STA, 5 May 2019 - One of the ways for small EU countries to wield influence in Brussels is to have enough staff at their permanent representations in Brussels, a survey by Danish think-tank Europa has shown. Slovenia's is the second smallest.

The think-tank ranked member states' permanent representations in Brussels according to their size relative to their population, how many of their diplomats are sent there from the national administrations and how long these diplomats stay in Brussels.

"We find that on these parameters, countries like Ireland and Finland appear overall in a better position to fight for their national interest than countries like Denmark or Latvia," say the authors of the study.

The two smallest representations belong to Latvia and Slovenia, which have populations of about two million each and, 69 and 70 staff, respectively. Cyprus with a population of 0.9 million, has 78 staff.

Slovenia and Latvia are also among the nine countries which have a smaller representation than their population rank would suggest, along with Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the UK.

The analysis was conducted between January and March this year, based an email enquiry about the size and status of staff among all 28 permanent representations, and phone interviews. The authors received complete replies from 18 member states: including Slovenia.

The report notes the presidency factor, considering that the countries holding, or about to hold, the EU presidency beef up their permanent representative offices, like in the case of Romania, which is holding the presidency at the moment, or Finland, which is due to take over afterwards.

The largest EU nations, Germany and France also have the biggest permanent representations in Brussels, with 200 and 190 staff, respectively.

The survey finds that there is no apparent relationship between country affluence and the size of its permanent representation, as two of the EU's richest member states, Luxembourg and Denmark, are both in the lower end of the spectrum.

Six countries have larger permanent representations than their population size would suggest: Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, and Luxembourg.

Slovenia has the largest share of its staff composed of home ministry officials, as opposed to locally-employed staff, with a secondment ratio of 99%. Slovenia, along with the Czech Republic, also has longer than average duration of secondment, at 4.5 years, which compares to four years typical for most countries.

STA, 1 May - President Borut Pahor urged Slovenians to cast their votes in the upcoming European Parliament elections in an interview with the STA ahead the 15th anniversary of Slovenia's joining the EU, observed on Wednesday. The vote will show whether more people support the union or oppose it, Pahor believes.

"All of us, who see the EU as brining a future of peace, security, prosperity and the future for our children have the obligation to do something ... It is our responsibility to encourage people to vote."

"Maybe some will vote differently than we would have wanted. That's democracy. But with it we lend democratic legitimacy to the European idea," he said.

The vote, scheduled in Slovenia for 26 May, will be a historic one, the president believes. This election will decide "whether we will hear of those who want more Europe or of those who want less Europe."

Pahor believes that the European Parliament will be "more colourful" after the vote. But he expects that pro-European forces will make up the majority. He is certain that Eurosceptics will not win the election.

It is crucial that MEPs vote according to their conscience, Pahor believes. He hopes that Slovenia's MEPs will "not only defend the interests of Slovenia but also join forces with those defending the same interests."

When asked what Slovenians could do for the EU 15 years since accession, Pahor said that casting their ballots would be the first step. "It is very important that the political forces which are in favour of further strengthening of Europe get more support."

"In the light of our upcoming presidency in 2021 it will be very important to be among the countries looking for a way out of the standstill." Overall, Slovenians should think more about the future of the EU not just their own country.

Whatever the result, Pahor hopes that turnover will be high for the sake of legitimacy. "Then we need to come up with new ideas. We need to use the next five years for a leap forward. I cannot imagine another five years of standstill."

When asked whether Slovenians have internalised their European identity, Pahor said he believed they did. "We have two identities: Slovenian and European. They are not conflicting, we mostly see them in harmony, nurturing each other."

The decision to join the EU was a logical step, according to Pahor, as the European idea was a part of Slovenians' aspirations for an independent state.

Slovenia showed a united position in both decisions. 95% of voters said yes to an independent country in 1991 and 90% said yes to EU accession in 2013.

"This legitimisation of decisions is very important for our life and our efforts for development in Slovenia as well as the EU."

"We need to realise that we have come to a situation in which the EU needs us, a position in which we are the ones who can give something to the EU. And that's our vote, to democratically legitimise the noble idea of a peaceful and joint Europe."

