The First Shall Be Last

This is likely to be an autumn of excitement in Slovenian politics. In November, the country will choose a new president, and in the same month could also close talks with the European Union and gain entry to NATO. But in a country whose political stability and comparative prosperity have made it a prime candidate for early entrance to the rich nations' club, the E.U. debate has begun to take on a more skeptical note.

Slovenian anti-globalization activists have turned the debate on NATO mainly into an ideological battleground by portraying the...