Think Europe, in partnership with the Austrian Embassy in Ljubljana, held the second event in its “Breakfast with Experts” series, this time examining how European-oriented Slovenia’s political parties actually are.
The discussion was moderated by Sabina Lange, with Lojze Peterle and Dr. Marko Hočevar contributing their perspectives.
A key takeaway from the discussion was that the European Union features only selectively in the programs of Slovenian political parties — most attention goes to foreign policy and security issues and to drawing on EU funds, while concrete EU policies that directly affect everyday life often remain in the background.
Participants also pointed to a clearer ideological divide: progressive parties generally support deeper European integration, while more conservative parties are more reserved and emphasize the role of the nation-state. Slovenian parties largely align with their European political families, though with notable deviations — particularly on the green transition, the war in Ukraine, and the EU’s future institutional setup.
The discussion concluded that Slovenia remains a pro-European member state, but with a limited number of clearly articulated national interests. According to the participants, future government coalitions will mainly influence the ideological emphasis — whether Slovenia leans toward more or less European integration — rather than the country’s fundamental EU orientation.
