Koper state celebration criticized for lack of bilingualism

The local community of Koper Center has filed a formal complaint with the Istria inter-municipal administration regarding violations of bilingualism decrees during a recent state celebration in Koper. The event, held to mark the day of sovereignty, failed to provide adequate Italian language support, including bilingual greetings, announcements, and translations of key speeches.

Maurizio Tremul, coordinator of the Italian Union for Koper, described the omission as a ‘lost opportunity’ for the Italian minority. The government Office for Nationalities also condemned the lack of bilingualism. The event's director, Katja Pegan, attributed the error to organizational and protocol challenges, stating that ‘things started to slip from our hands’ due to late information and large crowds.

In addition to the linguistic controversy, the celebration drew attention due to heckling directed at Prime Minister Janez Janša during his speech. President Nataša Pirc Musar addressed the incident on social media, condemning the whistling and shouting during official speeches.