PM Wants Slovenia to Be One of the Beacons of 21st Century
"We want to be nothing less than one of the most successful states in the world. One of the beacons of the 21st century," PM Janez Jansa said at Saturday's central ceremony marking 15 years of Slovenian independence.
Today we can, more than ever, set lofty goals for the future, Jansa said in the Trg republike square on the eve of National Day, marking Slovenia being declared a sovereign state on 25 June 1991.
"Some say that we are afraid of change. We proved 15 years ago that this is not the case," as we have then not only defeated the Communist Yugoslav People's Army (JLA) but also our fear of changes, Jansa said about the decision to go independent.
He noted that the country joined the EU and NATO, met euro changeover criteria and reached 80% of the EU's average GDP. "Have we ever had better opportunities? Never. Neither us nor our ancestors," he stressed.
Yet, according to Jansa, Slovenians need to change the way they treat each other as countrymen, because duties exist besides rights. "Everybody should be given a chance, but also show responsibility," the PM said.
He moreover called on Slovenians to let go of the periods that divide the nation. "Can a nation truly develop if it pushes to the front traumatic periods of its history and neglects those periods in which it was truly united," the PM wondered.
Jansa, while praising Slovenia's decision to switch to the market economy, which enabled the country to increase its GDP by 56% and net wages by 57% since then, added that the market nevertheless cannot give us everything.
He observed that it cannot teach and raise us, cannot heal us, cannot guarantee our pensions and cannot protect an individual from those who abuse their power.
He also praised the Slovenian armed and police forces, thanking them from helping Slovenia escape the fate that later befell (Croatia's) town of Vukovar and Bosnia-Herzegovina's capital of Sarajevo. There is not enough marble in the world to build a monument to a Slovenian soldier and policeman, he said in his thanks.
The Slovenian armed forces also took part in the ceremony, alongside the same honour guards who stood in the same place 15 years ago, while a copy of the first Slovenian flag from 1991 was raised to the tune of the Slovenian national anthem.
The ceremony was also attended by President Janez Drnovsek, Former President Milan Kucan, Parliament Speaker France Cukjati, former Parliament Speaker France Bucar and Alojz Peterle, the prime minister of the first government in independent Slovenia.
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