Invitation to the Event “United in Distrust of Slovenian Institutions”

Prof. Lenart Škof, PhD, Head of the Institute for Philosophical and Religious Studies at ZRS Koper and President of the Academy for Democracy, will participate in the event United in Distrust of Slovenian Institutions, where he will present a contribution entitled “From a Culture of Trust to a Culture of Democracy”.

WHEN: Thursday, 1 October 2026, at 4:00 p.m.
WHERE: Congress Hall, Kristalna palača, Ameriška ulica 8, Ljubljana
ORGANISERS: the event is organised by the Platforma sodelovanja association in partnership with the Academy for Democracy and the Razvojnik Institute

Slovenians Trust Experts, but Much Less the Institutions That Make Decisions

Trust in institutions is the foundation of a successful and resilient society. When people believe that institutions function effectively and that the same rules apply to everyone, trust in the state and in its ability to address shared challenges is also stronger.

Data for Slovenia paint a considerably different picture: 24% of people trust parliament, 27% trust the government, and only 12% trust political parties. At the same time, trust in healthcare and teachers stands at 79%, while 76% trust scientists. Slovenia ranks below the EU average for all institutions measured, while trust in the justice system is 19 percentage points below the European average.

Slovenia Ranks in the Bottom Third of OECD Countries for Trust in Institutions

Slovenia is in the bottom third of OECD countries in terms of trust across all institutions measured. Local government stands out in particular, with only 26% of the population expressing trust in it – placing Slovenia last among the OECD member countries surveyed according to this indicator.

Low trust, however, does not necessarily mean political apathy. Slovenians contact politicians three times more often than the OECD average and vote in referendums twice as often. The problem may therefore also lie in the perception that institutions do not respond effectively to people’s expectations and demands.

Trust in the Justice System Is Closely Linked to a Country’s Competitiveness

Among EU countries, trust in the justice system shows the strongest correlation with national competitiveness: the correlation between trust in the justice system and a country’s position in the IMD ranking is −0.85. Trust in the justice system in Slovenia stands at 39%, while the country ranks 49th among 70 economies. Denmark, by comparison, records 90% trust and ranks 6th in competitiveness.

The issue cannot simply be attributed to a lack of capable people. Slovenia ranks 31st among 70 economies in education, 8th in language skills and 1st in literacy. Its position in terms of institutional indicators, however, is considerably lower.

How Can Trust Be Rebuilt?

The event will therefore focus on why trust in Slovenian institutions is so low, what this means for the country’s performance and for individuals’ standard of living, and what institutions can do to strengthen their credibility.

Programme: vabilo_1.11.2026.docx