Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the diligent national character of the Slovenian people—made it a prime candidate for in-
dustrialization.
After Tito's death in 1980, the various Yugoslav republics struggled to redefine their
role in the union. While many factions reverted to age-old, pre-Tito nationalistic fervor,
the Slovenes grew increasingly focused on their own future...and began to press for real
reforms of the communist system. Slovenia had always been Yugoslavia's smallest, north-
ernmost, most prosperous republic. Slovenes now realize that Yugoslavia needed Slovenia
much more than Slovenia needed Yugoslavia.
In 1988, the iconoclastic Slovenian magazine
Mladina
pressed the boundaries of
Yugoslavia's nominally “free” press, publishing articles critical of the Yugoslav People's
Army. Four young reporters (including Janez Janša, who would later become Slovenia's
prime minister) were tried, convicted, and imprisoned, spurring outrage among Slovenes.
A few months later, the Slovenian delegation defiantly walked out of the Yugoslav League
of Communists Congress. The first-ever free elections in Slovenia on April 8, 1990, ended
communist rule and swept reformer Milan Ku
č
an into the presidency. Ku
č
an attempted to
pursue a Swiss-style confederated relationship with his fellow Yugoslav republics, but met
with resistance from his counterparts who were more focused on their own ethnic self-in-
terests. Later that year, in a nationwide referendum, 88 percent of Slovenes voted for inde-
pendence from Yugoslavia.
And so, concerned about Serbian strongman Slobodan Miloševi
ć
's nationalistic politics,
and seeking the opportunity for true democracy and capitalism, Slovenia seceded in 1991.
Becausemorethan90percentofthepeopleherewereethnicSlovenes—andbecauseSlove-
nia was careful to respect the rights of its minority populations—the break with Yugoslavia
was simple and virtually uncontested. Its war for independence lasted just 10 days and
claimedonlyafewdozenlives.(Formoredetails,see
here
intheUnderstandingYugoslavia
chapter.)
After centuries of looking to the West, in May of 2004 Slovenia became the first of the
former Yugoslav republics to join the European Union. The Slovenes have been practical
about this move, realizing it's essential for their survival as a tiny nation in a modern world.
But there are trade-offs, and “Euroskeptics” are down on EU bureaucracy. As borders dis-
appear, Slovenes are experiencing more crime. Traditional farms are grappling with strict
EU standards. Slovenian businesses are having difficulty competing with big German and
otherWesternEuropeanfirms.BeforeEUmembership,onlySlovenescouldownSlovenian
land,butnowwealthyforeignersarebuyingproperty,drivingupthecostofrealestate.Still,
overall, most Slovenes feel that EU membership was the right choice.
After independence, Slovenia impressed its European neighbors with its powerhouse
economy and steady growth. However, the global financial crisis revealed that some of the
country's affluence was deceptive; it turned out that many of Slovenia's biggest companies
