Counterattack from Slovenia

The dispute over the Styrian national anthem escalates

The dispute over the Styrian anthem is now escalating

(Bild: zVg)

The anthem dispute between Styria and Slovenia continues. The Slovenian Foreign Ministry expects the province of Styria to renounce the constitutional anchoring of the national anthem. This was reported by the Slovenian daily newspaper "Dnevnik" on Friday.

The FPÖ's plans to include the Styrian anthem in the provincial constitution have been causing diplomatic tensions with Slovenia for some time. The reason: the anthem sings of Styria from the Dachstein to the "bed of the Sav" and to the "vineyards in the Drav' valley" - both areas are now in the territory of neighboring Slovenia. The local foreign ministry has therefore criticized the inclusion of these controversial lines in the anthem and referred to Slovenia's "territorial integrity and sovereignty".

German speakers discriminated against in Slovenia?
Most recently, however, Governor Mario Kunasek (FPÖ) rejected this criticism in no uncertain terms and also complained about the "discrimination" of the German-speaking minority in Slovenia. 

Slovenia against anchoring
In the Slovenian daily newspaper "Dnevnik", the foreign ministry of our neighboring country has now spoken out again: It is expected that the province of Styria will renounce the constitutional anchoring of the national anthem, which also refers to Slovenian territory. "Slovenia is against any relativization of the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty," it says.

Instead of initiatives such as the confirmation of a historically outdated national anthem, which also mentions part of Slovenian territory in the lyrics, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry stated that the province of Styria should concentrate on constructive, future-oriented cooperation and joint projects for the benefit of all inhabitants of the border regions and both countries.

With regard to the Styrian governor's criticism of the lack of recognition of the German-speaking ethnic group in Slovenia, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the rights of the members of the German-speaking ethnic group are guaranteed in Article 61 of the Slovenian constitution. "The Slovenian government has maintained a dialogue with them for many years within the framework of an inter-ministerial working group and provides financial resources for the preservation of their culture and language," it emphasized.

Carinthian Slovenes also criticize FPÖ plans
The Council of Carinthian Slovenes was also critical of the FPÖ's plans in Styria. "Governor Mario Kunasek has recently put his foot in several paws with his statements regarding the Styrian anthem," it said on its website. On the one hand, Kunasek lacked the necessary two-thirds majority in parliament to elevate the anthem to constitutional status; on the other hand, the issue of the state border in the Bad Radkersburg - Spielfeld - Eibiswald area has long been regulated in Article 5 of the Austrian State Treaty since 1955. "According to this, the Drava flows through Slovenia and not through Styria," said the Council.