Dear Citizens,

I would like to wish you a happy national holiday, especially those of you involved in professional or amateur culture. Prešeren Day is the Slovenian cultural holiday and reminds us of the importance of culture in our history and the shaping of our identity. It is a day when we proudly look back on our past and remember the important artists who carried the Slovenian language, tradition, knowledge and creative potential out into the world and established the global recognition of our culture.

Culture is not only a pillar of our identity and statehood, it is an endless pendulum of creativity, discovery, exploration and recording of everything that builds us and our sense of collective belonging. It is our love for the Slovenian language, even in times when it was repressed, scorned and persecuted. It is our responsibility to give culture the respect and importance in society that it deserves and proudly support Slovenian artists. Culture, at its core, is about solidarity and working for a community that is inclusive and ensures the well-being of everyone.

We have vowed to invest in culture and build a society based on respect and cultural dialogue. We are currently building new facilities for the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia and drafting the necessary documentation to erect new national pillars of culture that Slovenia undoubtedly deserves – the Slovenian National Theatre Drama Ljubljana and the National and University Library, NUK 2.

I wish you a proud and happy cultural day. Let us honour it by remembering and thanking everyone who has contributed to the rich cultural heritage of the Slovenian nation.