Dimitrij Rupel – Diplomats

Dimitrij Rupel’s new book Diplomats is in a way a continuation of the book The Meaning of Independence (2023). In terms of writing style and scope, it is similar to the previous book, except that it focuses more on international issues than on domestic ones, of course, those related to Slovenia’s independence and its position in the world. Among the “heroes” of Diplomats are mainly those foreign ministers and individual famous diplomats (Kennan, Mock, Genscher, Solana, Kissinger, Kozyrev…) who represent the background of the Cold War, and especially the events at its end. The author remembers them from the times when he was (between 1990-1993 and 2000-2008) the organizer of Slovenia’s international recognition; when he headed the OSCE (2005) and the EU Council for General Affairs and External Relations (2008).

Rupel’s message has become more severe since his previous books: for the success (reputation, recognition, originality, economic prosperity, etc.) of the Slovenian state, political consensus on international issues is also important. This is increasingly lacking, as shown by the disagreements regarding the Middle East and Ukraine. Slovenians mostly identify with nations that strive to gain or maintain independent statehood. Recently, however, we have become more negligent and indifferent to our own country.

The condition for changing such a mentality is to reflect on the attempts at reconciliation that began in 1990. After the elections, or rather upon being elected President of the Assembly, France Bučar said: “The civil war is over!” At the funeral of the extrajudicially murdered Home Guard prisoners in Kočevski Rog after the war on July 8, 1945, we listened to the regrets of former leaders and watched the beginning of their resignation from power. However, the communists and democrats, the former and new leaders of Slovenia, did not shake hands.

Interesting reading is provided by the reports on political dinners with the American Roosevelt, the Soviet Stalin, and the Chinese Li Peng. The author of the first report is the American Slovenian Louis Adamič, the second by Đilas, and the third by the author of The Diplomats himself.