Several developments have caused the standstill the EU has found itself in. It was evident when the Lisbon Treaty was adopted that it was drafted in a hurry and on the wreckage of a failed attempt of an EU constitution, said Pahor.

"Those of us who are very pro-European want a step forward to be made after this election, to see a new constitutional process and a new constitution. I do not believe this can be done overnight, but I do believe this is the only way."

Many Europeans have come to believe that the EU is incapable of resolving problems. "For example the fear of migrants. The EU most certainly did not show the same wisdom, openness or the intensity in addressing this problem as it did in financial crisis, for example."

Once the new EU parliament and commission are formed, everything will have to be done to reach consensus on migration policy, the president said. "If we show that we can manage the problem, we will gain trust and anxiety will subside."

"One of the reasons why nationalists are calling for more national policies is the considerable ineffectiveness of EU institutions in tackling certain problems. Therefore it is a must to put an end to this absence of common migration policy."

When asked about Brexit, Pahor said it was a warning to all those who speak without thinking about leaving the EU, how rubbish it is. Brexit has shown that the EU is much more important to its big members than believed.

The extension of the Brexit talks was the least bad of all options, Pahor believes. However, this has led to the EU internalising the problem and this will affect the formation of the new parliament and commission, as well as life in general. "But this will still cause less damage than a hard Brexit would have."

All our stories about Slovenia and the EU can be found here, while our stories on the EU elections are here

STA, 1 May 2019 - "The European Union is strong because it is united by its diversity and differences, big and small," Foreign Minister Miro Cerar tweeted on Wednesday. The minister, who is attending a ceremony in Warsaw, marking the 15th anniversary of the accession of ten countries to the EU, including Slovenia, congratulated Slovenians on the anniversary.

"On 1 May 2004, Slovenia celebrates 15 years in the European Union, along with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland and Slovakia, who joined the EU on 1 May 2004. The enlargement has benefited all member states and their citizens," Cerar said in another tweet.

In the last 15 years, trade between old and new member states had tripled. It increased five times, among new member states alone. The purchase power of Slovenians rose by 30%, exports doubled, foreign investments tripled, the Foreign Ministry tweeted.

Širitev #EU je prinesla koristi vsem državam članicam. V 15 letih se je trgo. menjava med starimi in novimi članicami povečala za 3x, samo med novimi članicami pa za 5x. Kupna moč ?? državljanov se je povečala za 30 %, izvoz se je podvojil, vrednost tujih investicij pa potrojila. pic.twitter.com/jITC9f5llY

— dr. Miro Cerar (@MiroCerar) May 1, 2019

"Slovenia is now co-deciding together with other EU countries on European projects and European future," Cerar wrote on the web site of his Modern Centre Party (SMC).

"Slovenia remains an eager supporter of the European enlargement in the Western Balkans," he said, stressing the importance of the upcoming EU election.

"This year's election is one of the most important elections in recent years. They will be held in a time when rallies honouring Benito Mussolini are being held in Milan, when an extreme rightist party returned to the Spanish parliament after 40 years, and when the voices of extreme rightists are becoming stronger in some other parliaments."

Cerar said that citizens must turn out for the election to defend the friendly, compassionate and liberal Europe and stand up to the attempts to demolish the European project.

The 15th anniversary of the enlargement is celebrated by high representatives of the ten countries in Warsaw today. The event is hosted by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

The officials were also joined by Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, Croatian PM Andrej Plenković and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban. The European Commission is represented by its Vice President Jyrki Katainen.

Cerar, who represents Slovenia at the celebration, also held bilateral talks with his Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz on the sidelines of the event.

The pair talked about cooperation between Slovenia and Poland as part of the EU, according to Cerar.

Cerar also congratulated Slovenians on Labour Day, saying he wished everyone a decent job and pay.

Fifteen years after the big EU enlargement, the bloc is faced with Brexit and Euroscepticism, while the enlargement process has come to a standstill.

Western Balkan countries should be treated as a package if reconciliation is to be achieved in the region, analyst Stefani Weiss of the Bertelsmann foundation told the STA.

The enlargement process should be graduate and multilayered; there should be more intermediate steps before the final one - full-fledged membership, Weiss told the STA.

