Western Balkans must join EU for lasting European peace, says Slovenia's President

Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar asserts that the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union is crucial for ensuring sustained peace on the continent for the next 80 years. Speaking from Ljubljana, where she resides in a historic palace that has served as the seat of presidential power since 1993, Pirc Musar underscored the symbolic importance of her surroundings, adorned with statues representing Power and Justice.

Her conviction stems from a deep-seated belief in the primacy of ethics and moral consistency across all spheres of public life, including law, media, and politics. Drawing from her extensive experience as a lawyer, journalist, editor, and television host, Pirc Musar articulated her thoughts with clarity and precision. She stated, "I have been like this my whole life and I try to live the values that my parents instilled in me. Probably my profession also determined me. Law must be based on values. Without that, law is not what it should be."

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I have been like this my whole life and I try to live the values that my parents instilled in me. Probably my profession also determined me. Law must be based on values. Without that, law is not what it should be.

Pirc Musar criticized the current state of international politics, where some actors disregard international law, humanitarian law, and the UN Charter simply because they can. She warned that such actions lead to chaos, emphasizing that values are not confined to left or right political spectrums. "Values are neither left nor right," she stated, adding that while conservatism or liberalism might apply in some contexts, human rights transcend these divisions.

The President's visit and interview took place shortly after Slovenia's Statehood Day on June 25, a date that also marked the independence declarations of both Slovenia and Croatia 35 years prior. Pirc Musar's background, which includes a pre-political career in journalism, informs her approach to leadership. Her office in Ljubljana, a grand neo-Renaissance palace designed by Viennese architect Emil von Förster, houses Slovenian cultural symbols, including a Lipizzaner horse statue and a 1976 Tomos motorcycle prototype, reflecting both national heritage and personal interests.

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Values are neither left nor right.