The press conference was attended by State Secretary Jelko Kacin, responsible for the logistics of mass vaccination against Covid-19.

The press conference was attended by Irena Grmek Košnik, a representative from the Kranj Regional Unit of the National Institute of Public Health. Maja Bratuša presented the epidemiological situation in the country.

Prime Minister Janez Janša is participating at a special meeting of the European Council in Brussels. The leaders will focus on the current status regarding the harmonisation of the EU response to COVID-19 and the reform of the Fit for 55 climate and energy legislative package.

Today Prime Minister Janez Janša is in Brussels where he met Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Eduard Heger, prior to the special meeting of the European Council. During their talks, the discussion partners spoke about the management of the COVID-19 situation and the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council.

This evening, Prime Minister Janez Janša and his wife Urška Bačovnik Janša attended a concert by the Big Band of the Slovenian Armed Forces Orchestra on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Pekre events. The concert took place outside the Kadetnica military facility in Maribor. On this occasion, Prime Minister Janez Janša also gave an official address.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, was the guest on a TV Slovenija 3 talk show hosted by Igor Pirkovič. He spoke about vaccination, those who have recovered from COVID-19, curbing the epidemic, vaccination coverage, the current political situation, the balance of political powers, the upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU and the planned priorities.

Today at Brdo pri Kranju, Prime Minister Janez Janša held the first introductory debate on the future of Europe entitled “The Future of Europe – Discussion on Strategic Challenges at the Beginning of a pan-European debate”. The participants in the debate were also President of Slovenia Borut Pahor, Adviser to the President Dr Ernest Petrič (through video call), former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitrij Rupel, lawyer Dr Matej Avbelj, lawyer Dr Jurij Toplak and former Member of the European Parliament Zofija Mazej Kukovič.

On Europe day, 9 May, the work on the Conference on the Future of Europe has started. This unique and democratic project will enable Europeans to exchange views and try to find answers regarding the direction of the future development of our continent, the role and positioning of the Union in the changed geopolitical relations and, last but not least, our own existence. What are the foundations that will unite and connect the Europeans in the present as well as in the future? The Council of the EU, which will be chaired by Slovenia for the most of the time during which the conference will be held, the European Parliament, and the European commission will be jointly responsible for the implementation of this major project. In its role as the country holding the presidency, Slovenia will coordinate and represent the positions of the Member States when conducting the conference.

At the press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19 Franc Vindišar, State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Damir Orehovec, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Deana Potza from the Health Inspectorate, and Alojz Sladič, Head of the General Safety and Security Planning Section from the General Police Division of the General Police Directorate were present.

Today Prime Minister Janez Janša attended training demonstrations as part of the Defender Europe 2021 military exercise. Part of the exercise is also taking place in Slovenia between 1 May and 15 June under the command of the Slovenian Armed Forces Major General Miha Škerbinc. The demonstrations took place at the main training ground of the Slovenian Armed Forces at Poček.

At the press conference on the current situation regarding COVID-19 participated Dr Nuška Čakš Jager, Deputy Head of the Centre for Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), Dr Marta Grgič Vitek, National Vaccination Programme Coordinator at the NIJZ, and Leopold Zonik, Director of the Health Centre Bled.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today attended a ceremony marking the 31st anniversary of the Manoeuvre Structure of National Protection, entitled: Manoeuvre Structure of National Protection – the Beginning of the Creation of the Slovenian Army. The ceremony, held in the National Gallery in Ljubljana, opened with an introductory address by Interior Minister Aleš Hojs, while the keynote speaker was Igor Bavčar, who served as the minister of the interior between 1990 and 1992.

Prime Minister Janez Janša had a videoconference talk today with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. They discussed the state of pandemic, which is slowing down in both countries, the vaccination process as well as future challenges. Of particular importance among the latter are combating the new mutations, facilitating the logistics of vaccine distribution and implementing vaccination in less developed countries when there is a plentiful supply of vaccines, a situation which is expected towards the end of this year.

Mateja Logar, head of the advisory group at the Ministry of Health, and prof. dr. Borut Štrukelj from the Ljubljana Faculty of Pharmacy participated at press conference on the current situation regarding the COVID-19 disease.

Today in Luče, Prime Minister Janez Janša attended the 2021 Kocbek Award ceremony. He was one of the two award recipients. Ivo Jakob, a member of the club who passed away last year and would have turned ninety this year, also received the award for climbers posthumously.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša attended the Slovenian Army Day central ceremony, which took place at the Training Centre for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief in Ig. Slovenian Army Day is marked on 15 May. On this day in 1991, Slovenian conscripts started serving in the army only in Slovenia, at the two training centres of the then Territorial Defence. A total of 300 conscripts began their military service at the 710th Training Centre in Pekre, near Maribor, and the 510th Training Centre in Ig, near Ljubljana. Slovenian Army Day is a day for preserving the values of Slovenian military history, especially the values of efforts for independence.

"Slovenia is still a welfare state," said Romana Tomc, President of the Strategic Council, at the beginning of their 1st meeting. Everyone can feel the acts of a welfare state on their own skin, most often when they are in a difficult life situation. She stressed that it is therefore important that the system works because of, and for the people. This should be considered by all those who write new regulations and establish new institutions.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša was a keynote speaker at the unveiling of the memorial in Poljče, commemorating the events of over 30 years ago. In May 1991, members of the enlarged presidency and key ministers of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, commanders of the territorial defence and special police units, met in Poljče, and at the proposal of the Minister of Defence, approved the guidelines for Slovenia's defence in the event of YPA aggression. The guidelines were used as a strategic document in the war for Slovenia on 26 June 1991 during the YPA attack. In it, the Slovenian defence forces defended the homeland and defeated the aggressor, the Yugoslav Army. The event in Poljče was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Matej Tonin, MA, Minister of the Interior Aleš Hojs, Director General of the Police Dr. Anton Olaj, State Secretary Bojan Pograjc, MA, and key actors of that time.

Today, Prime Minister Janez Janša attended the 1st meeting of the Strategic Council on Social Policy, of which the MEP Romana Tomc is President. At the meeting, the members of the Council spoke about the goals of the Council, gave an assessment of the current situation, and presented some substantive proposals. The Council meeting was also attended by the Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Janez Cigler Kralj, who addressed the participants.

Ms Ignacija Fridl Jarc, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Mr Simon Zajc, State Secretary at Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Mr Milan Krek, Director of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), and Ms Tjaša Žohar Čretnik, Director of the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food (NLZOH), participated in the press conference on the state of play of COVID-19.