On Wednesday, we celebrated an event that was a turning point and something unique in the history of the Slovenian nation. On the 26th of December 1990, the outcome of the plebiscite on independence was announced. Slovenians voted FOR. FOR a free and independent Slovenia.
The day before Christmas Eve in 1990, a plebiscite was held, to decide on Slovenia’s independence. The question written on the ballot was: “Should the Republic of Slovenia become an independent, sovereign state?”
In expressing our desire for independence, we had shown great unity. A unity that we had not yet witnessed before in the history of the Slovenian nation. When the votes were counted, the Republic Electoral Commission established that 1,361,738 or 93.2 percent of all eligible voters took part in the plebiscite. 1, 289, 369 or 88.5 percent of all eligible voters voted for an independent Slovenia, 57, 800 or 4 percent voted against, and 12, 412 or 0.9 percent of the ballots were invalid. 99, 345 voters did not attend the plebiscite. Around 170, 000 citizens did not support Slovenia’s independence. For those who did not support independence, Slovenia was never their preferred option.
In December 1990, we realised a thousand-year-old dream of our ancestors for our own country
The decision to hold a plebiscite was made in November 1990 in Poljče. At the consultation, the then-delegates of the government coalition DEMOS, along with some experts, made a historic decision. The driving force behind the decision that eventually led to us being among the historical nations was Jože Pučnik, Ph.D. The meeting in Poljče was then followed by the adoption of the Plebiscite on the Sovereignty and Independence of the Republic of Slovenia Act, at the beginning of December. Among other things, the act dictated that the plebiscite would take place on the 23rd of December and that the Assembly of the Republic must adopt constitutional and other acts and measures, necessary for independence, within six months from the day the plebiscite decision was announced. Based on this, the Basic Constitutional Charter on the Sovereignty and Independence of the Republic of Slovenia and the Declaration of Independence were adopted on the 25th of June 1991, thus establishing the formal foundations of Slovenian independence.
The Independence and Unity Day serves as a reminder of the time in which the Slovenian spring flourished in all its glory. It was a time of searching for personal and national freedom, a time of emphasised patriotism, a time of hope and faith in a better life for all Slovenians. Great unity was shown by the Slovenian nation. IN December 1990, we realised a thousand-year-old dream of our ancestors for our own country, so we should be extremely proud of this historic moment.
A year later, the Slovenian constitution was adopted
On Wednesday, we also celebrated Constitutionality Day, in memory of the 23rd of December 1991, when the Slovenian Assembly adopted and promulgated the Slovenian Constitution. With it, Slovenia also seceded from Yugoslavia in the legal sense. The draft constitution was prepared by a group of experts, led by lawyer Peter Jamberk, Ph.D., in the Podvin castle in August 1990. According to the original plan, the constitution should have been adopted upon the declaration of the Slovenian independence on the 26th of June 1991, but as the then-political actors had not yet agreed on all of the issues, it was adopted, with several amendments, a few months later, on the 23rd of December 1991.
Congratulations to all Slovenians on the Independence and Unity Day.
Sara Kovač
