Slovenia’s EU-Presidency: the ‘best of class’ passed the exam!

When Slovenia started the EU-presidency in January of this year, the first criticism already appeared in the Austrian media: How could it be that the ‘appendix of Kärnten’1 would lead the EU successfully? Soon after the start of the presidency Austrian politicians were commenting that the Slovenes were clumsy in their way of leading the EU-processes. Now, shortly before the end of the Slovenian term, we know that nothing less is true. The Slovenes successfully managed the most challenging job in recent Slovenian history. They were doing it ‘the Slovenian way’: thorough, without much noise, leaning mostly on an apparatus of young, well qualified Slovenian civil servants, diplomats and experts.

1 Kärnten = region in Austria, bordering with Slovenia and with a considerable Slovenian ethnic minority.

The organizational and human resource issue was the most challenging part of the EU-presidency. Slovenia is a small country of 20.000 square kilometers, situated between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, with only 2 million inhabitants. A number of civil servants, experts and diplomats were needed in Brussels as well as in Ljubljana. In preparation of their own term the Slovenes consulted experienced Luxembourg about how to lead the EU-giant successfully as a small country. Apart from that, the Slovenian diplomacy could profit from past experiences as temporary member of the UN Security Council and presiding the OSCE.

Slovenia is the first country of the new EU 2004 member states that had the opportunity to take part in the presidency. Good communication with the two other countries of the Trojka, predecessors Portugal and Germany, paved the way the young Slovenian state could proceed. The Slovenians were aware that it was a great honour to be the first new member state to be invited for the presidency, but that it also was a test. Therefore, they left nothing to coincidence. In the place Brdo, around 40 kilometres from the capital Ljubljana, they built a modern, well-equipped congress centre for 15 million Euros to be able to host the 130 meetings planned during their term. The total costs for the EU presidency were an estimated 62 million Euros, but the general belief is that this was a good investment. Not only Slovenia will profit from its increased political profile in Europe, but also the Slovenian business world and the tourism industry hope to benefit from the Slovenian presidency.

Concerning EU politics, the Slovenians could be satisfied with their term as well, just until 12 June: ratification of the text of the Lisbon Treaty by all member states by the end of 2008 was presented as priority number one, and it was going in the right direction. On 20 June 19 out of 27 member states have already ratified the new treaty, but th Irish citizens rejected the treaty in a referendum. Several scenarios are being thought of at this moment about how the EU should proceed. In the mean time the ratification process will continue in the seven last countries, and a solution needs to be found for the situation in Ireland.

Even though Slovenia considers itself to be mediator between the EU and the western Balkans, it was smart enough not to put further Balkan integration on the top of its agenda. Nevertheless, Slovenian politicians deeply believe that the western Balkans need to have an EU perspective. Therefore, they were actively, but carefully, involved in finding a solution for the crises of the last months. They worked on the Kosovo status question and the Stabilization and Association Agreement with Serbia with satisfactory results. It was the work of Slovenian diplomats stimulating the contact with Serbian officials again and again, to keep talking, and to prevent Serbian intransigence around the Kosovo issue to freeze contact between the EU and Serbia. All this was done without giving the rest of Europe the idea of being an advocate of the Balkans, even if Slovenia sees for itself of course a role in a future prosperous Western Balkans. All these activities did not affect issues like the Lisbon strategy, economic growth and jobs, or climate change, examples of topics which might have more priority than the Western Balkans for some EU member states.

The small state succeeded even in ensuring that domestic political quarrels would not overshadow the first big chance for showing itself on the ‘European stage’. So one might conclude that, even before the Slovenian term formally comes to an end, they did very well. Slovenian politicians and diplomats did not disappoint the trust and confidence put in them, when it was inside the EU in 2005 assessed that this little country as the first of formerly socialist countries would be able to cope with such a task as EU presidency – the best of class passed the exam.

Tatjana Meijvogel-Volk, Dutch Institute for Political Participation (IPP)