All our stories about Slovenia and the EU can be found here

STA, 28 April 2019 - Slovenia is seen as a stable, constructive and pro-European country which however does not fully use the potential it could to play the role a small country can play in the EU, Slovenia's former European Commissioner Janez Potočnik has told the STA ahead of the 15th anniversary of the country's EU accession.

"We don't use to the fullest the role small and less exposed countries can play in the EU and we're also not among those which would attract attention with acts which are not in line with European values."

Since joining the EU on 1 May 2004, Slovenia has achieved a lot of what it had aspired to, and many of these things are now taken for granted, says Potočnik, who now co-chairs the UN International Resource Panel.

As Slovenia's chief negotiator in accession talks with the EU, Potočnik looks back at the process of negotiations with satisfaction.

"The unity we managed to build was genuine and convincing. It wouldn't be realistic to expect something similar now, as the clear goals uniting us are no longer there."

Nevertheless, there are too many disagreements and divisions, says Potočnik, who first served as research commissioner and then as environment commissiner in the 2004-2014 period.

It sometimes seems as if Slovenia artificially creats problems to fuel divisions, which Potočnik says are in the interest of those who do not have enough knowledge and strength to address complex challenges of the times we live in.

While he is happy Slovenians are still well aware of the advantages of EU membership, he is worried that some are too much focussed on the past, which is interpreted to one's liking, which prevents Slovenia to close ranks and take a step forward stronger.

"I miss strategic reflections and more focus on the problems which are really important for our future and on which we should really reach a compromise.

"I'm also worried about the divisions surrounding the migration issues and even whether it is sensible to be part of European organisations."

For him, Slovenia's major challenge, especially with a view to its EU presidency in 2021, is the same as for the EU and the world - a transition to an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable economy.

"This should undoubtedly become the priority of our EU presidency. If it doesn't, we'll send out a message ... that we don't understand what the key challenges of the EU and the world are and that we are a country which does not belong to the core of those in the EU pushing for a transition to the world we want, need and deserve."

The historic Big Bang 2004 expansion of the EU has largely eliminated post-WWII historical divisions in Europe, but also taught us that democratic change does not come with administrative measures and by formally adjusting to EU law, says Potočnik.

"It takes time and hard work to overcome development mistakes from the past and the interests surrounding them. EU membership is an important factor of democratic stabilisation but does not protect us from fully from our own mistakes."

Looking at the prospects of new rounds of enlargement, Potočnik says the EU is currently actually shrinking, while there is little going on enlargement-wise.

He points to Brexit, saying it is a sad event, especially because we live in a time which calls for deepening cooperation.

While he admits there are several reasons for the EU being busy dealing with itself rather than focussing on enlargement, such as migrations, security and bad experiences with some of the countries joining the bloc in 2004, Potočnik says it is still not acceptable Europe's stability depends on the stability of the Balkans.

He believes the recent name change agreement between Greece and North Macedonia should be used to "actively revive the enlargement process".

Also, Slovenia and Croatia should resolve the border issue on the basis of the legally binding arbitration agreement, which he says is a much easier problem to solve than some other issues in the region.

Potočnik also hopes the environment and sustainability in general will come to the forefront of this year's campaigning for the elections to the European Parliament.

Slovenia is dealing with climate change, yet not well enough, he says, adding the issue should have played a more prominent role during the 2018 campaign for Slovenia's general election.

Given that Potočnik has served two terms as European commissioner, his name has come up for the new make-up of the European Commission due later this year.

He says he would think it over if offered the post, but adds that he has not discussed it with Prime Minister Marjan Šarec or anyone else.

All our stories on Brexit are here, while all those on the European Union are here

STA, 26 April 2019 - Some 75% of Slovenians who took part in the most recent Eurobarometer survey feel that being a member of the EU has benefited their country. On average 68% of Europeans feel this way, the highest share since 1983. However, 50% of respondents are displeased with the situation either at home or in the EU at large.

The research was conducted in 28 EU member states between 19 February and 4 March 2019 by the Kantar Public company. A total of 27,973 Europeans, including 1,032 Slovenians aged 15 years or more were interviewed for the survey.

Results show that the general sentiment of belonging to the EU has not weakened despite Euroscepticism. Some 61% of Slovenians and as many surveyed Europeans believe EU membership is a good thing.

