James Oberstar: “Mr. Speaker, this is important legislation for the reasons already explained. Because it is important, I regret that it…”

“Mr. Speaker, this is important legislation for the reasons already explained. Because it is important, I regret that it does not go a step further and include, along with Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, Slovenia. Let me explain why. With only 8 percent of the population of former Yugoslavia, Slovenia accounted for 19 percent of the country's gross domestic product, one-third of its exports, one half of its dairy production, 40 percent of all of its taxes. The Slovenes, post election, have been a model of parliamentary democracy. Local government has been expanded; 158 new municipalities have been created, local elections held. They have received the highest human rights respect status awarded by Amnesty International. Inflation in the postwar, and it was only a 9-day war imposed by the Serb Army, only 68 people died, the Slovenes let the Serb Army return to its land without killing anyone, inflation was at 1,200 percent. It is now down to under 9 percent. They have a $3 billion positive international balance of payments. They have the 20th largest per capita exporting country record. Ninety percent of the former socialist economy has been privatized. The banks have been privatized. They have balanced their budget. Unemployment rate is down to around 7 percent. Slovenia, in short, is Europe's best kept democratic secret.”