Natura
2000 sites, since essential areas of core wolf habitat are
intensively pastured.
I believe that one of the best descriptions on the nature of
the wolf was given by Timothy Dalton (In The Wild: Wolves
with Timothy Dalton), a famous movie star known for his
portrayal of James Bond, but less known as a devoted
naturalist and conservationist: “The wolf itself is neither to
be feared nor hated. It is neither dangerous, nor evil, nor
malicious. It is simply the wolf – a smart animal trying to
make a living under tough conditions.”
Two human dimensions studies, dealing with attitudes
toward wolf recovery were done in 1995-2000. The positive
acceptance of involved stakeholder groups (hunters, sheep
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Kočevski Rog
There are still virgin forests
preserved in Slovenia
Jože Prešeren, photo: Iztok Hočevar
The landscape surrounding the town of Kočevje, usually
referred to as Kočevsko, or more accurately, Kočevski Rog is
one of the most preserved natural spots both in Slovenia and
Central Europe. It is a region in the south-east of Slovenia,
known primarily for its abundant forests. Among other things,
it boasts well-preserved protected virgin forests. It used to
hold true that this part of Slovenia was among the most
backward parts of the country; a statement that could hardly
be repeated today since the local economy has recovered
from what was shown to be merely a brief slump. One of the
characteristics of this part of Slovenia is that Slovenes and
Germans lived side by side here for several centuries.
was built in the shape of a square. It was encircled by a ditch
and a defensive wall that was later demolished. The grant
of town rights in those days gave the settlement the right to
have a judge, a town council, four yearly fairs and two church
fairs. At the same time Kočevje received a coat of arms and
a silver seal in the shape of an image of St Bartholomew.
After the extinction of the Counts of Ortenburg in 1418, the
Counts of Celje became the lords of Kočevsko. This is an
important part of the town’s history. In 1456 the Counts of
Celje also became extinct and the settlement came under
the rule of the Habsburgs. Thereafter, ownership changed
on many occasions, and in 1641 Count Auersperg, who had a
residence in Kočevje Castle (destroyed in an air raid in World
War II), bought the town. The last of the Kočevje Auerspergs
died in 1927. In the nineteenth century, Kočevje spread to
the other bank of the Rinža - the development was also
furthered by the railroad connection which arrived in 1893.
This boosted coal mining and encouraged the development
of industry.
A look at the distant past
The settlement at the location of today’s Kočevje was
mentioned for the first time in a document commissioned
by the Patriarch of Aquilea in 1339 which referred to it as
Mahovnik. By that time the primary chapel of St Bartholomew
was already standing. It was mentioned in connection with
the colonisation planned by the Counts of Ortenburg. The
settlement grew fast and soon became a market town which
the Slovenes named Hočevje – because of the rich pine
forests growing nearby. The Patriarch della Torre re-coined
the name into a German version: Gotschee.
German immigrants founded and settled several villages
in cleared forest. They survived through exploiting forest
goods and farming, especially breeding cattle. Because of
the difficulties imposed by the Turkish raids, the Austrian
emperor allowed them free trade in dry goods, cattle and
canvas. Slovenian–German relations were generally good
until the nineteenth century, which marked the start of
growing differences. In the first Yugoslavia after World War
I German inhabitants were not treated equally. This brought
on the emigration of the German population to the countries
overseas. The final ejection of these Germans took place
Kočevje and its many new German immigrants continued to
grow at a fast pace and received town rights in 1471, even
though it had been plundered by the Turks only a short time
before. The Emperor Frederick III ordered the new settlement
to be erected on the meander of the River Rinža. The town
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THISISSLOVENIA
during World War II through a deal between the Italian and
German invaders who had settled the Kočevje Germans in
the area next to the Sava and Sotla Rivers after expelling
the region’s Slovenian population. After the war, numerous
Kočevje Germans were thus left without belongings and
homes. Most of the former German villages in Kočevsko are
completely desolate today and some have even vanished,
leaving no trace.
Kočevski Rog is a 35km long and 15km wide plateau-like
mountain chain. In the northwest it borders on Suha Krajina
(this region’s administrative centre is Žužemberk); in the west
it borders on Kočevsko polje; on the eastern side are the
Črmošnjice valley and Bela Krajina; in the south it borders
on the River Kolpa and with it Croatia. The highest peaks are
Veliki Rog, 1099 m, and Mt Poljane – Debeli vrh, 864 m. The
mountain range has typical Karstic features. It is covered
with dense forests, which were first put to profitable use in
the nineteenth century.
Because of its remote location and also due to the expulsion
of the Kočevje Germans, Kočevski Rog became one of the
most important Slovenian regions of the National Liberation
Movement during World War II. The political and military
court of the National Liberation Movement was located here
for quite some time. Kočevski Rog was also the home of
several hospitals, pharmacies, schools, printing presses
and various workshops. Some of the buildings, like Baza 20,
some hospitals and some memorials remain standing to this
day. Baza 20 is the only undiscovered headquarters of the
National Liberation Movement in Europe that is still very well
preserved, and is still well hidden in the shadows of mighty
ancient trees. Nearby is Rog-Črmošnjice, the only ski resort
in the Dolenjska region.
