Attitude of the Slovenian Public Towards Participation of the Slovenian Armed Forces
The attitude towards Slovenian participation in peacekeeping
operations is regularly measured through Slovenian public opinion
surveys. Comparative data from 1999 and 2001 show a positive attitude
towards Slovenian participation. The large majority of the Slovenian
public is in favour of the Slovenian Armed Forces and other elements
of the national security system taking part in international peace
operations.
| 1999 |
2001 |
| Yes, I am in favour |
78 |
Yes, I am in favour |
69 |
| No, I am not in favour |
6 |
No, I am not in favour |
17 |
| Don't know, undecided |
15 |
Don't know |
14 |
|
Form of participation in international peace operations (in %)
| 1999 |
2001 |
| Slovenia's professional soldiers |
67 |
Slovenia's professional soldiers |
68 |
| civilian personnel |
53 |
civilian personnel |
51 |
| volunteers from the ranks of those serving military service |
54 |
volunteers from the ranks of those serving military service |
55 |
| volunteers from the reserve list |
46 |
volunteers from the reserve list |
49 |
| financially or materially |
40 |
financially or materially |
43 |
| by allowing the passage of peace-keeping forces across Slovene territory and through Slovenia's airspace |
66 |
by allowing the passage of peace-keeping forces across Slovene territory and through Slovenia's airspace |
65 |
| police units |
36 |
police units |
51 |
|
Approval of the Slovenian Armed Forces participating in operations outside
Slovenia (2001) (in %)
| Type of task |
Yes |
No |
Don't know |
| humanitarian operations, unarmed |
84 |
9 |
8 |
| peace-keeping operations, where weapons can be used only in self-defence |
74 |
15 |
11 |
| in combat peace-making operations |
39 |
46 |
15 |
|
The tables above show that the public mainly supports the
participation of the Slovenian Armed Forces in peace and humanitarian
operations where the use of weapons is limited to self-defence. It
should be mostly professional soldiers who take part in these
operations.
In the field research carried out from 23 May to 26 June 2002
entitled "Position of Slovenes concerning accession to the European
Union and NATO", within the framework of Slovenian public opinion
research, the respondents almost unanimously (83.4%) support
involvement of the Slovene army for humanitarian purposes and in
peace-keeping operations (74.2%). They are more reserved about the
involvement of the Slovene army in military operations for
establishing peace (39.1%).
Source: Slovene public opinion research, Position of Slovenes
towards accession of Slovenia to the EU and NATO, Faculty of Social
Sciences, Centre for Public Opinion Research and Mass Communications,
September 2002.
For more information see:
http://nato.gov.si/eng/public-opinion/public-opinion-data/
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