Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša denounces exclusionary politics on statehood day

Prime Minister Janez Janša used the national Statehood Day ceremony to criticize what he described as a persistent "policy of exclusion" that he says undermines the spirit of Slovenia’s independence. He highlighted the role of the DEMOS coalition in the early post‑independence years, recalled rapid EU‑average gains between 2004‑2008, and argued that political exclusion since 2008 has stalled development. Janša also reproached the previous left‑wing government for abolishing the Museum of Slovenian Independence and announced the reinstatement of the museum and a new public institute on recent history.

In a separate commentary, former constitutional judge Prof. Klemen Jaklič spoke on the 35th anniversary of Slovenia’s statehood, emphasizing that a state is a prerequisite but not sufficient for a free democratic society. He called for pluralism in media, education, and capital, the removal of monopolies rooted in the former authoritarian regime, and stronger, impartial judicial and anti‑corruption institutions. Jaklič warned that Slovenia has not yet achieved the conditions of a truly free democratic nation.