The Kočevje forest is known for its special inhabitant,
the Kočevje Bear. There is plenty of living space for this
animal in the vast forest. Today the brown bear is most
frequently encounte red in fir and beech forests at a
height of 400-1200m above sea level. This is where the
clusters of forest surfaces are vast enough for the bear
to survive. In Slovenia the Dinaric population live in the
western-most part of the East-European brown bear’s
range. The bear population is able to survive because of
the right environment and the tolerance of the people.
Wood is the greatest treasure Kočevski Rog has to offer. It
has been playing an important part in people’s existence for
centuries. The oldest legal document regulating forestry is
“The Ortenburg Forestry Order” of 1406. It also regulated the
rights of farmers of enjoying forest products. Through the
constant change of ownership the regulations pertaining to
the usage of the forests also changed. There was an everpresent concern about the total devastation of the forest
through excessive exploitation. As early as the 19th century
certain areas of the forest were set aside for conservation in
order to maintain the virgin forest.
Slovenian virgin forests – unique in Europe
A virgin forest is defined as a forest that came into existence
exclusively through the workings of climate, earth, plant
life and animal life. Throughout Europe there are presently
only a few surviving patches of what used to be vast virgin
forests. It is thanks to Dr Leopold Hufnagel, the caretaker
of the Kočevje forest in the 19th century, when it was in the
possession of the Counts of Auersperg, that Slovenia today
still has some preserved virgin forest reserves. They were
damaged after World War II, but their core remained intact.
Now the forest reserves are excluded from the economy in
order to maintain undisturbed virgin forest development and
to make it possible to develop a lasting research laboratory.
Up until now, approximately 20 forest reserves have been
studied by forestry methodology, including six virgin forests,
the majority of which is in Kočevsko. Slovenian foresters are
also contributing to the search for virgin forests elsewhere
in Europe.
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THISISSLOVENIA
There are four virgin forests in Kočevski Rog: the Rajhenavski
Rog (51ha) virgin forest is the most studied and the most
frequented. It lies on a plateau riddled with sinkholes 1km
south of Žaga Rog at a height of 845-920 metres above sea
level. In the immediate vicinity the renowned Rajhenau fir can
found. It is over 1.5 metres thick at chest height, approximately
5 metres in diameter, and 50 metres in height.
Friedrichstein Castle on the steep peak above Livold are also
of historical importance. The castle was built by Frederick II,
Count of Celje (1442-52). The new church of St Fabian and
Sebastian is also planned in a historical context.
Among the important newer sights around Kočevje is
the gravesite below Kren in Kočevski Rog where several
thousand people were executed in the first few weeks after
World War II; in recent years many memorials have been set
up to honour the memory of illegally killed home guard and
other anti-communist fighters.
The Krokar virgin forest is the largest preserved virgin forest
complex in Slovenia, covering an area of over 74 hectares.
It lies near the town of Kočevska Reka. The Strmec virgin
forest is on the western slopes of Stojna nad Kočevjem.
The Kopa virgin forest at the top of Kopa, south-east of
Rajhenau, is smaller, and the Pečka forest (60ha) above the
Krka River valley at Soteska is larger. Beach and fir trees are
prevalent throughout the Kočevje forests, but other plant life
is present.
There are many picturesque hiking trails through Kočevje.
The path through Osilnica and Kostelsko leading to the
gorgeous valley of the River Kolpa, the charms of which no
one is impervious to, is on of the more important ones.
Among the other Slovenian virgin forests the famous
Krakovski forests deserve mention. They are the only
Slovenian floodplain forests. They lie 3km north of the
town of Kostanjevica na Krki. They are comprised mainly
of pedunculate oak (Quercus rubrus, aka English oak). The
Trdinov Vrh virgin forest is located In Gorjanci. There are also
two smaller virgin forests in the Štajerska region: Belinovec
and Donačka Gora. There is also a remnant in the Šumnik
na Pohorju nature reserve. In the Primorska region is the
Bukov Vrh v Trnovskem Gozdu forest located in the vicinity
of Nova Gorica.
Kočevje in recent times
After World War II, as in other towns, industry was booming.
At that time the brown coal mine, which was later shut down
due to low productivity, was still profitable. The artificial lake,
fast becoming an attractive tourist attraction, is its only “living”
witness. A rich woodworking tradition is kept alive by Lesna
industrija Kočevje. Many industrial plants that were once
showing promise had to be shut down due to low profitability.
The Melamin chemical plant is doing well, and there is a
growing number of smaller private industrial plants.
The first of Kočevje’s cultural landmarks deserving mention
is Šeškov dom, which played an important role during World
War II. The assembly of Slovenian national representatives
took place there in 1943. A visitor absolutely must not miss
the chance to visit the former St Bartholomew’s parish
church located in the very centre of Kočevje. The ruins of
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THISISSLOVENIA
Ramón Miklus, Italy
Considering this future prospect, I couldn’t do without better
knowing Slovenia’s culture and language.
Even if I’ve been living here for just a couple of months,
Ljubljana is my second home already. I realised that, in some
way, my cultural imprinting makes me very close to Slovenian
people, even if I can’t perfectly understand the language yet.
That’s not such a surprising thing, after all. A lot of Slovenian
words, such as živijo (hello), dobro (good), or hvala (thank
you), are currently used in the local dialects spoken in
Gorizia and Trieste. In many quarters of my hometown where
Slovenian minorities live, road signs are written both in Italian
and Slovene. In the Collio, the hilly area surrounding Gorizia,
famous for its wonderful landscape and its renowned wines,
Slovene is almost the official language, spoken by people
who, with their hard work, made known their land in the world
for its high quality gastronomic products.
