The Youth Strategic Forum, an international event, was recently held in Maribor. It was organised by the two largest youth wings of the SDS and NSi parties. With the forum, they wanted to show that it is important to work together and talk about the key problems that burden young people, as well as encourage them to actively participate in politics. “The wider spectrum of the forum includes different thinking, different views, different perspectives, and through talks and exchanging of views, we find common solutions,” the host of the forum, president of the SDS youth wing SDM, Dominik Štrakl, said. All participants unanimously emphasised the need for cooperation, dialogue and finding common solutions for a better future in politics and society, which was also the fundamental purpose of the event.
The youth wing of the SDS party, together with the youth wing of the NSi party, organised the first-ever Youth Strategic Forum – an international event that took place in Maribor. The leadership of the SDS youth wing in Maribor was very happy that they were able to organise the event in Maribor and also attract foreign experts, as this region has been somewhat neglected in the past. “With the forum, we want to show cooperation and talk about the key issues that burden young people,” said the president of the Maribor SDM, Luka Simonič.
Simonič believes that this will also change – due to the different thinking of the current government. “We are proud to have been able to attract so many young people today and that so many young people had the chance to listen to exceptional topics being discussed,” he added. The event was also attended by representatives of some youth organisations, young politicians, non-governmental organisations, entrepreneurs and presidents of international business associations. “My favourite director is the Director-General of the Slovenian Post (Pošta Slovenije) Tomaž Kokot, who should certainly be an example for all young people in Slovenia – that such amazing things can even be achieved at such a young age,” Simonič added.
The atmosphere at the meeting was relaxed. And, most importantly, young people were able to exchange views on the future and set goals for future cooperation. Among other things, the event filled the organisers with fresh optimism on how to keep the entrepreneurial note alive even after the end of the coronavirus crisis. “I believe that in the future, we will have to put more emphasis on digitalisation in Maribor, and I also think that the municipality is beginning to realise that we must work for the future and not stay in the old days when we only used to use paper,” Simonič concluded.
The forum as a web of different views and perspectives
At the forum, which had participants from several countries, they also tried to find out what paths young people will be taking in the future and what do we want Slovenia and the European Union to be like in the future. The forum also discussed all areas in which young people perform, including entrepreneurship, the rule of law, and – last but not least – media freedom. “The wider spectrum of the forum includes different thinking, different views, different perspectives, and through talks and exchanging of views, we find common solutions,” the host of the forum, president of the SDS youth wing SDM, Dominik Štrakl, said.
President of the SDM, Štrakl, also emphasised that members of the young wing have been thinking about how they could reach young people with their ideas, and at the same time encourage young people’s thinking and confronting of different views. He is especially pleased with the fact that they managed to carry out the event according to the prepared plans. “We have been working with the organisers since the beginning of my term, as I invited all of the youth organisations and youth wings to participate in the event back then already,” he added.
Young people also have a special place in the SDS party
SDS MP Jure Ferjan was also happy that he was able to attend the event. “It is an event that shows a lot. On the one hand, it is about cooperation and transfer of a lot of experience, and this transfer of experience is especially important for the coming years so that the voice of young people will be heard,” Ferjan said. The latter also pointed out that the world stands on the shoulders of young people and that we are increasingly aware that we should unite as a society. “In the Slovenian Democratic Party, young people have a special place,” he added, emphasising the importance of young people actively helping shape politics.
As a young politician, he himself emphasises that policy makers should pay more attention and give opportunities to young people to help create and shape the goals through cooperation. “There is strength in cooperation, and we are stronger together,” he said, highlighting the words we have been hearing more and more often lately. He was also referring to the coronavirus epidemic, with which he wanted to highlight the importance of unity and cooperation in vaccination, which could save us from the epidemic. “Of course, this is also reflected in such events, we are stronger together, and knowledge is, of course, multiplied this way. The solutions we reach with the help of compromises are usually the best,” he added, noting that he would like to see similar cooperation in the National Assembly as well.
Despite different views, cooperation and a better political future can be achieved
“The world depends on young people,” said Matej Tonin, Minister of Defence and President of the NSi party. That is why he considers it crucial that young people have a developed civic consciousness, are aware of their responsibility to the state, and help create our common future. “That is why I think today’s meeting is extremely important – for young people to come together and plan for the future, despite the fact that young people have different worldviews,” he pointed out. He also thinks it is essential that young people know how to cooperate and talk to each other and that the cooperation of two young wings indicates a better political future in Slovenia.
He also sees networking as the capital of the future for young people, who can get to know each other with the help of such events and will one day be able to transfer this way of communication to the National Assembly. “Young people mature in this way, they grow stronger, and when they take responsibility, things start to move forward immediately,” he added. According to Tonin, digitalisation is an area to which we will have to pay the most attention in the future, as we are on the threshold of the fifth industrial revolution when we will have to take big steps forward.
We have gotten to the point where we can start working on content together
President of Young Slovenia (Mlada Slovenija – hereinafter referred to as MSi) – the youth wing of the NSi party, Katja Berk Bevc, is extremely happy that we have reached a point where we can leave certain political topics aside and act on a substantive level. “Young people need space and platforms where they can exchange views of the Christian-Democratic and conservative values, which they can test with the help of other people’s arguments,” she highlighted the importance of a constructive exchange of views. Berk Bev also notes that the existing school system does not allow people to discuss different topics and present their arguments, which would help them delve deeper into politics. “Unfortunately, in elections, it often happens that people give preference to agreeability instead of content,” she added.
Both youth wings share similar views, but there are some differences in their opinions. “It is then that the most important thing to do is to find common ground,” she said, stressing the need for the latter when it comes to passing laws in the National Assembly. Among other things, the president of the MSi also notes that young people do not have much interest in getting involved in politics, which is also due to our school system. “Everyone should know how the state works, as that makes it easier to make decisions at the elections,” she pointed out. Finally, she called for an improved climate in public, which could be achieved through inviting stories in the media, as, in her opinion, the negative stories on the front pages have a negative impact on the climate in our society: “We have reached a point where we can leave political divisions behind us!”
Sara Rančigaj
