By: Metod Berlec
Prime Minister Janez Janša emphasised at the central national celebration of Statehood Day that independence is the foundation of Slovenian statehood and a lasting reminder that a nation advances only when it is able to rise above differences. In his speech, he stressed that independence was an act of unity that brought together political forces and citizens at a crucial historical moment.
The DEMOS coalition under the leadership of Dr Jože Pučnik played a decisive role in this. Cooperation also bore fruit during his first government (2004–2008). At that time, Slovenia advanced by eleven percentage points toward the European average in just two years, which he described as proof that the country develops fastest when political actors overcome ideological divides. He expressed concern that a politics has taken root in Slovenia which is diametrically opposed to the legacy of independence and is extraordinarily exclusionary. Undoubtedly, the previous Golob government, which he described as extremely left‑wing, stood out in this regard. The politics of exclusion is also pursued by President Nataša Pirc Musar, which she again demonstrated with her politically charged speech at the national celebration, and was met with whistles of disapproval. Similarly, in the days leading up to Statehood Day, the last head of the Party, Milan Kučan, and his loyal associate Gregor Golobič made statements that were likewise exclusionary.
At the celebration, Janša pointed out that after 2008 (following the politically orchestrated Patria affair), Slovenia slipped into a period of stagnation, even though it had been progressing rapidly before that. As he said, in 2008 we reached 91 percent of the European average in purchasing power, “but then the second half came, and because of everything that happened in it, we are still where we were in 2008.” The key reason for the standstill, in his view, is the politics of exclusion, pursued during this period by a part of the political sphere that was against independence. This part rejected cooperation both in opposition and in government, which caused the loss of developmental momentum. The political bloc that excludes others was “from 2008 onward in power for 15 out of 18 years, and throughout this time the politics of exclusion was at the forefront, often permeated even with public calls for purges and abuses of the rule of law to target those who think differently.” In his speech, Janša was critical of the abolition of the Museum of Slovenian Independence under the previous Golob government: “We are unique in the entire world in that one of our governments abolished the museum of the creation of its own state.” With this, a part of the political sphere (namely the Freedom Movement, the Social Democrats, and Levica) showed its attitude toward independence and its value legacy. The new Janša government re‑established the museum by adopting a decision to create two public institutions: the Museum of Slovenian Independence and the Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia.
Despite the critical points, Janša expressed optimism, especially because of the younger generation, which is rediscovering the importance of Slovenian identity and the values of independence. He sees this as proof that Slovenia can rise again and overcome the period of political blockades, to restore a state in which Slovenia finally breathes with both wings of its lungs. A better future can be built only on the values of the time that united Slovenians in 1991: courage, unity, and responsibility.