CERCLE DIPLOMATIQUE - issue 03/2020
CD is an independent and impartial magazine and is the medium of communication between foreign representatives of international and UN-organisations based in Vienna and the Austrian political classes, business, culture and tourism. CD features up-to-date information about and for the diplomatic corps, international organisations, society, politics, business, tourism, fashion and culture. Furthermore CD introduces the new ambassadors in Austria and informs about designations, awards and top-events. Interviews with leading personalities, country reports from all over the world and the presentation of Austria as a host country complement the wide range oft he magazine.
CD is an independent and impartial magazine and is the medium of communication between foreign representatives of international and UN-organisations based in Vienna and the Austrian political classes, business, culture and tourism. CD features up-to-date information about and for the diplomatic corps, international organisations, society, politics, business, tourism, fashion and culture. Furthermore CD introduces the new ambassadors in Austria and informs about designations, awards and top-events. Interviews with leading personalities, country reports from all over the world and the presentation of Austria as a host country complement the wide range oft he magazine.
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LE MONDE SLOVENIA | INTERVIEW
H.E. Ksenija Škrilec
“The relations with Austria are excellent.“
The Ambassador of Slovenia to Austria on current developments in Slovenia, the relations with Austria,
pro-European Slovenes, upcoming cultural events, culinary highlights and Lipizzaner horses.
Interview: Robert Winter
CD: Austria and Slovenia were parts of the
Habsburg Empire for centuries until 1918. How
have the relations between the two states
developed since Slovenia‘s independence from
Yugoslavia in 1991?
Ksenija Škrilec: Slovenia had been part of
the former Yugoslavia since the First World
War, but in 1990, 95 percent of the Slovenes
decided at a nationwide plebiscite to take
their own path. Next year, we will be already
celebrating the 30th anniversary of the
official declaration of our independence. It
is important to note, and we will always remember,
that Austria very much supported
this process. Slovenia has developed very
quickly since then, restructured its economy
and strengthened the ties with nearby
markets. Through and after the independence,
relations with Austria have developed
more differentiated and the cooperation
in all fields became more intense. Today,
we are in many ways interdependent. Overall,
the relationship between the two countries
with a common EU future can be described
as excellent. In addition, our
country that is placed at the heart of Western,
Eastern and Southern Europe remains
an important link to the other countries of
the former Yugoslavia.
Slovenia became an EU member in 2004. In 2007,
it joined the euro zone and the Schengen area.
How important is the EU membership now?
Although the Slovenian economy was
already strongly connected to the EU
member states´ markets, with our EU
membership these ties additionally
strengthened. In the last years, Slovenia
was among the EU countries with the highest
economic growth rates. The Slovenian
population is a strong supporter of the EU,
our attitude is generally pro-European. By
joining the European Union and NATO,
Slovenia achieved its important foreign policy
goals. At the same time, Slovenia is trying
to play an active role in the further development
of the EU. Already for the
second time, Slovenia will hold the Presidency
of the Council of the EU in the second
half of 2021, but already actually we
are a member of the EU Presidency Trio.
Since 3 March 2020, Janez Janša, leader of the
right-wing party SDS, the Slovenian Democratic
Party, has once again been prime minister.
Slovenia is currently called in the same breath as
countries like Poland or Hungary as a country with
an illiberal government. Does that worry you?
The current Slovenian four-party coalition
government took office after the
government reshuffle at the beginning of
March and successfully mastered the Corona
crisis, which had begun immediately.
The new government is led by the centreright
Slovenian Democratic Party, a member
of the European People‘s Party (EPP).
We can state that Slovenia does indeed have
a democratically elected centre-right coalition
government, as in other European states.
Like any government, it should be measured
by the performance it delivers.
Like almost all countries in the world, Slovenia is
currently under the spell of the Corona crisis.
What measures have been taken to limit the
damage to people and the economy?
In Slovenia there are aid packages for
the economy and the population that are
comparable to measures in other countries.
A special feature to support domestic tourism
are travel vouchers for people whose
main residence is in Slovenia. By August 9,
more than 360,000 such vouchers, each
worth 200 euro for adults and 50 euro for
children, had already been redeemed for
holidays in Slovenia.
In many countries, attempts are being made to
strengthen sustainability. How does Slovenia deal
with this?
Almost every Slovenian is nature-conscious
and cares a lot about his environment.
Slovenes live in harmony with nature,
each Slovenian has either a garden or
practices outdoor sports. This reflects in
outstanding sports achievements of Slovenes
for example at Olympic Games. Sustainability
is an important element also in
economy and tourism, and it is politically
very much supported. Sustainable and inclusive
growth, green transition and digital
transformation are part of the 18-months
programme of the EU Council, published
in June by the German and the future Portuguese
and Slovenian presidencies. Sustainable
tourism is an aspect that connects
Slovenia and Austria too. Tourism in Slovenia
plays an important role as it accounts
for 9.9 percent of the gross domestic product.
Around ten percent of the workforce
is employed in tourism.
What is the nature of tourism?
This can be described with a wellknown
anecdote. When God created the
world, the nations lined up in order. Slovenia
was at the very end of the line. When
the Slovenian representatives took their
turn, God asked why they had not come
earlier. Because the people were so humble,
God gave the Slovenians a small part of
everything he had set aside for himself.
That accounts not only for special beauty
but for diversity too. The specific geographical
features range from the Alps, the
Mediterranean and the Karst to the Pannonian
Plain. This gives Slovenia the advantage
of being able to offer tourism for all
four seasons. Alps with mountains, turquoise
springs and rivers, Pannonian plain
PHOTO: RALPH MANFREDA
with health resorts, spas, generosity of people
and food as well as the Mediterranean
with the seaside and Karst.
Which destinations and sights should tourists
visit? What is the importance of the stud farm in
Lipica?
For a citizen of a landlocked country, a
trip to the Slovenian Adriatic Sea coast and
the hinterland, to the Karst region is recommended.
City tourism is flourishing
with numerous castles and museums. You
can visit the oldest, very traditional town
Škofja Loka. Lake Bled and the small island
Blejski otok is worth a visit. On the Karst,
there is Postojna Cave known as the queen
of the underground world with a rare proteus
and the Lipica stud farm, the world
famous cradle of the Lipizzan horse. The
history of the breeding goes back to the
year 1580. Lipizzaner, still bred in their authentic
environment, could be visited in
Lipica even today. Hopefully, in the near
future, Lipizzaner will be part of the
UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which
Slovenia, together with Austria, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Romania
and Slovakia submitted to UNESCO
this March.
Tourism and good food are closely related. What
culinary highlights does Slovenia have to offer?
The geographical diversity is reflected in
a great gastronomic variety of dishes and
wine. Recently, the renowned Michelin restaurant
directory also discovered Slovenia.
In mid-June, a Guide Michelin for Slovenian
restaurants was published for the first
time. With the world-famous Ana Roš, best
chef 2017, and her restaurant “Hiša Franko“
in Kobarid, Slovenia now even has a
two-star chef. Five other outstanding Slovenian
restaurants received their first Michelin
star. As we place great emphasis on
culinary quality, Slovenia will next year
bear the title of “European Region of Gastronomy“.
How has the Slovenian economy developed over
H.E. KSENIJA ŠKRILEC
Since December 2017, Ksenija Škrilec has
been the Ambassador of Slovenia to the
Republic of Austria.
In 2010, Škrilec, who is a mother of two,
completed her Interdisciplinary PhD
Studies in International Relations at the
University of Budapest.
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