ABSTRACT
The chapter provides an overview of civil society in Slovenia after three decades of post-communism, characterized by market capitalism and political pluralism. The chapter draws on survey instruments from major international comparative studies conducted in the field in the past, as well as new and original data collected through a customized survey of a representative sample of civil society organizations in Slovenia. The three-decade development of civil society in Slovenia is analysed and discussed in the context of welfare system developments, as well as through the lens of relations with the state and related civil dialogue. The analysis shows that Slovenia is still in the process of the actual implementation of civil dialogue and reveals a clear discrepancy between the activity (and scope) of civil society and its influence on society and the state. The chapter concludes by situating the performance of the civil society sector and its role in governance processes and by reflecting on possible future developments in Slovenian welfare and governance systems.
