The European Commission Representative Office in Slovenia held a public debate entitled ‘The Slovene Voice in the European Union’. It was attended by European Parliament Deputies Mojca Drčar Murko (ALDE/LDS), Miha Brejc (EPP/SDS) and Borut Pahor (PES/ZLSD), who confirmed that they speak Slovene whenever possible in the framework of their parliamentary duties, and also agreed that they represent the interests of the people who elected them to the European Parliament.
Deputy Mojca Drčar Murko: I speak Slovene at plenary sessions of the European Parliament, while in discussions in various committees I use the working languages of the EU, mainly English and French, since the discussions are conducted quickly and it is therefore easier to get to the point of issuing decisions.
Deputy Miha Brejc: I speak Slovene whenever the opportunity presents itself, which is not all that often. In committees there are usually no Slovene translators available, and in that case I use English. The translation of the materials which members use to prepare for their work is a particular problem. There is a huge amount and therefore the deputies don’t necessarily receive them in their national languages on the same day that they get the French or English versions.
Deputy Borut Pahor: The fact that Slovene has become an official language of the EU on Slovenia’s accession is of inestimable value. Slovenia has to become aware of this. With respect to translation in the European Parliament there are actually 524 possible language combinations, so a bit of patience is required. At plenary sessions of the European Parliament I speak Slovene. This is not only important in and of itself, but also has symbolic importance.
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