The Republic of Slovenia and Slovene Ethnic Minorities in Neighboring Countries

[June, 1999]

Slovenia's responsibility for Slovene ethnic minorities living in cross-border regions (neighbouring countries) and for Slovenes living across the world (emigrants) is set out in Article 5 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia, adopted in 1991. For the realisation of these constitutional obligations the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set up the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for the Slovenes Abroad. The Office coordinates the financial aid which the Republic of Slovenia, in accordance with constitutional provisions, allocates for the operation of Slovene ethnic minority organisations and institutions in the neighbouring countries. In addition, the Office is responsible for maintaining regular contact with representatives of Slovene ethnic minorities and ethnic minority organisations based in these countries. Part of the responsibility for cooperation with Slovene ethnic minorities living in the neighbouring countries as well as for financial aid (as a rule allocated via concrete projects) in specific areas also lies with the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Education and Sport.

The National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia has formed a special commission, which monitors the situation of Slovenes living in cross-border areas and elsewhere in the world, and which develops contacts with the Slovenes living abroad. The issue of Slovenes abroad is also dealt with by the Committee of the National Assembly for Foreign Affairs. In 1997, the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a special resolution on the status of Slovene autochthonous ethnic minorities living in the neighbouring countries (Austria, Italy, Croatia, and Hungary) and on related tasks of national and other factors in Slovenia. The resolution envisages various forms of aid for Slovene autochthonous ethnic minorities living in the neighbouring countries, in particular within the framework of development of friendly relations between neighbours and cooperation with the neighbouring countries, taking into account the specific needs and interests of the Slovene ethnic minorities and providing them with concrete aid in the cultural, language, informative, economic, and financial areas.

As for science and research, Slovenia has its own Institute for Ethnic Studies, which has conducted research on ethnic minority issues continuously for nearly 75 years. The Institute for Ethnic Studies superseded the Ethnic Minority Institute, which was founded in 1925 and initially was primarily involved in research on Slovene ethnic minorities based in the neighbouring countries and on the issue of legal protection of ethnic minorities on both the national and international levels. The Institute's activity subsequently expanded so that currently, in addition to ethnic minority studies, it covers inter-ethnic relations and ethnic studies.

Italy

The Slovene Ethnic Minority in the Republic of Italy

In neighbouring Italy there are more than 100,000 members of the Slovene autochthonous ethnic minority who remained there after the delimitation of the border between Italy and Yugoslavia after the Second World War. They live mostly in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region (the Trieste and Gorizia regions) and in the Udine region.

In the plebiscite of 1869 the Slovenes in the Italian Veneto region consciously voted to become part of Italy, which promised to grant them appropriately. After the First World War Italy acquired one-quarter of the Slovene ethnic territory, in which one-third of the total Slovene population lived. Between the two wars the Slovenes in Italy were exposed to a great deal of denationalisation pressure, which increased substantially when Italian fascists came to power. The fascists banned the use of Slovene in public, dissolved Slovene associations and institutions, abolished Slovene schools and exerted other kinds of pressure on the Slovenes, such as changing Slovene names into Italian names and so on. Several thousands of Slovenes moved to Slovenia, while part of them migrated overseas, mostly to Argentina. The fascist terror was one of the main reasons for which the Slovenes living in Italy joined the liberation movement en masse between 1941 and 1945.

After the Second World War the major part of the Slovene ethnic territory which had previously fallen under Italy's jurisdiction was yielded to Yugoslavia. A part of the Slovene ethnic territory in which the Slovene ethnic minority still lives today remained under Italy. In terms of formal law, the current border was upheld by the London Memorandum signed in 1954 and the Treaty of Osimo signed in 1975 between the Republic of Italy and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. By signing these documents, Italy recognised specific minority rights for the Slovenes living in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, but it still denies the existence of the Slovene ethnic minority in the Udine region.

