At the initiative of the Human Rights Ombudswoman of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Simona Drenik Bavdek, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia (CC) adopted a decision on the temporary suspension of the implementation of Article 8 of the Act on Emergency Measures to Ensure Public Safety (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 93/25) (U-I-24/26).

Ombudswoman Dr Simona Drenik Bavdek welcomes the decision of the Constitutional Court (CC) to temporarily suspend Article 8 of the Act on Emergency Measures to Ensure Public Safety. She assesses that the Constitutional Court has thereby upheld the proposal and arguments of the Ombudsman that the harmful consequences of further enforcement against cash social assistance, which is intended to ensure the survival of individuals and families in distress, outweigh the harmful consequences of the temporary suspension of the contested regulation. As stated in the request of the Ombudsman, the state can postpone such interventions until the Constitutional Court decides whether the regulation is in conformity with the Constitution, whereas the needs of socially vulnerable individuals cannot wait. Ombudswoman Dr Simona Drenik Bavdek expects that, in the continuation of the proceedings, the Constitutional Court will decide on the constitutionality of the contested legal regulation as soon as possible. This will also constitute an important contribution to constitutional case law regarding the protection of human dignity and the right to social security.

Ombudswoman Dr Simona Drenik Bavdek stated: “I welcome the decision of the Constitutional Court. It upheld our arguments that the state can wait to interfere with the subsistence minimum of individuals until its final decision, whereas the needs of the socially vulnerable cannot wait. In doing so, the Constitutional Court accepted our argument that a regulation allowing enforcement against minimum social benefits intended for survival may cause consequences for individuals that are difficult or impossible to remedy. It is, however, in the public interest that the Constitutional Court also adopts a substantive decision as soon as possible.”

The Ombudswoman maintained this position when filing the request for a constitutional review, as enforcement against cash social assistance endangers the survival of the most vulnerable families and individuals. She also assessed that the continued implementation of Article 8 of the Act could cause consequences that would be difficult to remedy for individuals living on the brink of survival.

The Ombudswoman has received numerous initiatives from citizens across Slovenia who have found themselves in severe hardship due to enforcement against cash social assistance and extraordinary cash social assistance, which for many represent the only or primary source of subsistence. She has also become acquainted with many such cases in the course of monitoring and addressing this issue. These include older persons, single-parent families, families with multiple children, persons with disabilities, chronically ill individuals, individuals with mental health difficulties, homeless persons and people without a social support network. What they have in common is their dependence on social transfers to meet their basic living needs.

On 13 February 2026, the Ombudswoman therefore filed a request with the Constitutional Court for a review of the constitutionality of Article 8 of the Act on Emergency Measures to Ensure Public Safety (ZNUZJV) and proposed its temporary suspension and priority consideration.

On March 30, 31 and April 1, 2026, First Deputy Public Defender Tamar Gvaramadze participated in the events of the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) held in Geneva, as well as in the conferences and meetings held in parallel.

At the ENNHRI general meeting, reports were presented on the activities and financial situation of the organization over the past 6 months, and priorities for the next period were also determined.

At the GANHRI Bureau meeting and later at the general meeting, reports were presented on the novelties and activities of Asia-Pacific, Africa, America and Europe; The reports of the Secretariat’s activities and working groups and the draft work plans and budgets for 2026 were discussed. Issues related to the accreditation of national human rights institutions were also discussed. Tamar Gvaramadze, as a member of the ENNHRI Governing Board and GANHRI Governing Bureau, was actively involved in the discussions. At the meeting on sharing work experience, she spoke about the experience of the Public Defender on the protection of migrants’ rights.

Tamar Gvaramadze, as a speaker, participated in the presentation of the UNDP-prepared manual on the right to live in a healthy environment, in the preparation of which the Public Defender’s Office was also involved. Tamar Gvaramadze spoke about the details of her participation in the development of the manual, and also discussed the project implemented by the Public Defender within the framework of the international tripartite (UNDP-GANHRI-OHCHR) partnership, which made it possible to realize the right to water in Georgia.

