This article focuses on how domestic and EU-level political factors affect the functional aspect of the national coordination of EU affairs. Due to the idiosyncrasies of the post-communist countries which have joined the EU since 2004, an analysis of dynamic changes in the national systems of coordination needs to focus on three factors: (a) functional pressures from the EU; (b) the consolidation of the national party system; and (c) existing traditions of politico-administrative relations. The international economic and financial crisis is considered as a fourth factor that has affected the first three factors through the increase in the EUʼs ʼinformal intergovernmentalismʼ, which adds to the politicization of EU matters. The Slovenian case points to an increased, though selective, politicization of EU business due to both national- and EU-level factors.
COBISS.SI-ID: 32114781
Despite being coined by international forums and promoted chiefly by international/supranational organisations and clubs, sustainable development is a concept that in essence rests on and is largely determined by the local level. The local levelʼs primacy in terms of introducing the principles of sustainability is openly stipulated by Agenda 21, thus providing the impetus for local sustainable development strategies - Local Agenda 21. These community-specific, long-term visions of sustainable co-existence serve as an important strategic tool for overcoming challenges communities may face while maintaining the general idea of the future. As prime standardised artifacts, local sustainable development strategies represent an excellent insight into the capacity of an individual community to achieve a sustainable future and deal with potential challenges. In this paper, we analysed four such visions of a sustainable future for two city and two minor Slovenian municipalities in order to examine their capacity to develop into sustainable communities. By employing George and Kirkpatrickʼs (2006) framework for assessing sustainable development strategies, we identified useful and problematic aspects of the documents prepared by the city and town municipalities. The analysis showed that the transition period in Slovenia has left a significant impact on development planning and its consequences have yet to be fully resolved.
COBISS.SI-ID: 4731179
A detailed analysis of party organization, party funding and voting behaviour in parliament in Slovenia indicates a partial cartelization of Slovene party politics. In line with the cartel thesis, parties in Slovenia are heavily dependent on the state for their finances and there is evidence that parties have used the resources of the state to limit competition. Nonetheless, there is much less evidence of cartelization in terms of party organization indicating more cartelization in the party system as a whole than within individual parties.
COBISS.SI-ID: 30824285
The article provides an analysis of the determinants of the success of transitions to democracy based on a combination of qualitative comparative analysis of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia; and hierarchical clustering. The key finding is that one can reveal configurations of several factors which jointly determine either continuous or disrupted transitions to democracy.
COBISS.SI-ID: 28574813
Slovenia's Transition: From Medieval Roots to the European Union details and analyzes the history of the process of Slovenia's transformation from a socialist, self managed, political¬economic system to that of a capitalist, democratically regulated, market system. The book reveals the economic development of Slovenia as it transformed. Bogomil Ferfila explores the transformation of institutions through the development of corporatism.
COBISS.SI-ID: 29558877