4.8 Current debates and reforms
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Forthcoming policy developments
In December 2016, members of Slovenia’s Parliament supported an amendment to the Exercise of Rights from Public Funds Act (Zakon o uveljavljanju pravic iz javnih sredstev), enabling more children to receive free (subsidised) school meals. This means that children of families in the first as well as the second and third tax classes became entitled to free school meals.[1] These are families whose average monthly income per person amounts to 36% of the average wage in Slovenia. The amendment came into force on January 1, 2017. Another amendment was adopted in December 2017 that enables more families to get child benefits as well as free school meals. From January 1 2019, changes in family benefit will also come into force. According to them, family benefits will be higher and more young people will be eligible for state scholarship.
In 13 July 2018 the government adopted the National Implementation Plan of the National Protection Programme for 2017–2018 (Nacionalni izvedbeni načrt nacionalnega programa socialnega varstva za obdobje 2017–2018). The measures are specifically targeting reduction of the risk of poverty and increasing social inclusion; improving availability and diversity and ensuring accessibility of services and programmes; improving the quality of services and programmes and other forms of assistance.
The Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth also prepared a public call for co-financing youth work in 2020/2021. At present, in addition to youth work, youth organisations continue to run projects to decrease social exclusion and to improve young people’s active participation and mobility.
[1] For more information, see the Annual assessment of income tax (Letna odmera dohodnine).
Ongoing debates
The current Government of the Republic of Slovenia for the Mandate period 2022-2026 outlines several policy developments that are relevant and important for the youth and serve as indicators of potential forthcoming policy developments. In 2023 the Government will establish a new ministry for solidarity future. One of the priorities of the Government is housing. One of the top priorities is to address the challenge of resolving the housing problems of young people. Participation, housing policy and employment, and prevention of precarious work of younger generations recognize meaningful measures to provide independence and resolution in the field of housing problems that young people face daily.
Outside the frameworks mentioned above, there are no other relevant debates related to youth inclusion.