It has become an integral part of European value chains, with intra-EU trade accounting for over two-thirds of Slovenia’s exports. It has shown resilience in the face of difficulty: for instance, its economy bounced back from the 2013 crisis to post robust growth rates before the pandemic.
What proved crucial was Slovenia’s steadfast commitment to its goal, as well as its flexibility to travel the journey towards the heart of Europe. Commitment and flexibility are the two yardsticks that I will apply to two challenging episodes that the whole of Europe, and particularly the euro area including Slovenia, has faced in the last decade.