Mladina
Encyclopedia
Mladina is a Slovenia
n weekly left-wing current affairs
magazine
. It was first published in the 1920s as the youth magazine of the Slovenian Communist Party
. Since then, Mladina has become a voice of protest against those in power, now printed weekly throughout the country, making it one of the most influential political magazines in the country.
, writer Ludvik Mrzel or historian France Klopčič
published in the magazine. In the 1930s, during the dictatorship of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, the journal ceased to exist due to the repressive pressure of the authorities. It was re-established during World War II
, in January 1943, as the journal of the underground anti-Fascist resistance movement. After 1945, it was again transformed in the official herald of the Youth Section of the Communist Party of Slovenia.
, of which the sales at first rose to a modest 7,000 copies. However, the new image was not just a vehicle to cover pop events, and it soon became a political paper that was the voice of opposition. It gained immediate popularity. Revelations of corruption scandals in Slovenia drove the circulation up to 30,000.
In 1982, the Congress of the Alliance of Socialist Youth of Slovenia decided to transform Mladina by increasing its editorial autonomy and elevate it to the voice of the growing internal opposition of the young Communists against the mainstream of the Communist Party in Slovenia. Thus, by the late 1980s Mladinas main focus became to promote democratic transformation through political criticism. It pursued its change in focus from youth culture to exposing political conflicts within Yugoslav
society, including a critique of Josip Broz Tito
's legacy, the Federal Government, the Communist Party
and, especially, the Army
. At the time, Mladina was monitored by the authorities because of its pacifist stance, manifested, among other things, in its firm opposition to Yugoslavia’s arms sales to developing countries.
, to be imposed in Slovenia in an emergency. One of the men arrested was the freelance journalist Janez Janša
, at that time a prominent member of the League of Socialist Youth of Slovenia who had been expelled from the Communist Party of Slovenia in 1983 (he later became the Prime Minister of Slovenia
). The others were two editors of the magazine, David Tasić and Franci Zavrl, and an army sergeant, Ivan Borštner. The arrest of two of its editors elicited strong protest, pushed the circulation to 70,000 and gave the magazine prominence across Yugoslavia in 1987-1988 at a time of differences between Slovenes and other groups in Yugoslavia. "We are the official press, they the alternative", claimed Mladina editors proudly and boldly at a congress on alternative youth culture in Southern Europe
in Bologna
in December 1988.
The subsequent trial held in Ljubljana
, the capital of Slovenia, was carried out in Serbo-Croatian
rather than Slovene, and this caused much offense to many Slovenes. The trial was a unifying time for Slovenes prior to their separation from Yugoslavia
and sparked protests around Ljubljana. Around 15,000 people joined a central Ljubljana protest in June of that year. A a result, the Committee for the Protection of Human Rights (CPHR) was set up.
newspaper. For example, in 1991, a comment in an article stated that the European policy on the Balkans was simple political idiocy.
Mladina's deputy editor, Ali Žerdin has claimed that the magazine's contributors are not hostile to the government, but just sceptical journalists pushing the government to make better choices. For example, in 2003, as Slovenia was entering NATO, statements in Mladina led to accusations that it was anti-NATO. Ali Žerdin defended the magazine by saying that the government would not consider a rebuff in the referendum a vote against NATO.
Religion is also a frequent topic in Mladina. The magazine has been critical of the Roman Catholic Church
, such as its opposition to the rehabilitation of Gregorij Rožman
, and has opposed the policies of the Slovenian cardinal Franc Rode, the Opus Dei
and other conservative currents in the Church. It has also been accused of inciting anti-Catholic sentiment, most famously by the writer and essayist Drago Jančar
in his essay "Slovenian Marginalities", published in 1999. In 2004, a controversy on whether or not Muslims should be allowed to build a mosque in Ljubljana broke out. Many of Slovenia's Muslims are first or second generation descendants of immigrant workers from other former Yugoslav regions (mostly Bosniaks
and Albanians
) and several chauvinist and right-wing groups have opposed the building of a mosque in Ljubljana, while Mladina fully supports its construction. However, in line with its liberal
stance, Mladina was one of the few printed media in Slovenia that published the controversial cartoons of Mohammad
in 2006.
