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President Türk was the Guest of Honour at the 6th Bled Strategic Forum

Bled, 9.9.2011  |  press release


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President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, attended the Opening of the 6th Bled Strategic Forum and addressed the participants as the Guest of Honour (photo: Tamino Petelinšek/STA)The President of the Republic, Dr Danilo Türk, was the Guest of Honour at the opening meeting of the 6th Bled Strategic Forum entitled "The Power of the Future". In his speech, he emphasized that power is a demanding concept which can be understood in two ways, in the same way as concepts of freedom and sovereignty can be defined negatively as protection from external influences, or positively as the capacity of self-realization or responsible acting. Duality of the concept of power is already presented in the classical division between "hard power" and "soft power". However, in the President's words, duality is present also in soft power, since soft power can be both external and internal.

President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, attended the Opening of the 6th Bled Strategic Forum and addressed the participants as the Guest of Honour (photo: Stanko Gruden/STA)External soft power is projected internationally and strongly influences the way the international society functions, said President Türk, as he referred to the power of culture, power of ideas, power of communications and the power of messages coming from civil society as examples. But he especially emphasized the internal dimension of soft power, as in the absence of global solutions, the world has to focus more on changes within societies that can be described as holders of power. As he explained, the United States is currently searching for solutions to serious problems of economics and politics, in China, rapid growth has highlighted serious questions of social cohesion and transformation of society towards a consumer society, while Russia strongly strives towards modernization in all areas.

President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, attended the Opening of the 6th Bled Strategic Forum and addressed the participants as the Guest of Honour (photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA)The President pointed out that a specific process is developing within European Union, primarily tackling financial problems, but also political ones which again are essential to solve financial problems. In the European Union, fiscal discipline, budgetary balance, reduction of the government debt, financial stability and other requirements are currently being discussed. All these are necessary if the European Union is to retain and develop its power, which is largely soft power, and be able to project it internationally. These discussions often result in suggesting new international arrangements, new treaties, new sanctions or new institutions within the Union, however the President pointed out that these measures are insufficient and not necessarily the most important – it is much more important for the people of European countries to accept the need, perhaps even the inevitability, for change.

President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, attended the Opening of the 6th Bled Strategic Forum and addressed the participants as the Guest of Honour (photo: Tamino Petelinšek/STA)The most important change Europe needs has to come from within and it has to do with internal soft power – the soft power of civil societies, the soft power of political ideas and, above all, the sense of responsibility of the European countries, each of them individually and each society within those countries, emphasized Dr Danilo Türk. If Europe succeeds in reforming its finance from below and if these changes are accepted by its people, then Europe will be able to organise its internal power, its positive freedom and to project it at the international level, the President concluded his address.
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