Facts About Slovenia

8/14/2019 Facts About Slovenia

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Facts about Slovenia

6th edition

Publisher

Government Communication Oce

Director

Veronika Stabej

Editorial Board

Matja Kek, Sabina Popovi, Albert Kos, Manja Kostevc

Editors

Simona Pavli Moina, Polona Preeren, MA

Texts by: Dr Janko Prunk (History); Dr Jernej Pikalo (Political system); Ministryo Foreign Aairs, Ministry o Deence, Ministry o the Environment and SpatialPlanning, Government Communication Oce (Slovenia in the world); Institute oMacroeconomic Analysis and Development (Marijana Bedna, Matev Hribernik,

Rotija Kmet Zupani, Luka akelj Economy); Slovenian Tourist Board (Tourismin Slovenia); Ministry o Education and Sport, Ministry o Higher Education,Science and Technology (Education, Science and research); Alenka Puhar (Society);Peter Kolek (Culture); Marko Milosavljevi, Government Communication Oce(Media); Dr Janez Bogataj, Darja Verbi (Regional diversity and creativity)

Translation

U.T.A. Prevajanje

Map of Slovenia

Geodetic Institute o Slovenia

Design and layout

Nuit d.o.o.

Printing

Littera picta d. o. o.

April 2009

The contents o this book is also available on the Internetwww.ukom.gov.si/eng, www.slovenia.si/publications

Facts about Slovenia appears also in German, French and Spanish

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Slovenia at a glance 7.................................................................................................................................

History 11Earliest traces 12The Celtic kingdom and the Roman Empire 12The rst independent dutchy 13Under the Franks and Christianity 13600 years under the Habsburgs 14A time o revival 14The Austro-Hungarian monarchy 15The state o Slovenes, Croats and Serbs 16The appearance o ederal Yugoslavia 17The independent state o Slovenia 18Fiteen years o the independent Republic o Slovenia 20.................................................................................................................................

Political system 21The Constitution 22The electoral system o the Republic o Slovenia 22The National Assembly 23The National Council 25The President o the Republic 26

The Government 27The judicial system 29The Constitutional Court 29Local sel-government 30Court o Audit 30Bank o Slovenia 30Human Rights Ombudsman 31The Inormation Commissioner 31Interest groups and social partners 32The Slovenian Armed Forces 32

Contents

s About Slovenia

CIP - Kataloni zapis o publikacijiNarodna in univerzitetna knjinica, Ljubljana

308(497.4)908(497.4)

FACTS about Slovenia / [texts by Janko Prunk ... [et al.] ;editor Simona Pavli Moina, Polona Preeren ; translation U. T. A.Prevajanje ; map of Slovenia Geodetic Institute of Slovenia]. - 6thed. - Ljubljana : Government Communication Ofce, 2009

ISBN 978-961-6435-55-01. Prunk, Janko 2. Pavli Moina, Simona245368832

Cover photo:BohinjbyTomo Jeseninik


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Slovenia in the world 33The basic goals o Slovenias oreign policy 33Membership in the EU 34

lovenias EU Presidency in the rst hal o 2008 35Participation o Slovenias Armed Forces (SAF)n crisis response operations 37

An active member o the UN 38Human Security Network 38nternational Trust Fund or Deminingnd Mine Victims Assistance 38

Membership o the Council o Europe 39nvironmental protection 40...............................................................................................................................

Economy 41Development trends 41The labour market 44Knowledge or development 44Transport inrastructure 45The most important economic activities 46The role o small and medium-sized companies 49

lovenia in the globalised world 50xternal trade 50oreign investments 52conomic and tax reorms 53...............................................................................................................................

Education 55The reormed school system 55More secondary school pupils, more students 56Compulsory basic education 57Upper secondary education 57Post-secondary vocational education and higher education 59...............................................................................................................................

Science and research 65Research and development 65National research and development programme 66The stimulation o technological developmentnd innovation 66

The Slovenian Research Agency 67The Slovenian Academy o Sciences and Arts 68nternational links 68

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Slovenian society 69Population 69Policy on women 71Freedom o belie 71Urban areas and the countryside 71Health care system 72Social security 73Pension system reorm 74Free time and recreation 74.................................................................................................................................

Culture 75Cultural development and the role o language 75Slovenian literature and publishing 77

Theatre 79Music 80Film 81Painting and architecture 82State support or culture 83Slovene outside Slovenia 84.................................................................................................................................

Media 85Print media 86The broadcast media 87Online media 89News agency 89State support or the media 90.................................................................................................................................

Regional diversity and creativity 91Ljubljana 92Notranjska 94

Dolenjska and Bela Krajina 95tajerska 96Prekmurje 98Koroka 98Gorenjska 99Primorska 100Slovenian cuisine 103A land o thermal and mineral water springs 105Nature parks 106

s About Slovenia


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s About Slovenia

Slovenia at a glanceRepublic o SloveniaState / Democratic parliamentary republicsince 25 June 1991Member o the European Union since 1 May 2004

Capital / Ljubljana, 260,000 inhabitantsNational ag / Horizontal stripes in white, blue and red withSlovenian coat o arms on its let upper side

Coat o arms/ Three six-pointed yellow stars are symbols othe Counts o Celje with Triglav as a symbol o Slovenehoodand underlying two wavy lines symbolizing Slovenian riversand the sea

Anthem / The seventh stanza o Zdravljica, a poem byFrance Preeren, set to music by Stanko Premrl

State holidays / June 25 - Statehood Day, December 26 -Independence and Unity Day

Ofcial Language/ Slovene, in some nationally mixed bordeareas also Italian and Hungarian

Currency / EUR 1= 100 cents

Phone dial code / +386

Gods blessing on all nations,

Who long and work for that bright day,

When oer earths habitations

No war, no strife shall hold its sway;

Who long to see

That all men free

No more shall foes, but neighbours be.

Text o the Slovenian national anthem(7th stanza o Zdravljica - A Toast by France Preeren)

Slovenia on the Internet

www.gov.siState portal o the Republic o Slovenia

www.slovenia.siGateway to inormation on Slovenia

www.vlada.siGovernment o the Republic o Slovenia

www.up-rs.siPresident o the Republic o Slovenia

www.ukom.gov.siGovernment Communication Oce

www.mzz.gov.siMinistry o Foreign Aairs

www.eu2008.siSlovenian EU Presidency

www.svez.gov.siGovernment Oce or European Aairs

www.umar.gov.siInstitute o Macroeconomic Analysis and Development

www.slovenia.inoSlovenian Tourist Board

www.gzs.siChamber o Commerce and Industry

www.investslovenia.orgInvest in Slovenia

www.dz-rs.siNational Assembly

www.stat.siStatistical Oce o the Republic o Slovenia

www.ljse-siLjubljana Stock Exchange

www.uni-lj.siUniversity o Ljubljana

www.uni-mb.siUniversity o Maribor

www.upr.siUniversity o Primorska

www.p-ng.siUniversity o Nova Gorica

Slovenian national fag.

Slovenian coat o arms.

Preerens manuscript oZdravljica rom 1844.


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s About Slovenia

GeographySize / 20,273 km

ength o borders / 1,370 km: with Austria 318 km, withtaly 280 km, with Hungary 102 km, with Croatia 670 km

ength o coastline/ 46.6 km

Neighbouring states / Austria, Italy, Hungary. Croatia

argest towns / Ljubljana (261,700), Maribor (108,600),Kranj (39,400), Celje (38,400)

Highest mountain / Triglav 2,864 m

ongest river / Sava 221 kmandscape/ The territory o Slovenia is geographicallyivided into our basic types o landscape - Alpine in theorth, Mediterranean in the south-west, Dinaric in the southnd Pannonian in the east.

Climate / There are three dierent types o climate inSlovenia: continental in the central part, Alpine in the

orth-west and sub-Mediterranean along the coast and itsinterland.

PopulationInhabitants / 2,039,399 (30 June 2008)Population density / 99.6 inhabitants per square kilometre

Nationalities (2002 census): Slovenian 83%; Italian0,1%; Hungarian 0,3%; Croat 1,8%; Serbian 2,0%; Muslim(including Bosniacs) 1,6%; others 2,2%; unknown: 8,9%

Births / On average 1,38 children per woman (2007)

Lie expectancy / 74.98 or men and 82.26 or women(born in 2007)

Urbanization / Approximately one third o the population livein towns with more than 10,000 inhabitants, the rest live innearly six thousand smaller towns and villages.

