President of the Republic receives prestigious Spanish award
Barcelona, Spain, 11/24/2003 | press release
President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr Janez Drnovšek is in Spain today, in Madrid, where he accepted an invitation to a private lunch from the royal couple, HRH King Juan Carlos and HRH Queen Sofía. Yesterday evening, President Drnovšek, as this year’s recipient of the Ramon Trias Fargas Memorial, took part in a ceremony at which this prestigious Spanish award was conferred on him. This award is presented every year by the Foundation Liberty and Democracy to persons who have struggled in difficult circumstances to defend the values of a culture of dialogue, tolerance and freedom of the individual. The award was presented to President Drnovšek at the evening ceremony by the widow of Ramon Trias Fargas. Ramon Trias Fargas was one of the most important figures in Spain during the period of transition from dictatorship to democracy. In his work, he strove to establish the values of tolerance, liberty, and the culture of dialogue. The award ceremony in Barcelona was also attended by the long standing Catalonian Prime Minister, Jordi Pujol, the Prime Minister of the Principality of Andorra, Marc Forné Molne, and other distinguished guests. On receiving the award, the Slovene President made a speech to the assembled guests
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me to underline what a profound honor it is for me to be here today with you for the ceremony of receiving the Ramon Trias Fargas Memorial. The honor is even greater due to the fact that the award carries the name of Mr. Trias Fargas, a prominent figure in the democratic transition period in Catalunya and Spain. Mr. Fargas was elected to the Parliament, he was twice Economic minister in the Government of Catalunya headed by H.E. Jordi Pujol, he was in short a person whose work was so fruitful we can see the results in contemporary Catalunya and Spain easily today. His work remains a source of inspiration for all of us.
Previous recipients of the award, prof. Juan Marichal, dr. Hans-Dietrich Gensher, Mme. Simone Veil, Sir David Steel, Mr. Antonio Garrigues Walker, Mr. Marc Forné, and Mr. Colin W. Eglin, distinguished personalities in their own fields, come from very varied backgrounds and from countries spanning across half the world. Their vision, their ideas and their work brought them together under the initiative of the Foundation Liberty and Democracy, and I am honored to be able to join this prestigious group of awardees.
Despite of the geographic variety of awardees, belief in joint values has brought together men and women all across the globe. These values are the trademark of the Foundation Liberty and Democracy, which hosts us today. The noble principles that guide this Foundation, namely liberal democratic values, respect for human rights and liberties, and tolerance, joined professionals from different walks of life into one single effort, effort that has made a profound effect on the modern world. These values have offered new hope to individuals and countries alike. Tonight, I would like to stress the importance of these values and underline the role they will play in the Union of the future.
Slovenia’s experience in the field of fight for liberty, democracy, human rights and tolerance is far from abstract. With the dissolution of the former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia twelve years ago, two main options surfaced for the political and economic development of the succession countries. On one hand, we in Slovenia strongly believed in establishing a multiparty democracy, a functioning market economy and a system that guarantees human rights and liberties to its citizens.
On the other hand, we have seen other policies adopted by some regimes, policies of intolerance, violent nationalism and economic disintegration, which resulted in systematic violations of human rights and liberties and, finally, terrible deconstruction of civil society. Tragedies in the countries of Western Balkans witness to the enormous devastating potential of ideology of intolerance, and lack of respect for liberty.
Today, we in Slovenia are proud to be able to show the results of our work. We have enjoyed several years of solid economic development, which has brought us in the group of countries with some BDP 17.000 euros per capita. We have introduced a great number of economic reforms, strengthening our international rating and competitivity of our economy. We have solidified our already strong economic ties to the European Union, with which today we have more than 60 % of our foreign trade. We have developed a stable multiparty democracy, with basic freedoms of expression and of political assembly. And finally, we have secured a system that gives every individual the right to exercise its basic human rights and liberties, be it in political, economic, or social fields as he desires and as he seems fit for himself and his family.
In our view, liberty of an individual to pursue his life goals is one of the central values of a modern society. It has enabled Slovenia’s society to develop as an environment of peace, tolerance, and mutual understanding. We would like to strengthen these achievements in the future. Especially, we would like other countries in Western Balkans to follow our example and develop strong civic societies, that will be able to join the European family just as we did. We would like to talk about our example to those who are unsure whether liberty, human rights and tolerance can be appropriate policies for a successful government.
There are several appropriate ways to disseminate this knowledge in experience among the family of nations. Certainly, governmental actions can do much. Civil society can do much. But perhaps the most important step forward in this regard, both for countries in and out of Europe, is to codify those principles, like in a new European constitution. The European convention might be one of the most far-reaching events in this field and when talking about the future of liberty and democracy in our societies, the new European Constitution remains a central achievement of recent years.
This is why Slovenia has participated with great eagerness at the European Convention. It is not just a fight between different countries demanding more voting rights or an endless argument for or against more powers in this or other European institution, as one might guess from some superficial media reports. It is above all a historic document in its uniqueness and plurality which for the first time in a coherent way spells out what the values of the European family are and what are its objectives.
This is why I am convinced that the new European Constitution is one of the most important instruments of our time for the promotion of ideas of peace, liberty, and democracy. Indeed, in its text it spells out the most important principles in such detail it is worth quoting them. “The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. These values are common to the Member States in a society of pluralism, tolerance, justice, solidarity and non-discrimination.”
To see this list of values enshrined in a Constitution of 450 million people is a wonderful achievement. It is a great victory of reason, of democracy, of humanism, of the equality of people. European civilization has lived splendid times and very dark times. The quality of these times depended almost entirely on how much we have respected human dignity, liberty, democracy and mutual tolerance.
At the end, allow me to thank the president of the Foundation, Mr. Carles A. Gasňliba, and its members, for inviting me tonight to Barcelona. I am honored to have received the Trias Fargas award and look forward to continue to work within the enlarged European family for the realization of our common objectives.
Recent history has showed us that it is much easier to make policy on differences. It has also showed that looking for the lowest common denominator is a very difficult task, rarely crowned with instant success. I am convinced that we cannot afford the luxury to go back to the policy of isolation, violence, intolerance and prejudice. Slovenia’s example, as the example of Catalunya and Spain, is a living proof that policy based on liberty, democracy and human rights is a sound policy destined to succeed.
Thank you.