Culture
The Slovenes had never lived in an
independent state until 1991, but Slovenian culture has
nevertheless found its distinctive character. Around
1000, Slovenian began to be used in religious contexts.
The oldest preserved examples of Latin alphabet writings
in a Slavic language are the Slovenian religious texts
on the Freising Monument from this
time.
In the 16th century, Slovenian culture gained a
boost. The Calvinist priest Primoz Trubar then
translated the New Testament into Slovenian and then
also wrote a Slovenian grammar.
The national call France Preseren (1800-1849) has
written, among other things, the national anthem,
Zdravljica. Politically, he fought the Illyrian movement
that wanted to unite Serbian, Croatian and Slovenian
culture and society. Josip Jurčič wrote the first novel
in Slovenian 1866. After the Second World War,
modernists such as the poet Anton Ingolič and Matej Bor,
who write both poetry and prose as well as drama, have
been most prominent.
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Countryaah:
Latest population statistics of Slovenia, including religious profiles and major languages spoken as well as population growth rates in next three decades.
The theater in the Slovenian areas was long
German-speaking. At the end of the 18th century, folk
games were played in Slovenian, but only in the middle
of the 19th century was Slovenian theater allowed to a
greater extent by the ruling Habsburgs. Ivan Cankar's
dramas from the turn of the century still belong to the
Slovenian standard repertoire.
In the music, among other things, the industrial rock
group Laibach has made great success on several European
underground scenes, especially during the 1990s. At the
same time, composer and rock musician Bratko Bibič
became known as a modern Slovenian musician.
 Other well known names in popular music are Vlado
Kreslin and the band Siddharta. Slovenian DJs have also
had some success on the global stage. Most renowned of
these is DJ Umek.
In 2010, Ljubljana was named the UNESCO book capital
of the world. Two years later, Slovenia's second largest
city, Maribor, was elected European Capital of Culture.
2014
October
Stormy about appointment of EU Commissioner
Former Prime Minister Bratušek is withdrawing his candidacy as EU Energy
Commissioner following criticism from MEPs. Prime Minister Miro Cerar appoints
his Minister for Development and Coordination Violeta Bulc as new candidate as
Slovenian EU Commissioner. She is questioned within the government, partly
because she lacks political experience, but is eventually approved as a
transport commissioner.
September
New government takes office
Miro Cerar forms government with his party SMC and the retirement party Desus
and the Social Democratic SD. Outgoing Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek's newly
formed party Zaab has chosen to stand outside the coalition. Bratušek himself
has been appointed Slovenian representative in the EU Commission and has been
proposed as new energy commissioner.
July
New party wins in parliamentary elections
July 13
In the recent election to Parliament, the Slovenes show their dissatisfaction
with their old corrupt and incompetent politicians by giving almost 35 percent
of the vote to Justice Professor Miro Cerar and his newly formed center-left
party, SMC (Miro Cerar's party), representing 36 of Parliament's 90 seats. In
second place is the conservative SDS with 21 percent and 21 seats, despite the
fact that leader Janez Janša has just begun serving her two-year prison sentence
for bribery. Then follows the Desus retirement party with 10 mandates, the
Social Democrats (SD) with 6 mandates, New Slovenia (NSI) with 5 mandates, and
Alenka Bratušek's alliance (Zaab) with 4 mandates, in addition to the 2 mandates
that are weighted for the ethnic minorities.
May
Civil successes in elections to the European Parliament
May 25
The right-wing parties see the greatest success in the elections to the
European Parliament. Although party leader Janez Janša was recently sentenced to
prison for bribery, his SDS receives almost a quarter of the vote and three of
Slovenia's eight seats in parliament, while New Slovenia, NSi, and the People's
Party, SLS, which come up with a joint list, receive just over 15 percent and
two places. A divided left may share in the three other places, where the Social
Democrats, SD, is the biggest loser: with just under 8 percent, even half of the
electoral support received in the 2009 election is not reached.
Bratusek and the government resign
May 5th
Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek submits his and the government's farewell
application.
April
Set judgment against Janša
April 28
A higher court in Ljubljana confirms the judgment in a district court against
Janez Janša in June 2013, on two years' imprisonment for bribery in connection
with a defense contract. Janša, who was forced to leave both the post of prime
minister and party leader of the conservative SDS, believes the verdict is
political. He intends to appeal and regrets that a quick new election would make
it impossible for him to get clean and thus be able to participate in the
election campaign at the head of SDS.
New elections threaten Bratušek lost party leader post
At the postponed party congress in Positive Slovenia, a majority of the
delegates support Zoran Janković and Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek leave the
party leader post. However, a number of leading party members support Bratušek
and the party is threatened by fragmentation. The three other parties of the
government coalition also declare that they do not intend to cooperate with
Janković. At the same time, Bratušek declares that she cannot remain as head of
government without the support of her party.
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