Now, working as a trainee within the Government
Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia in
Ljubljana, I’m discovering a new face of Slovenia, a modern
and developed country which is gaining more and more
importance in the international and European scene. The
city of Ljubljana surpasses my expectations. It is a small,
but vivid city, reflecting the spirit of the state of which
it is the capital. Ljubljana is not a busy and crowded city.
Moreover, its wonderful parks give you the opportunity to
relax in a green and peaceful environment just 5 minutes
walk from the city centre. Even if it’s not a metropolis, it
hosts a multitude of political and cultural institutions, both at
national and international level. Several artistic and cultural
events take place in Ljubljana, which is also going through a
fervid period of architectural renewal. With no doubt, it is the
cultural heart of Slovenia.
Another thing that I especially like about Ljubljana is the
large number of rock and alternative music shows performed
in the city. Throughout the country, and especially here, in
Ljubljana, there are many pubs with live music every day.
Almost every week the city hosts famous international
artists, who usually perform their shows on the stage of
one of its many pubs, like the popular Orto Bar. Bigger pop/
rock concerts and musicals take place in Križanke open air
theatre, or at Bežigrad football stadium, which every summer
hosts the most popular international stars.
Ljubljana is also the home of the first university of the
country, with about 60,000 students enrolled in its 22
Faculties, 3 Academies and its College of Health Studies,
so it’s not surprising to find a lot of young people populating
the streets and the many pubs and cafes of the city.
Slovenian people are friendly and helpful to foreigners.
Even if there are not as many foreign people as in bigger
European capital cities, almost everybody can speak
English, and you can easily charm people with just a few,
simple words of Slovene. Here, I feel my hometown which
everybody calls Stara Gorica (Old Gorizia), is even closer
than it geographically is.
From now on I will never consider Slovenia as a foreign
country, but just as a friendly, homely place. I think that is
the European spirit: constructing a future of peace and
friendship between once divided European citizens.
Photo: Personal Archives
European neighbourhood
‘Slovenia? It is so close, why not Spain, Germany, or France,
as many students do?’ That’s what my colleagues asked
me when I told them that I had applied for a European
traineeship project in the city of Ljubljana. How can one
blame them? Gorizia, my hometown, is just about a hundred
kilometres from Ljubljana, a city that I had already visited
many times in the past.
Last year, I applied for the European traineeship project
called ‘Move’, which gives to the students of the University
of Udine, where I graduated last year, the opportunity to do
training abroad. I could have chosen any European country.
If I choose Slovenia, it is to discover a new world, very close
and at the same time very far.
As I said, I live in Gorizia, a small town (about 37,000
inhabitants) situated on the border with Slovenia, in the
north-eastern part of Italy. It takes me just 5 minutes by car
to reach Nova Gorica (New Gorizia), the closest Slovenian
town. However, despite its geographical closeness, I didn’t
know so much about Slovenia and, above all, I couldn’t
speak Slovene. My family is not part of any of the Slovenian
minority, that in my region, Friuli Venezia Giulia, are very
numerous, so I’ve never had the opportunity to get really
close to Slovenian people and society, that I know in just a
superficial way. For me, this was a big disadvantage: if once
divided by a strong physical and political frontier, erected
after WW II, when Slovenia was a part of the Socialist Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia, now Italian and Slovenian people,
and especially those living in Gorizia and Nova Gorica, have
the opportunity to enlarge their horizons, taking advantage
of the European integration process, looking together
at a future of friendship, brotherhood and cooperation.
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THISISSLOVENIA
Trout with herbs
Serves four:
4 trout
juice of half a lemon
salt
white pepper
fresh tarragon
dill
rosemary
chives
parsley
1 tbsp pumpkin seed oil
1 tbsp butter
Clean, wash and dry trout, and season them inside and
outside, sprinkle with lemon juice, and fill with chopped
herbs sprinkled with pumpkin seed oil. Wrap all four trout
together in aluminium foil, and roast at 200ºC [390ºF] for 1520 minutes. Serve with roast or boiled potatoes.
Ingredients:
4 aubergines
3 eggs
100g [3 1/2oz.] breadcrumbs
40g [2 1/2 tbsp] grated sheep or goat cheese
60g [3 1/2 tbsp] flour
oil
salt
pepper
Fried aubergines
Cut aubergines into slices, salt them and
set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse under water,
and season with salt and pepper. Flour them,
then dip them in beaten eggs and finally in
roll them in breadcrumbs to which you have
added the cheese. Fry aubergines on both
sides, and serve as a starter or side dish.
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Cviček Šodo
Ingredients:
250ml [1 cup] cviček wine
200g [7oz.] sugar
10 egg yolks
Take a large pot and fill it with
approx. 5cm [2in] of water. Take
a smaller pot that will fit into the
larger one, pour in cviček, sugar
and egg yolks, and whisk well.
Boil the water in the larger pot,
then put in the smaller pot. Whisk
evenly until thick and foamy.
Serve warm in tall glasses and
with fresh fruit or lady fingers. Also
goes well with cakes, pancakes,
apple strudel or ice-cream.
