On February 8th 2025, the European Capital of Europe was ceremonially opened at 4 pm with the speeches of the presidents of two countries, Slovenia and Italy.
The two presidents who earlier that day had an official meeting at Vila Vilpoze during which President Pirc Musar received the highest Italian state award from Italian President Sergio Mattarella, addressed the audience in Gorizia on Europe Square.
Speech by Nataša Pirc Musar, President of the Republic of Slovenia
“Dear Mr President, mio caro amico Sergio, Dear Mayors Samo Turel and Rodolfo Ziberna, Distinguished guests from Slovenia and abroad, Dear Slovenians and residents of Gorica, cari amici, nostri vicini di Gorizia e d’Italia, cari tutti cittadini d’Europa. Today, 8 February 2025, will be remembered in our hearts as a historic day. A day of a century-old vision of peace, freedom, good neighbourly relations and mutual respect. Of friendship and love between us.
Today, Slovenians at home, abroad and around the world celebrate the Slovenian Cultural Holiday. On this day in 1849, our greatest poet, France Prešeren, put down his pen for the last time. During the Spring of Nations, he wrote Zdravljica, A Toast, his most important work, which since 2020 has borne the European Heritage Label and whose seventh stanza has been chosen by the Slovenian nation as the Slovenian national anthem:
“God’s blessing on all nations, who long and work for that bright day, when o’er earth’s habitations No war, no strife shall hold its sway; Who long to see That all men free No more shall foes, but neighbours be!”
Prešeren’s words are so dear to me not only because they have become our anthem, but also because, as early as the mid-19th century, they outlined Slovenia’s internal and foreign policy vision, which we are living today as an independent country and a member of the European Union. Peace, freedom, good neighbourly relations, mutual respect.
That is why today our hearts are so touched by the historic importance of this project. It is heart-warming that on Prešeren Day, in Europe Square, where we became part of the European family more than twenty years ago, together with our neighbours, our friends from Italy, we are inaugurating the European Capital of Culture, which for the first time in its history brings together two cities, two countries, two nations.
Nova Gorica and Gorizia are twin cities; they are the European Capital of Culture 2025. Together, we are inaugurating it on the day we celebrate our cultural holiday in Slovenia, and in the year that marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War, on the ruins of which the survivors shook hands with each other, forgave each other, and, on the basis of reconciliation between nations, promised each other: never again war and trampling on humanity. The European Union, our common homeland, today still stands on these foundations. On a promise of and a commitment to peace, freedom, good neighbourly relations, mutual respect – a promise that we must never, ever renege on. On the recognition that “there is so much more that unites us than divides us”, as noted by my predecessor, President Pahor, from whom I proudly and responsibly took over the honourable patronage of this historic joint project. And I am particularly grateful to you, dear President Sergio Mattarella, for being with us today as our friend and leader of our neighbouring and friendly Italian Republic. Thank you, Mr President – for your statesmanship, your friendship, your commitment to coexistence and to a common, bright future.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Europe and the world seem to be at a crossroads of values, and we must not forget our past when we plan for the future. Nova Gorica, hand in hand with neighbouring Gorizia, is taking up the honour and title of the European Capital of Culture as a unique conurbation aware of its past, but above all with a responsibility for our common future and the generations to come, who deserve peace, freedom and creativity, but never in a way that deprives others of these values or oppresses them. That is why this European Capital of Culture is truly unique and historically important. Because Nova Gorica and Gorizia and the people here also coexist and co-create, inspired by Prešeren’s verses and the recommendation of our poet Srečko Kosovel: “Let us be one in spirit and love, but maintain our own faces.”
Distinguished Guests, On behalf of my country, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the dedicated and passionate artists who have spent several years preparing a varied and rich programme. I am particularly pleased that many joint projects have also been developed by the two minorities. I am confident that each of us will be inspired by the programme and feel the love and responsibility with which it has been prepared. Warm greetings and best wishes from Europe Square also to the German city of Chemnitz, which is also the European Capital of Culture 2025, inviting visitors to discover the unseen under the motto of “C the Unseen”.
Let’s go forward, Europe without borders! Avanti Europa senza confini!
Speech by Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic
I wish to thank President Pirc Musar for inviting me to share with her this history-making moment for the two cities – Nova Gorica and Gorizia – for Slovenia and Italy, and for the entire European Union.
Let me express my sincere appreciation to the organisers, to the local authorities and to the representatives of the European institutions in attendance for the work carried out in full harmony and with farsightedness to bring to fruition a project launched from this very square back in 2021. A project whose roots lie in the long journey of friendship and reconciliation actively promoted by our two countries, Madam President. This is something we can be proud of.
In a world marked by growing tensions and conflicts, a world that has forsaken cooperation as a fundamental element of international life, Slovenia and Italy have proven that the path of cooperation is still a valid option.
Against the backdrop of the tragedy of the Second World War an Auschwitz survivor, Roman Kent, said “we don’t want our past to be our children’s future”.
It is with such spirit that we faced the post-war events, in order to write a new page and nothing, no provocation will revert the history that Slovenia and Italy are writing together.
Along this journey, two elements turned out to be crucial: our common membership of the European Union and the culture our two peoples share.
When Slovenia joined the European Union, twenty years ago, our countries converged in a shared path. The Italian Republic supported and accompanied your accession process with conviction, so that our two peoples could once again contribute to a common destiny. Working side by side, within the European institutions, we have consolidated reciprocal trust alongside an additional sense of belonging and identity: our shared European identity.
Differences and misunderstandings were superseded by uniting factors.
And this is something that encapsulates the value of the European Union.
A culture encompassing so many valuable national peculiarities and so many languages – yet a common culture that the two cities will be celebrating together this year.
Nova Gorica and Gorizia want to celebrate a cross-border culture.
Together with Chemnitz, in Germany, Nova Gorica was chosen as the European Capital of Culture 2025, and the Slovenian city decided to set itself a challenge with its twin city, Gorizia: to put forward a cross-border cultural experience.
While culture, by definition, knows no boundaries, it does take shape as an expression of a community, which however is open to insight, to a shared pursuit, to mutual enrichment.
After defeating the horrors of nationalist extremism – which have caused so much harm in Europe – the values of coexistence and openness re-emerge.
These are the values that can stand against the obscurantism of war and of the conflict that has returned with Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Being the first cross-border European Capital of Culture means being bold enough to be the bearer of light and faith in the world’s future, at a time when shadows, uncertainty and fears are spreading. It means to indicate the path to true progress.
This is a task that begins today. In a spirit of sincere friendship, I join President Pirc Musar in wishing you great success.