Slovenia was thought-about a star pupil among the many states that joined the EU in 2004. Ana Bojinović Fenko writes that regardless of dealing with a number of acute challenges since accession, the nation’s strategy to the EU stays characterised by a definite model of “Euro-optimism”.
Since gaining independence in 1991, Slovenia has thought-about European integration as key to its survival and prosperity as a small multi-ethnic state. Such a extremely Euro-optimist stance motivated Slovenian governments from the Nineties to 2003 to implement not solely EU enlargement conditionality but in addition bilateral calls for from Italy and Austria.
Slovenia and the EU
As a post-communist and Mediterranean nation, burdened with post-Yugoslav succession points, Slovenia held a peculiar in-between place among the many ten “Massive Bang” nations, which was initially perceived as an impediment to totally belonging to the 2 teams. Ljubljana was discouraged from becoming a member of the Visegrád Group in 1993 and was not accepted as a collaborating state of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.
In 1999 it ended its “away from the Balkans” coverage and positioned itself as a Central European bridge between the EU and Southeastern Europe. Slovenia grew to become absolutely built-in into the EU as a member of the Eurozone and the Schengen Space in 2007 and it grew to become a member of the EU Med group in 2021.
After becoming a member of the EU, Slovenia was largely passive in EU affairs. The complacency of the Slovenian political elite in direction of EU points and their restricted coverage engagement left the nation unrecognised and remoted in Brussels. Even throughout Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2008, Ljubljana “performed it protected” quite than presenting impactful coverage positions.
Nonetheless, the 2015-16 migration disaster jolted politicians into motion and marked the start of Slovenia’s lively engagement in EU policymaking. A critical assault on Slovenian democracy by Janez Janša’s 2020-22 authorities not solely triggered protests but in addition reignited Slovenian civil society’s self-identification as “being part of the EU’s core”. Because the finish of Janša’s third time period as Prime Minister in 2022, Slovenia has emerged as an engaged participant in EU affairs and world diplomacy.
From star pupil to escaping an financial bailout
After the 2004 EU accession, the financial advantages of EU membership have been clearly seen. Financial elites loved the alternatives supplied by the EU market, particularly after Slovenia adopted the euro in January 2007, and even state-owned corporations averted stress since Slovenia opted for a gradual privatisation course of. The primary 4 years of Slovenia’s EU membership has been known as “the interval of fats cows” as a result of sharp improve in financial prosperity introduced on by extreme authorities spending at a time of financial development throughout the EU.
Nonetheless, the financial and monetary disaster introduced Slovenia again to actuality. Now, it was the time of “skinny cows”. Slovenia’s earlier excessive public expenditure introduced the nation to the verge of a bailout and led to the introduction of strict austerity measures in 2012. Slovenia inserted the “golden fiscal rule” into its Structure and dedicated to assembly remaining liberal market circumstances set by the European Fee, thus successfully finalising the nation’s financial transition by finishing the privatisation of state-owned corporations.
Slovenia has a social state mannequin of improvement based mostly on robust public insurance policies with one of many highest socio-economic equality scores on this planet. The restructuring of the labour market due to this fact dealt a heavy blow to the Slovenian public, who’re extremely delicate to any erosion of socio-economic equality.
Nonetheless, the austerity measures additionally made residents realise that the passive “blame it on Brussels” strategy of political elites wouldn’t deliver in regards to the anticipated constructive results of EU membership and shouldn’t be tolerated. Civil society and market actors developed extra reasonable expectations of EU membership, comparable to excessive requirements of meals security, EU-wide common entry to public well being, constructive measures for small and medium enterprises, a typical main faculty course on the EU and enlargement to the Western Balkans.
Lately, Slovenia has been again on monitor for competitiveness and financial development. The nation has a decrease than EU-average unemployment price for 15 to 29 yr olds (8% in comparison with 11% the EU common). The identical is true of Slovenia’s threat of poverty price, which sits at 12.1% in comparison with 16.5% for the EU common. Slovenia’s actual GDP development price was 4.4% in 2004 (the EU common was 2.5%), whereas in 2023 it was 1.6% (towards an EU common of 0.4%). GDP per capita in 2023 (in PPP) was 91% of the EU common and Slovenia is projected to change into a internet payer into the EU funds for the 2028-32 interval.
Euro-optimism
Through the preliminary 5 years of EU membership, Euro-optimism characterised the views of Slovenian residents. In 2006, 60% of Slovenes had a constructive picture of the EU and 63% trusted the EU (the second highest rating within the EU). Assist for the EU then decreased between 2012 and 2014, when Slovenia contributed to the Greek bailout whereas dealing with its personal fiscal and financial challenges.