Potato soup
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes, diced
salt
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp lard
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
parsley
1 tbsp flour
1 pinch nutmeg
mint
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp sour cream
Boil potatoes in salt water with bay leaf and mint. Sauté
chopped onions, garlic and parsley, add flour and cook
until golden brown. Add the mixture to the potato soup, and
season with salt and nutmeg. Boil for another 10 minutes,
then add vinegar and cream.
Photo: Tomo Jeseničnik
Food prepared by: Peter Lenče
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LETTERFROMABROAD
Neža Čebron Lipovec, Belgium
movies, the invasion policy of the
USA, the role of the Church for today’s
adolescents, the differences between
Communism
and
self-managed
socialism,
the
Greek-Macedonian
conflict were the hot potatoes, to name
just a few. The discussions always
thawed out with Monty Python jokes,
indie-rock music and finally, with a
pleasant pub crawl on the Oude Markt,
where the more than 40 bars offer beer
and music for every taste.
Photo: Personal Archives
LEUVEN,
THE HOMETOWN OF STELLA ARTOIS
It all happened one morning, actually.
A presentation of a Belgian master’s
course in architectural conservation
was announced at the Faculty of
Architecture in Ljubljana. I went,
just to check...The experience was
overwhelming. There was a group of
people from China to Egypt, from South
America to innumerable countries
all over Europe. Their backgrounds
were just as “rainbow-like”: architects,
civil engineers, tourism managers,
archaeologists, art historians and many
others. They showed us, briefly and
concisely, how they learn together
and from each other to create a teamwork project for the conservation
of architectural monuments. My arthistorical soul was thrilled by their
enthusiasm, good will and creativity, so
I decided: I want to study there!
It was September 2005 when I
moved to Leuven, a small town east
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of Brussels, the hometown of a 500hundred-year-old university, and of
Stella Artois beer. The atmosphere at
the Raymond Lemaire International
Centre for Conservation was exactly
as I remembered. But this time I was
a protagonist. The metropolitan style
of my Belgian life, however, had other
contexts too. I lived in a “Big-Brotherish”
house of 30 people: half from all over
the world, the other half from Belgium.
The kitchen was the heart of our
social life. International cuisine was
a compulsory daily routine: Nigerian
fried bananas, or beans with sea-weed,
German schnitzel, Italian pasta olio
e aglio, American rice and sausage
from the microwave, as well as WWH
(our invention: Whatever We Have - in
the kitchen, of course). The real value
of the kitchen-life consisted, though,
in the continuous debates on topics
that boiled the blood. The Flemish
nationalists Vlaams Belang, Kubrick’s
40
In fact, I got somehow spoiled in Belgium.
By the more than 500 types of beer? Or
by the Stella that costs only one euro
in fakbars (fakulteit bars, please!)? It
is the easiness of the place that spoils
you, since everything is within such
easy reach, within the city, the country
and Europe. Brussels provides the bigcity feeling on the French-like streets of
Ixelles, and the intellectual “food” in the
Bozaar lectures and exhibitions. On the
other hand, Ghent indulges you with
contemporary art, chocolate bars and
spare ribs; Knokke gives you the sea,
La Roche and Dinant, the vast horizon.
In fact, what I miss the most is the open
perspective of the horizon between the
Adriatic and the Alps.
Yet, I got used and attached to the
narrow gabled brick houses so similar
from a distance and so different in detail;
to the “concerts” from the Centraal
Bibliotheek bells; to the witloof wrapped
in ham and dipped in cheese; to the
walks in the begijnhof and to the small
house with the big garden where I live
now. What I appreciate most, though,
is the synergy that Belgium can create
– within Belgians and the foreigners.
I have overcome my culture shock. I
know now that Belgians wash dishes
differently than I do, that they dress
less in winter, that they communicate
differently, and that they need much
more time to show their feelings. But
when they do, it is an expression of
a strong friendship. It is this synergy
with people and the inspiring working
atmosphere in conservation that made
me stay a little longer.
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COMMEMORATING
LIBERATION WITH SPORT
Anja Hreščak, photo: Kornelija Ajlec
“This is a unique event, not only in Slovenia, but in Europe. I think that
this year a record number of competitors participated.” Such was the
comment on the sport and recreational event entitled the Path along
the Barbed Wire by its organiser and Timming Ljubljana manager
Gojko Zalokar. The Hike along the Path and the Three-Member Team
Run are recreational events that have taken place for the 51st time
in a row as part of the Path along the Barbed Wire. In remembrance
of WW2 when, from 1942, Ljubljana was occupied for 1170 days and
surrounded by barbed wire, the competitors walk or run along a
path also named the Path of Remembrance and Comradeship
along which a barbed wire fence was erected to prevent contacts
between the city and the surrounding country. Every year, the threeday event symbolically starts around 9 May (this year it was 10 May),
on Peace Day, when in 1945 liberation troops marched into the city
and liberated Ljubljana from Nazi occupation.
Hike along the Path along
the Barbed Wire
This year, the competitors could choose various competition
categories. Kindergarten children had to walk any distance between
two control points on the track of the whole path. Children from
various kindergartens competed on the first day, on Thursday, 10
May, and a day later, primary and secondary school children took
part. They could start at any of the control points and had to cover
two, three or four sections between two control points, the distance
depending on the age-group. The whole recreational hike along the
Path is 35 kilometres long, the distance all other participants of this
symbolic competition were expected to walk on Saturday, 12 May.
