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Approximately 100 years after the national consciousness idea of a
United Slovenia was formed in the Spring of Nations in 1848, Slovenes
as a nation achieved the status of a federal republic on the Soviet
model under the communist regime of Yugoslavia in which, of course,
Slovenia was not a sovereign state. Ten years ago Slovenes finally
reached a point where there was sufficient political power and
plebiscitary determination to gain the status of an independent
state. Naturally, numerous external circumstances contributed,
especially the raising of the Iron Curtain, followed by the
disintegration of the former Yugoslav communist party regime, in which
Slovenes saw a historic opportunity to establish their own
state. Despite the opposition and doubts expressed in global political
evaluations at the time, Slovenes remained firm in their
decision. Today we are living out our decision as a nation together
with all the political discords and troubles that make up a democracy,
and in which we are attempting to form a society along European lines.
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