I haven’t been to Slovenia in a long time. The last time I visited was for a few academic conferences — brief stays, always within international, somewhat insulated settings. Now, for the first time, I am seeing the country through a different prism, through the eyes of younger citizens of this rather disillusioned EU member state.

Ever since the days of former Yugoslavia, there was a saying: Što južnije, to tužnije (“the further south you go, the sadder it gets).” Those of us in the south used to look northward with longing at this once prosperous republic (another layer of irony being that, thanks to NATO and the EU, we ended up adding “North” to our own country’s name). But today, it is painful to watch Slovenia itself slide into the role of an EU periphery.

People complain about the infrastructure, about the fact that Ljubljana has no direct flights to major capitals or popular destinations. They speak openly about corruption, abuse of power, and the same systemic illnesses we tend to believe are uniquely ours — the burdens of those living on the periphery of the periphery.

From Triglav to Gevgelija, the mood feels heavy. Colleagues from Novi Sad talk enthusiastically about their student protests. For them, it is hope. For me, it is déjà vu. I have seen it all before. Ten years after our own plenums and protests, we find ourselves back at square one.

Sad - everywhere…