SOCIAL POLICY : SLOVENIAN PRESIDENCY LOW IN SOCIAL PRIORITIES.

Upon reading the document of intention of the Slovenian EU Presidency for the first half of 2008, one can clearly see that social policy is not at all a priority for this rather affluent republic of two million inhabitants, nested between Austria and Northern Italy.

The usual sweeping statements are present - 'developing the national modalities of flexicurity, by giving a decisive role to the social partners,' 'drawing an assessment of social reality' (combating poverty, childhood and youth policy, active insertion and accessible social services of quality), ' demographical challenges' and 'equal opportunities'a- but the document still appears to be more of a catalogue of good intentions than a Presidency strategy. There is a real feeling that the Christian...