The study State of Affairs, Trends, Needs and Possibilities for Development of Civil Society in Slovakia is a set of thematic analyses, examining the current state of civil society and civic participation in Slovak Republic in the context of current problems and challenges that country is faced with. The study analyses development trends in civil society and current and future opportunities for such development.

Authors from the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO), Partners of Democratic Changes Slovakia (PDCS) and Center for Philanthropy (CpF) aimed to help to set up the appropriate public policies of the state toward civil society. They firstly focus on the basic characteristics of civil society’s development in Slovakia in actual domestic and international contexts. Then, authors focus on political relations in Slovakia with the emphasis on important aspects relevant for civil society and propose a set of recommendations aimed at improving the conditions for long-term sustainability of civil society. The third chapter is dealing with issues of funding of non-profit sector in Slovakia and examines the role of non-profit sector in overall economic development of the country.

The next chapter analyses the legislative regulation of issues of civil society and non-profit sector and provides an overview of problems arising from insufficient legislation. Public attitudes to non-profit NGOs and civic initiatives are analysed in the fifth chapter. The final chapter is an analytical summarizing of findings from the research. 

Analysis confirmed that civil society actors in the dimension of networks of initiatives or NGOs are operating in the whole Slovakia and in particular regions quite successfully and do not need the support from local traditional authorities in order to be successful. The so-called non-conflictual activism is more accepted by public authorities and therefore is more visible than activism which criticises them. The analysis also present the biggest problems perceived among young people and implications stemming from them. In a Delphi analysis were identified challenges which Slovakia will be faced in the next five years.

Download: State of Affairs, Trends, Needs and Possibilities for Development of Civil Society in Slovakia [pdf - in Slovak, with English Summary at the end]