Hänsch’s Slovenia trip highlights dispute with Italy

Date: 28/03/1996

By Thomas Klau

EUROPEAN Parliament President Klaus Hänsch is set to travel to Slovenia next week for a two-day visit which will highlight the country's glowing economic and political record in preparing for EU membership.

But the presidential trip - part of a series of visits to EU hopefuls - will also draw fresh attention to the dispute between Slovenia and Italy which has, until now, kept Slovenia from being fully included in the EU's dialogue with future accession candidates.

Italy continues to block the conclusion of a Europe Agreement, the last and necessary step to bring the former Yugoslav republic into the exclusive club of countries which have been granted a right to future EU membership.

Despite strong pressure from some of its Union partners, Rome refuses to drop its demand for the restitution of (or financial compensation for) property lost by ethnic Italian and Slovenian refugees now living in Italy when they left Slovenia after the Communist take-over in the wake of World War II.

Italy is the only EU country to demand individual compensation for property lost by a group of its citizens during the enforced or voluntary population movements which occurred throughout Central and Eastern Europe after the war ended.

While the cause of the 20,000 to 80,0000 Slovenian refugees (estimates vary according to whether their children are included in the count or not) was initially taken up and championed by the reconstructed neo-fascists of Gianfranco Fini's Alleanza Nazionale during their spell in government, the outgoing technocratic government of Prime Minister Lamberto Dini chose to leave the Italian demand unchanged.

Following European pressure, Ljubljana agreed to redraft a part of its constitution.

Under the new constitution, which still awaits ratification by the Slovenian parliament, foreigners will be allowed to acquire property, provided they use it for economic purposes.

This will bring Slovenia into line with European law, but does not satisfy the Italian government, which is asking for a special buy-back provision for ex-Slovenian refugees to be written into the country's constitution and continues

to insist on property restitution or financial compensation.

The Slovenian government is ready to negotiate with Rome over the refugees' demands, but refuses to grant them special constitutional rights.

EU diplomats expect this deadlock to continue until after new governments have emerged from the Italian elections in April and the Slovenian elections in October.

“The issue has become highly emotional and politicised in both countries,” says one Union official.

But the Italo-Slovenian conflict is not expected to sour the atmosphere during Hänsch's visit to Ljubljana.

The Parliament president will point to a resolution passed overwhelmingly by MEPs last November which called upon Italy not to let the conflict stand in the way of the conclusion of a Europe agreement.

Aides say Hänsch will most likely use his two-day visit to Slovenia, during which he is scheduled to address a plenary session of the Slovenian parliament, to praise the healthy economy and stable democracy which have emerged in this small country since its short independence war with Yugoslavia in 1991.

EU officials say the rights which Slovenia granted to its remaining Italian minority are exemplary, while the country's 23 television channels and numerous newspapers help to ensure a highly democratic political debate.

In terms of wealth per inhabitant, Slovenia is reckoned to have left Greece and Portugal behind. If its GDP keeps rising at the current healthy annual growth rate of between 4 and 6&percent;, it should soon be on a par with Spain and Ireland.

“If they manage to bring inflation (which currently stands at around 8&percent;) down, they would be serious candidates for monetary union,” says one EU official, adding: “In fact, we have absolutely no problem with Slovenia.”