CONTENT INTRODUCTION 5 THE STATE OF SLOVENIA 6 ECONOMY 20 SCIENCE 32 EDUCATION 40 SOCIETY 46 CULTURE 52 SPORT 66 HIGHLIGHTS 76 CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana 308(497.4) 908(497.4) I feel Slovenia / [editors Polona Prešeren and Danila Golob ; translation Secretariat-General of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Translation and Interpretation Division, DZTPS, Amidas]. - Ljubljana : Government Communication Office of the Republic of Slovenia, 2016 ISBN 978-961-6435-59-8 1. Prešeren, Polona 285088512 3 INTRODUCTION You simply have to love Slovenia, as it is the only country in the world with the word “love” in its name. This play on words denotes Slovenia in all its essence – a successful, creative, diverse and responsible country, despite the fact that it is one of the youngest countries on earth in terms of years of existence. In 1991, it declared its autonomy and independence and demonstrated that even young and small countries can become global players. It is hard to miss Slovenia in Europe with its strategic position in Central Europe – at the junction of the Alps, the Mediterranean, the mysterious Karst and the wide Pannonian plains. Within an area of 20,000 km2, we can admire its exceptional geographical diversity with rich natural and cultural traditions. It is precisely this mark of its position and natural conditions that have importantly denoted the character of Slovenians, while the turbulence of historically important transport routes has added vitality and inspired their creativity. You really have to love Slovenia. The feeling of affection for and belonging to Slovenia is indelible. Slovenia was described as heaven under Triglav by Cankar, the towering genius of Slovenian literature. It should be further explained that Triglav is the highest Slovenian peak and a mountain in the Julian Alps, and also one of the biggest national symbols. It is the mountain that has become the symbol of what it means to be Slovenian. Also, where else in the world could you admire the noble Lipizzaner horses, the practical kozolec (hayrack), beehive panels and the Carniola bee, taste delicious potica (cake), and be astonished by the grammatical dual verb form that allows us to say that two people love each other in Slovenian? Or meet such big names from the world of culture (such as the architect Jože Plečnik) and science, important inventions (logarithms), numerous successful athletes (Anže Kopitar, Tina Maze, Peter Prevc, Jan Oblak, and many others), and people who enjoy unspoilt nature so much that their favourite pastime is mountaineering? In this publication, you will get to know Slovenia with all of its particularities, lifestyle, inhabitants, exceptional athletes and, last but not least, its political arrangement. We certainly hope that you will also feel Slovenia. 5 THE STATE OF SLOVENIA Prešeren Square, Ljubljana. Photo: Domen Grögl/STA 1991 was a turning point for Slovenia and Slovenians. In that year, Slovenia The principality of Carantania is particularly notable for the ancient ritual of appeared on the global political map as an independent country. However, installing Carantanian dukes. The ritual took place at the Prince’s Stone (Knežji Slovenians laid foundations for statehood more than a thousand years ago. kamen) and was performed in a Slavic language. It persisted in its original form The country’s extraordinary geographical position played an important role in until the first half of the 15th century. The installation ritual was also described this process, and the diverse landscape has marked the country’s rich natural by French historian Jean Bodin in his book Six livres de la Republique. Thomas and cultural heritage, inspired the creativity of its inhabitants, and produced a Jefferson underlined a reference to it in his copy of the book, which gave rise number of exceptional individuals. to speculation that it inspired him in writing the draft of his “Declaration of Independence”. However, there is no historical evidence of this. The crossroads of the Alps, the Pannonian Plain and the Mediterranean was a OUR PAST very lively area even before that. It was inhabited by a variety of peoples, who helped shape the area’s cultural heritage, such as for instance the Illyrians in the Over years, Slovenians have maintained their small numbers with pride, and early Iron Age, and then the Celts, who in the 3rd century BC established the it was the small size of Slovenia itself that compelled us to accept variety and Celtic Kingdom of Noricum, which later became a Roman province. The period diversity. We are a South Slavic nation. In the 6th century, our Slavic ancestors of the Roman Empire left a rich cultural heritage in the first towns that appeared emerged from the Carpathian Mountains and settled in the territory of present- in this area. day Slovenia. As early as the 7th century, they founded the first Slavic state, the principality of Carantania, under the leadership of King Samo. Carantania It took a