The inscription “Death to Fascism” and the communist symbols of a hammer and a sickle were found tonight on the monument in front of the provincial house dedicated to the Carinthian plebiscite from 1920 in Klagenfurt. The symbol is popular among the representatives of the Slovenian left, especially at Friday’s cycling protests. The event has already been condemned by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and Carinthian Governor Peter Kaiser.
Yesterday, in Klagenfurt, on the centenary of the Carinthian plebiscite, when about 10,000 Slovenes were cut off from their native nation, a central ceremony took place, which marked a new coexistence and reconciliation between the majority and the minority.
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen apologized to Carinthian Slovenes in Slovene for injustices and delays in exercising their constitutional rights, and the Slovenian government announced that the Austrian government had doubled the funds for the Slovene minority in Austrian Carinthia. This is the first increase in funding for ethnic communities since 1995.
All this is a result of the hard work of Slovenian diplomacy – Prime Minister Janez Janša, who worked especially hard to improve ties with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, President Borut Pahor and Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar.
Only a few hours after the historic reconciliation event, unknown people desecrated the monument with totalitarian symbols, which the Slovene radical left is proud of, and which can be seen at Friday’s protests. Immediately after the event, the extremists destroyed efforts to bring the two countries – Austria and Slovenia – closer together and caused damage to the Slovenian community in Austrian Carinthia. The Austrian president condemned the act on Twitter saying: “Today’s act of vandalism in Klagenfurt is worthy of harsh condemnation. Carinthia has taken the path of reconciliation in recent years. The Carinthians have achieved a lot together. We should continue on this common path without disturbances. “