Editing History of Slovenia (section)

===1980s: Towards independence===
In the 1980s, Slovenia experienced a rise of cultural pluralism. Numerous grass-roots political, artistic and intellectual movements emerged, including the [[Neue Slowenische Kunst]], the [[Ljubljana school of psychoanalysis]], and the ''[[Nova revija (magazine)|Nova revija]]'' intellectual circle. By the mid-1980s, a reformist fraction, led by [[Milan Kučan]], took control of the Slovenian Communist Party, starting a gradual reform towards controlled [[Pluralism (political philosophy)|political pluralism]].

The Yugoslav economic crisis of the 1980s increased the struggles within the Yugoslav Communist regime regarding the appropriate economic measures to be undertaken. Slovenia, which had less than 10% of overall Yugoslav population, produced around a fifth of the country's GDP and a fourth of all Yugoslav exports. The political disputes around economic measures was echoed in the public sentiment, as many Slovenes felt they were being economically exploited, having to sustain an expensive and inefficient federal administration.

In 1987 and 1988, a series of clashes between the emerging [[civil society]] and the Communist regime culminated with the [[Slovene Spring]]. In 1987, a group of liberal intellectuals published a manifesto in the alternative ''[[Nova revija (magazine)|Nova revija]]'' journal; in their so-called [[Contributions for the Slovenian National Program]], they called for democratization and a greater independence for Slovenia. Some of the articles openly contemplated Slovenia's independence from Yugoslavia and the establishment of a full-fedged parliamentary democracy. The manifesto was condemned by the Communist authorities, but the authors did not suffer any direct repression, and the journal was not suppressed (although the editorial board was forced to resign). At the end of the same year, a massive strike broke out in the Litostroj manufacturing plant in [[Ljubljana]], which led to the establishment of the first independent trade union in Yugoslavia. The leaders of the strike established an independent political organization, called the [[Social Democratic Union of Slovenia]]. Soon afterwards, in mid May 1988, an independent [[Peasant Union of Slovenia]] was organized. Later in the same month, the Yugoslav Army arrested four Slovenian journalists of the alternative magazine ''[[Mladina]]'', accusing them of revealing state secrets. The so-called [[Ljubljana trial]] triggered mass protests in Ljubljana and other Slovenian cities. (See:[[1987-1988 Slovenia protests]])

A mass democratic movement, coordinated by the [[Committee for the Defense of Human Rights]], pushed the Communists in the direction of democratic reforms. These revolutionary events in Slovenia pre-dated by almost one year the [[Revolutions of 1989]] in Eastern Europe, but went largely unnoticed by international observers.

At the same time, the confrontation between the [[League of Communists of Slovenia|Slovenian]] and [[League of Communists of Serbia|Serbian Leagues of Communists]] (which was dominated by the nationalist leader [[Slobodan Milošević]]), became the most important political struggle in Yugoslavia. The poor economic performance of the Federation, and rising clashes between the different republics, created a fertile soil for the rise of secessionist ideas among Slovenes, both anti-Communists and Communists. On 27 of September 1989 the Slovenian Assembly made many amendments to the 1974 constitution including the abandonment of the [[League of Communists of Slovenia]] monopoly on political power and the reassertion of Slovenia's right to leave Yugoslavia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.twenty.si/first-20-years/89/|title=Year 1989 – Slovenia 20 years|access-date=2011-06-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110630184642/http://www.twenty.si/first-20-years/89/|archive-date=2011-06-30|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In an action named "Action North" in 1989, Slovene police forces, members of which later organized their own veteran organization, prevented several hundred Milošević supporters from meeting in Ljubljana on 1 December at a so-called [[Rally of Truth]], with an attempt to overthrow Slovenian leadership because of its opposition to Serb centralist policy. The action can be considered the first defense action for Slovenian independence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fvv.uni-mb.si/varstvoslovje/Abstract.aspx?cid=329 |title=Historical Circumstances in Which "The Rally of Truth" in Ljubljana Was Prevented |publisher=Journal of Criminal Justice and Security |access-date=4 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213053210/http://www.fvv.uni-mb.si/varstvoslovje/Abstract.aspx?cid=329 |archive-date=13 December 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rtvslo.si/osamosvojitev/prispevek/108/predvajaj/|title="Rally of truth" (Miting resnice)|publisher= A documentary published by [[RTV Slovenija]]|access-date=4 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.akcijasever.si/|title=akcijasever.si|publisher=The "North" Veteran Organization|access-date=3 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229002346/http://www.akcijasever.si/|archive-date=29 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 23 January 1990, the [[League of Communists of Slovenia]], in protest against the domination of the Serb nationalist leadership, walked out of the [[14th Congress of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia]] which effectively ceased to exist as a national party – they were followed soon after by the [[League of Communists of Croatia]].

In September 1989, numerous [[constitutional amendment]]s were passed by the [[Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia|Assembly]], which introduced [[parliamentary democracy]] to Slovenia.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.fdv.si/zalozba/pdf-ji/135.pdf |title=Razvoj parlamentarizma: funkcije sodobnih parlamentov |language=sl |trans-title=The Development of Parliamentarism: The Functions of Modern Parliaments |first=Drago |last=Zajc |page=109 |publisher=Publishing House of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana |year=2004 |isbn=961-235-170-8 |access-date=2011-12-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426072954/http://www.fdv.si/zalozba/pdf-ji/135.pdf |archive-date=2012-04-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.svz.gov.si/si/zakonodaja_in_dokumenti/osamosvojitveni_akti_republike_slovenije/ |title=Osamosvojitveni akti Republike Slovenije |language=sl |trans-title=Independence Acts of the Republic of Slovenia |publisher=Office for Legislation, Government of the Republic of Slovenia |access-date=27 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117183414/http://www.svz.gov.si/si/zakonodaja_in_dokumenti/osamosvojitveni_akti_republike_slovenije/ |archive-date=17 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 7 March 1990, the Slovenian Assembly passed the amendment XCI changing the official name of the state to the [[Republic of Slovenia]] dropping the word 'Socialist'. The new name has been official since 8 March 1990.<ref name="twenty.si">{{cite web|url=http://www.twenty.si/first-20-years/90/|title=Year 1990 – Slovenia 20 years|access-date=2011-06-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611063423/http://www.twenty.si/first-20-years/90/|archive-date=2012-06-11|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.uradni-list.si/dl/vip_akti/1990-02-0402.pdf |title=Odlok o razglasitvi ustavnih amandmajev k ustave<!-- sic! --> Socialistične Republike Slovenije |language=sl |trans-title=The Decree About the Proclamation of Constitutional Amendments to the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia |journal=Uradni List Republike Slovenije |date=16 March 1990 |access-date=27 December 2011 |archive-date=27 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127111321/http://www.uradni-list.si/dl/vip_akti/1990-02-0402.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>