Speech by Dr. Janez Drnovšek, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, at the celebration honouring the National Day of the Republic of Slovenia
Ljubljana, 06/24/2004 | speech
Slovenia marks the 13th anniversary of its independence on 25 June. The main national ceremony was held in Ljubljana's Republic Square on the eve of the holiday, with President Janez Drnovsek as the key-note speaker.
Citizens of Slovenia,
We have gathered here today to celebrate our country's 13th birthday. It is an opportunity for us to remember its birth and to reflect on its future. Times of war and danger are drifting into history. Nevertheless, the consequences of the disintegration of our former state are still visible in our vicinity. The horrors of war in the former Yugoslavia have not been forgotten in our erstwhile brotherly republics. Peace is still kept by international forces, some of the crisis areas still remain restless. Houses have not been rebuilt, refugees have still not returned to many a homestead. The quality of our lives was once comparable. Now the differences are huge. We in Slovenia live much better lives. Our state is more solid and safe. We are members of the European Union and NATO, and in just a few months time we will be taking over the presidency of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Our path from independence to present day incites a great deal of interest and praise. In earnest, the world describes Slovenia as a story of success.
Still, we ourselves are not completely satisfied. We want more. Our expectations were great, too great perhaps. It is difficult to meet them all. The world around us is demanding and often ruthless. Just as life itself. Nevertheless, if we take a realistic stance and look around, then we can be satisfied with what has been achieved.
We won our independence through considered action in complicated circumstances. We drew the right moves at the right time. The resolve to defend ourselves militarily combined with sensitive diplomacy delivered the right result. We were able to leave the disintegrated state without major turbulences and gain recognition from the world. The plebiscite, the ten-day war, the Brioni Accords, the negotiations and finally the withdrawal of the federal army were the foundations of our historic decision.
Following our military and diplomatic success our young state was faced with new challenges. The economy was the first of them. Numerous companies, also large ones, went bankrupt because of the ruptured lifeline with the former state. Many workers lost their jobs. Not much could be done to help, and this harsh fact made life in our new state bitter for many. We rapidly sought out new markets, especially in Europe. We quickly established new growth, keeping it above European levels for a whole decade. Unemployment has been reduced considerably and is now lower than in Europe. We are well aware, though, that those who are on the losing end of these statistics and who cannot find a job providing for a decent living see no real consolation in this.
Today, as members of the European Union, we are seeking a new economic boost and new entrepreneurship. Encouraging initiative and enterprise is the right path leading to even faster development. The state should provide the best possible influx of European incentives and support measures for our economy, as well as the best possible link between education, business and science.
The birth of our new state coincided with the breakdown of socialism on a global scale. Along with greater efficiency, the transition to a new free market system also brought greater social differences. These differences are unavoidable. They must not be excessive, though. We share our lives , we meet daily, and it would be difficult to look one another in the eye if some were to have it all and others wouldn't be able to make ends meet through honest work. That is why one of our country's fundamental objectives must be to offer every citizen a chance to make a decent living. In the long run only a system accepted as equitable by the people can survive. We must find a way of being successful and competitive without forgetting fundamental human values.
The Slovenian Constitution states that we are a welfare state. The disabled, the ill, the elderly as well as our children are all deserving of our particular attention. We have strived to provide for them through our legislation, but that legislation must be continuously tested in practice in order to live up to its purpose. Still, laws cannot regulate everything and that is why relations between people themselves are so very important. We have every opportunity of improving them even further, making our country kinder.
There are also people whom the state's support fails to reach. Their distress is great and we should strive to help them in any way possible. Our civil servants must be more than just mere clerks. They must be human in the first place. An engaged attitude, one that is not indifferent to the distress of others, can achieve a great deal. Let us also develop non-governmental forms of welfare and charity, doing good for ourselves and others.
Honoured citizens,
We are proud of having succeeded in establishing our own state thirteen years ago. Breaking points and wars are often accompanied by great atrocities. Even the greatest of nations remember the horrors inflicted on them or by them. We were fortunate to have achieved independence with few victims and little direct destruction. Still, it is with regret that we remember every single victim on either side. We achieved our independence in an orderly and lawful manner. We regulated the status of the vast majority of people from other republics, although not all, and mistakes were made. Unwillingly, I am sure. Last year our Constitutional Court ruled that those errors must be rectified, a ruling that perhaps fired up our politics and our public a little too much. There is no reason for us to harbour fears from the past. Slovenia alone managed to escape the horrors of Yugoslav disintegration unscathed. Others suffered greatly. We can be just and generous. If an injustice was committed, we must make it right. No one will grow rich from that. No one is going to lose anything. Only our future will be a kinder one.
The Second World War is far behind us, too. Slovenian partisans helped liberate Slovenia and Europe. Their merits are undisputed and eternal. Post-war killings still inject confusion into our relations today, though. Why not recognise that summary executions were a dark stain on our history? Why shouldn't reconciliation among Slovenes be possible sixty years on, when all other great opponents in the war have done so?
Let us make peace with history and set our sights for the future. Our young people are on their way there already, making big steps. We are now a member of the European Union, we have attached our destiny to that of other European nations. We are facing a great challenge. We must prove ourselves in Europe. We must show that we are capable of concerting our efforts with others, with those who are different. We must show that we are open to new ideas, to breakthroughs, that we can find our way around a difficult situation. Our fellow Slovenes around the world have demonstrated just that. Time and again. They were successful. We and our young people can do the same.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Europe is here. It is not completed yet. Our contribution will count, too. Next year the challenge of the European Constitutional Treaty awaits. It will be the foundation of our future. Slovenia has already ensured a position of an equal for itself. A position better than any ever enjoyed by our ancestors. In Europe's new order the big and the small are equal partners. Not force, but democratic agreement prevails. If we want the respect of large countries, we ourselves must respect those who are even smaller, minorities, every individual as well as ourselves. We must respect human life and nature. Then, there will be a future.
Together with other nations we shall strive for durable peace, economic success, social welfare and a clean environment. The tasks are many, the challenges multiple. Let them serve as the focus of our thoughts and energy.
Let the thirteenth year of Slovenia's independence be not an unlucky number but instead a year of a new European beginning, a new summer, a new dream.
Citizens of Slovenia, all those living in Slovenia, across the borders or anywhere in the world, congratulations on National Day! May there be many more!