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III. Current situation and international response
A. Overview of the situation
B. United Nations
C. Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
D. Council of Europe
E. European Union
As observed by the European Commission in its 2000 annual report on Slovenia's progress towards accession (issued on 8 November 2000), the “situation of the Roma (6,500-7,000 people) continues to present some problems despite the Government being fully committed to finding solutions.” [http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/dwn/report_11_00/pdf/en/sl_en.pdf] In Article 65, Slovenia's Constitution envisages a general law on the Roma, which has not yet been adopted. However, sectoral legislation – including the laws on local self-government, local elections, and education – guarantees the legal protection of the Roma community. Whereas their representation in municipal councils remains poor, significant progress, as a result of a special Government programme, has been made in the field of education [ibid].
Following Austrian pressure, orchestrated by Jörg Haider of the Freedoms Party, for the recognition of the German speaking population of Slovenia as a national minority, and Austria's threats that a non-recognition might be the reason for Austria's veto of Slovenia's accession to the European Union, the Government has begun to address the issue of the German speaking population of Slovenia. According to the 1991 national census, 1,543 people listed German as their mother tongue. The number was even smaller when people were asked about their ethnicity; as only 546 persons declared themselves as Germans, and a mere 199 persons stated that they were Austrian (all together 745 persons). Slovenia disputes the existence of an autochthonous national minority, and is not willing to grant the German speaking population the national minority status as enjoyed by the Hungarian and the Italian national communities in Slovenia. This view is mainly based upon the fact that the German speaking population is a non-territorially based ethnic group (and the Slovene minority protection system is territorially based). Two studies – one commissioned by the Austrian Government, and another one by a Slovene researcher – have been made with the purpose to establish the origins of the German speaking ethnic group. These studies have shown that only a small proportion of those people can be considered as autochthonous or non-immigrant – which is one of the central criteria in Slovenia for national minority protection. More importantly, the author of the Austrian study, Professor Karner, has stated that whilst interviewing those people whose mother tongue is German (including Austrians and Germans), it was clear that they wanted the state to help them preserve their culture and identity, rather than constitutional recognition as a national minority [http://www.dnevnik.si/cgi/view.exe?w=dn.8.4.1998.y5er]. In 2000, Slovenia has financially supported, although modestly, some cultural activities of the German speaking ethnic group, and an agreement has been drafted that would accord special cultural rights to the German speaking population of Slovenia. However, the agreement has been stuck in the National Assembly, and subject to fierce debate.
B. United Nations
C. Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
D. Council of Europe
E. European Union
Monitoring by the European Union (Commission) of Slovenia's application for membership and its progress towards accession, including Slovenia's compliance with the so-called Copenhagen political criteria (i.e. stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities), has been documented in the following reports:
- Agenda 2000 – Commission Opinion on Slovenia's Application for Membership of the European Union [DOC/97/19; 15 July 1997]
- Regular Report from the Commission on Slovenia's Progress Towards Accession [November 1998]
- 1999 Regular Report from the Commission on Slovenia's Progress Towards Accession [13 October 1999]
- 2000 Regular Report from the Commission on Slovenia's Progress Towards Accession [8 November 2000]
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