ON THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TUMBLING OF THE BERLIN WALL
Statement by President Milan Kucan for TV Slovenia

Ljubljana, 9 November 1999


The tumbling of the wall and the World War II victory of the Allies over Fascism and Nazism signify the final primacy of democracy in this century. It is a victory of the freedom of spirit and human dignity. In September of 1989 we Slovenes broke through the Belgrade wall. The amendments to the Constitution then in force were our contribution to the rule of human rights. At that time the Berlin wall was still standing strong and the risk was great. But we took that risk together and ucceeded. The debris of the Berlin wall fell both eastwards and westwards and is still lying there among the people of Europe. It is up to us all to make sure that those bricks will not be used to put up new barriers between states and peoples. That is why the Berlin celebration is a call for freedom, solidarity and co-operation among all the nations and states of Europe.

It is time for us, too, to open up to this, both among ourselves and towards the world as a whole.