Maribor, European Capital of Social Economy 2018

Maribor, Slovenia’s second largest city, is European Capital of Social Economy 2018. At the Social Summit of the Member States of the European Union, held on 17 November 2017 in Goetheburg, Sweden, entitled “For Equitable Jobs and Growth”, Slovenia received a one-year term of office for the Chairmanship of the Supervisory Board of the Luxembourg Declaration adopted in December 2015 – European Capital of Social Economy for 2018.

The title of the European Capital of the Social Economy will be taken over by the City of Maribor from Madrid on the back of the proposal by Tadej Slapnik and the Association for Social Economy of Slovenia, where social economy has developed over the last 5 years to the largest extent in comparison with other Slovenian cities.

The reason that Slovenia has chosen Maribor as the capital of the social economy is therefore in the experience and achievements in the field of social entrepreneurship.

"How we will use the title depends only on us, we are the one who will give it the content. The goal is to connect social economy actors - as well as those who are not. That means conventional companies which have a positive social and environmental impact, the ones that not only generate profit, but have a purpose of generating new, high-quality jobs and sustainable growth, "said Miro Mihec, member of the board of directors of the National Association of the Social Economy of Slovenia.

In social entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship doesn’t see its main purpose in sharing profits, but returning it back to the company. Social entrepreneurship is focused on innovative solutions of social, economic and other problems, it opens up new jobs and seeks to integrate vulnerable groups into the labour market.

Author: Petra Hartman (Ekvilib Institute)