Slovenia’s cure for xenophobia

A fear of foreign influence and a desire to escape the social costs of consolidation have slowed bank reform in Slovenia, but with likely EU membership looming change cannot be put off much longer. Christina White reports

       
Market day in Ljubljana, where change
is gradual though EU entry may unleash
competition

Slovenia is like a snail inside its shell: slow and fearful of the outside world. As the small alpine country prepares for EU membership, the need to conform to EU banking standards is forcing it out of isolation. It is modernizing its banking system, amid political upheaval, while staving off tedious bureaucracy.

“Everything in Slovenia happens a little more slowly than in other countries,” says Franjo S’tiblar, chief economist at Nova Ljubljanska Banka.

Access intelligence that drives action

To unlock this research, enter your email to log in or enquire about access