Competitors first walked along this remembrance path in 1957, when
370 people participated. Since then, participation has been steadily
increasing; last year, as many as fifteen thousand enthusiasts entered
the hike, and the organisers think that this year there have been as
many if not even more. The record holder is Zvonko Majcen, who has
been in all 51 hikes.
Three-member Team Run
Competitors seeking a greater challenge took part in the threemember team run. According to the rules, all three team members
have to run together past eight control points to the finish line. Here,
too, competitors could choose various categories and track distances.
In member and veteran categories, the shorter track was twelve and
the longer one 28 kilometres long, whereas the track along which
the school children ran was three kilometres. All competitors had to
cross the finish line in Prešeren Square in the centre of Ljubljana.
Participation in the three-member team run, according to the
organisers, the most popular among the competitions, is growing
each year: in 2005, 632 teams participated, while last year, 818 teams
took part in the run. The three-member team run ended in Prešeren
Square with a ceremony at which competitors received medals, and
enjoyed an entertainment programme featuring the Slovenian Police
Orchestra, the dance group Kazina, the Partisan Choir and the group
Rock ´N´ Band.
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ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DIVISION 1B in Ljubljana
Luka Šefic, photo: Primož Lavre
Last month, the Slovenian capital hosted the Ice Hockey
World Championships of Division 1B. Six teams took on each
other to qualify for the most prestigious class of world ice
hockey. Only first place within the division grants access to
the company of the world’s best teams. Competing against
the teams from the United Kingdom, Japan, Lithuania and
Hungary, Slovenia won first place and has once more
qualified to play against the elite. Next year, Slovenia will
take on teams from Russia, Finland, Canada, Sweden and
other hockey super-powers at the World Championships in
Canada.
his mastery wearing the jersey with Slovenian colours. In
spite of an exceptionally demanding, not to mention long
season in the NHL, he did not think twice about coming to
help out his mates in the national team. A true champion,
one could say.
But the final triumph would not be complete without the
fact that, due to excellent performances in goal, Slovenia’s
Andrej Hočevar has been voted the best goaltender of the
Championships. He let in only three goals and managed to
block 96 per cent of the shots at his net. This perfect image
was unfortunately slightly marred by injuries to two Slovenian
team members. Defender Robert Ciglenečki will have to
undergo surgery on an injured shoulder, while the forward
Ivo Jan is facing a long rehabilitation period due to spinal
problems. Hungary’s Balázs Kangyal was voted the best
forward, while his team came in second in the tournament.
The Slovenian team has remained unbeaten, and our very
own Anže Kopitar, who flew in for the Championships
directly from the USA, was voted the best player of Division
1B. Kopitar, otherwise a member of the Los Angeles Kings in
the NHL, has proven to be a genuine leader of the nation’s
best. In five matches, he scored one goal and provided as
many as thirteen assists. His perfect control of the game
was a source of delight for the spectators in Ljubljana’s Tivoli
Arena. The 19-year old from Hrušica is doubtless the biggest
star of Slovenian ice hockey. After his inaugural season in
the world’s most important ice hockey league, he showed
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After each victory, the Slovenes were clearly delighted
with the results, and their path towards first place in the
division was very smooth. For starters, they beat our eastern
neighbours, the Hungarians, followed by the Romanians; next
came the United Kingdom and Japan and, finally, Lithuania.
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HEROES OF STEEL RACED AROUND SLOVENIA
DOS-RAS Extreme 2007
Samanta Košpenda, photo: Personal Archive
who has crossed the US ‘only’ ten times, were present at the
start in Postojna. A total of twenty-six cyclists applied (25
men and 1 woman) for the DOS-RAS, from the USA, Brazil,
Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria and Slovenia. The
prize money was 3,500 euros. Thirteen cyclists completed
the course, while others gave up for various reasons.
Inspired by the RAAM (Race Across America), the US ultramarathon bicycle race, won two years in a row (in 2004
and 2005) by our own Jure Robič from Jesenice, bicycling
enthusiasts from Postojna decided to organise a Slovenian
variant. The original instigator was Andrej Berginc from
Postojna, who was crew chief at the RAAM for Fredi Virag
from Idrija, the first ever Slovene to participate in the famous
American race. “I said to myself: Since we have the best
ultra-cyclists, why not have our own ultra-marathon?” said
Berginc, who persuaded Marko Baloh and Jure Robič, both
former RAAM participants, to join him in the organisation
of the DOS (which stands for Dirka okoli Slovenije – Race
Around Slovenia). They helped with their rich experience,
and with the support of numerous volunteers and cycling
enthusiasts, the round-Slovenia race, starting in Postojna
and lasting from 10 to 13 May, became possible. The DOSRAS (Race Across Slovenia) Extreme 2007 was certainly one
of the sporting highlights of this year.
According to the participants and their support crews, the
organisers took care of every detail and left nothing to
chance. The marathon, with an average duration of more
than forty hours, started in Postojna, and the circuit first led
towards the Slovenian coast, then via Nova Gorica and the
village of Col towards Idrija, Most na Soči and on towards
the north, where the cyclists met with the greatest challenge,
climbing the Vršič mountain pass. The circuit then led
across Gorenjska, Koroška and Štajerska towards the east.
