GOVERNMENT
Slovenia
enjoys excellent relations with the United States and cooperates
with it actively on a number of fronts. From 1998 to 2000, Slovenia
occupied a non-permanent seat on the United Nations (UN) Security
Council and in that capacity distinguished itself with a constructive,
creative, and consensus-oriented activism. Slovenia has been a
member of the UN since May 1992 and of the Council of Europe since
May 1993. Slovenia signed an association agreement with the EU
in 1996 and became a full EU member state on May 1, 2004. Slovenia
officially became a member of NATO on March 29, 2004. Slovenia
is a member of all major international financial institutions--the
International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group, and the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development--as well as 40 other international
organizations, among them the WTO, of which it is a founding member.
Since
the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia has instituted
a stable, multi-party, democratic political system, characterized
by regular elections, a free press, and an excellent human rights
record. Slovenia is a parliamentary democracy and constitutional
republic. Within its government, power is shared between a directly
elected president, a prime minister, and a bicameral legislature
(Parliament). Parliament is composed of the 90-member National
Assembly--which takes the lead on virtually all legislative issues--and
the National Council, a largely advisory body composed of representatives
from social, economic, professional, and local interests. The
Constitutional Court has the highest power of review of legislation
to ensure its consistency with Slovenia's constitution. Its nine
judges are elected by the National Assembly for single 9-year
terms.
Slovenia's first President, Milan Kucan, concluded his second and final term in December 2002. Former Prime Minister Janez Drnovšek defeated opposition candidate Barbara Brezigar in the 2002 presidential elections by a comfortable margin and was inaugurated as Kucan's successor on December 22, 2002. In November 2007 elections, Danilo Turk succeeded Janez Drnovsek as President of the Republic of Slovenia with 68% of the vote. In the October 2004 election, Janez Jansa became prime minister after his center-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) won a relative majority with over 29% of the vote. Parliamentary elections in September 2008 brought a new center-left coalition to power, with Borut Pahor, head of the Social Democrats, replacing Jansa as prime minister in November 2008.
The government and most of the Slovenian polity share a common view of the desirability of a close association with the West, specifically of membership in both the EU and NATO. For all the apparent bitterness that divides left and right wings, there are few fundamental philosophical differences between them in the area of public policy. Slovenian society is built on consensus, which has converged on a social-democrat model. Political differences tend to have their roots in the roles that groups and individuals played during the years of communist rule and the struggle for independence.
As the
most prosperous republic of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia emerged
from its brief 10-day war of secession in 1991 as an independent
nation for the first time in its history. Since that time, the
country has made steady but cautious progress toward developing
a market economy. Economic reforms introduced shortly after independence
led to healthy economic growth. Despite the halting pace of reform
and signs of slowing gross domestic product (GDP) growth today,
Slovenes now enjoy the highest per capita income of all the transition
economies of central Europe.
The Slovenes have pursued internal economic restructuring with caution. The first phase of privatization (socially-owned property under the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, or S.F.R.Y., system) is now complete. However, sales of several remaining large state holdings, planned for several years now, have yet to come to fruition. Foreign trade is very important to the Slovenian economy. About three-quarters of Slovenia's overall trade is with the EU and the vast majority of this is with Germany, Italy, Austria, and France. While the service sector is the largest part of the economy as a percentage of GDP, manufacturing accounts for most employment, with machinery and other manufactured products comprising the major exports. International Labor Organization (ILO) statistics put unemployment at 7% (March 2009). Inflation, after declining from 3.6% in 2004 to 2.5% in 2005 and 2006, returned to 3.6% for 2007, and spiked to 6.4% in 2008, but has decreased to 1.8% since the onset of the global economic crisis. Gross domestic product growth fell to 3.5% in 2008 after experiencing growth rates of about 6.1% the prior year. Due to the recession in Slovenia’s export markets, GDP is projected to fall by about 4% in 2009. Slovenia joined the Euro Zone in January 2007.
