'Slovenia' - tagged features

Another country with a small Muslim population is Slovenia, though Islam is the second largest religion there, after Orthodox Christianity. And yet, there’s no mosque. And the story of trying to get one built in Ljubljana, the capitol, has been long and fraught with delays. 

The focus this week in the European Union was on Slovenia, the country that took over the rotating presidency of the Union last week. All 27 commissioners gathered in the country’s capital Ljubljana, this week for its first meeting with the new presidency. Kosovo is top of the EU’s agenda; the Serbian province may well soon declare unilateral independence. But our Brussels correspondent says that Slovenia doesn’t seem to see eye to eye with the Union. He says they don’t seem to have consulted much with their European colleagues on the issue. The message, he says, was muddled. 

As you may know, the European Union, striving for a “perfect” democracy, has a rotating presidency. Every 6 months one member state takes over, and this January 1, it’s Solvenia’s turn. It’s a small country, just south of Austria and it’s the first from the crop of new member states to take over the post. And the pressure is on for the country to prove itself capable. This is a big year for the union, with a range of major issues on the agenda including Kosovo. Does the European Union support its independence from Serbia or not? To help us figure this all out, who better to talk to than Radio Slovenia International’s Michael Manske. He says Slovenes are very proud of taking over the presidency. 

The Slovenian agenda’s certainly a hectic one: they’ll be looking at the other Balkan states wanting to join the European Union—like Croatia and Bosnia. Then there’s what to do about climate change. Plus, since 2008 is the European year of intercultural dialogue. Some in Brussels are worried that the former Yugoslav country may have too much on its plate. RFI’s Brussels correspondent, Quentin Dickenson, explains. 

One thing Europe is exceptionally good at is expanding. This time in the form of the Schengen border agreement. The EU’s passport-free zone is ballooning and by December 21, nine newcomers will be welcomed into the fold – many of them former communist states. But is everyone jumping for joy? Thijs Papot reports from the border region of Slovenia and Croatia where some neighbours have a greater freedom of movement than others. 

For the people of Slovenia, January 1 means swapping their tolar for the euro. This tiny alpine country becomes the first of the EU newcomers to join the eurozone. The government has hailed it as Slovenia's biggest achievement since the former Yugoslav country joined the EU in 2004. Although Slovenia was never in serious danger of not meeting the requirements to adopt the Euro, there were still plenty of adventures along the way. 

Imagine showing up at a government office to apply for unemployment or to register the birth of a child - you're asked for your papers, and the clerk destroys them in front of you because you are not a citizen. Something you didn't realize until that very moment. That's what happened to thousands of Slovenian residents after Slovenia gained independence in 1991. 18,000 people -- or roughly one percent of the population -- were purged from the official residence records. Thus the name they call themselves: The Erased. This week a group of the Erased traveled from Slovenia to Italy, France and Belgium to draw attention to their tragic fate. 

While most of the attention this week focused on Romania and Bulgaria, two new EU members - Slovenia and Lithuania - were waiting for a green light from the European Commission to join the eurozone. The European Commission rejected Lithuania's application to join the single currency, saying the country's inflation was too high. But Slovenia was recommended to join the club - a first for an eastern European country. The former Yugoslav republic has long been a star economic performer in the region and will become the 13th country to adopt the Euro. How does Slovenia feel about joining the Euro - Radio Slovenia International has more.