In Prekmurje, the cyclists turned towards the south and
continued via the Savinjska Valley, Dolenjska, Bela krajina
and Notranjska, with the finishing line being once more in
Postojna.
The organisers traced a circuit 1,146 kilometres long with a
cumulative difference in altitude of more than 10,000 metres.
Such a demanding circuit stems from the organisers’
ambition for the DOS to become a qualification race for
the RAAM, which was eventually achieved. Also, the world
Ultra-Marathon Cycling Association (UMCA) placed the race
on the World Cup 2007 schedule with the second highest
point rate (four points) behind RAAM, which is indeed the
most difficult cycling marathon in the world. At the same
time, the DOS-RAS Extreme 2007 counts as the European
Championship, so Jure Robič is not only the winner of the
Slovenian ‘tour’, but also the 2007 European Ultra-Marathon
Cycling Champion.
The finishing deadline was Sunday noon. It took the winner
thirty-eight hours to complete the 1,146km circuit, while
others were more than two hours behind.
The DOS-RAS became a prestigious race the first time it was
held, all thanks to an excellent team of organisers and the
Slovenian cycling elite, who used their acquaintances around
the world to bring the world’s best cyclists to Slovenia. The
event was a huge success and will certainly become a
tradition. The racers were also very happy about the support
of the public. Besides watching the race, the spectators in
Postojna could also enjoy a rich entertainment programme
and other activities.
Jure Robič’s first words after winning the race were: “I’m
dead beat!” Enough said. But despite the obvious fatigue,
there was a smile on his face. So congratulations to Jure and
the other cycling heroes.
One of the main reasons for the high point rate is the
participation of the world’s best ultra-cyclists: apart from
our own men of steel, Robič, Baloh and Virag, legendary
American cyclist Rob Kish, who has competed in the RAAM
a staggering twenty-two times, and Italian Fabio Biasiolo,
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The European Championships held at Belgrade’s Arena
Sports Centre saw the participation of nine judokas from
Slovenia. The female team consisted of Petra Nareks, Vesna
Džukič, Urška Žolnir, Regina Jernejc and Lucija Polavder.
The men were Roki Dragšič, Klemen and Primož Ferjan and
Matjaž Ceraj. The coach of the national team was Marjan
Fabjan. The Championships were yet another chance for
Slovenian judo to shine, the girls’ performances being
especially successful.
The 25-year old Urška Žolnir won silver in the 57-63 kg weight
division. Žolnir, a silver medallist at both the Olympics and
World Championship, had been waiting to add a European
trophy to her collection of medals, so she was all the happier
with her placement: ”I am happy to have won the medal.
But it comes with a bitter aftertaste. In the grand final, I
lost to Lucie Decosse of France. The Championships were
not easy, because all of my opponents were on top form.
I hope to maintain such a good performance level during
the Olympic period.” There is plenty of time left before
the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and even now, good
performances at European and World Championships can
win Slovenian judokas important qualification points in order
to travel to China. Petra Nareks and Lucija Polavder have
also improved their point quotas, each with a bronze medal.
This was already the fifth European Championships fro Ms
Urška Žolnir
Medals for judokas from Slovenia
Luka Šefic, photo: Arsen Perić
Lucija Polavder
Nareks, who competes in the 52-57 kg weight division (four
bronze medals and a silver).
In the 52-57 kg weight division, Vesna Džukič came ninth,
while Lucija Polavder, in the over 78 kg weight division, also
won the bronze. Other notable results include Roki Dragšič’s
and Regina Jernejc’s seventh place, while Matjaž Ceraj and
Primož Ferjan were fifth and ninth, respectively.
Due to injury, Raša Sraka was absent from the European
Championships in Belgrade. Last November, she underwent
surgery on her backbone, so she was able to return to the
tatami judo mats only after the European Championships.
She was third at a World Cup match in Denmark, a perfect
way to mark her return to the international judo scene: ”I was
deliberating on when I would return to the tatami. I followed
the European Championships from the spectator stands
and I tried my hand at sports commentary for the national
radio. And I decided to test my form at the first World Cup
match. I came back from Denmark with a medal, which is a
great boost for my motivation.”
A string of tiring World Cup matches awaits Slovenian judokas
in the near future, leading up to the World Championships
in September. Needless to say, each and every Slovenian
woman judoka can hardly wait for the season’s main event,
which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
sinfo june 07
44
PEOPLE
Tijuana Križman, Ballet Dancer
“Only When I Have Done My Best, Will I Let Go!”
Text and photo: Miša Čermak
Where There Is Will, There Is a Way
Tijuana, who only weighs 45 kilograms and is 165 centimetres
tall, has an immense joy for life and a tremendous desire to
dance, and dancing is what she was doing for nine, very
intensive years of schooling. She was very happy when she
was the first Slovene ever to be accepted to study at the
Teatro della Scala in Milan. The twenty-three year old is
overwhelmed with joy because she is living the life she has
always wanted. Although she still remembers all the hard
work and loneliness that she had to deal with at fourteen,
when she left her native town of Piran to study ballet in
Maribor and then in Milan, she has not let the hardness and
discipline of her everyday life get to her. The strength that
she acquired on the way gave her hope and taught her how
to live and be successful at home and abroad.
