Writer, playwright and essayist Drago Jančar is the most translated and awarded Slovenian author. Four Kresnik Awards for his novels, the Prešeren Prize for his oeuvre, the Herder Prize and the Austrian State Prize for European Literature are only some of the accolades he has earned. He draws inspiration from history and life in all its nuances. His books remind us of what happens when a national border turns into a frontline overnight.

Gustav Tönnies, founder of one of the most enterprising and successful families in the territory of the 19th century Slovenia, was a successful businessman, who took good advantage of the opportunities offered by the expansion of major infrastructural projects in the second half of the 19th century. His sons carried on his work, but were after the disintegration of Austro-Hungarian Monarchy faced with new problems and challenges arising from newly created states. The Archives of the Republic of Slovenia keeps extensive probate records of Gustav Tönnies, which contain as many as 54 documents, including several property inventories.

Prime Minister Janez Janša nominated the missionary Pedro Opeka and his humanitarian organisation, Akamasoa, which operates on the outskirts of Antananarivo in Madagascar, for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.

Prime Minister Janez Janša published a message on his Facebook page regarding the number of enrolment places in public schools and faculties financed by taxpayers’ money. It is one of the most important strategic decisions in every country.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today spoke with his Hungarian, Slovakian, and Israeli colleagues on the phone.

“The Slovenian Government had already adopted a roadmap to ease or tighten measures at the beginning of December, given that we were already in the second wave of infections, and this plan was revised at the beginning of January according to the situation that developed.

Today, State Secretary Gašper Dovžan hosted Karoline Edtstadler, Austrian Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution at the Federal Chancellery. Slovenia and Austria share similar views on EU issues and are partners in regional initiatives. Minister Edtstadler was also received by Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar.

A working level meeting for senior officials of the Slovenian, Croatian, and Italian foreign ministries took place today. It focused on cooperation on economic development, connectivity, and comprehensive protection of the northern Adriatic region prior to the declaration of the exclusive economic zones by both Croatia and Italy.

The new Executive Director of the European Labour Authority (ELA), Cosmin Boiangiu, paid a visit to Slovenia on 29 January 2021 as part of his tour of EU Member States. He was received by State Secretary Gašper Dovžan when he paid a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition to the promotion of the European Labour Authority, the visit is also aimed at establishing sound foundations for cooperation and at enhancing relations with the competent labour authorities in Slovenia, with which the ELA would like to cooperate more closely in the future. The Executive Director also met with the Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs.

Slovenia has marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Wednesday with a series of events, including the laying of wreaths, exhibitions and the traditional reading of the names of Slovenian Holocaust victims.

Prime Minister Janez Janša participated at the January session of the Managers’ Association of Slovenia. The broad event represents a symbolic start to the new economic year, which is why it is full of optimism, new ideas, drive, and expectations. Prime Minister Janez Janša spoke with the executive director of the Association on aiding the economy with anti-corona packages, on the national recovery and resilience plan, and on other topics which are significant for the Slovenian economy.

Today the Slovenian Minister of the Interior, Aleš Hojs, and his delegation attended an informal video conference of the EU Home Affairs Ministers. The Portuguese Presidency included three discussion topics on the conference agenda: the next steps in the EU migration and asylum policy, the current state and future of the Schengen area, and the future of Europol.

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has extended the reopening of kindergartens and schools for students of the first three grades of primary school in the following red regions: the Gorenjska, Koroška, Osrednjeslovenska, Podravska, Pomurska and Savinjska regions. In these regions, from Tuesday, 2 February 2021, childcare for pre-school children and classes for students of the first three grades of primary school will continue to take place on school premises, said Minister Simona Kustec, presenting the Government's decision.

Today’s press conference on the current situation with regard to COVID-19 was attended by Bojana Beović, head of the advisory group at the Ministry of Health, Deana Potza of the Health Inspectorate, and Deputy Director General of the Police Tomaž Pečjak.

As a response to the article posted by the New York Times on 27th of January, titled ''A populist leader kicks off a culture war in museums'', we are posting the full correspondence between the Ministry of Culture and the New York Times reporter, Mr. Alex Marshall.

Today, the EU Ministers competent for agriculture, and fisheries met on the first EU Council meeting this year under the Portuguese Presidency, which took place in the audio-visual form. On behalf of Slovenia, the meeting was attended by the Minister Dr Jože Podgoršek. In the introduction, Portugal presented the work programme in agriculture and fisheries in the following half year.

Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar addressed the participants of the 5th Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR), which this year is being held under the slogan “Strengthening the resilience of the Adriatic and Ionian Region through cooperation”. At the virtual forum taking place during Slovenia's presidency of EUSAIR, the Minister underlined that Europe’s green and digital recovery can only be achieved through effective cooperation and coordination on both the regional and global scale.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a financial support decision for the project “Collection and treatment in the Savinja River basin – the municipalities of Braslovče, Polzela and Žalec”. The project worth over EUR 2.1 million will be implemented by the municipalities of Braslovče, Polzela and Žalec and will receive nearly EUR 759,000 of European Regional Development Fund support.

On Wednesday, 27th January 2021, the Republic of Slovenia successfully entered the markets with a 60-year (Mar-81) benchmark issuance of EUR 500 mio. This landmark transaction constitutes the longest ever bond issue from the Republic of Slovenia on Debt Capital Markets. The success of the transaction, with more than EUR4.3bn of demand, is a strong testimony of the confidence institutional investors have into the Republic of Slovenia.

With its credit rating by S&P (AA-), Fitch (A), Moody’s (A3), and DBRS (AH) and the placement of a new 60-year Eurobond issue and the related extension of the reference market yield curve, the Republic of Slovenia has consolidated its position among the more advanced euro-area countries.