Changed geopolitical conditions and finding a new balance
First of all, thank you to the authors and work for the excellent contribution, which opens and – more importantly – it already forms certain proposals for the future of Europe and Slovenia. Our European and Slovenian response to radically changed geopolitical conditions is extremely time -limited. The authors state that Europe is much more affected with these changes than the US and China (lacking a statement of Russia). The reasons for the disability are related to structural, institutional and qualitative characteristics. Below are the characteristics of security and migration, the common market, competitiveness and green transition, public finances and values and cohesiveness. The authors rightly prove three possible scenarios of the future of Europe, namely unchanged, enhanced and weakened Europe.
The last features, these are values and connection (cohesiveness), are under -treated. We know technical or hard factors (such as defense, economics, finances) and soft factors, which is primarily human factors. And it is people that are the weakest link, which is evidenced by more and more wars around the world, the breakup and the bloody war in Yugoslavia, the war in Ukraine, the war in Palestine, the rise of nationalisms, the rise of fascism, etc. Despite the excellent « professional work document », as the authors rightly call it, I think that at least these two aspects need to be addressed and a similar professional work document is to be prepared.
To begin with, let’s say that in Europe, in addition to national, European identity is missing. There is also a solution to the conflict between the preservation of different languages and cultures on the one hand, as well as the possibility of equal communication and participation of European citizens on the other. In particular, we should address the cultural language field and the field of education. In the area of equal communication, Europe will have to decide during the unchanged situation, which today means the use of colonial English and tomorrow Chinese, or finding a different independent solution. Can e.g. follows the recommendation presented in 2022 in parliament (international language and then national languages). It is interesting to note that 27 EU countries in schools also have 27 different foreign language teaching systems. Only colonial English domination is uniform – almost 90 percent. Already, these issues require more statesmen with a vision than today’s confused and indecisive policies. Statesmen, however, are missing both in Europe and in Slovenia.
Looking at Slovenia, it is internally crippled, ideally dissolved and incapacitated in Europe as such. The part of the politicians who abuse and change the history of World War II, the incite people against state institutions, intimidate the civil war, encourage revenge and support foreign authoritarian and genocidal policies, digs the grave country of Slovenia. In the event that Europe becomes weakened (external and internal), Slovenia is waiting for Slovenia, which is internally broken and weakened, a well -known map of 1941. Even in the penultimate national program of language policy of the Republic of Slovenia, there was a need to reflect on the international language of Esperanto, both in Europe and in our foreign language teaching system. These statements are now gone, and in the school system, since the first grade onwards, we have been forcibly introducing English together with Slovene.
In short, all three options are open for Europe and Slovenia, that is, unchanged, impaired or enhanced. Soft forms of factors – especially human aspects – will be more decisive and challenging than hard (technical) factors. We can only hope that a group of capable experts will be found in this field and prepared a similar professional work document as in the title.
In doing so, even more than the lack of statesmen, there is a lack of time. They say hope always remains, but in these changed geopolitical conditions, this is not nearly enough! So?
