A balanced political power
Political power in Slovenia enjoys a certain balance between the executive, legislative and judicial spheres. This can be explained by the desire to put an end to the centralisation and personalisation of power inherited from the Yugoslav regime.
For example, the President of the Republic (Predsednik Republike
) has considerably limited powers. His role is essentially representative and ceremonial. He embodies an essential moral authority and is regarded as the guarantor of the country's unity. Elected by universal suffrage for a second five-year term, Borut Pahor currently holds this office. A social-democrat, he is distinguished by a certain modernity and by the use of well-controlled communication. His detractors make fun of the overly systematic staging of his almost daily mandate and the presidential action on Instagram.Executive power is entrusted both to the government through the Prime Minister (Predsednik Vlade) and to the National Assembly (Državni zbor). The latter, composed of 90 deputies, discusses, rectifies and votes on laws proposed by the government. It is the legislative body par excellence, and includes a representative of each of the Hungarian and Italian minorities. The National Council (Državni svet
) acts as a safeguard and has a suspensive legislative veto. It is composed of 40 members from civil society, professional organisations, trade unions and associations. Another example of participatory democracy is the right of petition and referendum. It is relatively extensive, since any issue, subject to 40 000 signatures within a maximum of one month, will have the right to a referendum according to the Slovenian Constitution. This example of direct democracy also has its critics, since it takes only about 2.5% of the Slovenian electorate to mobilise just 2.5% to impose a binding referendum.A polarized country back to "normalcy
The rather high turnout (almost 70 per cent) in the last legislative elections in April 2022 is a sign of good democratic health. The high turnout is partly explained by a desire to get rid of the outgoing head of government, the ultraconservative and eurosceptic Janez Janša. A large part of the population went to the polling booths to say no to the policies of the leader of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), which are aggressive towards certain media and institutions in the image of Viktor Orbán's neighbouring Hungary (suspension of subsidies to certain public media, dismissal of cultural leaders, etc.), and are carried out in a Trump-like manner with explosive tweets (he is nicknamed "Field Marshal Twitto"!) Robert Golob's Freedom Movement (GS), a newcomer to the Slovenian political scene and a former manager of a solar energy company, won a large majority to the surprise of everyone. His lack of knowledge of the country's political arcanes and his party's inexperience should be compensated by the assurance of a large centre-left majority in Parliament for a program focused on a return to more "normality", as is his wish.
A real but still fragile economic recovery
After the severe economic recession between 2008 and 2013, the Slovenian economy has been experiencing a sustained recovery for several years. Growth had stabilized between 3.2 and 4% before the Covid-19 crisis. After a complicated year in 2020, it returned to its pre-pandemic level in 2021. This positive environment of rising consumption and continued growth in exports has helped to revive a labor market that had been strained. There was also a rapid increase in GDP per capita between 2015 and 2018, which has since stagnated.
Although the overall economic picture is favorable, the more negative aspects of this state of affairs should not be overlooked. Slovenia has been facing an increasingly massive exodus of its intellectual and scientific elites since the early 2000s. This situation seems to have intensified in recent years. In addition, the lack of skilled labor is felt in this period of semi-full employment. Another alarming figure to be highlighted is the impoverishment of the elderly, which seems inexorable since the economic recovery and which the current government is committed to fighting.
Slovenia's agricultural sector is now in deep decline, accounting for only 1.8% of GDP and less than 5% of the working population. The industrial sector, traditionally forestry and manufacturing, has diversified considerably since national independence and has developed in several growth markets, such as the automotive, electronic composites, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors. It represents 28.8% of GDP and nearly 32% of the workforce. Finally, the tertiary sector has been deeply renewed and has accompanied the process of modernization of Slovenia. It is based on new information and communication technologies (NICT), but also on a significant offer of financial, commercial and state services
The crisis in the aviation sector, following the bankruptcy of the national airline Adria, calls for caution and avoidance of excessive optimism.
Investment in promising and innovative sectors
Although one does not necessarily know the most influential Slovenian companies worldwide, one quickly realizes that Slovenian industry is deeply decentralized. The capital, Ljubljana, is home to the major food and beverage players Mercator (a supermarket chain), Heineken (through
its domestic Union and Lasko productions) and Droga Kolmiska (which produces the famous Cockta). The second economic capital of the country is undoubtedly Novo Mesto, which brings together the country's major pharmaceutical laboratories (notably the giant Krka) and a large part of the automobile production (Revoz, Adria Mobil). The household appliance giant Gorenje, now bought by the Chinese HiSense, still has its headquarters in the small town of Velenje. It is also time to diversify the Slovenian economy by promoting innovative and profitable markets. Artificial intelligence is being promoted by a strong national network of start-ups. Nexto, for example, offers tourists the opportunity to receive additional audio commentary on a museum or monument in their native language. We will highlight the necessary work of Smart Futuristic which proposes clever logistic solutions to fight against food waste. Finally, the video game development studio Zootfly, based in the Slovenian capital, is enjoying growing popularity thanks to productions that have found an international audience.A considerable tourist success
Tourism has become a key sector of the country's economic activity. The figures are growing considerably every year. Thus, in a pandemic-free dynamic, Slovenia reached 5.9 million arrivals and 15.7 million overnight stays in 2018. Foreign tourism was also growing with 4.4 million arrivals and 11.2 million overnight stays. The economic impact is significant, with revenues reaching 2.7 billion euros. The top three foreign tourists visiting Slovenia are Italians, Germans and Austrians. Tourism is predominantly European (52%), but it is increasing for all continents, especially for the Middle East and Asia. On the other hand, tourist arrivals in Slovenia are relatively balanced according to the seasons, although summer tourism is becoming more and more important. What are the main reasons for this success? Obviously, a diversity of landscapes and places of interest that attract visitors. Also, a rather remarkable quality of infrastructures which makes it possible to decorate the stay in a positive way. The political and cultural promotion of a sustainable tourism that allows to enjoy the natural environment while taking care of it. A network of actors and professionals of tourism very competent that contributes to the popular, literary and media success of the destination.
