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Abstract
Research in Slovenia shows a low level of expression of patriotism among young people, which points to the fact that we are unable to express this value because we are not convinced of its quality and necessity. The belief that we will love and respect our homeland, which has also been a state since 1991, is based on completely false assumptions. Those who were emotionally present at the founding of our country naturally have a keener sense of patriotism, but the younger generations see the emergence of an independent and sovereign Slovenia as a historical fact, and therefore without any emotional overtones. Therefore, the results on the poor knowledge of the facts related to the establishment of an independent and sovereign Slovenian state, analysed in this article, are not really surprising.

Abstract
When the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus broke out, it was initially assumed that Slovenian municipalities would successfully cope with the crisis situation due to their experience in dealing with natural and other disasters. Nevertheless, the unprecedented pandemic posed significant challenges to local governments, especially in the first wave, from managing responses to an unknown crisis situation to ensuring the safety of citizens in times of extreme uncertainty. Using a four-dimensional framework, the article analyses the results of the first post-COVID-19 survey of mayors of Slovenian municipalities, which reveals differences and similarities in policies to contain and prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus disease. The analysis proves that there is no single and well-established procedure for dealing with a crisis situation. Indeed, responses varied from municipality to municipality, and the intensity of action depended to a large extent on the commitment, initiative and innovation of the individual mayor.

Integrity and transparency are crucial elements of modern democratic countries, and trust in politico-administrative institutions must be pursued and maintained at every turn, including when it comes to reporting ceremonial gifts. Despite their (often) problematic connotations, ceremonial gifts are a major element of building strong relationships, from the highest positions in politics and diplomacy to the closest public servants. This article examines data concerning reported gifts in the Republic of Slovenia. Through in-depth statistical analysis, the authors established anomalies in the reporting of ceremonial gifts, in particular flawed descriptions of gifts and problematic assessment of their monetary values, which in most cases is left to the layperson. The authors conclude that a problem clearly exists with implementation of the normative framework because only the technical aspect and less the qualitative side is taken into account while reporting ceremonial gifts. Keywords: ceremonial gifts; reporting; anomalies; transparency; trust; Slovenia

Administrative simplification is a particular approach that is considered a key aspect to ensure the quality of regulations and legislation. The appropriate organizational and structural approach to managing, coordinating, and monitoring administrative simplification is an important factor. The institutional framework for managing and coordinating administrative simplification initiatives has been the subject of discussions in the Government of Kosovo for several years. The objective of this paper is therefore to analyze the institutional set up in the central administration, as well as gaps and challenges, and their implications for the implementation of such reforms in Kosovo. It also presents the context of the reforms implemented by the Kosovo state administration to simplify administration and reduce administrative burdens. Particular attention is paid to the importance, status of implementation, and administration of the Law on General Administrative Procedures. Several recommendations and options have been made based on the findings of this study, the authors' first-hand experience, and best comparative international practice.

In Europe and across the world, many countries are turning to deliberative democracy to reform their constitutions, and in many others this question is high on the political agenda. Such transformation also shuffles quite radically the role of the citizenry regarding constitutional changes. Traditionally such changes are the sole responsibility of elected officials in collaboration with experts. With the deliberative turn, many more actors may be involved in the designing of constitutions, from citizens both individually and collectively in the forms of informal associations to various civil society organisations. The main aim of this paper is to analyse potential of deliberative democracy in Slovenian national setting, therefore authors are analysing a) framework of constitution making dynamics and b) most successful deliberative democratic tools and opportunities developed so far on both national and sub-national levels of the Slovenian government. As deliberative democracy is well known political phenomenon, we will start not by yet another theoretical pandemonium, but with less-known Slovenian contribution to the global development of deliberative model.

The theory of public administration offers a wide range of paradigms or approaches that are developed as a consequence of various triggers from internal and external environment. The classical model of bureaucratic organization as outlined by Weber is no longer appropriate in modern countries, although it still remains the basis of public administration because of numerous transformations and upgrades. The first major reforms were introduced to public administration via the more modern and market-oriented New Public Management. However, Post-New Public Management approaches have recently developed as a reflection of social and political changes. In this paper, we offer an overview of modern approaches, which do not appear in pure form, but in the form of hybrids. There is no consensus, either in science or in practice, on the optimal direction of public administration development or on the preferential approach. This decision is left to the governments, bearing in mind that each public administration reform and hybridization of approaches affect the complexity of public administration. Analysing the reform of the Slovenian public administration, we have found that the current Strategy of Public Administration Development for 2015-2020 is based on modern elements and values of Post-New Public Management approaches and that reforms strive for modernization, but (as shown by the current crisis) a serious effort will be required in the future to achieve this goal.

AbstractIn this paper, the authors analyse the institutional aspects of local governance. After the local government reforms, two main currents of change were created among European countries, namely the (quasi-) parliamentarisation administration systems committees, and (quasi-) presidentialisation through the form of elected mayors. Through an overview of the changes in the Slovenian local self-government in the last two decades, the authors determine a gradual transition from parliamentarism (with a relatively strong legislative body, municipal council) to the strengthening of the individual executive body (mayor), e.g. presidentialisation. By using the calculated index of mayoral strength, the authors conclude that according to the mayoral institutional power, the Slovenian system of local self-government is closer to the countries with (post) Napoleonic administrative tradition than to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

The paper analyses the question of relations between the mayor and deputymayor, particularly in terms of division of competences. The paper also deals with the standpoints of mayors and deputy-mayors regarding the institution of deputy-mayor. Furthermore, it verifies the assumption that the current regulatory framework regarding the appointment (and determination of competences) of the deputy-mayor is not entirely appropriate. Based on the analysis of objective data and research surveys among mayors and deputy-mayors of Slovenian municipalities, we analyse the problems of the functioning of those players. We learn that the current Slovenian legislation is favourable to consolidating the position and power of the mayor, because he/she can freely appoint and determine competences of the deputy- mayor(s).

