STA, 18 May 2021 - The sole national park in Slovenia is celebrating 60 years since the Valley of Triglav Lakes was declared the Triglav National Park (TNP), and 40 years since a key law was passed to protect virtually the entire Julian Alps mountain range in the country.

Spreading on an area of almost 84,000 hectares, the park in the northwestern-most part of the country in the Julian Alps covers around 4% of Slovenia's territory.

It is named after the country's highest mountain, Triglav, a 2,864-metre peak which lies practically at the heart of it.

Enthusiasts recognised the area's beauty and the diversity of its fauna and flora, as well as the need to protect it, more than 100 years ago.

In 1908, before any national park was declared in Europe, scientist Albin Belar came up with the idea to protect the area under Komarča around the Savica Waterfall.

Protection was eventually introduced in 1924 when an 1,400-hectare area of the Valley of Triglav Lakes was declared an Alpine park.

The park ceased to exist after WWII as the relevant contract expired in 1944, but was revived and expanded to 2,000 hectares in 1961, changing its name to today's.

On 27 May 1981, a new law was passed to protect almost the entire Julian Alps, with another law in 2010 expanding the national park to its present boundaries.

Apart from Triglav, the national park boasts a number of natural wonders, such as gorges, waterfalls and lakes, including Lake Bohinj, and several peaks higher than 2,000 metres.

It is a popular tourist and hiking destination, with the first recorded ascent to Triglav in August 1778 credited to four locals upon initiative of Baron Žiga Zois.

But unlike national parks in Europe or the US, there are 34 settlements with some 2,700 residents in the TNP, who initially found the strict conservation regime limiting.

TNP director Janez Rakar says that all stakeholders have now realised protection is needed.

The locals' attitude towards the restrictions started changing when regulations on state co-funding of local projects started to be implemented.

"The state too has realised that the natural park is not just about occasionally bragging about it, but is really needed and shows the country's level of development."

He praised those who wrote the protective law to restrain the appetites for capital investments and restrict construction in the national park.

And although it is hard to precisely assess the effects of the protective law as social and climate change is happening, Rakar says "things would have been different without it".

"If there were no rules written down, the situation in this part of the natural environment would have been definitely different, and I dare say not better."

STA, 17 May 2021 - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs took part in a virtual session of the Schengen Forum on Monday, saying that Slovenia as the presiding country of the EU Council in the second part of the year would make an effort for strengthening the Schengen Area.

The Schengen Forum is a platform with which the European Commission wants to deepen the political and strategic debate ahead of the presentation of a strategy on the future of the Schengen Area, scheduled for the beginning of June.

The participants of the second meeting of the forum discussed the best possible ways for undisrupted functioning of the Schengen Area while maintaining and further enhancing its security component, the Slovenian Interior Ministry said.

It added that the main tools for that were timely and effective implementation of the existing legal obligations on the one hand, and implementation of new technologies and innovation on the other.

Hojs welcomed the continuation of the debate and noted that effective and enhanced functioning of the Schengen Area would be one of the priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency.

"We support the European Commission in its efforts to establish a better functioning Schengen system, which would be responsive to possible challenges and crisis situations," he added.

The introduction of new systems, such as the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) should greatly contribute to this, as well as boosting trust between member states, Hojs said.

This would in turn lead to the Schengen Area functioning without controls at internal borders.

"As a country with an external Schengen border we invest a lot of effort in timely implementation of new systems. The key is to find appropriate technical solutions that will shorten the border crossing procedure for police officers and passengers."

As for tools, Hojs pointed to Slovenia's idea from 2014 on the drafting of periodical reports on the functioning of the Schengen Area that would enable key shortcomings to be addressed at the political level.

STA, 17 May 2021 - A key multi-day plenary at which parliament was to vote on the opposition-sponsored motion to impeach Prime Minister Janez Janša and the coalition's proposal to dismiss Speaker Igor Zorčič was aborted on Monday after MPs failed to endorse the agenda in the first such instance to date. Each side then filed for an emergency session instead.

The agenda of the session for Monday included a decision on whether the National Assembly should request an opinion from President Borut Pahor on the impeachment motion, which was scheduled for debate on Tuesday, with the motion to dismiss Zorčič coming up on Friday.

However, only 42 MPs out of 84 present voted in favour of the agenda. The centre-left opposition voted against which they said was in protest at the new balance of power between the coalition and opposition not being reflected on the parliamentary working bodies which prepare bills for a plenary vote.

