PANEL DISCUSSION 2025

Milan ZVER:
WE MUST GIVE SPACE TO THE VOICE OF CENTRAL EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WITH THE SUPPORT OF EASTERN AND SOUTHERN COUNTRIES

Dear organisers, distinguished guests,

I must say at the very beginning that I am no longer a vice-president. I was twice a vice-president in the Slovenian Democratic Party, led by Janez Janša.

Janez Janša intended to be here to participate in this conference, but he is now fully involved in the new national elections in Slovenia, which will take place at the beginning of next year. I would like to share with you some thoughts on European democracy, whatever that may mean.

When I received the invitation to the conference in September, I browsed through my library and came across a publication issued more than 35 years ago. In an article of my own, I argued for the necessity of greater autonomy for the Yugoslav republics, warning that otherwise the state would disintegrate. My thesis was proven correct: the unitarists and centralists who insisted, at that time, on a uniform state failed. In the end, the idea of autonomy prevailed; heteronomy was defeated. This publication prompted me to draw a parallel between my youthful experience and the present. In both cases, I find myself defending autonomy.

But let us go back to reflections on the so-called European democracy. We may recall a situation which, despite great differences – Yugoslavia being a totalitarian state – nevertheless shares a core problem: how should the decision-making system be designed in such multi-ethnic circumstances? Should it rest solely on majority rule, or should it combine majority rule with consensual decision-making in a representative body in which the constituent members of the community, such as states or nations, participate?

In modern multi-ethnic communities, such two-track democracies are indispensable. Indeed, the Lisbon Treaty anticipates them. The principle of consensus, or the veto as an occasional mode of decision-making in the Council of the EU, is constantly challenged by left-leaning political forces. As an example, in her most recent State of the Union address, President Ursula von der Leyen even stated that the EU must abolish the veto.

The question is how the European Union can preserve both lines of democracy: the majoritarian and the consensual. First, we need to retain the veto. It is also necessary to resist the recurring proposals, surfacing before each European election, to introduce pan-European lists. We must prevent the establishment of a single pan-European electoral constituency. We should also oppose the idea of a senate, elected through general elections as a second chamber of the European Parliament, which would assume the role of the Council of the EU. Likewise, a proposed pan-European referendum would merely reinforce the dominance of the larger decision-makers at EU level.

All these proposals drive the European Union in the wrong direction, potentially even towards disintegration. EU citizens still identify politically, first and foremost, with their own nation states, and only thereafter with the European Union. For this reason, a radical remodelling of European democracy is neither necessary nor desirable.

We know that democracy is a living phenomenon, capable of change and improvement, yet we are living in a time that is not favourable to democracy. Today, only one quarter of the world's population lives under a democratic system, whereas in 2005 the figure was around 50%. Research increasingly suggests that democracy is in decline and that so-called hybrid systems may be more effective in delivering public services than democratic ones. We all hope that this is not the case in the long term.

As far as the EU is concerned, it is imperative that we define and preserve the existing two-track model of democracy. Otherwise, the Union risks collapse. For my state, Slovenia, such an outcome would be catastrophic. Slovenia has never enjoyed better historical circumstances than those offered by EU membership, despite the Union's imperfections. The same could be said for several other Member States as well.

Dear friends, in my opinion, we should reject the so-called Western unitary concept of European democracy. We must also enable the voice of the Central European states, with the support of the Eastern and Southern ones. It will be strong if we are more aware of our deep cultural, historical, and religious ties. Our roots bind us together.

Let me conclude with the deep conviction that the EU can survive only if both individuals and Member States feel free and secure within it. Thank you for your attention.