Slovenia-EU anniversary

Impatient Van der Bellen visits neighbors

Five heads of state meet: Zoran Milanović (Croatia), Sergio Mattarella (Italy), Nataša Pirc Musar (Slovenia), Alexander Van der Bellen and Tamás Sulyok (Hungary) in Brdo near Ljubljana

(Bild: Clara Milena Steiner)

The year 2004 brought many new things: Facebook was founded, Ukraine won the European Song Contest for the first time and the EU grew by ten new states. Among them was little Slovenia.

In Brdo near Ljubljana, where the "Joint Carinthia-Slovenia Committee" is meeting on Wednesday, four heads of state met on Monday to celebrate Slovenia's 20th anniversary of joining the EU.

The talks between Nataša Pirc Musar (Slovenia), Zoran Milanović (Croatia), Sergio Mattarella (Italy), Tamás Sulyok (Hungary) and Alexander Van der Bellen were basically positive, although different opinions were expressed: "The five of us represent the EU with all its contradictions, that was clear. It was interesting for me to hear that there are differences between Hungary and Croatia, for example, compared to Italy, Slovenia and Austria."

Differences between the EU member states
In concrete terms, this means that opinions on certain EU positions differ. "Should the EU become more of a state, yes or no? I am of the opinion that if we want to formulate a common foreign policy, then quickly!" According to Van der Bellen, there should be less talk and more action.

Five heads of state meet: Zoran Milanović (Croatia), Sergio Mattarella (Italy), Nataša Pirc Musar (Slovenia), Alexander Van der Bellen and Tamás Sulyok (Hungary) in Brdo near Ljubljana

(Bild: Clara Milena Steiner)

Slovenia's President Nataša Pirc Musar and Austria's Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen

(Bild: Clara Milena Steiner)

The heads of state emphasized the importance of a "common, strong EU".

(Bild: Clara Milena Steiner)

Van der Bellen with his colleagues: "The five of us represent the EU."

(Bild: Clara Milena Steiner)

The same applies to a common defense policy: "It is not our fault that there is war on our borders - but we must take note of it and draw the consequences." The Federal President criticized the recent work of the European Commission because it does not deal with "the central issues, but - in view of the foreign policy situation - secondary matters".

Power vacuum in the Western Balkans
The 27 member states of the EU have their homework to do, the current form of protracted decision-making is not sustainable: "I see an urgent need for action for the 27 members, let alone for more than 30 members."

An impatient Van der Bellen also has this to say about the Western Balkans: "If the EU does not take care of the Western Balkan countries, a power vacuum will develop there. And it is not in the EU's interest that such a vacuum is created on its borders - every vacuum will be filled! It would be wiser if we were to make steam there."

If the EU doesn't take care of the Western Balkan countries, a power vacuum will be created there. It would be smarter if we were to make steam there.

Bundespräsident Alexander Van der Bellen

Bild: APA/Eva Manhart

There is a consensus between him and the Austrian government "regarding enlargement in the Western Balkans". He takes a critical view of the admission requirements: "I have the feeling that the demands being made today go far beyond what Austria had to fulfill in the early 1990s. That is not good. We need to step up the pace." Austria benefited from EU enlargement in 2004 - in the form of "130,000 additional workers".

Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar is grateful for the visit from abroad: "The currency of the EU is the euro, but the real currency is cohesion." This was demonstrated last year when parts of Slovenia were destroyed by severe storms: "The presidents of those countries who were the first to help us back then are here today. They helped to build real bridges - but also friendly bridges."

The minorities, through which Slovenia is connected to many other EU member states, are also important bridge builders, emphasizes Pirc Musar in the direction of Carinthia.