Nevertheless, the challenges faced by the EU in the past have increased citizens' feelings of unease. Some 32% of Slovenians (27% of Europeans) see the EU as being "neither good not bad". The percentage of individuals who share that sentiment has increased in 19 countries.

Some 37% of Slovenians feel the EU is no longer on the right track, while 38% feel that way about Slovenia. On average, some 50% of Europeans feel that either the EU or their home country is not going in the right direction. Nonetheless, 51% of respondents in Slovenia and just as many in all of the EU believe their vote has the power to make a change.

When asked about the upcoming European elections, only one third of Europeans knew they were scheduled for May, and only 5% knew the exact date. Some 33% of Slovenians and 35% of all Europeans are very likely to turn out for the election, while 32% of Europeans remain undecided.

Citizens' opinions on which issues they find most relevant for the election campaign have changed in the past six months. In Slovenia, the fight against youth unemployment now ranks the highest (61% of respondents, 49% of all Europeans), followed by the economy and growth (55% of respondents, 50% of Europeans).

The issue of climate change and the protection of the environment is deemed the most important topic by 41% of respondents in Slovenia and by 43% of all Europeans.

Migration and the fight against terrorism are considered top issues by 32% and 21% of respondents in Slovenia, respectively, and 44% and 41% of Europeans.

In Slovenia, 41% of respondents named social rights of EU citizens and consumer protection among the most important issues for citizens. Food safety was highlighted by 38% of respondents.

Some 62% of Slovenians and 54% of all Europeans call for a more important role of the European Parliament.

All our stories on Slovenia and the European Union are here

STA, 24 April 2019 - The Social Democrats (SD) became the latest party to formally enter the EU election race on Wednesday. Party officials said their campaign would focus on restoring trust in Europe by highlighting jobs, climate change, security and migrations as the main issues.

"These European elections will be a landmark for the future of Europe. Either we go down the path of dangerous disintegration, or the path of a strong Europe," the party's top candidate, MEP Tanja Fajon, said as the candidacies were submitted to the National Electoral Commission.

A strong and united Europe is of paramount importance for Slovenia, she said, noting that two decades of conservative dominance in the EU parliament had resulted in unfair taxations and multinational corporations and the rich not paying their taxes.

The party's goal is to have two MEPs in the next parliament - Fajon is currently their sole representative - and it has recently also started promoting the idea that Slovenia's next commissioner should be picked from the ranks of candidates contesting the election.

"The next commissioner from Slovenia ought to go through European elections. The people have the right to know who the commissioner will be," Fajon said.

Slovenia does not have strict rules about commissioner nominations. It is up to the government to pick a candidate, who then has to undergo a hearing at the European Parliament.

United Slovenia to campaign against EU membership

STA, 24 April 2019 - The far-right United Slovenia, led by the self-styled militia leader Andrej Šiško, who is fresh out of prison for attempts to subvert the constitutional order, fielded its candidates for MEPs on Wednesday. The party will be campaigning for Slovenia's exit from the EU.

Only three candidates will contest the election: Šiško, Joško Joras, a self-styled defender of the south border, and the party's co-president Anica Bidar.

Šiško, the party's front-runner, said United Slovenia was the only party that would protect the Slovenian Constitution in the election and advocate for Slovenia to leave the EU.

Learn more about the colourful Andrej Šiško here

"The EU in its current form is unacceptable for Slovenian citizens. The kind that the gentlemen from European elites want to build is even more unacceptable," Šiško said.

The United Slovenia movement promotes cooperation with European nations and countries, and wants a Europe of free and independent nations and countries that would also include Russia.

Calling on citizens who want change to turn out for the election, Šiško said that if their candidate got elected they would not join any of the European political groups but work on a project basis.

DeSUS campaign centred around top candidate, MEP Šoltes

STA, 24 April 2019 - The coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) plans to focus its EU election campaign on their top candidate, MEP Igor Šoltes. Their slogan will be Šoltes, Our Man in Brussels, the party said as it formally submitted the candidacies to the National Electoral Commission on Wednesday.

DeSUS is counting on the base to help it retain its sole MEP seat, party leader Karl Erjavec said, noting that turnout would be low, which was getting party members and supporters to vote would be decisive.

