Youth parliament

There is the European Youth Parliament Slovenia, which was founded in 2013 and is a member of EYP international network.There is also a Children’s Parliament (Otroški parlament), a body that includes representation from children (primary school pupils).  

 

Youth councils and/or youth advisory boards

 

The National Youth Council of Slovenia

Structure

The top-level legal frameworks establishing youth councils and other youth organisations in Slovenia are the Public Interest in Youth Sector Act (Zakon o javnem interesu v mladinskem sektorju) and the Youth Council Act (Zakon o mladinskih svetih), both of which define the National Youth Council of Slovenia (Mladinski svet Slovenije) as a voluntary association of national youth organisations with the status of an organisation in the public interest in the youth sector. Apart from a nation-level youth council, local communities’ youth councils are also envisioned, but they have been set up only in a few local settings. Youth councils are not part of the country’s fundamental institutions as mentioned in the constitution.

 

Composition

The National Youth Council of Slovenia has 11 full member organisations and two associated member organisations (28 October 2020). It is accountable to its member organisations and composed of an assembly, a supervisory board and a board. The assembly is composed of two representatives from each of the 11 full-member organisations and a president of the National Youth Council. The Assembly meets at least twice per year. For the supervisory board and board positions, elections are held every two years. An individual can serve up to three consecutive terms and must not be older than 33 years of age on election day. The supervisory board meets at least once a year. Candidates for elected office can be proposed by member organisations, and the selection process is fully in the domain of member organisations. Nominations for board membership include written support for candidacy by at least four member organisations in addition to the organisation proposing the candidate. Elections are held by secret ballot. Public measures for facilitating greater inclusiveness or diversity do not exist.

 

Role and responsibilities

The National Youth Council defends the interests of young people and promotes youth participation in the formulation of policies that have a significant impact on their lives and work. In a narrower sense, it strives to improve the situation of young people as a specific social group. It encourages the development of voluntary organising by young people and seeks to strengthen the activity of youth organisations, irrespective of their different interests and ideological or political orientation. The National Youth Council aims to encourage the development of youth organisations as an instrument for active participation by young people in public life at all levels.

The National Youth Council’s responsibilities are:
-     the creation of youth policies by representing young people’s interests and working in dialogue with decision-makers to shape laws, strategies, and measures that affect young people’s lives
-     youth advocacy
-     cooperation with government institutions
-     international cooperation
-     preparation of various trainings and educational materials
-     promotion of volunteering
-     cooperation with academia
-     providing information to young people and youth organisations about opportunities, rights, policies, and resources that affect youth development and participation
-     coordination of youth councils
 

The Council’s role in policy-making

The Council represents young people and youth organisations in formal consultations with public authorities under the Youth Council Act and the Public Interest in the Youth Sector Act, ensuring structured civil dialogue with the government. It participates in the Government Council for Youth, where it contributes proposals and opinions on draft legislation, strategies, and measures affecting young people, and it cooperates directly with individual ministries by providing expert input, policy recommendations, and feedback during the preparation and implementation of youth-related policies.
 

Funding

The National Youth Council receives public funding. Its resources are acquired from membership fees and other contributions from member organisations, the state budget and the budgets of local communities, property rights and donations, as well as other sources. The main funders are the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth, the National Agency of the programme Erasmus+: Youth in Action and the European Youth Foundation. When using funds, the National Youth Council is accountable to the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth.

 

 

Council of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth

 

Structure

In 2009, the Slovenian Government established the Council of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth (Svet Vlade RS za mladino). The Council is not one of the country’s fundamental institutions mentioned in the constitution.

The Office for Youth performs professional, organisational and administrative tasks for the Council.

 

Composition

The Council is comprised of representatives from youth organisations and various ministries on an equal basis. It is chaired by the Minister of Education.

The Council has a president and 19 members, appointed by the principle of bipartite composition (balance between the government and the youth sector).

Representatives of youth organisations and associations:

• three representatives of the national youth organisations
• one representative of the National Youth Council of Slovenia
• one representative of the local community youth councils
• one representative of the Slovenian Student Union
• one representative of the Secondary-School Student Organisation of Slovenia
• one representative of youth organisations in the representative trade unions
• one representative of the youth centres
• one representative of other NGOs active in the youth field.

 

The representatives of the Government:

• Minister of Education as the President
• one representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food
• one representative of the Ministry of Culture
• one representative of the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
• one representative of the Ministry of Public Administration
• one representative of the Ministry of Health
• one representative of the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy
• one representative of the Office of the Prime Minister
• one representative of the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy
• one representative of the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth.

 

The Council meets at least quarterly.

