By: C.R.
The Association for the Values of Slovenian Independence (ZSVO) firmly opposes the abolition of the independent Museum of Slovenian Independence. They also call on the Minister of Culture Asta Vrečko to cancel this decision, or the government not to accept the minister’s proposal. Otherwise, ZSVO announced “the use of all democratic means” to support the museum.
When asked what the means are, the president of ZSVO, Alojz Peterle explained that the association receives many protests against the abolition of the independent museum, so “do not be surprised if there is some kind of demonstration on this topic, to mention only one of such means”. He also advocated systemically guaranteed conditions for the operation of the mentioned museum.
Janez Janša, member of the ZSVO presidency and former prime minister, who made the decision to establish the mentioned museum in March last year, warned that the mentioned museum was established by government acts, so “it is the government that has the scissors and canvas in its hands here”. “It is not too late for this shame not to happen. So, a public appeal to those who will decide on this matter, do not do what will sooner or later turn out to be a shot in the foot,” urged Janša.
He added that the Slovenian state is founded on the values of Slovenian independence and that he himself does not know a country in which a museum commemorating its creation would be abolished. He expressed the hope that Slovenia will not be included in this list and urged the government not to accept the proposal of the Minister of Culture.
According to Peterle, independence, which was supported by a plebiscite by the Slovenian people in December 1990, deserves a decent place and independence in the structure of Slovenian museums, and the operation of the museum cannot depend on the will of each individual government.
As he added, the decision to abolish the independent museum unit coincides with the year in which we celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of international recognition, and the museum itself as a cultural project is forcibly pushing into the area of ideological consideration, which, according to the association, will further polarise the Slovenian public. He also made a comparison with the time “in which we changed the country and the political regime with today’s” and considered that there was more dialogue, culture, and respect for others then, “and it was about big issues, but today everything flows into one big discord”.
SLS President Marko Balažic believed that Slovenia should have more museums of Slovenian independence, “in practically all major Slovenian towns”. He added that at every step we should emphasise the values of Slovenian independence and pass them on “to the younger generation, to our descendants” and remember the actions of all the people who participated in it. In his opinion, such museums should present the contributions of everyone, from Ivan Oman to Milan Kučan, who at that time understood the call of history and led Slovenia to the path of independence, freedom, and democracy.
The President of the Council of the Institute of the Museum of Slovenian Independence, Alenka Puhar, pointed out that so far, no inventory of materials on the topic of Slovenian independence has been carried out in any of the Slovenian museums. “All museums collect something, what is collected by which and what has already been collected on this topic, there is simply no such register,” she responded to the ministry’s argument that several museum and research institutions are already dealing with the period of Slovenian independence.