Slovenian state is very enthusiastic about the eventual NATO membership, and it seems that the project, which is one of the most important national projects after achieving the independecy od Slovenia, is supported by all parliamentary political parties and the public. However, the analyses shows that not all parliamentary political parties support the membership as firm asthe first impression would suggest. In their public statements, political parties support the membership, but they all have different perceptions about,what kind of organisation NATO is, and what the membership brings. Political parties emphasize above all non-military and non-defence characteristics of the organisation, also the benefits of membership, while the responsibilities and obligations toward the Alliance and the internationalcommunity are generally neglected. Public opinion polls show a relatively high and stable the public support for the membership of Slovenia in NATO but at the same time the results suggest, that the considerably increased defence expenditures, as a consequence of eventual NATO membership, might shake the public support.
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