Religions / According to the 2002 census the most opopulation (58 %) are Catholics. Together there are 43religious communities registered in Slovenia. Among theoldest is the Evangelical Church, most widely spread in thenortheastern part o Slovenia.

t Triglav


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s About Slovenia

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01

250,000 BC: The rst evidence o human habitation on the territory o the present-day Slovenia

120,000 to 33,000 BC: Remains rom the early Stone Age - the Palaeolithic; among them the oldest

musical instrument in the world, ound in Slovenia

5,000 BC: Remains ound as evidence o a hunting and gathering way o lie

3,900 BC: Pile dwellings on the Ljubljana Marshes

1,300 BC: Urneld culture

8th to 7th century BC: Bronze and Iron Age ortications4th and 3rd century BC: The arrival o Celts; the Noricum kingdom

around 10 BC: The Roman Empire; the appearance o the rst towns

5th and 6th century AD: Invasions by the Huns and Germanic tribes

after 568: Dominance o Slavonic people on the territory o Slovenia

7th to 11th century: The Duchy o Carantania, the oldest known independent

Slavonic tribal union in this area

8th century: The start o the conversion to Christianity

9th century: The spread o the Frankish eudal system and the beginning o the ormation o the

Slovenian nation

10th century: The appearance o the Freising Manuscripts, the earliest known text written in Slovene

11th century: The beginning o the development o the Carniola, Styria, Carinthia and Gorizia regions,

and intensive German colonisation

11th to 14th centuries: The development o medieval towns in Slovenia

14th to 15th centuries: Most o the territory o Slovenia including all its hereditary estates are taken

over by the Habsburgs; in 145, the Counts o Celje become extinct - this was the last eudal dynasty

on Slovenian territory

15th century: Turkish invasions begin

15th to 17th centuries: Peasant revolts

1550: Protestantism; the rst book written in Slovene

18th century: Enlightenment and compulsory universal education

1809-1813: Napoleonic conquest - Illyrian Provinces1848: Unied Slovenia, the rst Slovenian political programme

1918: The State o Slovenes, Croats and Serbs; the Kingdom o Serbs, Croats and Slovenes,

renamed Kingdom o Yugoslavia in 12

1941-1945: Dismemberment o Yugoslavia by Axis Powers

1945: The ormation o the Federal Peoples Republic o Yugoslavia and the Peoples Republic o

Slovenia as one o its ederal entities

1990: Plebiscite on independence

25 June 1991: Proclamation o the independent Republic o Slovenia

1 May 2004: EU membership

1 January 2007: Slovenia introduces euro

1th half of 2008: Slovenias EU Presidency

History

History

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Political systemegislation / Under the Constitution, Slovenia is aemocratic republic and a social state governed by law. Thetates authority is based on the principle o the separation

legislative, executive and judicial powers, with aarliamentary system o government. The highest legislativeuthority is the National Assembly (90 deputies), which hashe right to enact laws. Elections to the National Assemblyre held every our years.

Surage / According to the Constitution, the right to vote isniversal and equal. Every citizen who has attained the age eighteen years has the right to vote and stand or oce.

President / Dr Danilo Trk since 2007

Prime Minister / Borut Pahor (SD) since 2008

Parties represented in the National Assembly,lected on 21 September 2008

Social Democrats (SD), Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS),ARES nova politika, Democratic Party o Pensioners o

Slovenia (DeSUS), Slovenian National Party (SNS), Slovenianeoples Party and Youth Party o Slovenia (SLS+SMS),iberal Democracy o Slovenia (LDS), one representative

ach o the Hungarian and the Italian national communities.

EconomyMacroeconomic indices or Slovenia in 2008

Real GDP growth (real growth rate in %) 3.5GDP per capita in EUR 18,204Rate o unemployment by ILO in % 4.4

abour productivity (real growth rate in %) 0.6nfation (annual average) 5.7


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s About Slovenia

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History

rst state called Noricum. The names o many present places(Bohinj, Tuhinj) date rom this time, as well as the nameso rivers (the Sava, the Savinja, the Drava). Around 10 BCNoricum was annexed by the Roman Empire and Romancities started to appear, among them Emona (Ljubljana)Celeia (Celje) and Poetovia (Ptuj). Well-constructed tradeand military roads ran across Slovenian territory rom Italy toPannonia. Under the Roman Empire, the population becameromanised and Christianity began to assert itsel.

The frst independent duchyIn the 5th and 6th centuries, the area was exposed to invasionsby the Huns and Germanic tribes during their incursions intoItaly. Ater the departure o the last Germanic tribe - theLangobards - to Italy in 568, Slavs began to dominate the

area, but it is not quite clear as to exactly when they rstarrived here. Ater the resistance against the nomadic AsianAvars (rom 623 to 626), this Slavonic people united withKing Samos tribal conederation, which had its centre inthe present Czech Republic. The conederation ell apart in658 and the Slav people on the territory o the present-dayCarinthia ormed the independent duchy o Carantania, withits centre at Krn Castle, north o todays Klagenurt. Fromthis period onwards, until 1414, a special ceremony o theenthronement o princes, conducted in Slovene, took place.

Under the Franks andChristianityIn the middle o the 8th century, Carantania became a vassaduchy under the rule o the Bavarians, who began to spreadChristianity. In 788, Carantanians together with Bavarianscame under Frankish rule. At the beginning o the 9th centurythe Franks removed the Carantanian princes because orebellions, replacing them with their own border dukesThe Frankish eudal system started spreading to Slovenianterritory. At the end o the 9th century, Magyars invaded thePannonian Plain. They intruded into Slovenian territory andcut it o rom the other western Slavs.

Thus the isolated Slavs o Carantania and o Carniola tothe south, started developing into an independent nation oSlovenes. Ater the victory o Emperor Otto I over the Magyarsin 955, Slovenian territory became divided into a number oborder regions o the Holy Roman Empire, the most importan

Earliest tracesThe oldest proo o human habitation on the territory o Slovenia

re two implements made o stone rom the Jama cave in theoza wood near Orehek, which are around 250,000 yearsld. From the Wurm glacial age, when Neanderthals inhabitedhe area, the most important nd is the fute ound in Divjeabe, above the Idrija valley. In the late Stone and Bronze

Ages, the inhabitants o the area were engaged in livestockearing and arming. During the transition rom the Bronze tohe Iron Age, the Urneld culture existed in this area. Typical the Hallstatt period were ortied hilltop settlements calledradie (Most na Soi, Vae, Rinik, St. Vid near Stina) andeautiully crated iron objects and weapons. The ethnicity ohe inhabitants o these settlements cannot be determined.

The Celtic kingdom and theRoman Empiren the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, the territory o the present-ay Slovenia was occupied by Celtic tribes, which ormed the

A Neanderthal fute, at least45,000 years old, ound at theDivje babe archaeological sitein 1995, is probably the oldestmusical instrument in the world.The fute is kept by the NationalMuseum o Ljubljana.

Vaka Situla, an ornamentedbronze vessel rom the rst halo the 5th century BC, ound inVae near Ljubljana. The Situla iskept by the National Museum oLjubljana.


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History

who has inspired the ollowing generations to take an activestand in preserving and promoting Slovenian languageThe year 2008 marks the 500th anniversary o the birtho Primo Trubar (15081586), a Protestant reormer andthe consolidator o the Slovenian literary language. At thebeginning o the 17th century, princely absolutism and theCatholic Church suppressed Protestantism, thereby hinderingor a long period the development o literature in SloveneThe Enlightenment in Central Europe, particularly under theHabsburg monarchy, was a positive period or the Slovenianpeople. It speeded up economic development and acilitatedthe appearance o a Slovenian middle class.

The reign o Emperor Joseph II (1765-1790) which sawamong other things, the introduction o compulsory educationand primary education conducted in Slovene (1774), togethe

with the start o cultural-linguistic activities by Slovenianintellectuals, was a time o Slovenian national revival ando the birth o the Slovenian nation in the modern sense othe word. Beore the Napoleonic Wars, Slovenes acquiredsome secular literature, the rst historical study based onthe ethnic principle (by Anton Toma Linhart) and the rstcomprehensive grammar (by Jernej Kopitar). During theNapoleonic Wars, Napoleon captured southeastern Slovenianregions and on the territory o Upper Carinthia, CarniolaGorizia, Trieste, Istria, Dalmatia and Croatia south o the Savariver, created the Illyrian Provinces (1809-1813) adjoined tothe the French state, with Ljubljana as the capital. The shortlived French rule changed the taxation system and improvedthe position o the Slovene language in schools; it did nothowever, abolish eudalism.

The Austro-Hungarian monarchyIn the pre-March period modernisation o villages and the

rst industrialisation started. The most important Slovenianpoet, France Preeren, made his contribution to overcominglanguage regionalism: he asserted the right to a unied writtenlanguage or all Slovenes and deended it against attempts toblend it into an articial Illyrian Yugoslav language.

The rst Slovenian political programme, called Unied Slovenia emerged during theEuropean Spring o Nations in March and April o 1848, demanding that all the landsinhabited by Slovenes should be united into one province, called Slovenia. In this province,Slovene would be made the ocial language. It would be an autonomous province, with itsown provincial assembly within the ramework o the Habsburg monarchy.

which, Carantania was in 976 elevated into the duchy oGreat Carantania. The Freising Manuscripts date rom this

eriod - a ew prayers written in the Slovene language o theme. In the late Middle Ages, the historic states o tajerskaStyria), Koroka (Carinthia), Kranjska (Carniola), Gorizia,

Trieste and Istria were ormed rom the border regions andncluded in the medieval German state.

600 years under the Habsburgsn the 14th century, most o the territory o Slovenia wasaken over by the Habsburgs. Their powerul competitors

were or some time the Counts o Celje, a eudal amily romhis area, which in 1436 acquired the title o state counts.

This large dynasty, important at the European political level,which had its seat on Slovenian territory, died o in 1456,

nd its numerous large estates became the property o theHabsburgs, who retained control o the area right up to thend o the First World War. Intensive German colonisationetween the 11th and the 15th centuries narrowed Slovenian

ands to an area only a little bigger than the present-daySlovenian ethnic territory. At the end o the Middle Ages, inhe 15th and the 16th centuries, lie in this area was markedy Turkish incursions. Dissatisaction with the ineectiveeudal deences against the Turks and the introduction o newaxes, particularly tribute, as well as bonded labour, broughtbout peasant revolts. The biggest revolt in 1515 took placecross nearly the whole Slovenian territory. From 1572 to573, Slovenian and Croatian peasants organised a joint

evolt. Uprisings, which met with some short-lived victoriesnd eventual deeats, continued right up until the rst hal ohe 18th century.

