Ljubljana - Prime Minister Janez Janša will speak to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen virtually on Thursday, as the EU summit in Brussels will also be held online and not in person as originally scheduled. Janša and Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti will meanwhile not take part in a discussion on the media scheduled in the European Parliament.

The summit was supposed to be held in person on Thursday and Friday, but European Council President Charles Michel decided on Sunday that it will be held via videoconference due to a renewed increase in coronavirus infections in several member states.

Janša was supposed to travel to Brussels and also meet Von der Leyen as part of the visit, and this meeting too will be held via videoconference, the prime minister's office told the STA on Monday.

Meanwhile, Janša and Culture Simoniti excused themselves from taking part in a discussion at the European Parliament's Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group on freedom of the media in Slovenia, scheduled to be held on Friday.

This is a new date scheduled for Janša and Simoniti after the two excused themselves from the first discussion, held on 5 March, and proposed that a new session be held on 26 March.

The prime minister's office told the STA that Janša and Simoniti would not take part as they would not be present in Brussels in person, adding that they thought that the debate should be public and held in person in the European Parliament.

"Enough time should also be secured so that all topics that they would like to discuss could be presented comprehensively," the office said, adding that the two would attend a talk with members of the group at the first possible opportunity.

There is no information from the European Parliament as to whether the debate will be held on Friday despite the cancellation by Janša and Simoniti.