In 2002, Slovenia was a Central European nation that had recently emerged from the dissolution of Yugoslavia. The country was still in the process of transitioning to a market-based economy after decades of communist rule.

The Slovenian economy was largely dependent on the production of automobiles, steel and chemical products. Agriculture also played an important role in providing food for the population.

The government of Slovenia was committed to increasing economic growth and improving living conditions for its citizens. It implemented several reforms such as privatization, deregulation and tax cuts that sought to attract foreign investment and create jobs.

Education was free and compulsory for all children aged 6-15, while healthcare facilities were available throughout the country. Despite economic challenges, Slovenia had made significant progress since 2002 with rising incomes and improved access to basic services such as water, electricity and sanitation.

According to computerannals, Slovenia also had strong international ties with other European countries due to its membership in various international organizations such as NATO and the EU. This enabled it to benefit from regional trade networks as well as global markets. Tourism also provided an important source of income for many communities throughout Slovenia due to its stunning natural beauty and vibrant culture.

Yearbook 2002

Slovenia. During the year it became clear that Slovenia, as the first of the old Yugoslav republics, would become a member of both the EU and NATO in 2004. During the membership negotiations, Slovenia received particular praise for its already high degree of alignment with the EU, although some work remained. a. in terms of market liberalization.

Economy

According to Countryaah website, national day of Slovenia is every December 26. The fact that Slovenia was also relatively prosperous was clear from the fact that it could pay more to the Union than it received back from the beginning. This led to a slight dampening of enthusiasm, although a majority still wanted to see an accession to the EU.

The presidential election at the end of the year led to one foreground figure replacing another. President Milan Kučan, a reform communist who was president already when Slovenia was a Yugoslav sub-republic, according to the constitution was not allowed to stand for a third term. However, it got Prime Minister Janez Drnovšek, a Liberal Democrat politician who has been head of government since 1992. He won in the first round but did not get his own majority. In the second round, he got 56% of the vote against 43% for the opponent, State Prosecutor Barbara Brezigar.

Drnovšek’s successor as prime minister became Finance Minister Anton Rop.

Economic conditions

The Slovenia was the most prosperous of the republics of the former Yugoslavia: with a population equal to 8.4%, it held about 20% of the gross national product and its exports represented 30% of the federal ones. Industrial production was absorbed, for the most part, by the Serbian Republic, which supplied it with raw materials. The decision to become independent and the consequent deterioration of relations with Serbia, but also the widening of the conflict in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, have had a profound impact on the stability of the Slovenian economy. In the period immediately following independence the country it underwent a severe recession, with GDP falling by around 20% and a spike in the unemployment and inflation rates (equal to 200% in 1992). After this first phase, however, Slovenia, interested only marginally and briefly by war episodes, was able to devote itself to a work of profound economic review, proceeding rather quickly on the path of privatization and orienting its commercial relations towards Western countries. in particular to Germany and Austria. The adoption in 1992 of a national currency (the thaler) also allowed the Slovenian economy to free itself from the negative effects of its ties with the former Yugoslavia. The privatization of state-owned enterprises was completed at the end of the 1990s, while a longer delay, due to tendencies against the entry of foreign capital into domestic banking and financial activities, blamed the opening to foreign banks (the banking sector still remains largely under public control). In a few years, the Slovenia has been able to stabilize the economy and to approximate, as the main socio-economic indicators show, to the standards of Western Europe.

● Agriculture (which in 2008 employed 2.5% of the workforce and participated in GDP by 2, 2%) is penalized by the scarcity of arable land (approx. 10% of the soil); main crops are cereals, potatoes, sugar beet and, in particular, fruit (apples and grapes). Pig and bovine breeding is discreet. A prominent place has forest exploitation, which feeds the paper and wood industries. ● Lignite is the main mineral resource, widely used, together with water and nuclear energy from the Croatian-Slovenian Krško power plant, to produce electricity. Also present in the subsoil are lead, iron, zinc and mercury.

● In the secondary sector (36% of the workforce and 33.4% of GDP), the mechanical, chemical and furniture industries stand out, whose products are mainly destined for export, and the agri-food industries, which instead work mainly to satisfy internal demand.

● Among the tertiary activities (61.5% of the workforce and 64.3% of GDP), the most relevant are those connected with tourism, of which Slovenia has already been an important destination for some time, relying on a good potential of natural attractions, essentially represented by the karst caves (among which the best known are those of Postojna), and on some renowned seaside, thermal and mountain resorts. The main trading partners are Germany, Italy, Croatia, Austria and France.

● The country has a good road network (38,709 km), which however needs strengthening along the border with Italy, the crossing point of a large part of the international traffic in the Balkan area, and railways (1228 km). An important seaport is the port of Koper. The main airports are in Ljubljana, Maribor and Portoroz.