They said that most bills on the agenda of the session had been endorsed on working bodies when the group of unaffiliated MPs, formed by three MPs that defected from the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) and one who quit the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), were not able to take part.

The college of deputy group leaders agreed a redistribution of seats on parliamentary working bodies just today, awarding 12 posts to the group of unaffiliated MPs, which also includes Speaker Zorčič.

The centre-left opposition - the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), the Left, the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) and the unaffiliated - argued that the vote of the agenda showed the government no longer had a majority in parliament and it was time to call a fresh election.

"This government is doing everything to stay in power, instead of doing what is normal in normal democracies, to go to elections for people to decide who to give their voice to and who should lead the country in the future," Marjan Šarec, the previous PM, commented.

With the plenary cancelled, the centre-left opposition filed for an emergency session to vote on the motion to impeach Janša, while the coalition filed for an emergency session to debate most of the items that were originally planned for the regular plenary, save for the opposition-sponsored bills and their own motion to dismiss Zorčič.

Janša reacted to the vote on the agenda on Twitter, describing it as "totally absurd": "Speaker Igor Zorčič voted against the agenda of the plenary session he is chairing, and thus prevented a debate on a number of solutions important for the people, as well as the impeachment filed by the opposition."

Similar comments were made by the leader of the deputy faction of the ruling Democrats (SDS), Danijel Krivec, who said he could not remember such a conundrum in all his time in parliament. He said the coalition had enough votes but had not expected such a situation.

"A vote on the agenda is envisaged under the rules of procedure. Every MP's vote counts equally, including mine," Zorčič commented, describing allegations that the opposition was afraid of the vote on his dismissal as misguided.

He said the vote on the agenda showed a tight balance of power in parliament, but he believed it was possible to continue work at the National Assembly as normal through talks and consensus. If parliament functions as today, Zorčič agrees with the view it would mean an early election.

Zorčič said there should be no surprises in calling emergency sessions as these needed to be called within 15 days after being requested by at least a quarter of all MPs. However, the agenda of an emergency session needs to be confirmed in a vote just like in the case of a regular session.

He announced he would call a meeting of heads of deputy factions as soon as possible to resolve the situation following today's developments.

Commenting on the development, Miro Haček, a professor at the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences, says it is yet another sign of how the current balance of power is hampering parliament's work, at times making it impossible, as no side has an "a priori majority" secured.

In Haček's estimates the opposition can reach up to 43 votes in the 90-strong legislature and the coalition up to 47, where the votes cannot be taken for granted at all.

Such a situation gives the small parties that support government projects, the National Party (SNS) and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), much bigger power as their size would merit, while it forces the two minority MPs in a "thankless role" of tipping the scales.

Haček does not find it surprising the coalition opted against making the proposal to dismiss Zorčič part of the agenda of an emergency session, as one DeSUS and one SMC MPs are currently absent in a situation where every vote counts.

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Brdo-Brijuni Process summit reaffirms commitment to EU enlargement

BRDO PRI KRANJU - President Borut Pahor hosted a summit of the Brdo-Brijuni Process featuring his counterparts from Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia and the presiding trio of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Marking the 10th anniversary of the initiative, the summit adopted the Brdo Declaration in which the leaders reaffirm their commitment to EU enlargement, and urge the EU to speed up the process to include the whole region in the bloc. Meanwhile, due to Serbia's insisting on a wording that was unacceptable for others, the declaration failed to support the unchangeability of borders in the region. Pahor described the meeting as hard but successful.

Janša, Merkel talk pandemic and EU presidency

LJUBLJANA/BERLIN, Germany - Prime minister Janez Janša held a videoconference call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and vaccination. The pair also talked about Slovenia's EU presidency priorities, the Conference on the Future of Europe and the Western Balkans. Janša's poffice said that this year's Bled Strategic Forum, expected to be attended by a number of European leaders, will be dedicated entirely to the discussion on the bloc's future.

Parliamentary session aborted over failure to confirm agenda

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly failed to confirm the agenda proposed for the May plenary session with 42 MPs voting in favour and 42 against. Thus, Speaker Igor Zorčič suspended the session before it even began. The plenary, which was to run until Tuesday next week, was to vote on the opposition-sponsored motion to impeach Prime Minister Janez Janša and on the proposal by the coalition to dismiss Igor Zorčič as the speaker. In response, the centre-left coalition filed for an emergency session to discuss impeachment, while the coalition requested an emergency session to vote on most other items on the agenda of the regular plenary, except for the vote on Zorčič and opposition bills.

