School for Mayors

Non-governmental organizations are once again organizing the "School for Mayors" ahead of local elections in Slovenia. The ZaNVO network, which brings together 12 regional hubs of non-governmental organizations, will hold the event nationwide during November's local elections. Since 2018, the initiative has aimed to improve the quality of pre-election debates by highlighting local challenges often absent from campaign posters. The School for Mayors is a joint action by the ZaNVO regional hub network, supported financially by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Public Administration through its fund for non-governmental organizations. This year’s event will take place across all Slovenian regions this week, providing a platform for dialogue between mayoral candidates, municipal council members, and representatives of civil society. According to Mirjana Martinovič, coordinator of the national campaign for the School for Mayors, 159 candidates and 163 representatives from non-governmental and other organizations participated in the project before the last local elections in 2022. Following those elections, participating municipalities introduced participatory budgets, allowing citizens direct decision-making power over parts of municipal spending. They also strengthened areas such as youth policy programs with the establishment of youth centers or support for young people in need, as well as cultural initiatives. Municipalities have also reduced administrative burdens on local authorities and applicants through multi-year tenders for non-governmental organizations. They have offered free space rentals for creative centers and adopted models of meetings learned in the School for Mayors for preparing their strategic acts, achieving broader consensus on decisions, according to the ZaNVO network. The network enables mayoral and other local election candidates to meet with representatives of civil society and other organizations, mostly local associations, to become familiar with current community challenges and include solutions in their work plans. Events will take place in four regions today. In Ptuj, the focus will be on quality of life in the local community, while in Novo Mesto discussions will center on employment opportunities for Roma people. In Koper, topics will include accessibility of spaces and funding for non-governmental organization activities, even in light of recent political changes. In Hrastnik, the discussion will address challenges in the Zasavje region and how NGOs and municipalities can collaborate to build more connected, active, and high-quality local communities. On Wednesday, schools for mayors will be held in Brežice and Nova Gorica. The first, focused on rural challenges and solutions, will be organized by the Posavska hub. The second, addressing various topics ranging from youth and elderly populations to infrastructure for the non-profit sector and inter-municipal cooperation, will be hosted by the Gornja regija hub. In Maribor on Thursday, the PIP Institute will host an event on cultural spaces, funding, and working conditions for creators. Meetings will also take place in Trbovlje and Postojna, particularly focusing on youth issues in both towns, and in Tešanovci, where the Pomurska hub will tackle local challenges, regional opportunities, and the future of Pomur. In the Gorenjska region, organizers will provide mayoral candidates with questions from non-governmental organizations, and responses will be publicly published by the end of the week. Last week, six mayoral candidates and four candidates for city council members discussed with students from Velika Loka Gymnasium about how young people envision the future of the town.