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From the Balkans to Central Europe and Back: The Foreign Policy of Slovenia

  • Chapter
The Foreign Policies of Post-Yugoslav States

Part of the book series: New Perspectives on South-East Europe ((NPSE))

Abstract

This chapter presents an empirical analysis of the substance and strategy of Slovenian foreign policy. Before analyzing Slovenian foreign policy as policy — what and how in terms of values, objectives, instruments and strategy (Carlsnaes 2006) — it turns to Slovenian foreign policy as process — formulation, decision-making, implementation and feedback — to discuss the internal foreign policy environment (Hill 2003). The chapter pursues two goals: first, an assessment of the extent to which Slovenian foreign policy in substance and strategy is a continuation of the foreign policy of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), and second, an analysis of Slovenian foreign policy towards other states from the region of the former SFRY, where special attention is put on explaining continuities and fundamental shifts in this policy over the last 20 years. After an historical introduction about independence, recognition and relevant external material and demographic semi-material factors of its foreign policy environment (Hill 2003), the chapter discusses the institutional mechanism of Slovenian foreign policy-making. Therein, the development of foreign policy, relations of Slovenia to the other post-Yugoslav states and the importance of historical continuity and change in the country’s foreign policy since independence are outlined. The chapter features an empirical analysis of secondary and relevant primary sources, including foreign policy strategic and legislative documents, and is concluded by a synthesis of the main arguments with a conceptual insight for further investigation.

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Authors
  1. Ana Bojinović Fenko
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  2. Zlatko Šabič
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Politics and Sociology, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK

    Soeren Keil (Senior Lecturer in International Relations) (Senior Lecturer in International Relations)

  2. Department of History and Governance, University of Passau, Germany

    Bernhard Stahl (Professor of International Politics) (Professor of International Politics)

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© 2014 Ana Bojinović Fenko and Zlatko Šabič

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Fenko, A.B., Šabič, Z. (2014). From the Balkans to Central Europe and Back: The Foreign Policy of Slovenia. In: Keil, S., Stahl, B. (eds) The Foreign Policies of Post-Yugoslav States. New Perspectives on South-East Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137384133_3

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