Pahor's office has told the STA that the president wanted to spur consideration about the "outlines of the state and society that we wish to leave for our children", who will eventually become the bearers of the new generation of Slovenians.

In its first two decades, Slovenia "lived without a long-term vision, which was replaced by important short-term goals for some time", the office stressed.

Notable individuals invited to take part in the conference include Ljubljana Archbishop Anton Stres, Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) president Samo Hribar Milič, charity initiator Ana Lukner, Maribor University Chancellor Danijel Rebolj, Constitutional Court president Ernest Petrič and Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU) head Jože Trontelj.

The speakers, who agree that Slovenia is in need of long-term visions, are also to touch on the current economic crisis and discuss whether it is a cyclical phenomenon or a signal of paradigmatic changes in Europe and the world.

Climate expert Lučka Kajfež Bogataj, who says Slovenia has been missing a broad social consensus since its independence, hopes for the people to recognise the environment as natural capital, setting it in the heart of the visions for the future.

Moreover, she told the STA that environment policies should be pursued horizontally and in all areas, not just by a single ministry.

The archbishop of Ljubljana stressed that ethical foundations and moral values must be the basis for long-term plans and visions.

In this respect, Stres said already the EU put values, especially the inviolability of human dignity, very high in its basic documents.

Regardless of how the crisis is viewed, the basic values remain one of the main issues and will need to be considered in any vision for the future, he told the STA.

Hribar Milič meanwhile noted that looking for a vision for 2030 may put today's mistakes in a better perspective and thus provide better answers for the present.

The GZS president wants a technologically developed and innovative Slovenia with a competitive economy, which will ensure sustainable development and social stability.