"We will have to work together on finding answers to these questions. There is no room for populism here, no generalisations, no guessing," said Šarec, who believes it is essential that Slovenia also starts discussing the establishment of regions.

Šarec, who in his capacity as mayor of Kamnik was among the Golden Stone winners two years ago, said that the awards were a great encouragement. He also congratulated mayors for the courage to do this "extraordinarily demanding job".

Novo Mesto has been going through a renaissance of sorts, the expert judging panel said. It is the centre of Slovenia's exports, the home of talented and successful individuals, it has a rich culture and heritage.

It added that Novo Mesto was one of the most modernly managed municipalities, giving great importance to sustainable development with an ear for social issues, as well as technology.

The Golden Stone award has been awarded since 2012, a joint project of PR agency SBR and Planet GV, a training and networking company.