Unaffiliated MPs get 12 seats in parliamentary working bodies

LJUBLJANA - The college of deputy groups confirmed a new breakdown of seats in the working bodies of the National Assembly to assign seats in a total of 12 bodies to the four unaffiliated MPs. Nine seats were vacated by the Modern Centre Party (SMC) and three by the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS). The group of unaffiliated MPs comprises former SMC deputies Janja Sluga, Branislav Rajić and Igor Zorčič, who is also the speaker of the National Assembly, and former DeSUS MP Jurij Lep.

Palestinian ambassador condemns Israeli flag raising

LJUBLJANA - Palestinian Ambassador Salahem Abdel-Shafi expressed indignation over the Slovenian government's decision to raise Israel's flag in Ljubljana to express solidarity with Israel amid the latest escalation of violence in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador to Slovenia Eyal Sela told news portal Siol.net that Israel had the duty to protect its citizens as much as any other country. The government raised the Israeli flag along the Slovenian and EU flags on the government building on Friday, and said on Twitter: "We condemn the terrorist attacks and we stand by Israel."

Hojs says Slovenia to strengthen Schengen as presiding country

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs took part in a virtual session of the Schengen Forum, saying that Slovenia as the presiding country of the EU Council in the second part of the year would make an effort to strengthen the Schengen Area. The Schengen Forum is a platform with which the European Commission wants to deepen the political and strategic debate ahead of the presentation of a strategy on the future of the Schengen Area, scheduled for the beginning of June.

Slovenia cancels EU presidency art exhibition in Brussels

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Parliament confirmed that Slovenia had cancelled an exhibition of works of art by Slovenian artists that had been scheduled to be held in Brussels during Slovenia's EU presidency in the second half of 2021. The Parliament was recently notified of the cancellation by Slovenia's Permanent Representation to the European Union. Such exhibitions that mark EU member states' six-month stints at the helm of the Council of the EU have been a regular feature since 2011.

Govt with lowest support so far in Vox Populi poll

LJUBLJANA - The latest Vox Populi poll, commissioned by dailies Dnevnik and Večer, shows that the support for the Janez Janša government hit its lowest point so far as 70.2% think the government is not doing its job well. Meanwhile, the ruling Democrats (SDS) remain in the lead at 18%, followed by the opposition SocDems, at 13%. The share of respondents who assess the government's work as unsuccessful increased by almost 3 percentage points, while 26.1% still believe the government is doing a good job.

Prime Minister Janša honoured by mountaineering association

LUČE - Prime Minister Janez Janša was honoured by the Skala mountaineering club at a ceremony on Sunday for his contribution to the promotion of the club's values and goals, the prime minister's office said. The association said in a press release that Janša had received the Kocbek Prize for his "visionary and selfless work, as well as his numerous initiatives and exemplary persistence on the way to the common goal - the establishment of the Slovenian mountaineering club Skala".

113 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, three deaths

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 113 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, when 1,504 tests were performed for a positivity rate of 7.5%. The number of patients in hospitals is 407, including 121 in intensive care, after eight were discharged and three patients died, government data show. Ten people were meanwhile admitted to hospital.

Former PM to be reported for intel agency hiring

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Commission for Oversight of Intelligence and Security Services (KNOVS) announced it would file a criminal complaint against former Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, his ex-aide Damir Črnčec and former head of the SOVA intelligence agency Rajko Kozmelj on suspicion of abuse of office in hiring Šarec's acquaintance at SOVA. The KNOVS intends to report the trio to the authorities in 14 days, SDS MP Anja Bah Žibert told the press after the commission's meeting.

Sava Turizem's revenue almost halved last year

LJUBLJANA - The tourism company Sava Turizem last year generated EUR 55.2 million in sales revenue, which is 47% less than in the year before. It generated more than a quarter of the revenue from tourism vouchers that were used by domestic tourists between the first and second waves of the Covid-19 epidemic.

March pay increases monthly, annually

LJUBLJANA - The average gross pay in March was EUR 2,010, up 3.3% nominally and 3% in real terms compared to February. The average net pay for March was EUR 1,291, which was 3% higher nominally and 2.7% higher in real terms, the Statistics Office said. Pay was also higher on an annual basis. The average gross pay in March this year was 14.3% higher than in March 2020, when the country was gripped by the Covid-19 epidemic. The average net pay rose by 12.6% year-on-year.

