Indicator history

In 1990s, after the introduction of political pluralism and in the period of conflicts associated with the break-up of former Yugoslavia, there were several political parties openly expressing nationalist, xenophobic and anti-minority agenda, targeting especially the people from former republics of Yugoslavia. Later, most of them disappeared from the political map, becoming irrelevant. Except for Slovenian National Party (SNS) which has been represented in the Parliament from 1992 until the latest parliamentary elections in December 2011 when it didn't reach the parliamentary treshold (4%).  It has not been part of any government in that period, but has been instrumental for some policy measures and campaigns against various minorities or arrangements with neighbouring countries or the EU membership. Its activities in the Parliament and in the public debate through the media have been harmful for efforts of Roma community to gain better protection of minority rights, and for members of other nations of former Yugoslavia who were illegaly erased from the register of residents of newly independent Slovenia in early 1992 and for many years tried to use political and legal ways to gain their status and rights recognized again. Even more harmul for these minority groups has been similar nationalist agenda of bigger, right-center parties, such as the Slovenian Democratic Party. Member of these parties several times voted against legislation which would enable the erased residents, belonging to other nations of former Yugoslavia, to gain their status back. Their leaders have been expressing hate speech against the erased residents while the leader of the Slovenian National Party Zmago Jelincic has been repeatedly involved in agressive, offensive and hostile campaigns against Roma rights. For one such incident during the TV show on national television in 2006 a criminal complaint has been lodged against him.

On local level in the city of Novo Mesto a member of the Slovenian Democratic Party Silvo Mesojedec has been a leader and initiator of many campaigns and actions against interest of Roma community in that area for many years.

Recently, in December 2011, the Slovenian Democratic Party was subject of a criminal complaint for the article published on its web site after the parliamentary elections in which the voters belonging to other nations of former Yugoslavia have been racially profiled.

Sources:

Slovenian Nationalist Party, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_National_Party, Date of access: 3.1.2012.

Slovenian Democratic Party, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovenian_Democratic_Party, Date of access: 3.1.2012.

Racist Extremism in Central and Eastern Europe, chapter on Slovenia by Tomaz Trplan, Routledge, 2005.

The Erased, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Erased, Date of access: 3.1.2012.

The Scars of the Erasure, eds. Neza Kogovsek and Brankica Petkovic, Peace Institute, 2010, http://www.mirovni-institut.si/data/tinymce/Publikacije/brazgotine%20izbrisa/The%20Scars%20of%20the%20Erasure_web.pdf, Date of access: 3.1.2012.

Slovenian Press Agency on hate speech in TV show by SNS leader, http://www.sta.si/vest.php?s=s&id=1111667 and http://www.sta.si/en/vest.php?s=a&id=1112502, Date of access: 3.1.2012.