As a girl of only fourteen Tijuana had already had experience
from dancing with the local acrobatic dance group, as well
as the Metulj ballet group, after which she completed four
years of junior ballet school in just six months. Having strong
support from her parents, who believed in her and trusted
her, she decided to join the Maribor Ballet High School and
move by herself to Maribor for four years. “The first year
in Maribor when I was only fourteen and still a child was a
shock, because at home I was used to having my parents
wake me up every morning, having lunch cooked for me,
laundry washed, and I always had someone I could confide
in. Then, all of a sudden, things changed and I had to go
shopping by myself, not even knowing what I would eat, as I
did not know how to cook,” says Tijuana. Her father gave her
cooking tips over the phone, which did not prevent her from
burning food many times. “I felt sad and I would often pack
my bags to go home,” she adds. However, she did not give
in, although it was not easy for her, but her parents, who have
always supported her, encouraged her to always try her best
and told her to never give up, which she has not. The reason
could be that she knew she could always go back home
and that she always kept in mind her father’s words. When
she was leaving home for the first time her father said to her
that she should try just to see if she could do it. “The doors
were open, but I was missing my family and found it difficult
to make friends. Anybody who enrols in a ballet high school
knows exactly why they are there and what their goals are.
Consequently, there is a lot of jealousy among students and
when someone gets more attention because they are better
than others, they cannot have a lot of friends,” says Tijuana.
Tijuana, who decided to become a ballet dancer only at
fourteen after she had finished elementary school and then
spent nine years working hard and developing her talent, is
a very decisive, strong willed and fit twenty-three year old.
As a result of her hard work she has already won two grand
prix. Achieving the maximum number of points, she won the
Slovenian Grand Prix in February and two months later at an
international competition in Vienna, she shared first place
out of altogether forty-six ballet dancers. “Winning the first
prize at the state competition means a great deal to me; for
me it is the most I have so far achieved, as it is the maximum
I could ever accomplish in Slovenia. Sharing first place at
an international competition featuring severe competition
from mostly excellent Russian ballet dancers was for me a
confirmation that winning the state championship had been
well-deserved,” she says.
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sinfo june 07
NEXT MONTH
PEOPLE
Selected by Anja Otavnik
Cultural events:
Strength and the Courage to Endure
Bitter but true are the words of this young woman, who
as a teenager already had a taste of success, but also
of disappointments. However, she endured and possibly
also thanks to Uroš, her first love who she is still with, she
grew stronger. She became so strong that she auditioned
at the Teatro della Scala in Milan and was the first Slovene
ever to be accepted. It was not easy for her to live in Milan,
as she left behind a good relationship with her professors,
who always encouraged the hard-working, disciplined
and talented young dancer. And of course, she also left
behind her boyfriend. “Deciding to move to Milan for two
years was a great test for us, and my schoolmates were
teasing me about it. However, I knew that if we were meant
to be, we would stay together and if not, we would break
up,” says Tijuana. The couple stayed together and Uroš,
who was her rock during her studies in Maribor and Milan,
where again she had to start at the bottom, still supports
her. With determination and the awareness that she is
strong (“On the outside I never showed I was hurt by what
was said, but on the inside, I was hurting,” she explains)
and the knowledge that she acquired during the cruel
years of schooling, which only allows the strongest to
survive, she finally graduated from the Teatro alla Scala in
Milan, which is known for its hardcore schooling methods
and training. Tijuana somehow knew that despite all the
tears, tests and hard work, she would succeed, because
ballet has always been what she was meant to do. “In a
way, I often just let destiny take its course. I always try my
best and give everything I have and make plans, but when
I feel that I have done everything in my power, I let go. And
so far, I have succeeded in everything I have wanted to
do,” she says.
30 May – 2 June, Ljubljana, Cankarjev dom: Cabaret,
musical – The Ljubljana City Theatre blockbuster.
1 June, Ljubljana, Križanke: Toše Proeski live in
concert, presenting his latest album Božilak (“Rainbow”).
2 June, Ljubljana, Bežigrad Stadium: Iron Maiden live
in concert.
3 June, Ljubljana, Križanke: Leningrad Cowboys live in
concert; the legends are back in Slovenia.
6 June, Ljubljana, Križanke: Borisa Novković live in
concert.
8 June, Maribor, Slovene National Theatre Maribor:
Prince Igor; opera in three acts (six sceneds) with a
prologue and an epilogue.
8 June, Maribor: Ceca live in concert; ex-Yugoslavia’s
first lady of folk-pop returns to Slovenia.
10 June, Ljubljana, Ljubljana Catle: Jamski človek
(“Caveman”) & Kolumbovo jajce (“Egg of Columbus “);
theatre performances (next performance on 24 June).
11 June, Ljubljana, Cankarjev dom: La vie en rose;
international chanson night.
15 June, Ljubljana, Hala Tivoli: Il Divo live in concert.
18 and 19 June, Ljubljana, Križanke: Vaya Con Dios,
live in concert.
20 June, Ljubljana, Križanke: Marilyn Manson live in
concert; the controversial American singer making his
first appearance in Slovenia.
22 June, Jesenice, Hala Podmežaklo: Halid Bešlić live
in concert; a multi-cultural evening featuring the biggest
star of the Balkan folk-pop music.
22 and 23 June, Ajdovščina: Njoki Summer Festival
2007, a festival of great music, friends, sports games,
food and positive energy.
26 June, Ljubljana, Hala Tivoli: Tori Amos: The
American Doll Posse Tour, live in concert.
