Development and socioeconomic environment of cooperatives in Slovenia

•The Slovenian cooperatives have a long and rather turbulent history.•At present, the farmers’ cooperatives have the greatest economic importance.•The interest for cooperatives and social enterprises has been increasing in the crisis.•The most ambitious initiatives for coops try to provide jobs for the unemployed.•Others are focused on social services and on the problem of precarious work.

The financial and economic crisis as well as increasing awareness about cooperatives on the European and global level awoke interest in cooperatives and similar business models in Slovenia. Several initiatives for establishing new cooperatives have emerged in recent years. The paper analyses the recent developments of cooperatives in traditional (e.g. farmers’ cooperatives) and new sectors (e.g. media, worker, local food supply, energy and housing cooperatives) through the use of a short historical survey, available statistical data and relevant changes in public policy towards cooperatives in Slovenia.