Compared to the northern neighbours, Slovenia's investments in ski infrastructure are negligible. Three Austrian federal states, Carinthia, Styria and Salzburg, plan to invest an unbelievable EUR 116m in ski lifts this year alone.

It is therefore no surprise that the Association of Slovenian Ski Lift Operators expects grants from the state rather than just favourable loans from the state-owned SID bank. To remain competitive in this business, it is necessary to invest enormous amounts of money.

For starters, they would be pleased if the state recognises at least cargo lifts as public infrastructure, and they have good reason to demand that. In 2016, ski lifts carried more passengers, 14.6 million, than Slovenian railways.

And after all, Slovenia is still an Alpine country and skiing is a national sport, the paper concludes in Optimism.