26 June, Ljubljana: Poletna noč, a traditional summer
event.
28 June, Tolmin: Soč’n fest music festival, tune in to
jazz, soul, funky and ethno vibes.
28 – 30 June, Ljubljana, Cankarjev dom: 48th
Ljubljana Jazz Festival.
29 June, Ljubljana, Cankarjev dom: Folkart, 19th
international folklore festival.
Endless Journey
Tijuana Križman is now definitely one of the most talented
ballet dancers not only of the corps of the National
Theatre Drama Maribor, but in Slovenia (“I have not
thought about moving abroad, because I feel settled in
Maribor,” she says). She could easily work abroad. After a
few starting roles she has grown and danced the leading
role of Aurora in the ballet performance Sleeping Beauty.
Despite the unfortunate circumstance of her dancing
partner injuring himself one day prior to the performance
and having to dance with a partner who flew in from
Skopje one hour before the opening, all ended well.
She is also well known in Ljubljana, where she performs
in Swan Lake in Cankarjev dom and the Architecture of
Silence, a performance choreographed by Edward Clug
in the Križanke Open Air Theatre. She will also play the
leading role in Cinderella this autumn. The award which
she received at the competition in Florence once again
proved what a superb ballet dancer Tijuana is. Because
she had so many rehearsals for the Architecture of Silence
she entered the competition only at the very last minute.
She competed in classical and modern dance and came
first in both disciplines, which has been her greatest
achievement so far. “I do not think of myself as being
special. My parents say that in a way I have remained
modest, because I always feel that I am at the beginning of
my journey and that there is so much more I have to learn
and that all that I have learnt is far from being enough. I
am thoroughly committed to ballet,” says Tijuana.
sinfo june 07
Other events:
31 May – 2 June, Ljubljana, Gospodarsko razstavišče:
Moje vino 2007; International showcase of wine-makers.
Sport events:
9 and 10 June, Ljubljana: Volleyball Euroleague;
Slovenia v. Czech Republic.
9 June, Ljubljana, Tivoli Park: Women’s run.
10 June, Rogaška Slatina: 19th Rogaška Marathon.
13 June, Novo meto: Tour de Slovenie; cycling.
14 June, Ljubljana: Ljubljana Olympic Run.
16 June, Bled: 53th International Rowing Regatta.
25 June, Vršič: 13th Vršič Run.
30. June, Maribor: Volleyball Euroleague; Slovenia v.
Portugal.
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NATURALTRAILS
The Beautiful Narcissi
on Mt Golica
Golica
Ljubljana
Kornelija Ajlec, photo: Robert Zajc
If someone from Central Europe says that they do not know
the famous Avsenik polka entitled ‘Na Golico’, then they
have probably never really listened to the radio. In 2003,
ARD, the German TV station, placed it on their 20 Most
Played Songs in the World list, and it was at number one in
the instrumentals subcategory.
While the northern slopes may be very steep, access from
the south is very easy. The easiest way is set off from a settlement known as Planina pod Golico, from where it takes
two and a half hours of leisurely hiking to reach the top. The
mountain top offers exquisite views of the rest of the western Karavanke Mountains and Julian Alp, as well as the Austrian federal state of Carinthia and its capital, Klagenfurt.
But who knows if this merry polka, a trademark of Slovenian
Oberkrainer-style music, would even exist if it were not for
the mountain which lent it its name. Mt Golica is a peak in
the western Karavanke mountain chain, which towers 1835m
above the town of Jesenice. Once upon a time the border
between Austria and Yugoslavia ran across the peak of
Velika Golica, but nowadays, the entire mountain is Slovenian territory. The name Golica, which translates as ‘Bare
Mountain’, comes from the fact that the mountain does look
rather bare from afar, as there are no forests above 1500m,
only pastures for sheep. Up until 1957, local farmers also
used to cut hay on its slopes.
Daytrips to Mt Golica are especially popular in May and
June, when the mountain slopes are covered by white narcissi. In lower lying pastures, the narcissi bloom in May, but
this year, due to warm weather, they opened their buds
already in April. On higher lying grasslands, they usually
bloom in June, but this year, they already blossomed in
May. Nowadays, the number of narcissi is unfortunately in
constant decline, because people have not cut the grass
on the slopes for years and shrubs are slowly overgrowing
the area. There are, however, certain locals who would do
anything to protect their beloved springtime companions,
and they take to the mountain in August to once more cut
the grass even in the least accessible of areas in order to
preserve the narcissi.
Above the tree line there used to be the so-called ‘German Chalet’, which was burnt down by partisans during the
Second World War in order to prevent the Germans from
using it as a military base. For the very same reasons, it
was the Germans’ turn to burn down another chalet on the
top of the mountain, the so-called ‘Slovenian Chalet’. Nowadays, there is a new chalet just below the summit, which
welcomes hikers and provides accommodation, with forty
beds. It has been open since 26 April this year.
Local folk show their love for the white flowers by organising the Feast of the Narcissus every Saturday in May in the
village of Planina pod Golico, where locals and visitors alike
can spin to the rhythms of the polka, feast on Carniolan sausages and enjoy a glass of wine or a jug of beer, while admiring Mt Golica covered by the wonderful poets’ narcissi.
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sinfo june 07
NATURALTRAILS
The Beautiful Narcissi
on Mt Golica