At the annual conference on the impact of digital technologies on human rights, Tamar Gvaramadze chaired the third panel, and during the moderation she spoke about the special report prepared by the Public Defender on artificial intelligence and presented the practice of the Office.

Every year sepsis kills more people than cancer. It is the primary cause of preventable death.

Our latest Case Digest highlights investigations where we've found failings in the prevention or treatment of sepsis in healthcare settings. It looks at the recommendations we've made to try and stop these failings re-occurring. 

It is also intended to raise public awareness about sepsis and encourage people to speak up if they have concerns.

The Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, Velislava Delcheva, held an on-site reception day in Lovech, where she met with residents of the municipality and the region.

23 March 2026

The Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, Velislava Delcheva, held an on-site reception day in Lovech, where she met with residents of the municipality and the region.

The most common complaints concerned poor electricity supply and high electricity bills, a problem that continues to seriously affect households.

Since the beginning of the year, over 60 residents of Lovech and the region have sought assistance from the Ombudsman’ Institution. In addition to complaints about electricity supply and bills, citizens also raised a number of cases involving malicious and aggressive practices by debt collection agencies toward their debtors. Issues were also raised regarding violations of social rights and difficulties in accessing healthcare services.

The Ombudsman stated that the institution would investigate all complaints received and would insist that the competent authorities take effective measures.

A particularly alarming incident occurred at the reception area, where a woman in a wheelchair was forced to wait for the Ombudsman in the rain outside the building to file her complaint due to the lack of accessibility.

In this regard, the Ombudsman will issue a recommendation to the Municipality of Lovech to take urgent action to ensure an accessible environment for people with disabilities, so that every citizen has equal access to public institutions.

In the period from 1 January 2026 to 22 March 2026 alone, the Ombudsman Institution received 4,535 complaints, compared to 1,619 for the same period in 2025, representing nearly a threefold increase. The total number of complaints in 2025 was 10,256, with the majority of them related to consumer rights.

Earlier in the day, Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva also conducted a surprise inspection at a residential facility for people with physical disabilities in the village of Slivak.

L’Ufficio di Presidenza del Coordinamento Nazionale dei Difensori civici delle Regioni e Province Autonome italiane, composto dal Presidente, Dott. Marino Fardelli (Difensore civico della Regione Lazio), e dai Vice Presidenti, Avv. Paola Baldovino (Difensore civico della Regione Piemonte) e Avv. Guido Giusti (Difensore civico della Regione Emilia Romagna), desidera rivolgere i più sentiti complimenti all’On.le Stefano Balleari, Presidente del Consiglio regionale della Liguria, per il prestigioso incarico di Coordinatore nazionale degli Organi di Garanzia all’interno della Conferenza delle Assemblee Legislative delle Regioni e delle Province Autonome italiane.

L’Ufficio di Presidenza sottolinea l’importanza di questa nomina come riconoscimento del ruolo cruciale delle figure di garanzia nella tutela dei diritti dei cittadini e nella promozione della legalità e della trasparenza nelle istituzioni regionali.

“Riteniamo fondamentale instaurare un dialogo costante e costruttivo con il Coordinatore nazionale – dichiarano i membri dell’Ufficio di Presidenza – per confrontarci su temi di interesse comune e individuare azioni, iniziative e strategie operative condivise. La figura del Presidente Balleari rappresenta un riferimento essenziale per rafforzare la difesa civica in tutto il Paese, favorendo la partecipazione attiva dei cittadini e la valorizzazione delle buone pratiche nei diversi territori.”

L’Ufficio di Presidenza conferma la propria disponibilità a collaborare strettamente con il neo Coordinatore nazionale, con l’obiettivo di consolidare la rete dei Difensori civici e delle figure di garanzia, promuovendo un lavoro sinergico che rafforzi la tutela dei diritti e la cultura della responsabilità istituzionale.