In the newsletter of the Union of the Associations for the Values of the National Liberation Movement of Slovenia, the historian Dr Martin Premk wrote in his column that no words about reconciliation should be believed anymore, as now it is all a matter of deception and the creation of unnecessary divisions among people. According to him, the future can only be built on the truth – as politicians come and go – “but our country, homeland, our history and our values, camaraderie, equality, justice and freedom, for which our ancestors have always fought, will remain.” After everything he has written and what Premk advocates, one must, of course, wonder whose “truth” we are talking about here. “Unfortunately, Slovenian taxpayers have so far been forced to spend billions of euros on the Union of the Associations for the Values of the National Liberation Movement of Slovenia and its members, which continues to spread intolerance and hatred, deepen the divisions in the nation, sow ideological primitivism, honours mass murderers, and still lives in 1945,” Prime Minister Janez Janša commented on the matter.
“A while ago, this policy was better known as the clerical-bourgeois or even clerical-fascist. During the Second World War, it was personified by Leon Rupnik, and today it is personified by Janez Janša,” Dr Martin Premk wrote in his column entitled “The Masks Are Falling.” Among other things, he was angered by the state celebration on Statehood Day, which, in his opinion, the mask of the reconciliation efforts of the President of the Republic finally fell. President Pahor was silent when the partisan flag bearers were “forbidden to participate in the state celebration” – but according to Premk, this might be for the best, as the president’s empty words have been turning people’s stomachs for a while now. However, the fact that last year Pahor and Sergio Mattarella laid a wreath at the memorial near the Bazovica foibe, and then at the monument for the Bazovica heroes, or that in Trieste, on the 100th anniversary of the fascist burning down the Slovenian National Hall (Narodni dom), they signed a document transferring ownership of the building to the Slovenian minority, is clearly something Premk does not find worth mentioning.
Articles like this one do not contribute to better coexistence but only deepen the national wounds
In his column, the historian further notes that people in Slovenia are not divided at all – which, in his opinion, was clearly proven at the referendum on the Water Act, when it seemed as if the people are increasingly realising who is lying to them and who is misleading them. “Once the people learn the truth, they are no longer divided.” His statement reminds us of certain supporters of various conspiracy theories, for example. Or of the statement of someone who is passionate about “woke” culture. Premk is optimistic that at least young people are becoming more and more aware of the truth about the Second World War – which is probably true, but he forgot to mention that they are mainly learning about their “truth” in schools, and it is clear which side is the true author of the “historical facts” that can be found in history books. “Some people keep telling lies about the Second World War because they think they can always mislead people. But we must persistently repeat the truth about the Second World War until all the masks fall and until politics become so mature that it stops abusing national history,” he concluded, and we can completely agree with that. It would be nice if Mr Premk and the related historians were to set a good example and if they put their words into practice. “Unfortunately, Slovenian taxpayers have so far been forced to spend billions of euros on the Union of the Associations for the Values of the National Liberation Movement of Slovenia and its members, which continues to spread intolerance and hatred, deepen the divisions in the nation, sows ideological primitivism, honours mass murderers, and still lives in 1945,” Prime Minister Janez Janša commented on the matter. We should really once again think carefully about the values of the Slovenian nation and to whom our money flows.
Sara Bertoncelj