STA, 17 May 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša held a videoconference call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and vaccination. The pair also talked about Slovenia's EU presidency, the Conference on the Future of Europe and the Western Balkans, the offices of both Janša and Merkel said.

The pair discussed the epidemiological situations that have been improving in Germany and Slovenia as well as the course of vaccination drives.

They also touched on future challenges. In that light, particularly important are the fight against the new coronavirus variants and challenges regarding vaccine distribution and rollout in less developed countries when there is enough vaccines, expectedly towards the end of this year, Janša's office said in a press release.

.@JJansaSDS z nemško kanclerko Angelo Merkel o #koronavirus, poteku cepljenja in izzivih v prihodnosti. Pogovor tudi o nacionalnih načrtih za okrevanje in odpornost. ????https://t.co/l40Y404m2k pic.twitter.com/vEPj4rZXkw

— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) May 17, 2021

Janša and Merkel agreed that EU member states should ratify the own resources decision as soon as possible and that national recovery and resilience plans should be reviewed and endorsed promptly as well.

That would enable drawing EU funds and the necessary support for the economic recovery and relaunch, the prime minister's office said.

Janša informed Merkel of the priorities of Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU, which starts in July. The pair also focused on the Conference on the Future of Europe. This year's Bled Strategic Forum, expected to be attended by a number of European leaders, will be dedicated entirely to the discussion on the bloc's future, the press release reads.

The office also said that Janša and Merkel discussed the Western Balkans. Merkel's office confirmed this, adding that the pair exchanged views on the EU perspective for the Western Balkan countries. Slovenia is to hold a special summit dedicated to this issue in October during its presidency.

Janša and Merkel also talked about the agenda of the coming summit of EU leaders that is to focus on climate change, both offices said. The summit is scheduled for the beginning of next week.

STA, 17 May 2021 - The average gross pay in March was EUR 2,010, up 3.3% nominally and 3% in real terms compared to February. The average net pay for March was EUR 1,291, which was 3% higher nominally and 2.7% higher in real terms, the Statistics Office said on Monday. Pay was also higher on an annual basis.

The average gross pay in March this year was 14.3% higher than in March 2020, when the country was gripped by the Covid-19 epidemic. The average net pay rose by 12.6% year-on-year.

Average gross pay for March was also higher on a monthly basis in both the public and private sectors, by 4.1% and 2.8%, respectively.

Compared to February, the average gross pay for March increased the most in financial and insurance services, by 32%, mainly due to higher exceptional payments.

The financial and insurance services also recorded the highest average gross pay in March, totalling EUR 3,345.

By statistical region, gross wages in March were higher across the country, with the biggest increase recorded in the region of Pomurje (6.7%) and the smallest in Central Slovenia (2.1%).

Figure: SURS

Related: Is Slovenia a Rich or Poor Country?

STA, 17 May 2021 - Further easing of anti-coronavirus restrictions kicks in on Monday as all secondary school and university students are allowed to fully return to in-person schooling, a limited number of spectators is permitted at sports events and opening hours for hospitality establishments are extended.

Classes in secondary schools will be held under model B, which means that all students are schooled in person and all students are allowed to reside in dormitories. Hygienic and preventive measures must be observed.

Face masks remain mandatory except for physical education classes. as does remains weekly testing for staff, except for those who have been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19.

Sports events will reopen to 50% sitting capacity for visitors who have been vaccinated, tested or recovered from Covid-19.

Meanwhile, the opening hours for hospitality establishments are being extended to between 5am and 10pm, from 7am-7pm in force now.

While indoor tables will still need to be three metres apart, the distance between people seated at the same table is no longer prescribed.

As of Monday, a new plan for relaxation of measures is in force, envisaging that many relaxations will apply, both in the yellow and green tier of restrictions, only to persons who are vaccinated or who have recovered from Covid-19 or who have tested negative.

Despite the improved epidemiological situation - Slovenia is now in tier yellow - the government formally extended the Covid-19 epidemic by 30 days from 17 May as all the country's statistical regions continue to have incidence of cases above the threshold for the epidemic.

Updated with the response of the Israeli Ambassador

STA, 17 May - Palestinian Ambassador Salahem Abdel-Shafi has expressed indignation over the Slovenian government's Friday decision to raise Israel's flag in Ljubljana to express solidarity with Israel amid the latest escalation of violence in the Middle East.

