From the Dachstein to “to the Wendenland at the bed of the Sav” – that is what it says in the “Dachsteinlied”, the national anthem of Styria. The FPÖ’s plans to include the national anthem in the state constitution are now causing diplomatic tensions, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ljubljana insisting on “territorial integrity and sovereignty”.
The “Bed of the Sav” is located in present-day Slovenia and, like the entire Lower Styria with cities such as Maribor (Marburg), Celje (Cilli) and Ptuj (Pettau), has not been part of Styria for more than 100 years. The Štajerska initially came to Yugoslavia and has been part of the independent state of Slovenia since 1991.
Slovenia has called on Styria’s new state government to be “cautious” in its plan to constitutionally protect the state song and reaffirm its “territorial integrity and sovereignty”. Page 65 of the government program of the FPÖ-ÖVP government states: “The state song, the ‘Dachsteinlied’, must be included in the state constitution.”
“Territorial integrity and sovereignty”
The plan ignores the historical context in which the Dachstein song was created, the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized in the daily newspaper “Dnevnik” (online edition). “In this and similar cases, the ministry emphasizes territorial integrity and sovereignty and calls for caution when it comes to steps with the highest symbolic value of the country, such as the national anthem,” the Slovenian Foreign Ministry said when asked by Dnevnik .
Slovenia maintains cooperation with its neighbors on the basis of the principle of reciprocity and in the spirit of common European values, the ministry emphasized, referring to the regular meetings of the Styria-Slovenia Joint Committee, most recently in Celje in January of the previous year. “We expect that the diverse cooperation will continue in the future under the new leadership of the Austrian state of Styria,” said the ministry, led by Social Democrat Tanja Fajon.
There is still no response from the Styrian state government.
Submit a complaint to the Constitutional Court?
Sharp opposition to the blue-black plan also comes from IG Authors. Their director Gerhard Ruiss was furious in the “Dnevnik” interview. “You cannot write an area into the constitution that is not part of the state of Austria,” he said. If the Styrian state parliament does do this through a corresponding resolution, a constitutional revision would have to be initiated. Ruiss filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court (VfGH).
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
