At today's opening of an exhibition on the Slovenian EU Council Presidency in the National Museum of Contemporary History, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr Janez Janša, stressed that the Presidency was an event which deserved the lasting token of remembrance provided by this exhibition.  He also pointed out that the Presidency project had experienced a shaky start and that there was less unity in its implementation than hoped for and less than has been witnessed in Slovenia in other historic times.

 

(Photo: Kristina Kosec/Bobo)

 

PM Janez Janša said that in the autumn of 2007, a group had written in a message distributed around Europe that the Slovenian EU Council Presidency under the present Government would pose a threat to the European Union. However, it turned out that the Presidency did not endanger Europe and was, on the contrary, so successful that it even elicited a positive response from those who do not easily give commendations.   “No serious criticism of the Slovenian Presidency or Slovenian leadership of the European Union was offered today in Slovenia,” added the Prime Minister.

 

(Photo: Kristina Kosec/Bobo)

 

In his opinion the exhibition very well reflects the events and activities of the Slovenian Presidency. Any comparison of our performance may be more objective today, as we follow how the French Presidency is coping with problems and challenges.  “Nobody has to blush at the acts of Slovenia during its Presidency,” said PM Janez Janša.

 

(Photo: Kristina Kosec/Bobo)

 

On this occasion PM Janez Janša also reminded us of Slovenia's entry into the Schengen Area, which has enlarged the Slovenian cultural space and transformed the dimension of Slovenians living in neighbouring countries into a softer or more relative form.  “For the first time in decades or even centuries, objective conditions are being created for the establishment of a Slovenian cultural space without any barriers and for some ideas brought to life in the Spring of Nations of 1848 to be finally implemented,” said PM Janez Janša, who thanked again all of those who had invested numerous hours of work into the Presidency project as well as those who prepared this exhibition.