Following the suit of Austria and the Czech Republic, the government raised the Israeli flag along the Slovenian and EU flags on the government building, and said on Twitter: "We condemn the terrorist attacks, and we stand by Israel."

Related: Israeli Flag Flown on Slovenian Govt Building in Show of Solidarity, Against President's Wishes

As a sign of solidarity with #Israel the Israeli flag ?? is hoisted on the buildings of the @govSlovenia. We condemn the terrorist attacks and we stand by Israel. ?????? pic.twitter.com/CDWQzXw2Dm

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) May 14, 2021

"This is outrageous and very worrying. It's a show of a one-sided, I'd even say a racist policy. It was meant to express sympathy for the victims of only one side, while ignoring the victims on the other side," the Austria-based ambassador who is also in charge of Slovenia said in a statement the newspaper Dnevnik ran on Monday.

He also said that there were many more civilian victims, including women and children, on the Palestinian side. "Expressing solidarity and empathy with the Israeli victims or Israel is racism. This is a policy of white supremacy. We cannot accept that, we most strongly condemn it."

The diplomat said he was surprised with the Slovenian government's gesture because at their meeting in Ljubljana last week, Foreign Ministry State Secretary Stanislav Raščan assured him that Slovenia would stick to the EU's two-state solution policy. He thus believes the latest act undermines this stance.

He said the Palestinian authorities knew Prime Minister Janez Janša had friendly relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which they had absolutely nothing against.

"But when something like Friday's act happens, when sympathising with only some victims happens, we have to raise our voice. This is offensive to the victims. This is not just a political issue," he said, adding he would send a letter of protest to the Slovenian Foreign Ministry.

Defending the Israeli government's actions, Israeli Ambassador to Slovenia Eyal Sela meanwhile told news portal Siol.net that contrary to Hamas, Israel had been launching air strikes on an infrastructure of terrorists that was attacking the country. Israel has the duty to protect its citizens as much as any other country, he noted.

"Unfortunately there have been civilian casualties, who are not our target. There is also a lot of victims of Hamas missiles in Gaza since as many as a quarter do not hit Israel's territory, instead they fall down on civilians in Gaza as well," he said.

Sela highlighted that Israel was acting in line with all international commitments and international law as the country did not target buildings of civilians but the infrastructure used by Hamas. The latter uses civilians as so-called human shields, he said. "We do not fire at schools or kindergartens as they [Hamas] do in Israel," he added.

One of the buildings that were destroyed in an Israeli air strike housed foreign media, but was also used by Hamas to run intelligence services to help launch attacks, Sela said. "Such an abuse of human shield is a crime against humanity," he said, pointing out that the foreign media companies had been notified of the strike beforehand and there had been no casualties.

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA: 

Pahor greets co-host Milanović ahead of Brdo-Brijuni summit

BLED - President Borut Pahor received his Croatian counterpart Zoran Milanović on the eve of the Brdo-Brijuni Process summit, saying everything was ready for the event organisation-wise and politically. From Pahor's point of view, the most important thing on Monday will be that the leaders arrive at a joint position on the importance of faster enlargement of the EU to the Western Balkans and the need for reform in these countries. Milanović said that "we are here to help the Western Balkan neighbours join the EU as soon as easy as possible," and that Croatia would do everything in its power so that the neighbours became a part of the same community, which was important for human, practical and business reasons.

292 new infections confirmed as 7-day average inches up

LJUBLJANA - A total of 2,471 PCR tests for the novel coronavirus were performed in Slovenia on Saturday to confirm 292 infections, with the positivity rate staying flat at 11.8% compared to the day before. The seven-day average of new infections was up by 2 to 449, the latest figures released by the government show. The number of hospitalised persons was down by 13 to 408, of whom 121 are in intensive care, which is the same as the day before, while three persons died of Covid-19. According to the National Institute of Public Health, the share of the fully vaccinated population is 13.6%.

Minister Jaklitsch visits Slovenian community in Italy

Gorizia, 16 May - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch visited on Saturday the Slovenian community in Italy's San Floriano del Collio, with locals assuring the government representative that "as proud Slovenians, they are not letting go of the Slovenian language and culture." As part of the visit in the Province of Gorizia, Jaklitsch met Mayor Franca Padovan and representatives of the local cultural associations. Jaklitsch also attended a presentation of a collection of articles that marks the 70th anniversary of the local farmer and worker association, a section of the Slovenian Community party.

