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1. Forthcoming policy developments

2. Ongoing debates

Forthcoming policy developments

By the mid of the summer 2022 new Slovenian government was formed. The Coalition Agreement on Cooperation in the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for the Mandate period 2022-2026 (Program za delo koalicije 2022–2026) outlines several policy developments that are relevant and important for the youth and serve as indicators of potential forthcoming policy developments.

The agreement recognizes youth as an important part of society. Furthermore, it recognizes contemporary barriers, such as youth being reduced politically and socially to co-operation, while meaningful measures to provide independence and the resolution in the field of housing problems are something young people are facing in day to day life.

The document outlines the following priorities and objectives:

• policy-making will follow the principle of "nothing about young people without young people",
• revision of the child support system mechanisms,
• renewed education curricula that will take into account new developments in education and the new skills young people need to participate actively in society, 
• easier transition of young people to the labour market and provision of safe forms for young people, 
• improved scholarship system,
• access to healthy and nutritious food for students,
• accessible mental health care, 

• resolving housing problems of young people.

  
   
   

Ongoing debates

In 2022, Slovenia held elections to the National Assembly and local elections, which resulted in the formation of a new Government of the Republic of Slovenia. The election of new political representatives will also have an important impact on the further development of youth policy in the country. The new National Programme for Youth, that will supersede the National Programme for Youth 2013-2022, is in cross-sectoral coordination and should be adopted and published mid year 2024. The findings of Youth 2020 (Mladina 2020), an in-depth survey on the position of young people in Slovenian society, published in 2021, will have an important influence on the design of the new programme for youth.

Currently, much of the debate is related to the quality of youth work. Various institutions are involved in these discussions, including the Office for Youth and the Youth Council of Slovenia, which also organised the annual national youth sector consultation on the topic in November 2023.