 

Role and responsibilities

The Council’s work is regulated in the Rules of Procedure of the Council of the Government for Youth (Poslovnik Sveta Vlade RS za mladino). The Council is a consultative body that proposes measures and monitors the consideration of youth interests in various public policies at national level. The Council gives the Government and the responsible ministries incentives and suggestions for the regulation of youth matters and, in particular, promotes youth participation in these processes.

The Councilof the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth based on Article 8 of the Public Interest in Youth Sector Act monitors and evaluates the situation of young people in society and reviews how youth-related proposals are addressed in the context of social change. It proposes measures in the youth sector, safeguards youth interests across national policies, and examines draft legislation and government measures concerning youth work and youth policy, providing formal opinions. The Council discusses current youth issues, offers recommendations to competent institutions, and suggests improvements in the financing and programming of youth activities and organisations. It also advises the Government and ministries on strengthening the youth dimension in sectoral policies and promotes youth participation in consultative and decision-making bodies at national and local levels. Its activities are funded by the budget of the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth.

 

Higher education student union(s)

 

Slovenian Student Union (Študentska organizacija Slovenije)

Structure

Different member organisations are operating within the Slovenian Student Union (Študentska organizacija Slovenije) including the student organisations of three Slovenian universities (the Student Organisation of the University of Ljubljana – Študentska organizacija Univerze v Ljubljani, the Student Organisation of the University of Maribor – Študentska organizacija Univerze v Mariboru and the Student Organisation of the University of Primorska – Študentska organizacija Univerze na Primorskem) and 58 (local) student clubs acting within the Association of Student Clubs of Slovenia (Zveza študentskih klubov Slovenije – ŠKIS). The Slovenian Student Union was established in 1994 on the basis of the Students Association Act (Zakon o skupnosti študentov). The supreme legislation governing the Slovenian Student Union is the Student Constitution (Študentska ustava). It serves as the fundamental legislation of the self-governing community of students in Slovenia, which determines the democratic foundations for the functioning of the Slovenian Student Union. The main organs in the operation of the Slovenian Student Union are the Assembly, the Presidency, the Supervisory Commission and the Tribunal. According to the Students Association Act, the Slovenian Student Union is independent and autonomous, acting without any other public body supervising it.

 

Composition

The Assembly of the Slovenian Student Union consists of 127 members, and is divided into a convention and a council. The Presidency and Tribunal have nine members, while the Supervisory Commission consists of eight members. Assembly and Supervisory Commission members are elected to two-year terms, while Presidency members serve for one year.

The Slovenian Student Union Presidency consists of the president of the Slovenian Student Union, the presidents of the executive authority of each of the students’ organisations of the University, the presidents of the Council of Student Organisations of Local Communities, one representative from each university students’ organisation and one representative from the Council of Student Organisations of Local Communities.

The Supervisory Commission consists of two chosen/elected representatives from the student organisations of the three universities and the Council of Student Organisations of Local Communities. The same condition applies to the Student Union’s Tribunal.

The Assembly is in session once or twice per year, although the Supervisory Commission is in regular session about once a month, and the Presidency is in regular session once a week (except in the summer). The Tribunal meets only if necessary.

There are no public measures or guidelines facilitating greater inclusiveness and diversity.

 

Role and responsibilities

The Slovenian Student Union is the main organisation of all students in Slovenia, and represents the interests of more than 100 000 students in Slovenian universities, colleges, high schools, vocational schools and higher education institutions abroad.

Activities of the Slovenian Student Union are to:

-     receive, organise and implement programmes of interest and extracurricular activities of students in different fields in accordance with national programmes of higher education

-     receive, organise and implement programmes affecting the socio-economic status of students

-     provide advocacy for quality and affordable higher education in Slovenia

-     provide conditions for the operation and development of extracurricular forms of student grouping

-     ensure the participation of students in the management of local affairs, which are self-governed by municipalities, in dealing with areas affecting the life and work of students

-     enable an impact of students in the management of public affairs and in the work of state and other bodies

-     enable students to have an impact on the adoption of legal and other regulation governing the life and work of students

-     appoint student representatives to organs and working bodies of international organisations and communities in which Slovenia is a member

-     ensure the participation of student representatives in decision-making and management of higher education bodies that are obliged to cooperate

-     carry out economic activities

-     provide advocacy for student positions on social issues

-     perform other tasks and achieve other goals set by the student constitution and other legislation adopted on the basis of the student constitution.

