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04/12/2008

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Caharijas, Domen

4 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.

Dnevnik - Slovenia | 05/09/2007

When the Slovenians were still Turks

Last weekend saw long queues of cars waiting to cross the Croatian-Slovenian border as a result of Slovenia's tightened border controls in preparation for its accession to the Schengen area, which is scheduled for the beginning of 2008. Domen Caharijas comments: "Police Minister Dragutin Mate has now immortalised himself in the anthology of modern-day absurdities by unashamedly blaming the Turks for the inexplicably long waiting times at the Oberezje border crossing point... It appears that just four months before Slovenia officially joins the Schengen zone, officials at the country's busiest border crossing point, which lies on the most important transit route through Southeast Europe, are ill-prepared for conducting normal controls. Before 2004, Italian and Austrian border officials also had to contend with hundreds of Turks in car convoys... Don't forget: back then the Slovenians were Turks too, or in other words, non-Europeans."

Dnevnik - Slovenia | 11/12/2006

Slovenia's presidency of the EU Council

Domen Caharijas looks at how Slovenia's take over of the EU Council's presidency for six months starting January 2008, after Germany and Portugal. Caharijas hopes the latter two will have advanced the progress of the EU Constitution. "If everything goes smoothly, the Slovenian Prime Minister could hold a conference in Slovenia at the start of his EU Council presidency, thus gaining practically free publicity for his 2008 election campaign. If Jansa's team does not bring the EU to the verge of dissolution, it will win the next election. It's usually not at all bad to be the last in the relay race - particularly if the first runners have gotten ahead of the pack. The last runner gets to revel in the jubliation of the crowd."

Dnevnik - Slovenia | 03/05/2006

NATO as global policeman

"Global is expensive" says Domen Caharijas commenting on NATO's increasing commitments worldwide. He fears that, along with the UN and US, the defence organisation could be turning into a new world policeman. "At the NATO Foreign Ministers informal meeting in Sofia, NATO Secretary General Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer spoke of a stronger global role for the organisation, and the problems this would entail. He was referring to the financing of peace operations which are increasing in number, are in increasingly remote locations and are costing more and more... Slovenia pays for the upkeep of 'only' 49 soldiers in Afghanistan. For countries which have helicopters squadrons, the costs can be astronomical, and they don't even get a 'discount' on their NATO membership fees."

Dnevnik - Slovenia | 23/03/2006

Defending air space

Slovenian Defence Minister Karl Erjavec has unleashed a storm of protest with his announcement that he intends to buy fighter aircraft to defend Slovenia's air space. A year ago he had expressed the view that it was not enough for the country to rely on the Italian fighter planes that, according to a NATO agreement, are responsible for Slovenia. Domen Caharijas attacks the minister's plans: "His position is incomprehensible. It is to be hoped that the government will not listen to his nonsense about 'adequate defence' and 'securing sovereignty'. As far as the first argument is concerned, certain defence mechanisms are simply not affordable for small countries... And why should they buy them if NATO membership provides these systems for free? And as far as sovereignty is concerned, Slovenia will suffer more from the loss of its own currency than from NATO being responsible for protecting its air space."

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