The highest legislative authority is the National Assembly consisting of 90 deputies elected for a term of four years by secret ballot, on the basis of universal adult suffrage. The country's Italian and Hungarian ethnic minorities are guaranteed two seats in the National Assembly. The National Council, whose members are elected for a five-year term, performs an advisory role. Executive power is vested in the Prime Minister and the 20-member cabinet. The Government must be approved by the National Assembly.
Judges exercise judicial authority, and hold life tenure.
There are District and Circuit Courts, a High Court acts as an appeal court, while the Supreme Court is the highest court in the nation's judicial system. The Slovenian Ombudsman was elected in September 1994 and reports to the National Assembly on his work. The new Constitution significantly strengthened the position of the Constitutional Court. Main Indicators Using quality of life and social standard criteria, Slovenia is near or even above the European average. Its population is a highly qualified and capable labor force.