Mladina has had several prominent dedicated professionals. Ivo Standeker was a feature editor for Mladina working in Sarajevo
when he was killed in June 1992.
, journalist and politician Janez Janša
, philosopher Slavoj Žižek
, philosopher and literary theorist Rastko Močnik
, political theorist Tomaž Mastnak and Vlasta Jalušič, journalist Jurij Gustinčič, sociologist and publicist Bernard Nežmah, film critic Marcel Štefančič Jr., jurist and human rights activist Matevž Krivic, cartoonist Tomaž Lavrič, and many others.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n weekly left-wing current affairs
Current affairs (news format)
Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
. It was first published in the 1920s as the youth magazine of the Slovenian Communist Party
League of Communists of Slovenia
The League of Communists of Slovenia was the Slovenian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1989...
. Since then, Mladina has become a voice of protest against those in power, now printed weekly throughout the country, making it one of the most influential political magazines in the country.
The origins
Mladina was first founded in 1920 as the official herald of the Youth Section of the Yugoslav Communist Party in Slovenia. After the prohibition of the Communist Party in 1921, the journal kept circulating in a semi-illegal position. During this period, it was the herald not only of Communists, but of the radical leftist and anti-capitalist youth in general. Famous figures such as the poet Srečko KosovelSrecko Kosovel
Srečko Kosovel was a Slovene expressionist poet who evolved towards avant-garde forms. Since the 1960s, Kosovel has become a poetic icon, in the league of the most prestigious Slovene literates like France Prešeren and Ivan Cankar. Together with Edvard Kocbek, he is considered as the most...
, writer Ludvik Mrzel or historian France Klopčič
France Klopčič
France Klopčič was a Slovenian historian, author, translator and Communist political activist.He was born in the town of L'Hôpital , France, then part of the German province of Alsace-Lorraine, where his father worked as industrial workers. At the outbreak of World War One, the family moved to the...
published in the magazine. In the 1930s, during the dictatorship of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia, the journal ceased to exist due to the repressive pressure of the authorities. It was re-established during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in January 1943, as the journal of the underground anti-Fascist resistance movement. After 1945, it was again transformed in the official herald of the Youth Section of the Communist Party of Slovenia.
The 1980s
By 1984, Mladina was in severe crisis. A new generation of editors then took charge and transformed the tired party journal into a teenager's fanzineFanzine
A fanzine is a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon for the pleasure of others who share their interest...
, of which the sales at first rose to a modest 7,000 copies. However, the new image was not just a vehicle to cover pop events, and it soon became a political paper that was the voice of opposition. It gained immediate popularity. Revelations of corruption scandals in Slovenia drove the circulation up to 30,000.
In 1982, the Congress of the Alliance of Socialist Youth of Slovenia decided to transform Mladina by increasing its editorial autonomy and elevate it to the voice of the growing internal opposition of the young Communists against the mainstream of the Communist Party in Slovenia. Thus, by the late 1980s Mladinas main focus became to promote democratic transformation through political criticism. It pursued its change in focus from youth culture to exposing political conflicts within Yugoslav
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
society, including a critique of Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
's legacy, the Federal Government, the Communist Party
League of Communists of Yugoslavia
League of Communists of Yugoslavia , before 1952 the Communist Party of Yugoslavia League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Serbo-Croatian: Savez komunista Jugoslavije/Савез комуниста Југославије, Slovene: Zveza komunistov Jugoslavije, Macedonian: Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na...
and, especially, the Army
Yugoslav People's Army
The Yugoslav People's Army , also referred to as the Yugoslav National Army , was the military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.-Origins:The origins of the JNA can...
. At the time, Mladina was monitored by the authorities because of its pacifist stance, manifested, among other things, in its firm opposition to Yugoslavia’s arms sales to developing countries.