Šoltes joined DeSUS after winning his MEP seat with an independent list in 2014, and after the party's current MEP, Ivo Vajgl, decided to retire.

He said he would be the voice of those who are ignored and sidelined, focusing on issues such as longevity of society, standard of living for the elderly, the environment, healthy food and social justice.

DeSUS plans to spend roughly EUR 30,000 on the campaign. The emphasis will be on field work and social networks.

Looking ahead, Erjavec said that the vote would be followed by a "very turbulent period" on the domestic scene as parties that have their representatives in the EU parliament gathered strength.

He predicts that there will be consolidation on the left sooner or later since "it is difficult to run the country so fragmented."

All our stories on the EU elections are here, while those on the many and varied political parties in Slovenia are here

STA, 24 April 2019 - With less funds available than before last year's general election, Slovenian parties entering a month-long campaign for the 26 May EU elections are betting on direct contact with voters and social media.

They have until 26 April to file their lists of candidates with the National Electoral Commission. Then, campaigning gets formally under way, ending on 24 May at midnight, when election blackout sets in until polls close on 26 May in the evening.

The parties plan to engage in different forms of direct campaigning, such as MEP candidates meeting voters around the country or hosting various events and debates.

Prime Minister Marjan Šarec's LMŠ has already launched its campaigning by collecting signatures in support of its election bid at stalls around Slovenia.

The Marjan Šarec List's (LMŠ) says its campaigning will be based on various debates and on posting free ads on social media.

Similarly, the opposition Democrats (SDS) and the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS), which have a joint slate, are betting on a door-to-door campaign, but also on attracting voters via posters as well as traditional and new media.

The coalition Social Democrats (SD) will opt for what they term a classic campaign but will also use digital media. The party deems it vital to be in direct contact with people so it plans a series of field events.

The opposition Left, which also favours a direct contact with voters, considers it important to combine various communications channels, traditional and digital ones alike.

Field trips around Slovenia will be the order of the day for the opposition New Slovenia (NSi), which will also promote its candidates on the social media and on the internet in general.

Meanwhile, the coalition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) will focus its campaign on its frontrunner, Austrian ALDE MEP Angelika Mlinar, a member of the Slovenian minority.

Social media and posters around the country will also be used apart from SAB candidates giving interviews and engaging in other promotional events in the media.

Similarly, the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) will focus on its frontrunner, MEP Igor Šoltes, who is to meet potential voters in person at more than 50 events.

DeSUS also plans to campaign by sending voters mail and fliers and by addressing them on social media.

The coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the opposition National Party (SNS) have not responded to the STA's queries about their election campaigning.

As they file their lists of candidates, the parties will also have to provide information about the special bank account they opened to finance the election campaigns.

Under the Slovenian law on election and referendum campaigns, the costs of EU election campaigning should not exceed EUR 0.40 per voter, which translates to roughly EUR 680,000 per party.

But judging by their announcements, the parties will spend much less, as many of them are in the red following last year's general and local elections, and a referendum.

Among the parties which have told the STA how much they plan to spend, the SDS will spend the most, expectedly around EUR 200,000.

The Left is still working on its financial plan, but intends to spend no more than EUR 70,000. Much more modest campaigns of around EUR 30,000 are planned by the SD and DeSUS.

The LMŠ, however, has only said the exact sum will be known after the elections, but the party will try to be economical.

Although the NSi is still finalising the details, its campaign will be cheaper than the one for the 2018 general elections.

While parties are not allowed to get funds for campaigns for general and local elections or for referendums from abroad, they can get donations from EU citizens for their EU campaign under the same conditions as from individuals in Slovenia.

This means a foreign individual can donate up to ten average monthly gross salaries to a Slovenian party for the EU elections.

This translates to roughly EUR 17,000 gross, since the average monthly gross salary in February, the last available data, amounted to slightly over EUR 1,700.

All our stories about this year’s EU elections are here

SDS-SLS candidates join EU election race

STA, 23 April 2019 - The opposition Democratic Party (SDS) and the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS) formally submitted their joint list of candidates for the upcoming EU election to the National Electoral Commission (DVK) on Tuesday. They expect winning the May election by a landslide.

