Political Participation for All – For a Europe of Equals

Thursday, 20 November from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
assembly on the political participation of migrants in Slovenia, pre-festival event
Kino Šiška, Komuna

Democratic societies only function effectively if all members of the political community are equally involved and have the same rights. It is vital, therefore, that special attention is paid to the political participation of people who are often excluded from the political community: migrants. The event will focus on the possibilities of political participation and the full inclusion of migrants in society.

In Slovenia, the political participation of migrants was partially regulated by amendments to the legislation. In 2002, changes to the Local Elections Act (1993) were adopted, granting foreigners with permanent residence the right to vote in local elections. However, this does not apply to foreigners with temporary residence or asylum seekers. There have also been changes to the Political Parties Act (1994). These mean that only EU citizens can be members of Slovenian political parties. Other foreigners (for example citizens of former Yugoslav republics, who represent a large group in Slovenia) remain excluded. At the local level, there are encouraging attempts underway, such as the establishment of advisory structures for migrants in the municipalities of Idrija, Postojna, and Trbovlje. The Municipality of Ljubljana has formed a working group to establish a similar body. Migrants and their representatives are woefully underrepresented in public institutions, political parties and civic initiatives at all levels – local, regional, and national.

The assembly of residents is a vital democratic mechanism that empowers the voice of the people in discussions and decision-making on matters of public interest. It will be held as a structured meeting aimed at enabling those present to formulate recommendations and proposals that will contribute to improving the situation and will be forwarded to the responsible institutions.

At the assembly, we will focus on three crucial areas:
1. Education and Awareness-Raising: Increasing the awareness of local, regional, national, and European authorities about the value of migrant participation. Promoting policies that recognize and encourage proactive participation of migrants in public institutions in issues related to inclusion, diversity, and equality.
2. Trust and Cooperation: Strengthening trust between migrant communities and authorities and encouraging tighter cooperation at all levels of governance.
3. Improving Integration: Strengthening integration services, especially in housing, employment, language, literacy, political education, and civic engagement. This also includes better financial support for migrant organisations and their media.

* The event will be held in English
Organised by: The Peace Institute, Kino Šiška and NDA Slovenia.

Free entry

Supported by:

The Assembly is organised by The Peace Institute within the international project Citizen Action for Democracy – CitiDem, co-financed by the European Union through the CERV programme. https://citizenstakeover.eu/citidem/

Cover photo: Miha Poredoš