Slovenia’s First and Second EU Council Presidency

By comparing Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) in 2008 and 2021 the article aims to provide lessons learnt and suggestions for enhancing the benefits of EU membership in the future. We first analyse the two very different institutional, geo-political and geo-economic contexts during which Slovenia conducted its Presidency stints, before analysing how the changed context reflected on Slovenia’s preparation, organization, the objectives and the achievements of the Presidency. The comparison of both Presidencies demonstrates fundamental changes in the country’s relationship to the EU and limitations of the ‘Presidency effect’ for times of ‘ordinary’ membership.