Although compared to the situation of the time between the two wars the status of the Slovenes has improved, the Slovene ethnic minority in Italy is not satisfied with the current legal protection, which varies from region to region. Italy does not recognise any rights of the Slovenes in the Udine region; the Slovenes in the Gorizia region were granted some rights on the basis of the peace treaty signed in 1947, and the Trieste Slovenes were provided with most minority rights by the London Memorandum. The Slovene ethnic minority perceives the varying types of treatment (according to region) to be a great problem, which is why it is making great efforts, supported by the Republic of Slovenia, to achieve the adoption of an all-encompassing protective law for the entire Slovene ethnic minority living in Italy. Despite the numerous legal drafts put forward to the Rome-based Italian parliament over the last decades, and despite the intensified efforts to this effect in recent years, the Republic of Italy has not yet passed this law. This is surprising, especially in view of the fact that Italy has commendably regulated the status of the German ethnic minority in South Tirol.

Irrespective of all these difficulties, since the Second World War the Slovene ethnic minority has managed to develop various political, economic, cultural, sports, and other social activities. Politically, it is organised into two central organisations: the progressive Slovenska kulturna gospodarska zveza (Slovene Cultural Economic Union) and the conservative Svet slovenskih organizacij (Council of Slovene Organisations). It has established a number of cultural institutions, such as Stalno slovensko gledalisce (Permanent Slovene Theatre), and scientific institutions, such as for example Slovenski raziskovalni institut (Slovene Research Institute) along with its branch offices. The press activity is also well-developed (e.g. Primorski dnevnik - daily). In terms of party affiliation, part of the Slovenes operate within their own party (Slovenska skupnost - Slovene Community), while the rest of them successfully appear in line with Italian (especially leftist) political parties.

The Slovenes in the Trieste and Gorizia regions have their own public Slovene schools (primary and secondary), while the Slovenes living in the Udine region have only private schools. There are many problems associated with the use of Slovene in public administration and in public life.

The Slovene ethnic minority in Italy has wide-ranging cultural, political and other ties with Slovenia. The Republic of Slovenia, as the country of their origin, offers financial and other types of aid to its Italian- based ethnic minority.

After several decades of efforts the Republic of Italy finally adopted the Law on the Protection of the Slovenian Minority in 2001.

Boris Jesih

Austria

The Slovene Ethnic Minority in the Republic of Austria

According to estimates, there are between forty and sixty thousand members of the Slovene ethnic minority in the Republic of Austria; most are living in the federal province (Land) of Carinthia, and a smaller part in the federal province of Styria. This territory was annexed to Austria after the First World War, when a plebiscite was carried out in 1920 in Carinthia under the auspices of international forces, at which the majority - including Slovene votes - opted for the Republic of Austria. One of the main reasons for this was the Austrian propaganda which advertised Austria as a democratic republic and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes as a backward and undemocratic Balkan monarchy. On the basis of the Treaty of Saint-Germain, Austria was supposed to guarantee suitable minority protection for Slovenes, but this was effected only to a small extent, mainly because of the pressure exerted by German nationalist organisations, which often enjoyed the support of the Austrian authorities. Following the Anschluss in 1938, pressure on the Slovene ethnic minority increased. In 1941, the Nazis banned all Slovene ethnic minority organisations and formulated a comprehensive plan according to which Carinthian Slovenes would have to be removed from Carinthia, an action which would finally solve the Slovene question in Carinthia. In 1942, approximately one thousand Carinthian Slovenes were expelled to the internal parts of the Reich, which strengthened their resistance against Nazism. During the Second World War the Carinthian Slovene partisans were the sole organised form of armed resistance in the territory of the German Reich, actively cooperating with the Allies.

After the Second World War the Slovene ethnic minority began to support annexation to Yugoslavia, for which Yugoslavia itself strove during diplomatic negotiations. However, following Yugoslavia's dispute with the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union withdrew its support of Yugoslav demands, resulting in the signing of the Austrian State Treaty (AST) which restored the pre-1938 borders. The AST, the fundamental international legal document to which the Slovene ethnic minority has referred in relation to minority rights, guaranteed the protection of the Slovene and Croatian ethnic minorities in Austria. Article 7 of the AST provides the Slovenes with minority rights in the areas of organisation, education and administration while prohibiting all activities hostile to minorities. After 1955, the nationalist pressure on the Slovenes continued, which in turn resulted in accelerated assimilation. Despite Austria's guarantees and the fact that the status of the Slovene ethnic minority has somewhat improved over the last decade, to date full compliance with Article 7 of the AST has not yet been entirely achieved. For example, Styria province policy does not recognise the existence of the Slovene minority in this region.