A time o revivaln the middle o the 16th century, the Reormation, mainly

utheranism, spread across Slovenian territory, helping toreate the oundations o the Slovene literary language.

In 1550, Primo Trubar published the rst two books in Slovene, Katekizem and Abecednik(Catechism and Abecedary). The Protestants published altogether over 50 booktitles inSlovene, among them the rst Slovenian grammar and Dalmatins translation o theentire Bible (in 1584).

rimo Trubar is one o the most important pillars oSlovenias cultural and national identity, and thus a gure

The Protestant writer andtheologian Jurij Dalmatin (around1547-1589) published the rstSlovenian translation o theentire Bible in 1584.

Primo Trubar, wood engraving byJacob Lederlein, 1578.


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History

bloody Soa ront, and with the imperialistic policies o thesuperpowers, which threatened to split Slovenian territoryamong a number o states (the London Pact o 1915)Slovenes tried to arrange a unied common state o SlovenesCroats and those Serbs living within the Habsburg monarchyThis demand, known as the May Declaration, was made bythe Slovenian, Croatian and Serbian representatives in theVienna parliament in the spring o 1917.

The ruling circles o the Habsburg monarchy rejected thisdemand, even though it was supported by a strong Sloveniannational pro-declaration movement. Ater Austro-Hungariandeeat, the Croatian assembly in Zagreb and a nationagathering in Ljubljana on 29 October 1918 declared nationareedom and the ormation o an independent state oSlovenes, Croats and Serbs, with its capital in Zagreb. The

danger rom Italy, which had occupied Primorska and Istriaas well as some parts o Dalmatia, and the pressures rom theSerbs or unication into a common state, orced the State oSlovenes, Croats and Serbs, on 1 December 1918, to unitewith the Kingdom o Serbia into the Kingdom o Serbs, Croatsand Slovenes, which was in 1929 renamed the Kingdom oYugoslavia.

Following a plebiscite in 1920, most o the Slovenian part oCarinthia was annexed to Austria. Thus, a unied Slovenianever became a reality. The majority o the Slovenian nationin Yugoslavia, which was completely centralised, had noconstitutional or legal autonomy, but because o its ethniccompactness and because o the domination o the SlovenianPeoples Party (SLS), which strove or autonomy, the nationactually lived a airly autonomous existence, which even thecentralised Belgrade legislation could not spoil. Sloveniamanaged to develop both economically and culturally. Buon its domestic political stage there was an intense struggle

between the conservative-Christian SLS and the LiberaParty.

The appearance o ederalYugoslaviaDuring the Second World War, the Kingdom o Yugoslaviadisintegrated, and Slovenian territory was divided betweenGermany, Italy and Hungary. In 1941, the Liberation Fronto the Slovenian Nation was ounded in Ljubljana and

n 1867, Slovenian representatives received a majority ootes in the provincial elections. In the same year, the Austrianmpire was transormed into the dual Austro-Hungarian

monarchy. Most o the territory o present-day Sloveniaemained in the Austrian part o the monarchy, Pomurje was inhe Hungarian part, whilst the Slovenes in Veneto had alreadyecided in 1866 that they wished to join Italy. The idea o anied Slovenia remained the central theme o the national-olitical eorts o the Slovenian nation within the Habsburg

monarchy or the next 60 years.

By the end o the 19th century, industry had developedonsiderably in Slovenia and the Slovenian people wereimilarly socially dierentiated as in all the other developeduropean nations.

The state o Slovenes,Croats and SerbsDuring the World War I, which brought heavy human casualtieso Slovenia, and devastated its western regions along the

The memorial church o the HolySpirit at Javorca above Tolmin,

designed by the Viennese artistRemigius Geyling, was builtin 1916 by Austro-Hungariansoldiers to commemorate thevictims o the First World Warbattleront on the River Soa. Thechurch has been recently awardedwith the European Heritage label.


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egan armed resistance against the occupying orces. TheCommunist Party soon adopted the leading role within the

iberation Front, gradually redirecting the liberation ght intosocialist revolution and taking total control. At the end o the

war, the partisan army liberated the whole o ethnic Slovenia.The assembly o representatives o the Slovenian nation inOctober 1943 in Koevje decided to include Slovenia in the

ew Yugoslavia, which was ormed at the AVNOJ (Anti-ascist Council or the National Liberation o Yugoslavia)

meeting in Jajce in 1943 and two years later, the Federaleoples Republic o Yugoslavia (FPRY) was declared.

Slovenia, as its constituent part, was renamed the PeoplesRepublic o Slovenia. By 1947, all private property had been

ationalised. Ater the break with the Soviet Union in 1948,Yugoslavia began introducing a milder version o socialism,

ased on common ownership and sel-management. In

963, the FLRY was renamed the Socialist Federal Republic Yugoslavia (SFRY) and Slovenia was since then called the

Socialist Republic o Slovenia.

Slovenias economy developed rapidly, particularly in theties, when it was strongly industrialised. Ater the economiceorm and urther economic decentralisation o Yugoslavian 1965 and 1966, o the six republics, Slovenia was the onemost rapidly approaching a market economy.

In April 1990, the rst democratic elections in Slovenia took place and were won byDEMOS, the united opposition movement, led by Joe Punik. In the same year more than88% o the electorate voted or a sovereign and independent Slovenia. The declaration oindependence ollowed on 25 June 1991.

In spite o restrictive economic and social legislation determined mainly by the largest- Serbian - nation, which based its centralist strategy on the less-developed republics,Slovenia managed to preserve a higher level o economic development, had a higher thanaverage skilled workorce and better working discipline and organisation.

Slovenias domestic product was 2.5 times the state average,which strengthened national condence among the Slovenes.This condence showed in both the economic and cultural

reas.

The independent stateo SloveniaAter the death o Josip Broz Tito in 1980, the economic and

olitical situation started to become very strained and thisltimately led, ten years later to the end o the SFRY. The rstlear demand or Slovenian independence was made in 1987y a group o intellectuals in the 57th edition o the magazine

Nova revija. Demands or democratisation and resistance

against the centralised Yugoslavia were sparked o by thearrest o three journalists rom the political weekly Mladinaand a non-commissioned ocer o the Yugoslav Army.

Strong civil society movementsin the eighties ended with theproclamation o independence oSlovenia in 1991.

In 1988 and 1989 the rst political opposition partiesemerged, which in the 1989 May Declaration demanded asovereign state or the Slovenian nation. The next day, theYugoslav Army attacked the newly-ormed state. Ater a ten-day war, a truce was called and in October 1991 the lastsoldiers o the Yugoslav Army let Slovenia. The European


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s About Slovenia

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02

Political system

Political sys

President of the Republic: Dr Danilo Trk since 200

Prime Minister: Borut Pahor (SD) since 200

Government: Prime Minister, 15 ministers,

3 ministers without portolio

National Assembly: 0 deputies ( electedrepresentatives o the parliamentary parties and one

representative each rom the Italian and Hungarian

national communities).

National Council: 40 elected representatives o employers,

employees, armers, tradesmen and the sel-employed, as

well as rom the non-economic sector and local interest

groups.

The Republic o Slovenia is a parliamentary representativedemocratic republic, which came into existence ater thedisintegration o Yugoslavia. As a political entity withinYugoslavia, Slovenia had dierent constitutional statusesrom being part o a unitary state in the atermath o theSecond World Ward to having a status strongly resemblinga conederal unit, based on the 1974 constitution. In 1989amendments were made to the Slovenian constitutionollowed by urther amendments in 1990, which provided thelegal basis or the rst multi-party elections in 1990 and the

passage into a multiparty system.

The present Constitution o the Republic o Slovenia wasadopted on 23 December 1991, ollowing the results o theplebiscite on the sovereignty and independence o Sloveniaon 23 December 1990, when Slovenes overwhelminglyvoted or independence.

nion recognised Slovenia in the middle o January 1992,nd the UN accorded its membership in May 1992.

Eighteen years o theindependent Republico Slovenian December 1991 the independent Republic o Sloveniadopted its constitution, which is based on the rights o reeitizens. In its general provisions, the constitution denes

Slovenia as a democratic republic, governed by the rule o law,nd a social state. The adoption o the constitution ormallynded the ormer communist system. To some members Demos and outsiders, this and international recognitionrovided the basis or the argument that Demos had done its

b and could be dissolved. In December 1992 at new electionsnder a new, more democratic law, the strongest orce in theingle chamber parliament became the Liberal Democracy o

Slovenia (LDS) led by Dr Janez Drnovek with 23 per cent the vote, which balanced the Slovenian political arena byorming a coalition with one let-wing (reormed communists)nd one right-wing party (Christian Democrats).