This paper analyses the political career of a key executive body in the Slovenian local self-government system – the mayor. The paper first introduces incumbency advantage theories. These theories argue that the probability of electoral victory or defeat is not homogeneously distributed among the candidates, as several factors influence the possibilities of success of some candidates and the failure of others (seniority, membership of political parties, electoral performance, etc). Based on an analysis of objective data and data from an empirical survey conducted among mayors of Slovenian municipalities, we look at the re-election of mayors in Slovenian local self-government with the emphasis on their seniority. We find that the re-election of mayors is a frequent occurrence in Slovenia and is a trend that has also increased with every local election thus far.

The paper analyses the question of relations between the mayor and the director of municipal administration on one hand and between the mayor and deputy mayor on the other, particularly in terms of division of competences. The paper also deals with the standpoints of mayors and deputy mayors regarding the institution of deputy mayor. Furthermore, it verifies the assumption that the current regulatory framework regarding the appointment (and determination of competences) of the director of municipal administration and deputy mayor is not entirely appropriate. Based on the analysis of objective data and research surveys among mayors, directors of municipal administration, and deputy mayors of Slovenian municipalities, we have analysed the problems of the functioning of those actors. We have learned that current Slovenian legislation is in favour of consolidating the position and power of the mayor, because he/she can freely appoint, dismiss, and determine the competences of the highest official in the municipality as well as of the deputy mayor. ; U radu se analizira pitanje odnosa gradonačelnika i direktora gradske uprave s jedne strane te gradonačelnika i dogradonačelnika s druge strane. Posebna se pozornost poklanja podjeli njihovih ovlasti. Razmatraju se i stajališta gradonačelnika i dogradonačelnika o funkciji dogradonačelnika. Nadalje, potvrđuje se pretpostavka da sadašnji zakonodavni okvir koji regulira imenovanje i nadležnosti direktora gradske uprave i dogradonačelnika nije sasvim primjeren. Na temelju analize podataka i rezultata dobivenih anketom provedenom među gradonačelnicima, direktorima gradske uprave i dogradonačelnicima slovenskih lokalnih jedinica, analiziraju se problemi funkcioniranja tih aktera. Očito je da važeće slovensko zakonodavstvo podržava konsolidaciju položaja i ovlasti gradonačelnika, budući da on može po volji imenovati, razriješiti i odrediti ovlasti najvišeg službenika lokalne jedinice kao i dogradonačelnika.

The paper analyses the usage of e-participation tools in Slovenian municipalities. The paper originates from the theory of e-democracy in connection with information and communication technology (ICT). ICT allows citizen participation and inclusiveness in the processes of decision-making by use of various e-participation tools (e-contact, e-forum, e-survey, e-petition, etc.). An emphasis was placed on local democracy and its various forms, i.e. representative, market, network and (most importantly for this paper) participative democracy, one of the increasing elements of which is also e-participation. We analysed official web pages of all 211 Slovenian municipalities and found that while all municipalities offer e-access and various forms of e-consultations to its citizens, other e- participation tools can only rarely be found. In addition, a comparative analysis of the survey results from 2006 and 2009 shows that the number of municipalities which offer diverse tools of e-participation is slowly decreasing. ; Analizira se upotreba instrumenata e-participacije u slovenskim lokalnim samoupravnim jedinicama. Rad se temelji na teoriji e-demokracije u vezi sa spoznajama o informacijsko-komunikacijskoj tehnologiji (IKT). IKT omogućuje sudjelovanje i uključivanje građana u procese donošenja odluka upotrebom različitih instrumenata e-participacije (e-kontakt, e-forum, e-anketa, e-peticija, itd.). Naglasak je stavljen na lokalnu demokraciju i njezine različite oblike, tj. predstavničku, tržišnu, mrežnu i (najvažniju za ovaj rad) participativnu demokraciju, čiji je jedan od rastućih elemenata također e-participacija. Analizirali smo službene internetske stranice svih 211 slovenskih jedinica lokalne samouprave i našli da sve nude e-pristup i različite forme e-konzultacija, ali da ostali instrumenti e-participacije postoje samo u rijetkim slučajevima. Dodatno, usporedna analiza rezultata anketa iz 2006. i 2009. pokazuje da se broj jedinica lokalne samouprave koje nude raznovrsne instrumente e-participacije sporo smanjuje.

Processes of democratic transition and consolidation -- The constitution -- Division of power : legislative, executive and judicial branch -- Regional and local self-government -- Political participation -- Dynamics of Slovenian democracy -- Relationship between Slovenia and European Union

The paper analyses the autonomy of Slovenian municipalities toward the central government. Slovenia is one of the very few countries in the European Union with a one-tier local government system, and while levels of local democracy have been on the rise for the last two decades, relations between the state on the one side and local units (municipalities) on the other has slowly deteriorated, especially over questions of municipal competencies, central oversight and the local financing of local communities. While Slovenia ratified the European Charter on Local Government in 1996, the charter was never fully implemented, as the subsidiarity principle was never fully implemented by the state. The paper will analyse the issue of local autonomy with special emphasis on the three mentioned topics, using primary and secondary sources as well as empirical data from several opinion polls conducted among stakeholders from national and local authorities.