About: Slovenia

Illiberal democracy in Slovenia? Yes and no

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša is the strongest challenger to a status quo in which the left has been in power in the country for too long, writes Žiga Turk.

Two ways to settle the border issue between Slovenia and Croatia

The international arbitration court decision is balanced and reasonable and Slovenians and Croats should be able to live with it, writes Žiga Turk.

Balkan Mission Impossible for Mogherini

Europe’s foreign policy supremo, Federica Mogherini, is off on a mission even more difficult than getting Iran and the US to agree their nuclear deal, writes Denis MacShane.

Digital platform investment can protect agricultural jobs

Small and medium-sized enterprises are a focal point in shaping enterprise policy in the EU. The European Commission considers SMEs and entrepreneurship as key to ensuring economic growth, innovation, job creation and social integration, writes Franc Bogovič.

Will the UN glass ceiling be shattered this time?

While the contest to select the next UN Secretary-General may not be on a par with the slugging match for the White House, it is beginning to heat up - with some decidedly undiplomatic tactics evident in the campaign to replace Ban Ki-moon, writes Dick Roche.

The EU’s core values are at stake in the migration crisis

Our governments’ failure to act on the migration crisis is destroying the European Union and undermining our core values. This is not the Europe we dreamed of, writes Madi Sharma.

Razor wire on the Schengen border: Obstruction or self-destruction?

Closing borders and building fences is the wrong response to the migrant crisis. Allowing our actions to be governed by fear and xenophobia will only strengthen the hand of the extremists, argues Bruno Nikoli?.

An appeal from Central Europe on the refugee crisis

Unlike the former colonial powers, Central European states have little experience of co-existing with people of different cultures. But in refusing to help, they undermine the solidarity that other nations have shown towards them, write politicians, artists and intellectuals from Central Europe.

If Bulc is nominated, the next Dan Brown novel should be about the Brussels bubble

Some Europeans are deeply respectful of European institutions and serious about the jobs of the persons that lead it. It is a valuable project that brought peace, prosperity and democracy to the continent. It deserves full support. On the other hand, the Slovenian centre-left was cheering to the song that refrains “Europe is a gang of thieves” [see related EURACTIV article].

Slovenia and the return of history

Janez Janša, former Prime Minister of Slovenia, has been sentenced to two years in prison, on corruption charges. But this was not an ordinary process against an ordinary person, and it is highly doubtful he has had a fair trial, writes Žiga Turk.

New Slovenian president faces growing social unrest

The austerity measures introduced by the current government have brought many people to the streets to defend their social rights, and the belief that Slovenia should remain firmly grounded on the premises of a modern welfare state, writes Marko Bucik.

‘Leftist’ Slovenia: Economic decline and politicisation of the judiciary

Slovenia under the Social Democrats – who have been in power since 2008 – has declined economically, faces a partial return to Communist-era values and personnel, and has a more politicised justice system than even Ukraine, argues the centre-right Democratic Party of Slovenia.

A sceptical view of the Slovenia-Croatia arbitration agreement

Despite long-standing good neighbourly relations between Croatia and Slovenia, the border dispute between the two countries remains unresolved. The main issues are how much access Slovenia will be granted to the coastline and the high seas, and whether to settle the dispute on the basis of international law or historical reasoning, writes Žiga Turk, secretary-general of the Reflection Group for the future of Europe, in a May blog post.

A star pupil playing it safe in the EU: Slovenia’s Council presidency

The EU presidency will serve as a powerful instrument for further 'Europeanisation' of Slovenia both in terms of adopting European practices, norms and values and promoting its political interests at EU level, argues Manja Klemen?i? in a paper for the think tank Notre Europe.

Diplomatic Warfare

Slovenia threatens to withdraw support for Croatia's EU bid over a souring maritime border dispute.

Slovenia: Prime Minister Set To Be President

Slovenia: Prime Minister Set To Be President Slovenian prime minister well ahead in race for the presidency, but fails to clinch a first-round victory. A run-off election will be needed to determine the next Slovenian president after none of the...

Slovenia’s Patchy Transparency

Slovenia’s Patchy Transparency Though legislation governing party and election-campaign financing was revised two years ago, Slovenia’s system is still filled with holes. The law on party financing was revised following a Constitutional Court ruling that found that one of the...

Slovenia and Croatia Falter on Krsko Agreement

Slovenia and Croatia Falter on Krsko Agreement Once again, the five-party ruling coalition in Croatia is going through a deep crisis, this time over the Croatian-Slovene agreement on the Krsko nuclear power plant. The inability to hold a vote on...

Croatia Questions Border Agreement with Slovenia

Croatia Questions Border Agreement with Slovenia LJUBLJANA, Slovenia – Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan and his deputy, Drazen Budisa, last week called for a reopening of talks on the exact delineation of Slovenia’s border with Croatia, one year after a...

Slovenia in the EU and the issue of post-national democracy

Slovenia in the EU and the issue of post-national democracy Dimitrij Rupel, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, addressed the third in the series of special EPC briefings Meet the new Member States. He spoke on “Slovenia in the...

Slovenia’s Road Ahead – An interview with Eric van der Linden

Eric van der Linden arrived in Ljubljana in June 2000, as head of the European Commission Delegation to Slovenia. The small Alpine nation is considered a frontrunner among EU candidate countries. The recently released European Commission report on Slovenia’s progress...