With a similar coalition the LDS was able to govern or twelveears, with only one interruption in the second hal o 2000.t managed to establish a liberal political culture by passingumerous undamental laws, or example with regard toducation, and to carry out a social and economic transition intosocial market economy with private initiative. In comparison

with other post-communist countries it managed to preventxcessive social dierentiation. The economic sector, evenhough still largely owned by the state, successully adaptedo the world market and recorded signicant growth. In 2004

Slovenia joined the EU, with considerable popular support,nd NATO. At the parliamentary elections in the autumn o 2004he Slovenian Democratic Party won and ormed a centre-rightovernment, headed by the leader o the Slovenian Democraticarty Janez Jana, with New Slovenia - Christian Peoplesarty, the Slovenian Peoples Party and the Democratic Party oensioners o Slovenia as coalition partners. The government

s continuing a successul economic policy with 5 per centconomic growth and reorms o the tax and salary systems. Itucceeded in meeting the Maastricht criteria and Slovenia joinedhe Eurozone (the rst transition country to do so) on 1 January007. Slovenia is also the rst new Member State to assume

he Presidency o the Council in the rst hal o 2008.

On 25 June 1991 the people oSlovenia celebrated the declarationo an independent state, ollowingan 88.2 % plebiscite vote in 1990.


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The President o the Republic and Mayors are elected in directelections on the basis o an absolute majority. The candidatewho receives a majority o valid votes cast is elected PresidentI no candidate receives an outright majority in the rst roundo voting, there is a second round or the two candidates whoreceived the most votes in the rst round.

According to the Constitution, the right to vote is universaand equal. Every citizen who has attained the age o eighteenyears has the right to vote and stand or oce. Voting is nocompulsory and abstention is not sanctioned. In 1992, theturnout in the legislative elections was 85.6%, ollowed by73.7% in 1996, 70.14% in 2000, and 63.10% in 2008The voting trends correspond to those in most Westerndemocracies, with the number o voters declining with eachsuccessive election. The greatest number o citizens takes

part in legislative elections, and the smallest number inelections to local authorities.

The National AssemblySlovenia is a parliamentary democratic republic. Thebicameral Slovenian Parliament is composed o the NationaAssembly and the National Council. The specic sociastructure and historical development o Slovenia haveprompted the creation o a bicameral system comprising therepresentation o political parties in the National Assemblyand the representation o organised social interests and locaauthorities in the State Council. The Slovenian Parliament ischaracterized by an asymmetric duality, as the Constitutiondoes not accord equal powers to both chambers.

The National Assembly is composed o ninety deputies, with onerepresentative o each o the Hungarian and Italian minorities. Thedeputies are elected or a our-year term; they represent all thepeople o Slovenia and are not bound by any instructions (Article82 o the Constitution).

I a deputy becomes a minister, a seat in the NationaAssembly becomes available to the candidate with the mostvotes among those members o the same party who hadoriginally not qualied or the National Assembly.

The National Assembly exercises legislative, voting andmonitoring unctions. As a legislative authority, it enacts

The Constitution

Under the Constitution, Slovenia is a democratic republic and a social state governedby law. The states authority is based on the principle o the separation o legislative,executive and judicial powers, with a parliamentary system o government. Power is heldby the people and they exercise this power directly (through reerendums and popularinitiatives) and through elections. The highest legislative authority is the NationalAssembly (90 deputies), which has the right to enact laws.

According to the Constitution, Slovenia is a state o all itsitizens and is ounded on the permanent and inalienableght o the Slovenian nation to sel-determination. It lays the

oundations or the legal system, which is based on respect oruman rights and undamental reedoms, on the principle o a

egal and socially just state, on a parliamentary orm o stateuthority, and on the separation o legislative, executive and

udicial powers. The Constitution also contains special rightsor the Hungarian, Italian and Roma ethnic communities. The

Constitution, as the states supreme law, can be amendedollowing a proposal made by twenty National Assemblyeputies, by the Government, or by at least 30,000 voters.

Such proposals are decided by the National Assembly withtwo-thirds majority vote o deputies, and a two-thirds

majority vote is needed or the passage o amendments tohe Constitution. The National Assembly is required to submitproposed constitutional amendment to a reerendum, i so

equired by at least 30 deputies.

The electoral system o theRepublic o SloveniaThe deputies o the National Assembly, with the exception

the two representatives o minorities, are elected bymeans o proportional representation, with a our perent electoral threshold required at the national level. Theountry is divided into eight territorial constituencies, eachepresented by eleven elected deputies. For the elections the representatives o the Italian and Hungarian ethnicommunities, two special constituencies are ormed, one orach minority. The deputies representing the minorities arelected on the basis o the majority principle. A special righto vote in these constituencies is accorded solely to members the indigenous minorities. Members o the National Council

who represent social, economic, proessional and localnterests are elected indirectly.

Dr Pavel Gantar, speaker o theParliament

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Social Democrats: 29 seatsSlovenian Democratic Party: 28 seats

ZARES nova politika: 9 seatsDemocratic Party o Slovenian Pensioners: 7 seats

Slovenian National Party: 5 seatsSlovenian Peoples Party (SLS) and Youth Party o Slovenia (SMS): 5 seats

Liberal Democracy o Slovenia: 5 seatsrepresentative each o the Hungarian and Italian national communities: 2 seats

Parties in the Slovenian NationalAssembly elected on 21 September 2008

The largest politicalparties in Slovenia:

Social Democrats(SD, leader Borut Pahor)

Slovenian Democratic Party(SDS, leader Janez Jana)

ZARES nova politika(leader Gregor Golobi)

Democratic Party o Pensionerso Slovenia(DeSUS, leader Karl Erjavec)

Slovenian National Party(SNS, leader Zmago JeliniPlemeniti)

Slovenian Peoples Party(SLS, leader Bojan rot)

Liberal Democracy o Slovenia(LDS, leader Katarina Kresal)

constitutional amendments, laws, national programmesresolutions, etc. It also creates its own internal rules, ratiesthe state budget and treaties, and calls reerendums.

As a voting body, it elects the Prime Minister and otherministers, the President o the National Assembly and up tothree Vice-Presidents. On the proposal o the President othe Republic, it also elects judges to the Constitutional Courtthe Governor o the Bank o Slovenia, the Ombudsman, etcCompared to other bicameral systems, the voting power othe Slovenian lower house is exercised over a wider rangeo issues.

The monitoring unction o the National Assembly includesthe setting up o parliamentary enquiries, votes o nocondence in the government or ministers, and constitutiona

proceedings against the President o the Republic, thePrime Minister or ministers in the Constitutional Court. Inorder to maintain the stable unctioning o the executivebranch, a so-called constructive vote o no condence hasbeen introduced, which means that a government can onlybe ejected when a new one has been elected. The NationaAssembly acts through committees, which perorm taskstypical o permanent parliamentary bodies; and throughcommissions established or special tasks. Deputy groupsalso operate within the National Assembly. They must consiso a minimum o three members and enjoy special rights in theactivities o the National Assembly.

The National CouncilThe National Council is the representative body or socialeconomic, proessional, and local interests. It consists oorty members: twenty-two represent local authorities; ourepresent employers and another our represent employees

two represent armers; crats and trades, universities andhigher education institutions, researchers, health care, sociasecurity, culture and sports, and independent proessionseach have one representative. Members o the NationaCouncil are elected or ve years.

The competences o the National Council are not on theequal ooting with those o the National Assembly. TheNational Council participates at the legislative process. Itmay propose to the National Assembly the passing o lawsconvey to the National Assembly its opinion on all matters

The parliament building onubieva Street in Ljubljana housesthe National Assembly and theNational Council o the Republic oSlovenia.

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The Government

Presidents o the Republic o Slovenia

Terms o Ofce

Milan Kuan 1992 - 2002Dr Janez Drnovek 2002 -2007Dr Danilo Trk since 2007

The Government o the Republic o Slovenia is a body with executive power and thehighest body o the state administration. It determines, guides, and coordinates theimplementation o state policies in accordance with the Constitution and with laws andother general acts passed by the National Assembly.

within the competence o the National Assembly, require theNational Assembly to decide again on a given law prior to its

romulgation, require the calling o legislative reerendum,equire inquiries on matters o public importance, require theommencement o proceedings to assess the constitutionalitynd legality o regulations, require the initiation o therocedure or the review o the constitutionality and legality regulations.

The President o the RepublicThe President o the Republic represents the Republic o Slovenia

nd is the commander-in-chie o its armed orces.The Presidentalls the legislative elections, promulgates laws, proposes aandidate or Prime Minister to the National Assembly ollowingalks with the leaders o deputy groups, proposes candidates or

udges o the Constitutional Court and members o the Court oAudit, appoints and recalls ambassadors, accepts the credentials oreign diplomats, grants clemencies, etc.

The President has no infuence over the composition o theovernment, which is the task o the Prime Minister and the

National Assembly. The President o the Republic may dissolvehe National Assembly, i, ater two successive proposals o aandidate (the second proposal may come rom the National

Assembly), it ails to appoint a Prime Minister. Should the NationalAssembly be unable to convene due to a state o emergency

r war, the President may, on the proposal o the government,ssue decrees, which have the orce o law. The President ohe Republic is elected or a ve-year term in direct, generallections by secret ballot. The candidate receiving a majority the valid votes cast is elected President o the Republic. Io candidate receives an outright, the top leading candidatesompete in a runo election. A President may serve a maximum two consecutive terms. Since the oce o Vice-President

oes not exist in the Slovenian political system, in the event o therolonged absence o the President, the President o the NationalAssembly temporarily perorms the duties o the President.

