Pirc Musar meets minority ahead of visit to Italy

The talks revolved around efforts to guarantee seats to minority representatives in the Italian parliament. Ever since Italy adopted a constitutional reform cutting the number of MPs and senators, chances of ethnic Slovenians securing a seat are slimmer, the minority representatives said.

Discussing topical issues with the president were Senator Tatjana Rojc, a member of the Slovenian minority, Ksenija Dobrila, head of the Slovenian Cultural and Economic Union, Marko Jarc, the chair of the parity committee on Slovenian minority matters, and regional councillor Marko Pisani, the president's office said.

Pirc Musar pledged her continuous support to the European Capital of Culture 2025 cross-border project hosted by Slovenia's Nova Gorica and Italy's Gorizia, hopeful that the Slovenian minority in Italy as well as the Italian minority in Slovenia will, as much as possible, seize the opportunities the project has to offer.

"I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Slovenian ethnic minority in Italy for their dedicated work. Their participation in public life is key for a democratic society," Pirc Musar said.

The president also held talks with representatives of the Italian minority in Slovenian, MP Felice Žiža and the head of the Coastal Self-Government Community Alberto Scheriani. They touched on challenges for the economy and education, and support for the minority's media outlets.

The talks were an introduction to Pirc Musar's working visit to Italy, which she starts on Friday. She will meet with Mattarella in Rome, pay a visit to Slovenian troops in Naples and have an audience with Pope Francis in Vatican.