Hats off, Nataša Pirc Musar. I believe the decision not to attend the state ceremony marking Sovereignty Day cannot have been an easy one. But in doing so, you showed integrity and proved that the office of President of the Republic still carries weight in Slovenia. You could have given in, stayed silent and sat through the ceremony on Sunday, pretending everything was perfectly fine. But you did not. And rightly so.
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First, you had to agree to Janez Janša’s demand to be the sole speaker at the ceremony, although the original arrangement had been different. Then they added the 35th anniversary of Slovenia’s liberation to the Sovereignty Day invitation. Because, apparently, independence is not a good enough word. Next, they decided there was no room at the ceremony for the Association of Fighters’ standard-bearers with their red stars. And finally, they removed from the programme the traditional inspection of the guard of honour, carried out by the President of the Republic as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Clearly, this is a right-wing “party rally”, where other people are not welcome. Another piece in the ever-growing mosaic of division among Slovenians.
Kacin is the chair of the Coordinating Committee for State Ceremonies and Events. A man who ought to ensure that state ceremonies bring people together rather than divide them. Instead, he explains to the public why there is no place at the ceremony for flags bearing red stars. Because the JLA attacked Slovenia under that symbol. Seriously, Jelko? Are we now going to equate the partisans of the Second World War with the aggressor JLA of 1991? History evidently becomes remarkably flexible when it has to be squeezed into a current political agenda.
And then these clowns are surprised the President had enough? I completely understand her decision. And I respect it. Above all, I hope it sends a message to others who do not want to take part in this kind of celebration. Let them have their party rally. Let them have their speakers, their standard-bearers and their audience. If they want military parades for flexing their muscles, let them organise them for themselves. Just do not sell it as a celebration for all Slovenians.
We saw a similar story during Covid. In 2020, we had an official and an alternative ceremony, while in 2021 the Association of Fighters’ flags were unwelcome. Apparently, every time Janša comes to power, we have to decide all over again who the real Slovenians are and who deserves to take part in celebrating our shared country.
Enough of this shit. Enough of the perpetual return to the past, counting partisans and Home Guard members, and deciding who may stand beneath the Slovenian flag and who may not. Slovenia did not become independent so that, 35 years later, we would still be hostages to the same politician and the same political score-settling.
A state ceremony should be a place that brings people together. But if those in power turn it into an event where certain symbols, people and institutions are no longer welcome, then it is no longer a celebration for everyone. It is merely another display of political power.
That is precisely why Nataša Pirc Musar’s decision matters. Because she showed that the office of President of the Republic is not merely a ceremonial decoration expected to keep quiet and nod along. Sometimes absence can say far more than another grand speech.
Once again, hats off, Nataša Pirc Musar. The greatest patriotism is refusing to take part in the division of your own nation.