An expanding Europe: The case for Slovenia

There has been over the last decade an emergence of new democratic states in Eastern Europe and a growing aspiration by many of these states to enter the EU. There would appear to be six front runners in this move towards EU membership – Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. Slovenia, though a small state and previously part of Yugoslavia, is one of these front runners with aspirations for early entry into the EU. This paper is intended to give an insight into Slovenia, giving some comparison of its case to other aspiring EU entrants. It looks at the culture and background of Slovenia, the extent of western European penetration into its fashion market, the extent of its clothing industry and considers the implication of EU membership to this emerging democracy. The paper takes a broad look at a country that may soon be a fellow member of the EU and a potential partner in EU projects.