The list is topped by Milan Zver, the current MEP who was the SDS' top candidate already in the previous EU election in 2014. Apart from him, it features another two MEPs of the SDS, Romana Tomc and Patricija Šulin, as well as the SLS MEP Franc Bogovič, former Maribor's mayor Franc Kangler, prominent SDS member Alenka Forte, and two candidates from the SDS youth wing, Davorin Kopše and Alja Domjan.

"I'm sure of a landslide victory since the list includes extremely competent people in the professional as well as political terms," said Zver, adding that the two parties are counting on at least four seats.

Zver pointed out that the SDS and SLS were anticipating an intensive election campaign period, since the EU was facing an existential crisis. EU citizens should thus vote for parties which are striving to keep the member states together.

Zver also said that the centre-right political spectrum had a head start advantage over the centre-left one since the latter was less consolidated.

The deadline of submitting the candidacies expires on Friday, when the election campaign officially gets under way.

The opposition National Party (SNS) and the non-parliamentary party The Good State submitted their lists last week, with all the other parties competing for the European Parliament seats scheduled to do so today or in the upcoming days.

The Social Democrats (SD) are yet to confirm their list of candidates, while the Left is still collecting signatures required to submit the list.

The campaign will last for a month, until 24 May at midnight, when the election blackout period starts.

SAB reveals its list of candidates

STA, 23 April 2019 - The Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) formally submitted its list of candidates for the May EU election to the National Electoral Commission (DVK) on Tuesday, with the party's head Alenka Bratušek stressing the significance of the upcoming election for the EU future.

"We wish that as many people as possible would participate in this election, since the EU is currently facing an important crossroads," said Bratušek.

The party's frontrunner Angelika Mlinar (Alde) pointed out that this election was decisive for the future of the European Parliament - whether it would stay pro-European or not. She also wished for a higher voter turnout compared to the one in 2014 and for a fair and interesting campaign.

Mlinar is a member of the Slovenian minority in Austria and currently serves as an Austrian MEP. She decided to vie for a seat in the Parliament on behalf of Slovenia in this year's election, even though she could have been the top candidate of the New Austria party (NEOS), which is part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.

Bratušek pointed out that Mlinar had a wealth of experience and knowledge, which would contribute to Slovenia's development.

The deadline to submit candidacies expires on Friday, when the election campaign officially gets under way. Slovenian voters will be able to cast their ballots for new MEPs on 26 May.

Homeland League (DOM) files candidate list for EU election

STA, 23 April 2019 - The recently established, right-wing, Homeland League (DOM) has filed a list of candidates for the 26 May European Parliament elections. Party leader Bernard Brščič tops the list, followed by former Democrats (SDS) MP Lucija Ušaj, pro-life activist Norma Korošec and Marko Oblak.

Talking to the press after filing the list of candidates with the Electoral Commission on Tuesday, Brščič said that party would get the votes of those who care about Slovenia remaining the home of Slovenians and Europe remaining the home of Europeans.

"On 26 May, the fat lady will sing. We will not be stealing, we will get the votes of those who care about their homeland... Of those who believe it is the duty of the Slovenian state to ensure security and welfare of Slovenian citizens and not of migrants."

SocDems confirm manifesto, with the slogan “We Want Europe”

STA, 23 April 2019- The coalition Social Democrats (SD) endorsed a new manifesto Tuesday as they confirmed their eight candidates for the European Parliament election. They will enter the campaign with the slogan We Want Europe.

Europe is not ideal, but we do not have a better option than the EU, party leader Dejan Židan said as he addressed the rank-and-file. He described the EU as the only centre-left party that is growing with field work, which represents "an amazing opportunity."

"When we talk about the EU, we talk about solidarity, about a green, successful and victorious Europe," he said, a reference to the rest of the party's slogan, which highlights solidarity, progressiveness and justice as values that his party stands for.

MEP Tanja Fajon, the party's top-ranked candidate, was confident SD had the chance of winning two of the eight MEP slots considering that it has "very good candidates" and is offering change.

The election will be about "whether we head into a progressive, open, tolerant Europe, or into a disintegration spearheaded by conservative far-right forces that have already brought division, fear and symbols of fascism into Europe."

The manifesto highlights elimination of inequalities and strengthening of solidarity as the party's main pillars, which would include a 35-hour work week across the EU, fair taxation of multinationals, and measures to crack down on tax havens.