Since independence in 1991, Slovenia has made tremendous progress establishing democratic institutions, enshrining respect for human rights, establishing a market economy, and adapting its military to Western norms and standards. In contrast to its southern neighbors, civil tranquility and strong economic growth have marked this period. Upon achieving independence, Slovenia offered citizenship to all residents, regardless of ethnicity or origin, avoiding a sectarian trap that has caught out many central European countries. However, debate continues on how best to accommodate an estimated 25,000 undocumented non-Slovenes who were resident in Slovenia at the time of independence, but whose records were "erased" when they did not take citizenship. Many in this group have regularized their status or left the country; however, it is estimated that around 4000 cases remain unresolved. Slovenia willingly accepted nearly 100,000 refugees from the fighting in Bosnia and has since participated in international stabilization efforts in the region.
On the international front, Slovenia has rapidly integrated into the Euro-Atlantic community of nations and is one of the focus countries for the U.S. southeast European policy aimed at reinforcing regional stability and integration. The Slovenian Government is well-positioned to be an influential partner for other southeast European governments at different stages of reform and integration, and has introduced initiatives towards this goal, including the establishment of the Center for European Perspective and the Bled Strategic Forum. To these ends, the U.S. urges Slovenia to maintain momentum on internal economic, political, and legal reforms, while expanding their international cooperation as resources allow. U.S. and allied efforts to assist Slovenia's military restructuring and modernization efforts are ongoing.
Principal
Government Officials
President--Danilo Turk
Prime Minister--Borut Pahor
Ambassador to the United States--Roman Kirn
Cabinet Ministers
Agriculture, Forestry, and Food--Milan Pogacnik
Culture--Majda Sirca
Defense--Ljubica Jelusic
Economy--Matej Lahovnik
Education and Sport--Igor Luksic
Environment and Spatial Planning--Karl Erjavec
Finance--Franc Krizanic
Foreign Affairs--Samuel Zbogar
Health--Borut Miklavcic
Higher Education and Technology--Gregor Golobic
Interior--Katarina Kresal
Justice--Ales Zalar
Labor, Family and Social Affairs--Ivan Svetlik
Public Administration--Irma Pavlinic-Krebs
Transport--Patrick Vlacic
Minister without Portfolio responsible for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy--Zlata Plostajner
Minister without Portfolio responsible for Development and European Affairs--Mitja Gaspari
Minister without Portfolio responsible for Slovenians Abroad--Bostjan Zeks
Slovenia
maintains an embassy
in the United States at 1525 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington,
DC 20036 (tel.: (202) 667-5363; fax: (202) 667-4563).
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Independence: On June 25, 1991, the Republic of Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia. The United States and the European Union recognized Slovenia in 1992.
Constitution: Adopted on December 23, 1991.
Branches: Executive--president, head of state, directly elected for a maximum of two consecutive 5-year terms. Legislative--bicameral legislature (Parliament is composed of the National Assembly, with 90 deputies directly elected on party basis for 4-year terms, and the National Council, with 40 members elected by the National Assembly to represent social, economic, professional, and local interests for 5-year terms); prime minister, head of government, nominated by the president and elected by the National Assembly. Judicial--Constitutional Court, regular courts, and a public prosecutor.
Political parties: National Assembly seats--Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) 29 seats; Social Democrats (SD) 14; Liberal Democracy of Slovenia (LDS) 11; New Slovenia - Christian People's Party (NSi) 9; Slovene People's Party (SLS) 7; Zares 7; Slovene National Party (SNS) 3, Lipa (new party established by three former SNS members) 3; Democratic Party of Slovenian Pensioners (DeSUS) 4; Italian minority 1; Hungarian minority 1.
Suffrage: Universal over 18 years of age; permanent residents may vote in local elections.
Administrative divisions: 201 local administrative units.
Government budget: $21.568 billion (2007); defense, 1.65% GDP (2007).
