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 Kuèan, concluded his second and
final term in December 2002. Prime Minister Janez Drnovšek
defeated opposition candidate Barbara Brezigar in the 2002 presidential
elections by a comfortable margin and was inaugurated as Kuèan's
successor on December 22, 2002. Finance Minister Anton Rop succeeded
Drnovšek as Prime Minister in December 2002, and his center-left
governing coalition commanded an almost two-thirds majority in
the National Assembly until October 2004. In the October 2004
election, Janez Jansa’s center-right Slovenian Democratic
Party (SDS) made a strong showing, winning a relative majority
with over 29% of the vote. Janez Jansa was sworn in as Prime Minister
on November 9, 2004 and the National Assembly confirmed the new
cabinet on December 3.
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.
The new government leadership that takes over in November 2004
has said that it is committed to seeing this final stage of privatization
happen under its administration.
Foreign trade is very important to the Slovenian economy. Nearly two-thirds 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. Labor force surveys put unemployment at 6% (2006). Inflation continued to decline from 3.6% in 2004 to 2.5% in 2005 and 2006. Gross domestic product grew by about 5.2% in 2006. Slovenia joined the Euro Zone in January 2007, the first and only of the 12 new EU members to join.
In the 15 years since independence, 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 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 18,000 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 advanced rapidly toward integration into the Euro-Atlantic community of nations. With successful NATO (66% in favor) and EU (91% in favor) referenda in March 2003, Slovenia achieved upon accession in 2004 its two primary foreign policy goals--membership in the EU and NATO. In 2005, Slovenia served as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairman-in-Office. Slovenia also participates in the Stability Pact and the Southeast Europe Cooperation Initiative (SECI). Slovenia 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. Slovenia faces its largest challenge since independence when it will be the first of the ten 2004 EU newcomers to hold the EU’s rotating presidency in January 2008.
Principal
Government Officials
President--Danilo Turk
Prime Minister--Janez Jansa
Ambassador to the United States--Samuel Zbogar
Cabinet Ministers
Agriculture, Forestry, and Food--Iztok JArc
Culture--Vasco Simoniti
Defense--Karl Erjavec
Economy--Andrej Vizjak
Education and Sport--Milan Zver
Environment and Spatial Planning--Janez Podobnik
Finance--Andrej Bajuk
Foreign Affairs--Dimitrij Rupel
Health--Zofija Mazej Kukovic
Higher Education and Technology--Mojca Kucler Dolinar
Interior--Dragutin Mate
Justice--Lovro Sturm
Labor, Family and Social Affairs--Marjeta Cotman
Public Administration--Gregor Virant
Transport--Radovan Zerjav
Minister without Portfolio responsible for Local Self-Government and Regional Development--Ivan Zagar
Minister without Portfolio responsible for Development--Ziga Turk
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) 6; 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: € 8.087 billion (2006); defense, 1.8% GDP (2006).