Nonetheless, in 2024 Slovenia once more registered one of many highest ranges of help (88%) for the euro and 77% of Slovenians indicated they really feel they’re residents of the EU. Total, the EU has a impartial or constructive popularity within the eyes of most Slovenians, although the typical figures for the EU are barely extra constructive. For Slovenians, the most typical issues related to the EU are freedom to journey, examine and work anyplace within the EU, peace and the widespread forex.
An lively civil society towards de-democratisation
Slovenia is taken into account a democratic transition success story and has been thought to be one of many strongest performers in Jap Europe. Nonetheless, democratic backsliding occurred through the 2020-22 authorities led by the Slovenian Democratic Get together beneath Janez Janša, which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federal government used the well being disaster as a justification to interact in systematic intolerant practices. These included the erosion of democratic practices and establishments and ruling by decree, diminishing the function of the Nationwide Meeting, limiting or obstructing the opposition and making an attempt to restrict the independence of the judiciary. The federal government undermined civil liberties and used unprecedented bodily violence at public protests. It additionally sought to pay attention energy via state seize and curtailed media freedom and independence.
In 2021, issues in regards to the rule of legislation in Slovenia solid a shadow over the second Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The European Fee famous the state of the rule of legislation in its annual reviews and the European Parliament issued a important decision on elementary rights and the rule of legislation in Slovenia, urging the federal government to behave on 17 factors thought-about grave violations of European values.
After steady anti-government protests, greater than 70% of the citizens voted within the April 2022 elections, which have been received by the Freedom Motion (Gibanje Svoboda). The vote represented a transparent and loud “no” to intolerant democracy, successfully placing a cease to the so-called “Orbánisation” of Slovenia.
Slovenia within the EU
By way of the political agenda, a big vacuum appeared after EU membership. It appeared that the primary duties from Slovenia’s 1999 overseas coverage technique had been achieved: consolidated statehood, becoming a member of the EU and Nato membership. Political elites relaxed and primarily each Slovenian authorities afterwards merely adopted the European Fee’s political agenda.
Research in 2008 noticed very weak Europeanisation amongst Slovenian political events, with just some organisational modifications occurring quite than substantive modifications to get together manifestoes. The identical outcome was confirmed after 15 years of membership. The state grew to become passive to such an extent that consecutive governments didn’t formulate a brand new overseas coverage technique till 2015.
The principle Slovenian contribution to EU policymaking on this interval got here when Slovenia grew to become the primary among the many Massive Bang group to carry the Presidency of the Council of the EU within the first half of 2008. Though Ljubljana positioned itself as a robust advocate for additional enlargement within the Western Balkans, the Slovenian Presidency did not develop a typical EU place on Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence. This mirrored the inconsistent stances of EU member states on the problem in addition to Slovenia’s restricted capabilities.
The 2015-16 migration disaster was a key turning level. The disaster compelled Slovenia to actively have interaction in EU policymaking to keep away from turning into a “pocket state” for migrants if EU member states responded inconsistently to the circulate of refugees and migrants alongside the Balkan route. Regardless of stress from opposition right-wing events, the federal government led by legislation professor Miro Cerar managed to develop a primarily humanitarian quite than securitised response and strongly advocated for a typical EU resolution.
A dedicated pro-European member state
Lately, Slovenia has been lively and visual in European and worldwide politics, grounding its overseas coverage on sustainability and feminist ideas. The nation was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Safety Council for the 2024-2025 time period.
Ljubljana has carried out coverage initiatives in excessive alignment with the EU’s Widespread Overseas and Safety Coverage (CFSP) and values, and has advocated for constructing belief and respect in worldwide legislation, battle prevention, the promotion of gender equality and local weather safety. In December 2024, the Ministry of Overseas and European Affairs led by Tanja Fajon, a former MEP, endorsed a brand new overseas coverage technique by which it confirms “Slovenia’s very important place within the core Europe and the Euro-Atlantic space and expands Slovenian overseas coverage priorities into the worldwide area” via lively engagement inside the EU, but in addition in Nato and the UN.
Slovenia stays a staunch supporter of additional European integration. It’s in favour of the extension of Certified Majority Voting (QMV) within the EU’s Widespread Overseas and Safety Coverage and strongly advocates for future enlargements particularly within the Western Balkans.
Having positioned itself as a mannequin for different nations from the area to comply with, Ljubljana was disillusioned by the European Courtroom of Justice judgment concerning its lack of jurisdiction in resolving the Yugoslav succession bilateral border dispute with Croatia. Nonetheless, Slovenia stays dedicated to the European undertaking and can proceed to actively contribute to debates about the way forward for the Union.
This text is a part of a collection organised by Eli Gateva on Rethinking Europe’s East-West Divide – 20 Years because the Massive Bang Enlargement.
Word: This text offers the views of the writer, not the place of EUROPP – European Politics and Coverage or the London Faculty of Economics. Featured picture credit score: European Union/ Shutterstock.com
