Political views of Slovenian youth shifting right, study shows
Ljubljana, 20 June - Findings from a new international youth study by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Maribor Faculty of Arts indicate a rightward shift in the political views of young people in Slovenia, accompanied by an increase in political interest among right-leaning youths and escalating ideological polarisation.
The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) youth studies examine how young generations perceive their societies' development and their own future. The latest research project was conducted across twelve SE European countries, including Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania, Slovenia, Greece, and Turkey.
In Slovenia, where an online survey was administered to over 600 young people in February and March, it was found that the previously existing asymmetrical inclination of the young towards left-wing political views has been almost entirely replaced by an asymmetrical inclination towards right-wing views in recent times.
Young people in Slovenia today, on average, lean towards the centre-right, according to the research results presented by Miran Lavrič and Tibor Rutar from the University of Maribor on Thursday.
The share of youths self-identifying as right more than doubled, to 24%, between 2018 and 2024, and the share of those who identify as far-right rose from 7% to 11%.
People on the right and far right are also more likely than those on the left to express an interest in politics.
On the other hand, the share of those who see themselves as far left more than halved to 6%, and only 14% identify as left, down from 28% six years ago.
Centrists also gained, however, going from 42% to 46%.
"Our most significant finding is a marked rightward shift in young people's political self-perceptions and attitudes," said Lavrič. He noted a considerable increase in nationalism and national pride.
Paradoxically, there was also increased opposition expressed against certain nationalistic positions, indicating an ideological polarisation among Slovenian youth.
For some key political stances, a notable and previously non-existent gender gap has emerged.
In 2018 both male and female respondents ranked between 4.5 and 5 on a ten-point left-right scale. Now, men are in the 6-6.5 range, and women around the 5.5 mark.
Men are also now considerably less supportive of homosexuality than women, their views having previously been largely aligned.
"Compared to girls, boys have generally become less tolerant and more chauvinistic," Rutar explained.
He stressed that the main political priorities and concerns of young people have shifted from jobs and climate change to the quality of public services.
There is heightened emphasis on healthcare system importance and housing, as well as increased concern about immigration. "This likely narrows the gap between Slovenia and the EU in this regard," Lavrič added.
The FES, a German political foundation affiliated with the Social Democratic Party (SPD), conducts comprehensive youth studies covering themes such as politics, education, employment, mobility, family life and general attitudes. The studies focus on individuals aged 14 to 29 with the aim of understanding their perspectives on key issues.