As the highest body o the state administration, it passesregulations and adopts legal, political, economic, nancialorganisational and similar measures or regulating areaswithin the states jurisdiction. Its unction in the area olegislative initiatives includes proposing laws to be passed bythe National Assembly, the state budget, national programmesand other acts with which political directions or individuaareas within the states competence are determined. Withregard to the EU, the Government represents the Republic oSlovenia and makes submissions to EU institutions.

The Government unctions as a cabinet led by a PrimeMinister. It consists o the Prime Minister and ministersMinisters head ministries and determine political guidelinesor their operation. The number o ministers is not determinedin advance, and every government coalition decides on thenumber according to its needs and political goals.

Dr Danilo Trk, President othe Republic o Slovenia,

elected on 11 November 2007.

Government session.

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Political sys

The current Government o Slovenia led by the Prime MinisterBorut Pahor (elected on 21 November 2008) has 19 members

the Prime Minister and 15 ministers who lead the ollowingministries: Ministry o Finance; Ministry o the Economy;Ministry o Higher Education, Science and Technology;Ministry o Health; Ministry o the Interior; Ministry o ForeignAairs; Ministry o Justice; Ministry o Public Administration;Ministry o Labour, Family and Social Aairs; Ministry oTransport; Ministry o Agriculture, Forestry and Food; Ministry

the Environment and Spatial Planning; Ministry o Culture;Ministry o Education and Sport and Ministry o Deence.There are also three ministers without portolio: responsible orocal sel-government and regional development; responsibleor development and European aairs; and responsible or

Slovenes abroad.

The present Government was appointed on 21 November008. It was ormed on the basis o a coalition agreementigned on 14 November 2008 between the Social DemocratsSD), ZARES nova politika, Liberal Democracy o SloveniaLDS) and the Democratic Party o Pensioners o SloveniaDeSUS).

The Prime Minister-elect is proposed to the NationalAssembly by the President o the Republic ater discussionswith representatives o the parliamentary deputy groups. I

is proposal is not elected in the rst ballot, the President canominate the same candidate again or a new one, while therime Minister-elect can also be proposed by deputy groupsr at least ten deputies. The Prime Minister-elect then putsorward nominations to the Government, and ministerialandidates are required to present themselves to the relevant

Committees in the National Assembly, which then vote onheir suitability. The National Assembly then approves the

ministers with a simple majority.

The judicial systemThe judicial system is the third branch o government. Thetask o the judiciary is to decide on the rights and duties ocitizens, and charges brought against them. All courts in theRepublic o Slovenia are regular courts, and act in accordancewith the principles o constitutionality, independence and therule o law.

The unied system o courts consists o courts with generaand specialised jurisdiction. Courts with general jurisdictioninclude 44 district, 11 regional, and 4 higher courts, and theSupreme Court, while specialised courts comprise 4 labourcourts and a social court (they rule on labour-related andsocial insurance disputes), and the Administrative Courtwhich provides legal protection in administrative aairs and

has the status o a higher court.

The state prosecution holds a special place in the justicesystem, as it is an independent state authority, but part o theexecutive branch o power. The General State Prosecutor isappointed by the National Assembly.

The Constitutional CourtThe Constitutional Court is the highest body o judicial authoritywith regard to the protection o constitutionality, legalityhuman rights and basic reedoms. It may act as a negativelegislature and abrogate an act or part o an act. ConstitutionaJudges are appointed by the National Assembly ollowingthe proposal o the President o the Republic. Nine judgesare elected or a period o nine years, with no possibility o aurther term. The oce o a constitutional judge and judgeso specialised and general courts is incompatible with otheoces in state bodies.

The Prime Ministers o the Republic o Slovenia

Terms o Ofce

Lojze Peterle (SKD) 1990 - 1992Dr Janez Drnovek(LDS) 1992 - 2000Dr Andrej Bajuk(SLS+SKD Slovenian Peoples Party) 2000Dr Janez Drnovek(LDS) 2000 - 2002Anton Rop (LDS) 2002 - 2004Janez Jana (SDS) 2004 - 2008Borut Pahor (SD) since 2008

Borut Pahor, Prime Minister othe Republic o Sloveniasince 21 November 2008.

The judges o the ConstitutionalCourt.


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Local sel-governmentSlovenia has a long tradition o regionalism and local sel-

overnment. The Local Sel-Government Act stipulates thatmunicipality is the basic sel-governing local community,

with at least 5,000 inhabitants; an urban municipality has ateast 20,000 inhabitants. The National Assembly decides onhe boundary o a municipality on the basis o a non-bindingeerendum o the inhabitants, usually acting in accordance

with the outcome.

tolar (SIT), which was the legal tender until January 2007when Slovenia adopted the euro and became the 13thmember o Eurozone. Even prior to the adoption o the eurothe Banks primary task was maintaining the stability oprices. By managing monetary and oreign exchange policiesit ensured a stable rate, the liquidity o the banking systemand the requirements or currency withdrawal. The unctiono the Bank o Slovenia changed with the introduction o theeuro and membership o the Eurozone. Since that day theBank uses the Statute o the European System o CentraBanks (ESCB) and o the European Central Bank (ECB) incarrying out its role. Its key tasks as a member o the ESCBare to dene and implement Eurozone monetary policy, toconduct oreign exchange operations, to hold and manage theocial oreign reserves o Member States, and to promote thesmooth operation o payment systems. The national centra

banks operate as an intermediary between the Communitysmonetary policy and national economic policies. The Bankis an independent institution under public law, owned by thestate. It has managerial and nancial autonomy, which meansthe members o its operational bodies are not bound to anydecision made by any government bodies, or even turn tothem or guidance or advice.

Human Rights OmbudsmanUnder the Constitution, the Republic o Slovenia has anOmbudsman whose responsibility is the protection ohuman rights and undamental reedoms in relation to stateauthorities, local authorities, and persons in public oce. TheOmbudsman is proposed by the President o the Republic andelected by the National Assembly with a two-thirds majorityvote or a period o six years, and the possibility o anotherterm. A two-thirds majority vote gives the Ombudsmanthe necessary legitimacy imperative or his/her work. TheOmbudsman reports to the National Assembly annuallyThe annual reports have become an important refection othe situation regarding basic human rights and reedoms inSlovenia. The law allows the Ombudsman or anyone else toinitiate proceedings against violations o human rights.

The Inormation CommissionerInormation Commissioner is an autonomous and independentbody, established on 31 December 2005 with the InormationCommissioner Act, which supervises the protection o

Following the last reerendum in April 2006, there are now 210 municipalities in Slovenia.Among other things, municipalities have the authority to manage the municipalitysassets, acilitate conditions or economic development, plan spatial development, createconditions or building dwellings, manage local public services, establish primary andnursery schools, and build and maintain local roads.

The authorities o a municipality comprise a mayor, a municipalouncil and a supervisory committee, with the municipalouncil being the highest decision-making body. The mayor,

who is a directly elected ocial, represents and acts onehal o the municipality, and presides over the municipalr city council. The supervisory committee supervises theisposal o municipal property and public expenditure. Theonstitutional changes o June 2006 introduced provinces tohe Constitution o the Republic o Slovenia. The provincesasks will include economic, social and cultural development,patial development and environmental protection, tracnd transport links within the province, and providing publictilities o provincial signicance.

Court o AuditThe Court o Audit is the highest body or supervising state

ccounts, the state budget and all public spending. Therganisation and powers o the Court o Audit are provided

y law. It is independent in the perormance o its dutiesnd bound by the Constitution and relevant legislation. Itsmembers are appointed by the National Assembly at the

roposal o the President o the Republic.

Bank o SloveniaThe Bank o Slovenia is the central bank o the Republic oSlovenia. It was established in June 1991 within the package

legislation or independence. One o its rst tasks wasverseeing the transition to a new currency, the Slovenian

Slovenian euro coins.

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03

Sloveniain the world

Slovenia in the w

Slovenias membership o internationalorganisations and regional initiativesUnited Nations (UN), 12

Organisation or Security and Co-operation

in Europe (OSCE), 12

Central European Initiative (CEI), 12

World Health Organisation (WHO), 12

International Labour Organisation (ILO), 12

United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), 12

Council o Europe (CE), 13

International Monetary Fund (IMF), 13

International Bank or Reconstruction

and Development (IBRD), 13

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 13

World Trade Organisation (WTO), 15

Central European Free Trade Association (CEFTA), 1

Quadrilateral Initiative, 1

Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI), 1

Human Security Network, 1

Stability Pact or South Eastern Europe, 1

Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII), 2000

Regional Partnership, 2001

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), 2004

European Union (EU), 2004

The basic goals o Sloveniasoreign policyOn 25 June 1991 Slovenia became a state in its own right.Ater the new state was ounded the big challenge ahead wasstill to be accomplished: Slovenia needed to gain internationarecognition and establish itsel as a player on the world stageOne o the rst important goals o Slovenian oreign policywas to join the international organizations and alliancessuch as the United Nations, the Organization or Security andCooperation in Europe (OSCE), the European Union, NATOand many other international arrangements. Slovenia not only

On 1 May 2004 Slovenia became amember o the European Union.

ersonal data and the access to public inormation. TheCommisssioner is appointed by the National Assembly at the

roposal o the President o the Republic.

Interest groups and social partnersSlovenia has a rich tradition o people organising themselvesnto interest groups. Today there are over 18,000 dierentrganisations and associations registered in Slovenia, most them or sports, culture and re ghting. Some interestsre represented in particular: either within the scope ounctional representation in the National Assembly or thecope o social partnership. Within the scope o socialartnership the interests o employers and employeesre particularly organised. Only representative unions are

ncluded in negotiations between the employers and the state.

