Yearbook 2008
Slovenia. During the first six months of the year,
Slovenia was first among the EU's new members in Eastern
Europe to hold the presidency. The government's main concern
was the continued rapprochement between the EU and the
Western Balkan countries.
According to
Countryaah reports, the September parliamentary elections led to Slovenia
again being left-wing, after four years with a
Conservative-led government. The Social Democratic SD got
just over 30 percent of the vote, compared to just over 29
percent for Prime Minister Janez Janša's party of the
Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS). The left's cooperation
parties also went ahead at the expense of those who were
members of Janša's coalition government. In November, SD
leader Borut Pahor was named new prime minister; he was
supported by all parties in Parliament except SDS. Before
the election, Pahor had promised to cut public spending to
try to keep inflation in check. Slovenia has the highest
growth among euro area countries, but also the highest
inflation.
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