Slovenia was the first former communist state to be a member of the EU

Slovenia was the first former communist state to be a member of the EU. Among new EU member states, Slovenia has scored a number of firsts. It was the first former communist state to be a member of the European Union, the first to join the Eurozone, the Schengen area, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe and NATO. As of now, only two other countries in eastern Europe are in all of these organizations: Slovakia and Estonia.