Opening Speech by the President of the National Assembly Borut Pahor at the Public Hearing "Slovenia Prior to the NATO Summit in Prague "
Ljubljana, 16 January 2002
Photo: BOBO |
Dear President of the Republic, dear Prime Minister, esteemed
ministers, dear colleagues, guests, ladies and gentlemen.
For Slovenia, the year 2002 has begun as a year in which it will
have to take many important decisions. It is our responsibility to
choose the right paths leading our country towards a safe, developed
and successful society and world.
Since the beginning of the current parliamentary term, the National
Assembly has been well aware of this demanding responsibility and has
prepared itself for it. Today's meeting is neither a coincidence nor
a protocolar meeting, but one of the efforts made by the Slovenian
Parliament to play the role of a centre of strategic political
decisions on the national and international scene and the democratic
discussion thereof. It is now ready to take on such role.
In 2002, the National Assembly will organise a constitutional
debate which will also start with a public hearing. We will conduct,
promote and extend the debate on Europe. In order to take thorough
decisions about it we will organise a convention - a "Slovene
convention" to discuss the issues related to the future of Europe
and, consequently, our future. And, furthermore, the final debates and
decisions on another strategic issue - Slovenia's accession to NATO -
are launched by today's public hearing.
All the above events are going to take place in a year in which we
will have to undergo demanding trials, full of problems and
opportunities. It depends on our common political maturity, our
respect for diversity and on the agreement on reasonable compromises
whether we will turn the opportunities into problems or whether we
will be able to turn the problems into opportunities for a successful
future of our country and our people.
We are convinced that the successful performance of these tasks
depends on how well people understand them and how much they support
us and trust in us. The National Assembly has thus decided to define
the strategic topics and decisions, particularly those which are
irreversible and require a broad national consensus, to discuss them
in an all-embracing public debate, take into account different
opinions and obtain substantial political support for the final
decision.
Slovenia's accession to NATO is one of such topics. It is a
strategic issue of priority national interest. Slovenia was not
invited to the first round of NATO enlarging to Central and Eastern
Europe in Madrid. No new members were invited on the occasion of the
Washington summit two years later, yet we have many reasons to believe
that Slovenia will be invited to join NATO during the autumn summit in
Prague.
Such decision should not find us unprepared. It is not only a
question of meeting material requirements, but a question of
increasing national consensus on the usefulness of such decision both
for NATO and Slovenia. Most political parties represented in the
National Assembly are in favour of Slovenia's accession to NATO, yet
the public opinion is far from being unanimous. With today's public
hearing and other political actions we intend to carry out this year
we wish to, firstly, guarantee the right to different opinions and
confront them, and, secondly, substantially increase our people's
support to Slovenia's accession to NATO.
By organising this public hearing and strengthening the political
unity among the people, Slovenian politics somehow risks to increase
the expectations that Slovenia will certainly be invited to become
NATO member in autumn. There is no such guarantee. Nevertheless, the
decision to hold the public hearing and enhance consensus is a wise
decision and represents a reasonable risk. It would be far worse and
impermissible if we avoided the confrontation of arguments and
increasing consensus because the invitation to join NATO would thus
find us unprepared.
I am convinced that after a thorough and exhaustive debate most
citizens will understand that Slovenia's membership in NATO is not
merely a military issue, but an extensive strategic issue. It concerns
the position of our country in the international community, it is a
question about whose allies and partners we wish to be and share the
responsibility for common peace, security and welfare. Whom do we
expect to help us and whom we are ready to help? These are very
important questions of our basic identity within our country and in
the international community.
The debate will certainly be dynamic and polemic. But this is not
so bad. Some questions relating to security and defence, to European
security identity or the role and future of NATO do not concern only
us and our country. They are posed by other Member States, too. In
this sense, I believe that such debate is very constructive. It will
also raise our self-esteem about entering the alliance as an active
partner.
You will certainly hear requests for the calling of a referendum
about this issue. Sometimes such requests may be perceived as the
only way to prevent politics from taking decisions instead of and on
behalf of the people. Such requests rest on non- uniform public
opinion. In my personal and modest opinion, the supporters of
Slovenia's accession to NATO should be equally or even more in favour
of a referendum, in order to do away with the critics about the
democratic deficit of such decision as well as to strengthen, on one
hand, the political unity of the people in favour of accession by
means of a well conducted debate, and, on the other hand, better
prepare for membership.
Esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen,
on behalf of the deputies of the National Assembly I welcome you
all, irrespective of your political convictions, and invite you to
take this perfect opportunity to exchange views so that we will be
able to take the most unanimous decision in favour of our country and
our people.
| 