After the Second World War, the Slovene ethnic minority in Carinthia, supported by the country of origin (previously Yugoslavia and today Slovenia), has developed a wide and diverse range of activities. It operates within two central organisations: the conservative Narodni svet koroskih Slovencev (National Council of Carinthian Slovenes) and the left/liberal Zveza slovenskih organizacij na Koroskem (Union of Slovene Organisations in Carinthia). There are also a number of cultural, educational, sports, and other associations. The Slovene ethnic minority runs three publishing houses, diversified bank/loan activity, two scientific institutes, two weekly magazines, a number of newspapers and, since last year, also a private radio station. In terms of party affiliation, part of the Slovene ethnic minority belong to their own political party, Enotna lista (Unified List), while individuals are also active in Austrian political parties. Officially Slovenes in Styria have no minority rights, but they do have their own cultural organisation, which is not, however, publicly recognised by the province.

Slovene ethnic minority organisations have wide-ranging contacts with Slovenia, which in turn provides them with suitable financial support in accordance with its constitutional obligations.

In addition to constant assimilation, one of the fundamental problems of the Carinthian Slovenes is reflected in deficient minority legislation, which territorially and in terms of content is rather restrictive. Apart from that, as the result of various types of pressure, the authorities have difficulty implementing the existing legislation. This is the reason why recently the most pressing problem has been the provision of bilingual pre-school education.

Boris Jesih

Hungary

Slovenes in the Raba Region in Hungary

The part of the Raba region in which Slovenes live lies along the Raba River near Monoster (Szengotthárd), in Zelezna Zupanija (Vas Mégye), squeezed between the Austrian and Slovene borders. In terms of geography, language, culture, and ethnicity, it is part of the Prekmurje region, to which it was closely related until 1919, when Prekmurje was annexed to Yugoslavia. The Raba region, however, remained part of Hungary. This broke the unity of the Slovene landscape, and resulted in the beginning of a separate history of the Slovene Raba region.

The region is 94 km long. It encompasses seven villages, in which the Slovenes live. Monoster (Szengotthárd) is the economic and cultural (in the past also administrative) centre of the Raba region, in which Hungarians and Slovenes live. After the First World War the press in Slovenia named the Slovenes living in the surroundings of Monoster the "Raba" Slovenes, while after the Second World War they were labelled "Porabje" Slovenes. The region itself was dubbed "Porabje" or "Slovensko Porabje" (in Hungarian: "Szlovén-vidék" or "Rába-vidék"). Outside the Raba region Slovenes also live in Sombotel (Szombathely) and in other places in Zelezna zupanija, in the parishes of Somogy, Györ- Moson, Sopron, in Budapest, while some of them are scattered throughout various places across Hungary. According to various estimates (population censuses, expert data, etc.) there are between 4,000 and 5,000 Slovenes in Hungary.

Two Slovene organisations operate in the Raba region: 1) After the disintegration of the Democratic Union of South Slavs in Hungary, in October 1990 young scholars together with some older activists established the supra-party organisation named Zveza Slovencev na Madzarskem (Union of Slovenes in Hungary), based in Monoster. This organisation is responsible for activities which ensure the preservation and development of the Slovene identity. 2) The adoption of the National and Ethnic Minorities in Hungary Act (1993) provided the Slovenes with the possibility of setting up minority self-governing units in Slovene villages and the Drzavna slovenska samouprava (National Slovene Self-Government) based in Gornji Senik with a representative office in Budapest. The operation and role of Drzavna slovenska samouprava touches all aspects of life of the Slovene ethnic minority (from education to economic development). In addition to the seven Slovene villages in the Raba region, 1998 saw the establishment of Slovene self-governed units in Budapest, Szombathely, and Mosonmagyaróvár.

The Union of Slovenes in Hungary and the National Slovene Self-Government actively cooperate with each other, since the tasks of both organisations in all areas of life of the Slovene minority overlap and supplement each other. Jurisdiction is clearly defined, which is highly important for such a small ethnic community. Any divergence in common interests could have negative effects on the sustainability and development of national identity.

The Union of Slovenes in Hungary publishes the biweekly Porabje (from 1991 onwards). Since 1979 a Slovene programme has been aired on Radio Györ, and since 1992 the television programme Slovenski Utrinki has been broadcast.