 

The 6^th and 7^th Articles of the Students Association Act establish the connection between the Slovenian Student Union and the state. The Government formed the Government Council for Student Affairs, where all legal acts relevant to students are debated. The Slovenian Student Union must be informed when the Government is preparing a new act that is relevant to students. However, the Union’s position is not binding to the Government. According to the Higher Education Act (Zakon o visokem šolstvu), the Slovenian Student Union names representatives for public bodies, such as the Council for Higher Education (Svet RS za visoko šolstvo) and the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (Nacionalna agencija za kakovost v visokem šolstvu – NAKVIS).

 

Funding

The Slovenian Student Union receives about 96% of funds for its operations from public finance. The vast majority of these funds (over 80%) come from concession fees. This distinction is particularly important because this is not a pre-guaranteed amount, but rather one that varies with the amount of work (temporary and occasional jobs for pupils and students) performed by students.

When using public funds, the Slovenian Student Union is supervised by the Court of Audit (Računsko sodišče) and the Information Commissioner (Informacijski pooblaščenec).


 

 

School student union(s)

Structure

The Secondary-School Student Organisation of Slovenia (Dijaška organizacija Slovenije – DOS) operates on the basis of a decree adopted by the Slovenian Student Union. As a permanent project of the Slovenian Student Union, its functioning is grounded in the Students Association Act (Zakon o skupnosti študentov), which provides the broader legal framework for its activities.

DOS is structured around four main bodies. The Parliament is the highest decision-making body and represents secondary-school students. The Council is responsible for implementing the decisions adopted by the Parliament and other governing bodies. The Presidency acts as the executive body, accountable to both the Parliament and the Council, and is responsible for carrying out the annual work programme. The Leader represents DOS externally and coordinates the work of its principal bodies.

 

Composition

The Secondary-School Student Organisation represents all secondary-school pupils in Slovenia. Each secondary school with legal status may appoint one delegate to the Parliament, totalling around 150 delegates, who are democratically selected at the school level for sessions held every three months.

The Council consists of the Vice President and at least five councillors, while the Presidency includes the President and at least five members; both meet regularly. There are currently no public measures or guidelines promoting greater inclusion, diversity, or pupil participation.

 

Role and responsibilities

The objectives of the Secondary-School Student Organisation are to improve pupils’ material conditions, protect their rights, and strengthen their participation in school life and decision-making processes. It aims to increase pupils’ influence on curricula, learning methods, and examinations, promote equality and equal opportunities, foster democratic values and secular education, support international cooperation, and enhance pupils’ engagement in civil society.The DOS, as pupils’ representative, has a seat in the government’s council for youth (Svet vlade RS za mladino), where representatives of youth debate all changes in the youth policy area.

The Secondary-School Student Organisation’s decisions are not binding for policy-makers.

 

Funding

The work of the DOS is supervised by the Slovenian Student Union Presidency. When using public funds, the Slovenian Student Union is supervised by the Court of Audit (Računsko sodišče) and the Information Commissioner (Informacijski pooblaščenec).

 

Other bodies

The MaMa Network (Mreža MaMa) is a network of Slovenian youth centres. Currently it has 50 member youth centres and operates as a private institute under the regulation of the Institutes Act (Zakon o zavodih) and the Public Interest in Youth Sector Act. 

MaMa is recognised as one of the most influential actors in the youth sector. It connects organisations involved in youth centres and youth work across Slovenia, represents their shared interests in dialogue with government and other stakeholders, and keeps members and the wider public informed about developments in the field. The organisation fosters cooperation by organising meetings, encouraging communication and joint projects, and providing professional support to its members. It also strengthens links between youth centres and young artists, facilitates their access to the youth scene, and supports collaboration. In addition, MaMa promotes informal education, creativity, tolerance, cooperation, and social awareness among young people and youth workers.

 

Bodies of the Network MaMa are the Council, the Expert Council, the Director, the Deputy Director (not mandatory) and the Assembly. The youth network MaMa is funded from membership fees, founders’ contributions, sponsorships, subsidies, gifts and volunteering, grants, voluntary contributions, public and private tenders, payments for services and products, legacies and bequests, other resources in accordance with the law, and its own activities.

Membership criteria: the MaMa Network currently includes 50 members, which are youth centres or perform the activities of youth centres.

The most important achievements and impacts of Network MaMa have been:

• the realization of two two-day clubs MaMa with different workshops
• the successful implementation of programmes of active employment policy
• the confirmation of a quality standard in NGOs
• participation in an international project with Demo Finland,
• the launching of the strategic partnership Boost your Possibilities,
• the implementation of the first group EVS project There is a World Outside your Window (which included 1000 young people, 20 youth centres, ten youth centre hostels, and 30 organisations), and
• the successful organisation and implementation of several Structured Dialogue projects (e.g., the conference with the Slovenian European Commissioner Violeta Bulc, with the inclusion of more than 380 young people and 50 organisations).