At the government level there is an Economic and SocialCouncil o Slovenia, comprised o ve representatives romhe government, employers, and employees, respectively. In

Council meetings and negotiations the members advance theiriews on social, economic and budgetary policies, particularlyealing with issues such as social agreements, social rightsnd compulsory insurance, employment problems, pricesnd taxes, the wages system, wages policy, employee co-

management etc. It has mainly inormal powers, as it is notpart o the ormal institution structure o the RS. Decisionsre reached through consensus; each representative group

must then implement the decisions. The Council has greatlyontributed to the enhancement o the social-economicevelopment o Slovenian society.

The Slovenian Armed ForcesWith democratic changes and the independence o Slovenia,he Territorial Deence Forces o Slovenia were transormednto the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF). The SAFs most

mportant duties include the deence o the Republic Slovenia, ullling international deence, military andther commitments taken on by the Republic o Slovenia,ooperating in tasks related to protection, salvage and aid,nd in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. Until002, the SAF was a conscript orce, but it is now being

ransormed into a proessional orce. The process will beoncluded in 2010. During this time, Slovenia will establishproessional army with a voluntary reserve. The reasons or

his are changes in the international situation and the need orsmaller, but better equipped and trained proessional army.

www.vlada.siThe Government o theRepublic o Slovenia

www.ukom.gov.siGovernment Communication Oice

www.dz-rs.siNational Assembly

www.ds-rs.siThe National Council

www.us-rs.si/enThe Constitutional Court

www.bsi.siBank o Slovenia

www.rs-rs.siCourt o Audit

www.varuh-rs.siHuman Rights Ombudsman

www.ip-rs.siInormation Commissioner


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economic stability, lower infation, speedier restructuringand modernisation o companies, a stable and more ecieneconomic environment, a boost in oreign investments, betteropportunities to access new technologies and knowledgeand greater consumer choice.In the political sense EU membership meant greater securityand stability or a small country, as well as a stronger positionin the international community, enabling it to take part inEuropean policy making and ormulating Europes utureimage. Another important aspect o EU membership was theexpectation o greater recognition, better opportunities ineducation, training and employment throughout the EU, andcultural enrichment.

Slovenia in the w

On 1 January 2007 Slovenia became the 13th member o the Eurozone (the rst in the2004 enlargement wave).

On 21 December 2008 Slovenia together with the CzechRepublic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland andSlovakia entered the Shengen area o ree circulation itsborder with Croatia thus becoming the external EU borderIn the air trac the border controls within the Shengen areawere abolished on 30 March 2008.

Slovenes in EU institutionsSlovenia has 4 o the 345 votes in the European Council, andsince the elections o 13 June 2004, it has had 7 o a totao 732 representatives at the EU Parliament. Janez Potonikbecame Slovenias rst European Commissioner, and isresponsible or science and research. There are numerousother Slovenes working at EU institutions, many o themin senior positions, including Verica Trstenjak, AdvocateGeneral at the Court o Justice o the European Communitiesin Luxembourg, Marko Ilei as a judge at the Court o Justiceo the European Communities in Luxembourg and manyothers.

Slovenias EU Presidency in thefrst hal o 2008

uickly became a member o such international groupings, butas already presided over several o them (OSCE Presidency

n 2005). On 16 May 2007 the Organization or EconomicCo-operation and Development (OECD) invited Slovenia to

tart the process o its accession to the OECD.

An important aspect o a successul state is also its relationship with its neighbours.Slovenia maintains open and riendly relations with Austria, Italy, Hungary and Croatia.It also pays special attention to the position o the Hungarian and Italian minorities inSlovenia and to the Slovenian minorities living in neighbouring countries.

Slovenia co-operates with its neighbours via quadripartiterojects and initiatives; it also works alongside other Centraluropean states within the Central European Initiative (CEI)nd Regional Partnership and contributes to the stabilisation South Eastern Europe within the Stability Pact.

Membership in the EUGeographically, historically and culturally, Slovenia has always

een a European country. But the post Second World Wardeological divide between communist and non-communisturope created a wall that would only disintegrate with the

all o communism. However, throughout the tumultuous 20thentury, Slovenes maintained their political, economic, andbove all, human contacts with the non-communist parts ourope that were gradually moving towards closer integration.ollowing that, it was only a matter o practical arrangementseore the newly independent Slovenia could join the EU andnd its political and ideological separation rom Europe.

t is not surprising that ater independence the new SlovenianGovernment recognised EU membership as one o theountrys immediate priorities. The Europe Agreement, signedn 1996, came into orce on 1 February 1999. Membershipegotiations began in March 1998 and were concluded in

December 2002.On 23 March 2003 a reerendum on accession to the EU was held in Slovenia. The turnoutat the reerendum was 60.4%, and 89.6% o votes cast were in avour o accession. TheAccession Treaty was signed in Athens on 16 April 2003, and on 28 January 2004 itwas ratied by the National Assembly o the Republic o Slovenia. Slovenia, togetherwith Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland andSlovakia became a member o the European Union on 1 May 2004.

Celebrating the EU membership.

United in the European Union.

In the rst hal o 2008 Slovenia assumed the Presidency o the Council o the EuropeanUnion. Slovenia was the rst o the EU Member States which joined in 2004 and the rstSlavic country ever to be entrusted with such responsibility.

Besides the historical urgency, there were also many practicaleasons or such eagerness to join the Union. Sloveniaxpected important economic benets, such as macro-

The EU Presidency was a very demanding project or nationaadministration in terms o content, organisation and allocation ounds. It required cooperation o the entire state administration


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Participation o SloveniasArmed Forces (SAF) in crisisresponse operationsIn 1997, the SAF deployed its rst troops to the humanitarianoperation Sun Rise, within the FMP (Multinational ProtectionForce) in Albania. Since then, the SAF has been participatingwith its troops in peacekeeping operations under the auspiceso NATO, the UN, and the EU.

Participation in NATO operationsThe SAF has been engaged in the Joint Enterprise crisisresponse operation in Kosovo since January 2000. Since29 March 2004 Slovenia has also been a NATO member. InFebruary 2007, the SAF took over or the rst time their ownArea o Responsibility, located in the central part o westernKosovo. Between February and August 2007, 500 memberso the 10th Motorised Battalion o the SAF and some 100members o other SAF units participated in the operationIn September 2007, the Government o the RS approvedSlovenias participation in the NATO-led Kosovo Force(KFOR) with a SAF battle group o up to 350 troops providingcommand sta and logistics support on a rotational basisbetween February and September 2008. In addition, betweenSeptember 2008 and March 2009 2 motorized companiesand logistic elements up to 300 troops will be deployed.

Since December 2003, when the Government adopted adecision on the participation in the peace support operation inAghanistan, eight rotations have taken place. Slovenian troopsparticipating in the International Security Assistance Force(ISAF) in western Aghanistan are stationed in the provinceso Herat and Kabul. The Motorised Platoon is responsibleor security tasks in the Herat Camp, such as controllingcheckpoints, patrolling, and monitoring vehicles in centra

Herat.The SAF have also been engaged in the NATO TrainingMission-Iraq (NTM-I) since February 2006 providing trainingassistance with equipping, and technical assistance to theIraqi Security Forces.

Participation in EU and UN operationsWith the stabilisation o security conditions in the WesternBalkan region, in particular in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUmission Althea), and with the EUs takeover o the leadership

Slovenia in the w

Soldiers o the Slovenian ArmedForces.

Slovenia has been activelyparticipating in internationalpeacekeeping operations since1997.

s well as the Slovenian economy, science and culture sector andter all civil society. Altogether, Slovenias EU Council Presidency

nvolved 2,720 Slovenian civil servants, 133 independent expertsnd 245 students. In 2006 Slovenia, together with Germanynd Portugal and in close cooperation with European institutions,repared a joint 18-month Programme. Within the programme,

he Slovenian Presidency ocused on ve major issues: the uture EU/Lisbon Treaty, climate-energy issues, the Lisbon Strategy,he Western Balkans and intercultural dialogue.

At the spring meeting o the European Council 2008, weuccessully launched the second three-year period o theenewed Lisbon Strategy or 20082010 with the introduction the th reedom ree movement o knowledge. Especiallyuccessul was the compromise o the Member States regardinghe necessity to continue the reorm process ater 2010. With the

eginning o the new cycle came new opportunities or increasinghe competitiveness o enterprises, in particular small and

medium-sized enterprises. Much attention was also devoted totrengthening the social dimension o the Lisbon Strategy.

A step orward was taken in the process o resolving climate-nergy issues. We reached an agreement on key principles and amerame or adopting the EU climate-energy legislative package.he greatest achievement in the energy sector during Sloveniasresidency was agreement on the third legislative packageoncerning liberalisation o the internal natural gas and electricity

market.

During the Slovenian Presidency, the network o Stabilisation andAssociation Agreements with the Western Balkan countries wasompleted and a series o sectoral incentives was launched, the

most important o which was the beginning o dialogue on visaberalisation. Even with regard to the Lisbon Treaty, the Slovenianresidency did everything in its power, as the ratication o the

reaty is the sole responsibility o the Member States. As theresiding state, Slovenia set an example or others by being theecond Member State to ratiy the treaty.

