The Peace Institute, Institute for Contemporary Social and Political Studies, an institutional member of the Alt+G group embarked on researching the impact of COVID-19 related measures by which the Government of the Republic of Slovenia temporarily prohibited free movement between municipalities and people were encouraged to stay at home and limit any social contact during the coronavirus epidemic. The lockdown meant only members of the same household or members of the same family were allowed to spend time together. This severely limited the private, intimate lives of many people: not only single persons but also partners living in separate households, in different municipalities or countries, lovers, close friends. Like the elderly residents of nursing homes who suffered the gravest consequences of the epidemic, a number of people were therefore forced in isolation, without the proximity of their loved ones and significant others.
Only the “legitimate” (traditional) families were free to socialize, while all others were forced into either solitude or guerrilla hiding from police and inquisitive neighbours. Governmental decrees left many people without the right to private life guaranteed by the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. The current Slovenian government favouring the “traditional family” and its attempts to restrict all other forms of partnership and intimate relations without any legal or professional basis, reflect the fact that its representatives have repeatedly expressed intolerance towards minorities in the past. The reasons for this disproportionate interference in the private and intimate lives of citizens therefore seem primarily ideological.
The short online survey (to be completed in 5-10 minutes) is in Slovenian language, for further queries you may contact the project team.
Text prepared by Veronika Bajt, Peace Instititute.