Slovenia gears up for EU Presidency role

The main agenda comprises post-pandemic recovery, Conference on the Future of Europe, rule of law, and international security

Guided by the motto “Together. Resilient. Europe”, Slovenia will officially assume the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July. Under Slovenia’s six-month helmsmanship, the Union will steer a course towards post-pandemic recovery, reflecting on its future, strengthening the rule of law and European values, and increasing security and stability in its neighbourhood.

Programme priorities

The six-month programme is based on the EU’s strategic agenda for 2019-2024 and coordinated with the 18-month programme of the current trio of Germany, Portugal and Slovenia. The programme is based on four priority areas.

The first segment, entitled Resilience, recovery and strategic autonomy of the EU – calls for actions to enhance the Union’s resilience to crises (in health, business, energy and climate, and the cyberspace) and stimulate economic recovery based on the green and digital transition.

The second priority area, called The Conference on the Future of Europe, aims to provide a forum for a Europe-wide debate on what the EU should look like in the future to meet the expectations of its citizens.

In the third priority area – A union of the European way of life, rule of law and equal criteria for all - Slovenia will conduct a dialogue on the state of the rule of law in the European Union and individual member states based on the European Commission’s annual rule of law report.  

The fourth priority area - A credible and secure European Union, capable of ensuring security and stability in its neighbourhood – focuses on the Union’s foreign relations. Tasks include strengthening Transatlantic relations, supporting Western Balkans countries in their quest for EU membership, and achieving progress in the negotiations on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Slogan and logo

The slogan of Slovenia’s EU presidency “Together. Resilient. Europe.” consists of three separate yet interconnected messages on the ways to tackle the challenges faced by the EU, according to the Government Communication Office.

The logo, designed by Danijel Kovačič Grmek, features a ribbon in the colours of the Slovenian flag mimicking the contours of the national symbol, Mt Triglav. Above the ribbon are arranged seven golden stars from the European flag symbolizing the seventh stanza of France Prešeren’s poem Toast, the fundament of Slovenia’s national anthem. The lyrics promote the idea of cooperation and peaceful coexistence of all nations.

Events

The premiere performance of the modern ballet The Water Man (Povodni mož) will mark the start of the Slovenian Presidency on 1 July in the fairytale setting of Blejski otok, Bled Island. The ballet, choreographed by internationally renowned ballet artist Edward Clug, will be performed by the soloists and ensemble of the Ballet of the Slovenian National Theatre Maribor.

Otherwise, the most important EU presidency events would take place at the Brdo pri Kranju estate, with the EU–Western Balkans Summit in the autumn being the most attention-grabbing highlight. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, may cause changes to events during the Slovenian Presidency.

Updates on the events schedule, as well as the news, the programme and information for the media can be found at the designated website www.si2021.eu, available in Slovenian, English, German, French, Italian and Hungarian.