New Year’s Address by the Slovenian President Borut Pahor

Good evening,

I would like to tell you some good and encouraging words. We want to once again be overcome with that great feeling of internal satisfaction that together we are creating something good enough to be left as a heritage and inspiration to our descendants.

Is there any feeling nobler than when we do something for ourselves and for others it makes us even more humane and dignified? Despite our problems, we still hold enough hope and trust in a better future to overcome apathy and fear. Although this is not enough to resolve the current crisis, we could never face and settle our problems successfully without this courage and defiance. But we are going to settle them!

Let us do something now and then that will also benefit others and make their day. These small feelings of satisfaction that we have managed to overcome our selfishness and work for the common good make us hearty and, ultimately, happy people. The story of a community begins and ends in solidarity and affiliation; and so it is with our community, and our capability to resolve the huge issues of this crisis together. Let us have confidence in ourselves, in others; let us respect and encourage each other. The crisis can be conquered if we strengthen our sense of connectedness and responsibility toward each other. Let us be determined but tolerant, and we will make it.

I wish you and yours all the best in the New Year.