The legal status of the Slovenes living in Hungary is governed by various legal documents, including the Constitution of the Republic of Hungary (1989), the Rights of National and Ethnic Minorities in Hungary Act (1993), the Amendments to the Education Act (LXXIX) passed in 1996, the Radio and Television Act (XXXVIII) adopted in 1996, and the Local Self-Government Act (LXV) adopted in 1990.

Today the maintenance and development of contacts between the Slovene ethnic minority and the homeland has become everyday practice, both in Hungary and Slovenia. This has been upheld by a number of inter-governmental agreements between the two countries: the Agreement on the Guarantee of Special Rights for the Slovene Ethnic Minority in the Republic of Hungary and for the Hungarian Ethnic Community in the Republic of Slovenia (signed in 1992), the Agreement on Cooperation in the Areas of Education, Culture and Science between the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Hungary, the Agreement on Free Trade, and so on. Cross-border cooperation between regions is exceptionally important for the Slovene minority. The Union of Slovenes in Hungary and neighbouring municipalities in Prekmurje (Murska Sobota, Gornji Petrovci, Puconci, Salovci) have signed the Agreement on the Promotion of Cultural, Economic and other Cross-Border Contacts. There are also direct contacts between the Slovene ethnic minority and Slovene national and non-national institutions and widespread personal contacts. The Resolution of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia on the Status of Autochthonous Slovene Minorities in the Neighbouring Countries, adopted in 1997, which sets out the aid allocated by the Slovene government to these minorities, is very important for the Slovene ethnic minority living in Hungary. The opening of the Consulate-General of the Republic of Slovenia in Hungary (18 November 1998) contributes to the strengthening of the ties and cooperation between the Slovene ethnic community and its homeland, as well as to the enhancement of the cooperation between Hungary and Slovenia (economic activity, cultural/educational activities, informational activity, etc.).

Despite the generally positive shifts achieved in recent years, the Slovene ethnic community in Hungary has been confronted with various difficulties in everyday life. Many problems are directly related to the several years of isolation in the past. Within a restricted period of time, compact settlement and the isolated position of this region substantially contributed to the preservation of the ethnic characteristics of the people, and in particular of the language. The process of assimilation and the abandonment of the language were significantly accelerated by rapid industrial development in Monoster and in Hungary as a whole. The marginal geographic position and the economic backwardness of the part of the Raba region in which Slovenes are situated (compared with other regions in Hungary) have had typical negative demographic consequences, such as: ageing of the population, reduced numbers of Slovenes, migration, and so on. The negative consequences of this region's isolation have also affected the educational structure, cultural and linguistic development, and in some aspects the preservation of Slovene national identity. The further existence and development of the small Slovene ethnic community in the Raba region will largely depend on the following areas and issues: - Promotion of economic activities in rural areas, supported by the majority people and the homeland (e.g., smaller commercial undertakings, small business workshops, farm tourism, etc.). The presence of Slovene capital would have positive effects on the social situation of the population, on the people's attitude towards their homeland and links with it, and on the use of the Slovene language in public life and in family circles. - Opening of at least one more border crossing in the southern part of the Raba region (Verica/Kétvölgy- Cepinci), and re-opening of the international border crossing Martinje-Gornji Senik. - Regarding education, special attention must be paid to the improvement of the knowledge and quality of the Slovene mother tongue in nursery schools and in schools. Hungary would need to improve the material conditions for the operation of the Slovene ethnic minority schools in the Raba region. - Introduction of a Slovene radio station in Monoster. - Effective changes must be made concerning religion. The responsible church authorities need to again be petitioned to bring a Slovene priest to the Raba region. - Systematic scientific research work could contribute to improving the knowledge on the Slovenes living in the Raba region, while at the same time it would open up opportunities for promoting the economic, social/political, and cultural development of the Slovene ethnic community. The opening of the Information Cultural Centre in Monoster has generated new forms of cooperation between the Ljubljana- based Institute for Ethnic Studies and the Union of Slovenes in Hungary, creating the conditions for the beginning and development of the scientific research activity and eventually for establishing a research group (or even a research institution) for the Slovenes living in the Raba region.

Dr Katalin Munda Hirnök