National Report on the State of Civic Space in Slovenia

As part of the PROSECO project, the Peace Institute has prepared the National Report on the State of Civic Space in Slovenia, analysing the conditions for the operation of civil society organisations and the broader space for public participation in the period between October 2024 and October 2025.

The report is based on a structured expert-evaluation methodology and an analysis of the legislative, institutional, and political environment shaping civic space in Slovenia. It examines five key dimensions: the regulatory environment, funding and financing, participation in decision-making processes, safe space for operation, and the capacity and resilience of organisations.

The report finds that cooperation between decision-makers and civil society often remains largely formal and procedural, with limited impact on concrete political decisions. At the same time, civil society organisations operate in an increasingly polarised political environment marked by attacks, delegitimisation, and disinformation campaigns, particularly targeting organisations working on human rights, migration, and LGBTQ+ rights.

The report also points to structural problems in NGO funding, the lack of long-term and stable support mechanisms, and the limited inclusion of civil society in decision-making processes. Among its key recommendations, the report highlights:

• consistent and timely involvement of the public and civil society in legislative and decision-making processes,
• limiting the practice of adopting legislation without public consultation and strengthening the transparency of procedures,
• more effective prevention and sanctioning of hate speech, particularly online,
• expanding access to legal protection and free legal aid for civil society organisations in cases of attacks, harassment, and SLAPP lawsuits.

The report was produced within the project Empowering Ecosystems of Civil Society Organisations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia and Slovenia (PROSECO).

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EACEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.