All the above mentioned was achieved through ormal andnormal work. In total, more than 8,000 events were held duringhe Slovenian EU Council Presidency: 283 events took place inlovenia, 3,285 in Brussels and 4,242 elsewhere in the world.esides the two European Council meetings, our other events at

he highest level were organised under the Slovenian Presidency:ummits between the EU and Japan, Latin American and Caribbeanountries, the United States and the Russian Federation.


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Slovenia in the w

The ITF has carried out over 1,870 action projects and cleared over 83 million square metreso mine-polluted areas in South Eastern Europe and another 2 million square meters inTrans-Caucasus. The Fund has also contributed to the physical rehabilitation o over 998 minevictims, which is roughly 15 per cent o all surviving victims in South Eastern Europe.

Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) were included, andthe Fund began to widen its activities to include CyprusAghanistan and the Trans-Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijanand Georgia). The ITFs vision is to ree the countries o SouthEastern Europe rom the impact o mines by the end o 2009and to actively contribute to resolving this problem in othemine-aected regions.

the peacekeeping mission at the end o 2004, Sloveniaradually withdrew troops rom the country in 2005. Since007 Slovenia has been actively participating in the UNIFILnited Nations Mission in Lebanon and in the United Nations

Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) operation in theMiddle East. From May o 2008 SAF a unit o 15 persons is

articipating in EUFOR Tchad/CAR military bridging operationn Arica as part o the French contingent.

An active member o the UNSlovenia became a member o the United Nations on 22May 1992. With membership o this universal international

rganisation, it gained the opportunity to directly express itsolicy on key issues acing the international community ando arm itsel politically as a subject o international law. In

996, Slovenia joined the East European elective group, andn October 1997 it became a non-permanent member o theSecurity Council or a period o two years. During this time it

lso twice presided over the Security Council. On 17 May 2007he Republic o Slovenia was elected to the UN Human Rights

Council or the period between June 2007 and June 2010.

Human Security NetworkSlovenia is also an active member o an inormal group oountries that was ormed in 1998 to work towards resolvingutstanding humanitarian issues directly aecting security.

Slovenia was invited into the group in 1998 on the occasion the UN General Assembly Session, and presided over theroup in 2006/2007. The HSNs unctioning is based onooperation with like-minded countries and international andon-governmental organisations in carrying out activities and

aunching initiatives aimed at consolidating and encouragingolitical and legal mechanisms relating to security.

International Trust Fund orDemining and Mine VictimsAssistancen 1998, the Government o the Republic o Slovenia oundedhe International Trust Fund or Demining and Mine Victims

Assistance (ITF) as a non-prot, humanitarian organisation,with the initial mission o raising donor unds and organising

emining activities, as well as the rehabilitation o mineictims in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Later, other mine-ected countries in South Eastern Europe (Albania, Croatia,

Narcissi on Mt Golica.

Over 82 thousand children and adults rom mine-aectedcommunities directly participated in programmes to raiseawareness o the mine problem. The ITF has educatedover 700 experts in the eld o humanitarian deminingrehabilitation and mine action management, and supportedthe activities o national mine action centres in all the mine-aected countries o South Eastern Europe.

The Slovenian Government is thereore justiably proud othis endeavour, and grateul to over 100 donors, including 28states, the European Commission and the UNDP, numerouslocal communities, organisations, companies, and individualswho have entrusted over $245.3 million to the ITF since1998 and made its work possible.

Membership o theCouncil o EuropeSlovenia became a ull member o the Council o Europe on 14May 1993. Its participation in the Council o Europe activitiestakes place at inter-governmental, parliamentary and localevels. Slovenias permanent representative in the Council oEurope regularly takes part in sessions o the Committee o

Ministers Deputies, and the Foreign Minister or his deputyparticipates in sessions o the Committee o MinistersSlovenia will hold the Council o Europe presidency rom 1May to 30 November 2009.

Representatives o Slovenian ministries and governmentoces are involved in the working bodies o the Council oEurope, dealing with various issues, such as human rights, thejudiciary, health, policies relating to the amily, young peopleand children, social care, media, sport, culture, education


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04

Economy

Macroeconomic indices or Slovenia in 2008Real GDP growth (real growth rate in %) 3.5GDP per capita in EUR 18,204Rate o unemployment by ILO in % 4.4Labour productivity (real growth rate in %) 0.6

Infation (annual average) 5.7

Economy

Development trendsSince independence in 1991, Slovenias economicdevelopment has been very successul, making it one othe most thriving countries in transition. Especially duringthe period 19952008, economic growth in Slovenia wasstable, reaching an average slightly above 4%. The Slovenianeconomy is open, and levels o internationalisation, measuredby the average share o exports and imports in grossdomestic product (GDP), have increased rom 52% to 70%rom 1995 to 2008. Economic growth was urther enhancedby buoyant growth o private consumption and investmenspending, which was most prominent in the year 1999Higher economic growth compared to the EU average hasenabled a gradual decrease in Slovenias development lagThus in 2007, Slovenia reached 89.2% o the average GDPo the EU-27 per capita, expressed in terms o purchasingpower, which corresponds to an increase o 14.8 percentagepoints compared to 1995. This placed Slovenia in 16th placein the EU.

Following economic growth, there was also an increase inemployment, which is above the European average since2000 (in 2007, employment rate in Slovenia was 67.8%as against 65.4% in the EU). Compared to the EU average

GDP per capitaaccording to purchasingpower in PPS*,EU-25 = 100

2007

EU-27 100Luxembourg (Grand-Duchy) 266Ireland 150Netherlands 131Austria 124Sweden 122Denmark 120United Kingdom 119Belgium 118Finland 116Germany 115France 109Spain 105Italy 101Greece 95Cyprus 91Slovenia 89Czech Republic 80Malta 78Portugal 76Estonia 68

Slovakia 67Hungary 63Lithuania 60Latvia 58Poland 54Romania 42Bulgaria 37

Source: Eurostat

Note: * PPS Purchasing Power Standard

nd local government. A judge rom Slovenia works at theuropean Court o Human Rights, ounded in accordance with

he European Convention on Human Rights. Slovenia plays anctive part in the North-South Centre which, within a Centraluropean context, encourages participation between northnd south, as well as in the Central European Development

Bank, which provides loans or social projects.Slovenia is presiding the Council o Europe between 12 May

nd 18 November.

Environmental protectionn November 2005, the National Assembly o the Republic o

Slovenia adopted the new National Environment Protectionrogramme (NEPP) or the period up to 2012, whose mainbjective is the general improvement o the environment andhe quality o lie, and the protection o natural sources. It is atarting point or the environmental dimension o Slovenias

Development Strategy, determining the vision o Sloveniasuture, and giving the orientation and measures or its realisation.

The basic aim o the environmental protection policy is to ensureustainable development. In the environmental eld this meanshe organisation o the economy, inrastructure, settlement, and

way o lie in view o the carrying capacity o the environmentnd natural resources, and the promotion o the integration onvironmental issues with other sectorial policies in line with therinciple o integration.

The basic aims o the NEPP in particular elds are:Setting out climatic change as an important challenge in theears ahead, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thusontributing to the long-term stabilisation o the concentration oreenhouse gases in the atmosphere, as well as reducing themission o substances causing ozone layer degradation.Protecting and preserving all natural systems, habitats, ree-ving animal and plant species, with the aim o preventing the loss biotic diversity, genetic variety and urther soil degradation.

Contributing to the high quality o lie and social welare oitizens by ensuring an environment in which the level o pollutionoes not harmully aect peoples health and by encouragingustainable development in cities, and above all ensuring the

measures or establishing good water quality.Handling waste and using renewable and non-renewable

atural resources that enable sustainable production andonsumption, contribute to reducing environmental pollution andnergy use so that the latter does not exceed the environmentsarrying capacity.

www.mzz.gov.siMinistry o Foreign Aairs

www.eu2008.siSlovenian EU Presidency

www.mors.siMinistry o Deence

www.it-und.siInternational Trust Fund orDemining and Mine VictimsAssistance

www.mop.gov.siMinistry o the Environment andSpatial Planning

www.europa.euGateway to the European Union

In the orests, covering almost58% o the Slovenia territory,

a wide variety o vegetation andwildlie has been preserved.


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Real GDP growth (in %)2006 2007 2008

EU 27 3.1 2.9 0.9Belgium 3.0 2.8 1.2Bulgaria 6.3 6.2 6.0Czech Republic 6.8 6.0 4,4

Denmark 3.3 1.6 -1.1Germany 3.0 2.5 1.3Estonia 10.4 6.3 -3.6Ireland 5.7 6.0 -2.3Greece 4.5 4.0 2.9Spain 3.9 3.7 1.2France 2.2 2.2 naItaly 2.0 1.6 -1.0Cyprus 4.1 4.4 3.7Latvia 12.2 10.0 -4.6Lithuania 7.8 8.9 3.0Luxembourg 6.4 5.2 2.5

Hungary 4.1 1.1 0.5Malta 3.2 3.6 1.6Netherlands 3.4 3.5 2.1Austria 3.4 3.1 1.8Poland 6.2 6.6 4.8Portugal 1.4 1.9 -0.0Romania 7.9 6.2 7.1Slovenia 5.9 6.8 3.5Slovakia 8.5 10.4 6.4

Finland 4.9 4.2 0.9Sweden 4.2 2.6 -0.2United Kingdom 2.8 3.0 0.7

Source: EurostatNote: Forecast, na=Not available.

