Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Change of Guard
The year 2012 saw two important changes on the political stage. In parliament, a new
government was installed, a five-party coalition led by conservative Prime Minister Janez
Janša of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), who had been a gadfly to the communist
leaders in the 1980s as a journalist, and was prime minister for four years until 2008. Aus-
terity reforms introduced by Janša, including spending cuts of up to 10% and a constitu-
tional amendment requiring all governments to run a balanced state budget, prompted
some 10,000 demonstrators to take to the streets of Ljubljana and Maribor, accusing the
government of corruption and demanding Janša's resignation. Less than a week later, the
man who assumed premiership after Janša's first term, left-leaning Borut Pahor, unseated
President Danilo Türk in a landslide victory. Fasten those seatbelts, it's going to be a
bumpy ride.
Me & My Sausage
Slovenia has always been very protective of
what it has and why not? Although good things
do come in small packages, Slovenia is an itty-
bitty place. Take Lipizzaner horses, for one ex-
ample. Although the gorgeous white creatures
are bred in locations around the world, includ-
ing Austria and Hungary, the breed takes it
name from the Slovenian village of Lipica (Lipizza in Italian) and is considered a national
animal here. And just to send the message home, Slovenia has put a pair of Lipizzaners on
the verso of its €0.20 coin. Then there's the dispute with Croatia over where to draw the
border in Piran Bay, which has in the past affected Croatia's bid to join the EU. It's now in
international arbitration. And that's not the only battle Slovenia is fighting with its neigh-
bour to the south. The second one involves something as sacred to many Slovenes as bor-
ders and horseflesh. We're talking sausages, in this case the much loved
kranjska klobasa
(Carniolan sausage) for which Slovenia is seeking EU Protected Designation of Origin
status. Under PDO rules that would mean only the Slovenian variety could bear the name.
Thing is, Croatia makes its own version and is crying foul, a word that some might use to
describe what the EU says is 'pasteurised sausage made with coarsely minced pork and
pork fat eaten after briefly warming in hot water.' Hot dog!
Slovenia ranks 154 in size - just between El Sal-
vador and French-ruled New Caledonia - out of a
total 234 nations and dependencies on earth.
