ABSTRACT
Transitions to democracy in Central and Eastern Europe and Southeastern Europe are often remembered with the help of symbolic gestures. Most media representations declare that the Slovenian Spring began in 1988 and ended in 1990. The term ‘Slovenian Spring’ does not just refer to the transitional period: Slovenian right-wing parties frequently use the notion as a common denominator for determining what they perceive to be genuine democratic parties without the communist pedigree. In the second half of the 1980s, the Slovenian communist elite lost their faith in the established system, especially the younger generation, who led the League of Communists of Slovenia (ZKS) after 1986. Slovenian nationalism was an integral part of Slovenian society. It was embodied in the Slovenian cultural and political institutions and was harmonious with Yugoslavism and the Yugoslav socialist system.