long time for the rich blend of old and new to mould into an existed for almost 300 years and was known for its democratic organisation and independent national community, which matured in the 16th century, when it the sovereignty of its people. published its first books and formed the seed of the national programme. Over time, history has created a number of important symbols that remain embedded in our historical memory: the Carantanian coat of arms and the Carantanian hat, the Prince’s Stone from the Zollfeld Field (Gosposvetsko polje), the Freising Manuscripts, the coats of arms of Slovenian regions, particularly Carniola, the dynasty of the counts of Celje, the linden leaf, and Triglav, the highest mountain in Slovenia. These were the basis for the national symbols of the Republic of Slovenia – the coat of arms, the national flag and the national anthem. Despite the fact that, until the 20th century, the Slovenian national community was governed by foreigners – most of the time it was under Habsburg or later Austro-Hungarian rule – it managed to shape its national identity. After the First World War, Slovenia became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and after the Second World War, of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After more than seventy years of living in Yugoslavia, Slovenians reached a consensus on independence. In a plebiscite in 1990 almost 90% of the Slovenian electorate voted in favour of Slovenian independence. In June 1991, Slovenia became an independent state. In January 1992, it was recognised by the European Union, and shortly afterwards it also became established in the international community. In 1998, the young state of Slovenia became a non- permanent member of the UN Security Council, over which it also presided. 9 The ritual of installing Carantanian dukes. Photo: Gojmir Anton Kos/Archives of National Gallery of Slovenia 2004 was an important milestone for Slovenia, as in that year it joined the European Union and NATO. On 1 January 2007, Slovenia became the first of the new Member States to adopt the EU’s common currency. It was also the first new Member State to hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, during the first half of 2008. Slovenia has been an OECD member since July 2010. SLOVENIA’s POLITicAL SYSTEM The Republic of Slovenia is a parliamentary representative democratic republic and a social state governed by law. The present Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia was adopted on 23 December 1991, following the results of the plebiscite on the country’s sovereignty and independence on 23 December 1990, when Slovenes overwhelmingly voted to secede from the Yugoslav Federation. According to the Constitution, “Slovenia is a state of all its citizens and is founded on the permanent and inalienable right of the Slovenian nation to self-determination”. The Constitution also lays down the foundations of the legal system, which is based on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, on the principle of a legal and socially just state, on a parliamentary form of state authority, and on the separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers, with a parliamentary system of government. Parliament The bicameral Slovenian Parliament consists of the National Assembly and the National Council. The highest legislative authority is theN ational Assembly (with 90 deputies elected to a four-year term) with one representative of each of the Hungarian and Italian minorities, which has the right to enact laws. The deputies represent all the people of Slovenia. The National Assembly exercises legislative, voting and monitoring functions. As a legislative authority, it enacts constitutional amendments, laws, national programmes, resolutions, etc. It also creates its own internal rules, ratifies the 1991 was the year when Slovenia became state budget and treaties and calls referendums. It elects the Prime Minister an independent parliamentary republic. 11 Photo: Ukom archives and other ministers, the President of the National Assembly and up to three levels of courts of general jurisdiction: country and district courts, higher courts Vice-Presidents. The monitoring function of the National Assembly includes the (which are courts of appellate jurisdiction) and the Supreme Court, which is the setting up of parliamentary enquiries, votes of no confidence in theG overnment highest court in the system. or Ministers, and constitutional proceedings against the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister or Ministers in the Constitutional Court, Human The state prosecutor’s office holds a special place within the justice Rights Ombudsman etc. system, as it is an independent state authority, but still part of the executive branch of power. The right to vote is universal and equal. All citizens who have attained the age of eighteen years have the right to The Constitutional Court is the highest body of judicial authority in terms vote and stand for office.