The party will also advocate common minimal social standards, consistent implementation of gender equality, and a ban on goods produced by child labour.

DOM will stage a guerilla campaign, according to Brščič, who believes that its alternative platform is the party's advantage.

Apart from DOM, several other parties filed their EU election lists today ahead of the Friday deadline.

All our stories on this year's EU elections are here

STA, 23 April 2019 - Commenting on the ongoing EU election race, the right-wing weekly Reporter says in its latest editorial that the newly-established party Homeland League (DOM) is not likely to eat away votes to the opposition Democrats (SDS).

According to the latest poll by Mediana, the Slovenian right will be defeated on the election Sunday, 26 May, as the lists of the SDS and the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS) as well as the opposition New Slovenia (NSi) are projected to win only three MEP seats, editor-in-chief Silvester Šurla says.

The joint SDS-SLS slate is expected to win the most votes, but only two of Slovenia's eight MEP seats. It could also win a third one by a hair's breadth, just like the SDS did five years ago.

Perhaps it will also manage to win three seats this year because of the alliance with the SLS. However, according to the latest polls, winning four MEPs is not likely, Šurla notes.

The NSi is also not likely to repeat its historic victory from 2004, when the first European election was held in Slovenia and the party won as many as two MEPs.

In the end, the left and right may very well each win four seats, just like ten years ago, Šurla says under the headline Race for Million Euro.

The centre-left has slightly more voters although they are inclined to change party preferences. Most of them currently favour the coalition Social Democrats (SD), which are projected to win two MEPs, while the senior coalition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) and the opposition Left would each get one.

Meanwhile, voters of the centre-right, are much more decided. This is why Šurla expects no major flow of SDS voters to the Homeland League, which does not even appear in opinion polls yet.

Perhaps, DOM could cost the SDS-SLS list of candidates only the third potential MEP seat, Šurla concludes.

Keep up with news on politics in Slovenia here, and follow the European elections here

STA, 23 April 2019 - With turnout at European Parliament elections exceptionally low - under 25% in 2014 - the path to success hinges on mobilising core constituents in the weeks leading up to polling day. This will also crucially inform the substance of the debate, according to political analysts.

Mobilisation of decided voters will be key, says Alem Maksuti of the Institute of Political Management, a private think-tank. This gives established parties an advantage.

Addressing the hard core of constituents will be instrumental, and this is most easily achieved with field work, which plays to the advantage of established parties, according to Rok Čakš, a columnist for the conservative portal Domovina.je.

This is also why the campaign is unlikely to feature substantive debates on the future of the EU.

Related: How to Vote in the 2019 EU Elections in Slovenia

"I'd be glad if debate about pressing issues concerning the shared future in the EU is more substantive and less populist this time, but knowing the Slovenian political and media reality, this is overly optimistic," Čakš told the STA.

Maksuti likewise believes there will be no room in the campaign for the future of the bloc. Instead, the focus will be on the parties and their candidates.

"Politics is on the back burner here. Since the parties are relatively similar and pursue a practically identical policy, I don't expect substantive differences," he said.

But despite the focus on personalities, many parties old and new have fielded weak candidates overall, according to Maksuti.

He thinks that party affiliation will be the key factor determining success, with individual names less important, with the exception of MEPs, who are "already stored in people's brains".

Čakš thinks that some parties, in particular the Democrats (SDS), Social Democrats (SD) and New Slovenia (NSi) have put together strong slates and are offering "people who understand what the EU is about".

Newer parties, meanwhile, are concealing their lack of substance with "polished images, apt public appearances and the repetition of general, principles populist sentences".

As regards the campaigning techniques, Čakš believes that TV debates will remain the biggest media events, while social networks will be "cheap support for all other activities."

Maksuti, meanwhile, thinks tools such as debates are less relevant, even as they are often ascribed significant importance.

Turning to the likely outcome, Čaks said fragmentation on the left could cost the left-liberal bloc an MEP seat at the expense of the opposition Left or the centre-right.

Maksuti believes the distribution of votes will be very similar than four years ago, in particular for established parties.

In 2014 conservative parties that are members of the European People's Party (EPP) got five of the eight MEPs allocated to Slovenia, with liberal and left parties getting three.

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