He once scooped up gold trophies but now a Slovenian snowboarding hero is having to scoop out ice cream to make ends meet. Dejan Kozir, like many others from this Alpine haven of Kranjska Gora, got caught up in the rush to open up to foreign tourists, not banking on the boom turning sour so suddenly.

"I had a great sporting career, podiums and trophies, I was world champion and competed in the Olympics. And of course we athletes train in the hope of earning money to invest in the future,"

says the 34-year-old as he points towards the six new, deluxe Alpine chalets he has built at the foothills of the snow-peaked Julian Alps.

But the chalets, with their carved-wood fittings, balconies and gardens, are standing empty and are likely to prove far harder to sell than even one year ago. Kranjska Gora, a famed beauty spot, blossomed after Slovenia joined the EU in 2004, drawing an ever-larger crowd of European skiers and hikers and pushing the price of properties up to rival those of leading European capitals. But despite Slovenia being cheaper than neighbouring Italy and Austria, numbers fell noticeably during the last winter season and the downturn has become the main concern as this community prepares to vote in this week's European elections.

Building fever

Before waiting to even make returns from his first investment, Dejan launched into a fresh building project that will contain six large apartments.

"No, it's not the best time for new projects," he admits. "But I still think that in a touristy place like this, property is still a good long-term bet."

Perhaps a reflection of the optimism of this new EU member state, Dejan and others hit by the downturn resolutely refuse to be downcast about the future - nor do they succumb to temptation to hark back nostalgically to Socialist times, when there was a social net to shield citizens against the vagaries of the free market. Even Jure Žerjav, the jovial mayor, shrugs aside the potential gravity of the situation.

"People expected that joining the EU would mean entering heaven and some are disappointed that their unrealistic expectations were not fulfilled. But I really think that for those who can and want to work, here is a big opportunity here, even now. The crisis is real, but on the other hands, it's also partly in our minds."

Creative

At a bar terrace in Kranjska, a group of twenty-somethings bask in the spring sun, talking about their new projects for the upcoming season.

"We are having to be a bit creative and offering a lot more for less money,"

says Nez, who helps run a family-owned ski shop and tour operator.

"But still, the EU has been good, we can move around freely now."

Yet typically, the broadly pro-European attitude has not translated into active voting in EU elections. Voter turnout for the European elections is set to be low in Slovenia, even more so in this nook where few of the national politicians bother to campaign. Danny, a 24-year old local, says:

"I still think it's good to be part of the EU but Brussels doesn't mean much to us. We are a proud nation and don't feel we need Brussels, it's just another European city,"

The mayor agrees, adding: 

"People here are not really bothered by the elections to be honest, even though they are now part of the EU."

For the cash-strapped locals, one thing that matters far more than the elections is access to EU funds. Although he is proud to have self-funded his properties, even Dejan admits that he will look for EU-backing in future. Undeterred by his current setbacks, he says:

"I will try to get EU backing when I start some new projects. It's a chance, why not grab it?"