Economy

2006 2007 2008GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT 5,9 6,8 3,5Structure in value added in %

Agriculture, orestry, shing (A+B) 2.4 2.4 2.3Industry and construction (C+D+E+F) 34.4 34.4 34.0

Industry (C+D+E) 27.1 26.4 25.1Construction F 7.3 8.0 8.9

Services (GP) 63.3 63.3 63.7GDP per capita in EUR 15,446 17,076 18,204GDP per capita in US$ 19,373 23,403 26,578Rate o unemployment by ILO in % 6.0 4.9 4.4Labour productivity (GDP per employee) 4.3 3.7 0.6Gross wage per employee (real growth in %) 2.2 2.2 2.5Infation (average in %) 2.5 3.6 5.7

INTERNATIONAL TRADE -BALANCE OF PAYMENTS STATISTICSExports o goods and services- real 1 12.5 13.8 3.3Imports o goods and services- real 1 12.2 15.7 3.5Current account balance in EUR m -771 -1,455 -2,180External debt in EUR m 24,067 34,752 39,096

FINAL DOMESTIC DEMAND -NATIONAL ACCOUNTSSTATISTICS (share in GDP, in %) Private consumption 53.0 52.2 52.7Government consumption 18.8 17.7 17.9Gross xed capital ormation 26.3 27.5 28.0

Source: Statistical Oce o the Republic o Slovenia, Bank o Slovenia; Spring Forecast o Economic Trends 2008, IMAD.

Note 1) Balance o payments statistics (import F.O.B., export F.O.B.); changes in exchange rates and prices in oreign markets eliminatedby the calculation o real rates.

Important macroeconomic indices or Slovenia

Slovenia also has a considerably high employment rate owomen (62.6% in 2007). The employment rate o olderworkers remains low (33.5% in 2007), but the situation ismproving. For several years, the unemployment has beenower than the EU average (in 2008, 4.4% in Slovenia, asgainst 7.0% in the EU). Long-term unemployment is also

ower than the EU average (in 2007, 2.2% in Slovenia, 3.0%n the EU). The wages policy ensures a sound increase inwages in relation to growth in labour productivity. According tohe Statistical Oce o the Republic o Slovenia, the average

monthly net wage in December 2008 was EUR 938,7.

On 1 January 2007, Slovenia became the rst new EUmember to adopt the euro, ater the European Commissionand the European Central Bank made avourable assessmentso Slovenias readiness or the introduction o the commonEuropean currency and ollowing a recommendation oSlovenias inclusion in the EMU.


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Economy

Measures in industrial policy or the stimulation o cooperationbetween R&D activities and the business sector are includedin the Programme o Measures to Promote Entrepreneurshipand Competitiveness or the Period 2007-2013.

The Young Basic Researchers or Business and Industry Programme stimulates a fow oknowledge into the business sector, as it stipulates the unding o basic research projectso young researches rom companies.

The measures or the stimulation o new innovativecompanies include establishing an inrastructure or economicdevelopmental logistic platorms, which will create anenvironment avourable or newly created spin-o companiesand other new, innovative companies, as well as a numbeo nancial measures or the support o young innovativecompanies.

Transport inrastructureIn 2007, the state road network included almost 6,500km o state roads, among which were more than 500 kmo motorways. The construction o motorways continuedin 2008 as total o 94 km o new sections were put intooperation while 65 km o sections were under constructionwith the aim o completing the main motorway cross on theEuropean Corridors V and X. Slovenia has rail links with alneighbouring countries. In the area o rail inrastructureaction is being undertaken to invest in the renovation andmodernisation o the rail inrastructure on corridors V and XThe Port o Koper, which in the last ew years has seen anincrease o cargo and passenger trac, has good links withCentral and Eastern Europe. Slovenia has three internationa

The labour marketabour market trends ollow the economic growth withome delay. In 2008, employment growth remained high

while productivity growth was the lowest since Sloveniasndependence. The greatest increase in employment waseen in construction, partly because o increased residentalnd highway construction.On the other hand, the number o

workers employed in manuacturing started to decrease in theecond quarter o 2008 as the economy has been strained olobal nancial crisis.

In thousands Structure in %

Farming, hunting, orestry, sheries 86 8.6Mining, manuacturing, energy 252 25.5Construction 90 9.1Trade and repair services, tourism, t rac and communications 219 22.1

Financial intermediation, real estate, business services 141 14.2Other service activities 203 20.5

Source: Statistical Oce o the Republic o Slovenia

Number o employees per sector in 2008

Knowledge or developmentSlovenia is strengthening the actors, which support a

nowledge-based society. In late 2005, the Resolution onhe National Research and Development Programme or theeriod 2006-2010 was adopted as the central developmentocument or research and development. In the 2008

Reorm programme or achieving Lisbon Strategy goals theGovernment extended the objective o reaching 3% o GDP

total investment in R&D o and the increase o public undsrom the national budget or research rom 2010 to 2013.

According to data published in the European InnovationScoreboard 2008 (EIS), Slovenia made progress in the

eld o innovation, innovativeness and patent applicationsn 2006/2007 and is third among new EU members (and4th overall among EU countries) in relation to scores on

he summary innovation index. In 2005, Slovenia led 32.2atent applications per million residents (the EU average was05.7).

Koper is an important port orAustria, southern Germany andthe Central European states.


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Economy

The fve leading Slovenian companies in terms onet proft in 2007

1. Krka d.d., Novo mesto2. Istrabenz Group d.d., Koper3. Telekom Slovenije, d.d.4. Lek Pharmaceuticals d.d., Ljubljana5. Center Nalobe, nanna druba d.d., Maribor.Source: Agency o the Republic o Slovenia or Public Legal Records and Related Services(Ajpes)

Tourism in SloveniaTourism presents an important development and businessopportunity or Slovenia. Given the current level odevelopment and existing potential, tourism could becomeone o the leading sectors o the Slovenian economy in the

next ew years, thus signicantly contributing to Sloveniasdevelopment goals, and particularly the economic objectivesstipulated in Slovenias Development Strategy 2007-2013.

The basic policies o Slovenias tourism or the next veyears (2007-2011) are dened in the Development Plan andPolicies o Slovenian Tourism 2007-2011 (DPPST) and inthe Marketing Strategy o Slovenian Tourism 2007-2011Tourist policies or the coming period will ocus on increasingboth global competitiveness and tourist capacities, whichtranslate into the ollowing quantitative goals: increasingthe volume o tourism i.e. the number o tourists by 6%, thenumber o overnight stays by 4%, oreign currency revenuesby 8%, and tourist spending, and raising awareness abouSlovenian tourism.

irports. In the renovation o the Ljubljana Airport, theeconstruction o the old passenger terminal and the building a new terminal was concluded in 2007.

The most importanteconomic activitiesSlovenia is increasingly becoming a service economy. In the

eriod 1995-2008, the structure o the Slovenian economywas marked by the growing importance o the service sector,which in 2008 created 63.7% o added value, an increase o

.3 percentage points compared to 1995. A relatively high rate added value is also created by the industrial sector (25.1%

n 2008), the most important being manuacturing (22.1%).Agriculture, which declined considerably as an element in the

conomic structure, accounted or a mere 2.3% o added value

t was 4.4% in 1995).

The structural shits in services indicate an increase in themportance o knowledge-based services (telecommunications,usiness and nancial services). These services, which,ccording to OECD classications, include telecommunications,usiness and nancial services were the astest growing

market services o the past decade. In 2008, they representedround 17% o the added value o the Slovenian economy.mportant market services reaching above average growthates in the past ten years were certain so-called traditionalervices, such as land transportation (chiefy road haulage),gency services and wholesaling.

n the manuacturing sector, technology-intensive productionctivities are becoming more and more important. The combinedhares o the chemical, electrical equipment, machinery andransport industries, which, according to OECD classications,ualiy as highly and moderately technology-intensive activities,

ave risen rom 33.7 in 1995 to 42.2% o added value in themanuacturing sector. With the exception o motor vehicle andessel manuacturing, these activities, together with the metalroducts industry, represent the our most prominent activities

n the Slovenian manuacturing sector. Among other activitieswhich are less technology-intensive, ast growth has been

chieved since 1995 in the aorementioned metal productsndustry (especially steel) and rubber manuacturing. Anothermajor activity is the ood industry, although its added valuehare has been gradually decreasing since 2000.

In the shopping centres oMercator and Merkur.

Bled is world amous or itsglacial lake, its island with thechurch and the castle.


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n 2006, tourist accommodation acilities in Sloveniaecorded 2,484,605 arrivals and 7,722,267 overnight stays.n comparison to 2005 the number o overnight stays by bothomestic and oreign tourists increased by 2%, respectively.n 2006, oreign guests accounted or 58% o all overnighttays, o which almost 70% came rom seven countries:taly (20%), Austria (15%), Germany (14%), United Kingdom7%), Croatia (6%), Hungary (3%) and the Russian Federation2%). According to the Bank o Slovenia, oreign currencyevenues in 2006 increased by almost 4% over 2005, whichonrmed that tourist products had been developing in theght direction towards achieving added value.

On the European and global scale, Slovenian tourisms becoming increasingly more competitive, which wasonrmed by 44th place (the upper part o the rankings)

n the World Economic Forums list o countries in terms travel and tourism competitiveness. The report, whichncl

Facts About Slovenia

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