Consumption of vegetables increasing

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians eat more and more vegetables, official statistics suggest. In 2019, a total of 246,000 tonnes of vegetables were consumed, which is about 118 kilogrammes per capita and up 50% compared to 2000, the Statistics Office said this week to mark the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables. Slovenians eat more vegetables than the country produces. In 2019, the vegetable self-sufficiency rate was 43%. The rate was the lowest in 2010, at 30%, and highest in 2000, at 47%.
Farmers produced over 120,000 tonnes of vegetables in 2019, while Slovenians consumed 267,000 tonnes of fruit in 2019.

If you’re thinking about living in Slovenia then money should be on your mind, as without it you’ll have trouble obtaining the goods and services needed to survive.

Whether you’ll be here to study, work, travel or retire, one way to look at the issue is to do what this article aims to, and examine the question of whether Slovenia is rich or poor from various angles and in various contexts. The first thing to note, of course, is that all this is relative, and compared to most countries in the world Slovenia is a very comfortable place to live, with functioning infrastructure, a well-fed, clothed, housed and educated population, with stores stocked full of goods. In short, a standard European country.

What’s Slovenia’s GDP per capita?

In 2019 Slovenia’s GDP was €48,393 million, as estimated by the country’s Statistical Office (Statistični urad Republike Slovenije – SURS), or in per capita terms €23,165. This is a rather broad measure though, and obscures a fact that’s long been true about Slovenia, even before independence – the west is richer than the east. In western Slovenia the GDP per capita was €27,600 in 2019, while in the east it was €19,100, using figures from Eurostat. In purchasing power standard (PPS), Slovenia was 89% of the EU's average, with western Slovenia at 106% and eastern Slovenia just 73%. As you can see in the map below, western Slovenia benefits from its proximity and integration into the area of richer regions stretching north and west, while the east remains closer to the other former communist areas.

Map: Eurostat. Click to makie it a lot bigger

What’s the richest part of Slovenia?

Digging deeper, and using data from 2018, shows an even more marked contrast among Slovenia’s 12 statistical regions. The map below tells the story, revealing that  Osrednjeslovenska – the centre of the country, with Ljubljana – has 141.1% the average GDP per capita for Slovenia as a whole. The coastal area, Obalno-kraška, is the only other region to be above average, at 102.5%. The poorest region is Zasavska (capital: Trbovlje), with just 52.4% of the average GDP per capita.

Map: JL Flanner, using SURS data

Map. SURS

Is Slovenia richer than Croatia?

Slovenia gained independence and Yugoslavia fell apart three decades ago. Back in the days of the Socialist Federal Republic (1945-1992) Slovenia was the richest member, and after having established itself as an independent nation, with minimal bloodshed, there was some talk of it becoming the new Switzerland, an Alpine Tiger (or perhaps Carantanian Panther). Given that Switzerland had a GDP per capita of €76,200 in 2019, around 3.3 times more than Slovenia, this dream remains unachieved, but the small nation on the sunny side of the Alps remains the richest of the former Yugoslav states, by far, as seen in the following video.

What’s more, Slovenia isn’t just richer than other members of the former Yugoslavia, it’s consistently among the richest of the former Communist countries of central and eastern Europe. In the following animation GDP is presented in US dollars and Purchasing Power Parity terms, a measure that – like the EU’s PPS – considers the prices of goods and services in the different countries, and thus is a fairly good measure of standard of living.

It’s best to just watch the video, and see how nations rise and fall over time, but in summary: Slovenia starts at #2, slightly behind the Czech Republic (aka Czechia) in 1992. These two then stay at the top, very close together, until 1998, when Slovenia takes pole position. After this, Slovenia pulls ahead, soon maintaining a lead of some US$2,000 until 2007, when Czechia closes the gap, then takes over the top spot in 2009. Slovenian then regains #1 for 2010 and 2011, but after that Czechia is in the lead.

Here we’ll note that Slovenia – or rather Yugoslavia – was not a member of the USSR, and operated a different, more open and non-aligned form of socialism than that seen behind the Iron Curtain, as seen in the following holiday programme from 1986. You may have to click through to YouTube because there’s some topless sunbathing.

To end here’s another video that puts Slovenia among the other EU Member States, with the country having joined the organisation in 2004. And after watching this you may have some questions about Luxembourg and Ireland, with populations around a third that of Slovenia and just over 2.5 times bigger, respectively.

Next in this series we’ll take a look at incomes in Slovenia.