Slovenes in Italy meet with the Foreign Minister

22.10.2024

On Friday, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon met with representatives of the Slovenian national community in Italy as part of preparations for the meeting of the Slovenian-Italian Coordination Committee of Ministers. At the meeting, the issue of minority representation at the provincial and national level was highlighted.

"Slovenia closely monitors all topics and issues important for the existence and development of the Slovenian national community in Italy, and regularly highlights them in conversations with Italian interlocutors," said Minister Fajon in a press statement after the meeting in Ljubljana.

At the meeting, based on the information provided by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia (MZEZ), the state of exercising the rights of the Slovenian national community in Italy was assessed. They highlighted the issue of the representation of representatives of the national minority in the Italian representative bodies at the provincial and national level.

An important step on the way to this goal already took place in March. The Italian Senate Committee on Constitutional Affairs has approved an amendment that stipulates that future electoral legislation will have to respect the provisions protecting linguistic minorities. It will have to respect the provision from Article 26 of the Protection Act and facilitate the election of a member of parliament and a senator from the Slovenian minority. There are also great possibilities for a guaranteed seat of the Slovene minority in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (FJK), the Minister for Slovenes Abroad and the World, Matej Arčon, estimated at the time.

At the meeting in Ljubljana, they also talked about the issue of education. They discussed the mutual recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications for entering the labor market.

Both member organisations of the FUEN/AGSM were also present at the meeting. 

Representatives of the Slovenian national community in Italy participated in the meeting: Senator Tatjana Rojc, representative of the umbrella organizations of the Slovenian minority in Italy, President of the Slovenian Cultural and Economic Association Ksenija Dobrila and President of the Council of Slovenian Organizations Walter Bandelj, President of the Parity Committee Marko Jarc, Provincial Councilor Marko Pisani and State Secretary in the Office for Slovenes Abroad and Worldwide Vesna Humar.

The meeting of the coordination committee of ministers between Slovenia and Italy will be held on October 28 in Brdo pri Kranje. The last one was in 2021.

Original news from ORF: https://volksgruppen.orf.at/slovenci/stories/3278048/