The Ljubljana trial
Mladina 's most controversial period was the spring of 1988 with the Ljubljana trial, also known as the Trial against the Four (Proces proti četverici) or simply as JBTZ-trial, after the initial of the four arrested men (Janša-Borštner-Tasić-Zavrl). In early 1984, in fact, four men were arrested and prosecuted for their handling of military documents found at Mladinas offices. These documents clarified acts of Martial LawMartial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
, to be imposed in Slovenia in an emergency. One of the men arrested was the freelance journalist Janez Janša
Janez Janša
Janez Janša is a Slovenian politician who was Prime Minister of Slovenia from November 2004 to November 2008. He has also been President of the Slovenian Democratic Party since 1993...
, at that time a prominent member of the League of Socialist Youth of Slovenia who had been expelled from the Communist Party of Slovenia in 1983 (he later became the Prime Minister of Slovenia
Prime Minister of Slovenia
There have been six Prime Ministers of Slovenia since that country gained its independence in the breakup of Yugoslavia. Unlike the President of Slovenia, who is directly elected, the Prime Minister is appointed by the National Assembly, and must control a majority there in order to...
). The others were two editors of the magazine, David Tasić and Franci Zavrl, and an army sergeant, Ivan Borštner. The arrest of two of its editors elicited strong protest, pushed the circulation to 70,000 and gave the magazine prominence across Yugoslavia in 1987-1988 at a time of differences between Slovenes and other groups in Yugoslavia. "We are the official press, they the alternative", claimed Mladina editors proudly and boldly at a congress on alternative youth culture in Southern Europe
Southern Europe
The term Southern Europe, at its most general definition, is used to mean "all countries in the south of Europe". However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical...
in Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
in December 1988.
The subsequent trial held in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, the capital of Slovenia, was carried out in Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
rather than Slovene, and this caused much offense to many Slovenes. The trial was a unifying time for Slovenes prior to their separation from Yugoslavia
Ten-Day War
The Ten-Day War or the Slovenian Independence War was a military conflict between the Slovenian Territorial Defence and the Yugoslav People's Army in 1991 following Slovenia's declaration of independence.-Background:...
and sparked protests around Ljubljana. Around 15,000 people joined a central Ljubljana protest in June of that year. A a result, the Committee for the Protection of Human Rights (CPHR) was set up.
Other coverage
Generally speaking, Mladina was and is a radicalExtremism
Extremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
newspaper. For example, in 1991, a comment in an article stated that the European policy on the Balkans was simple political idiocy.
Mladina's deputy editor, Ali Žerdin has claimed that the magazine's contributors are not hostile to the government, but just sceptical journalists pushing the government to make better choices. For example, in 2003, as Slovenia was entering NATO, statements in Mladina led to accusations that it was anti-NATO. Ali Žerdin defended the magazine by saying that the government would not consider a rebuff in the referendum a vote against NATO.
Religion is also a frequent topic in Mladina. The magazine has been critical of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, such as its opposition to the rehabilitation of Gregorij Rožman
Gregorij Rožman
Gregorij Rožman was a Slovenian Roman Catholic clergyman and theologian. Between 1930 and 1959, he served as bishop of the Diocese of Ljubljana. He is most famous for his controversial role during World War II...
, and has opposed the policies of the Slovenian cardinal Franc Rode, the Opus Dei
Opus Dei
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei , is an organization of the Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its membership are lay people, with secular priests under the...
and other conservative currents in the Church. It has also been accused of inciting anti-Catholic sentiment, most famously by the writer and essayist Drago Jančar
Drago Jancar
Drago Jančar is a Slovenian writer, playwright and essayist. Jančar is one of the most known contemporary Slovene writers. In Slovenia, he is also famous for his political commentaries and civic engagement.-Life:...
in his essay "Slovenian Marginalities", published in 1999. In 2004, a controversy on whether or not Muslims should be allowed to build a mosque in Ljubljana broke out. Many of Slovenia's Muslims are first or second generation descendants of immigrant workers from other former Yugoslav regions (mostly Bosniaks
Bosniaks
The Bosniaks or Bosniacs are a South Slavic ethnic group, living mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a smaller minority also present in other lands of the Balkan Peninsula especially in Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia...
and Albanians
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
) and several chauvinist and right-wing groups have opposed the building of a mosque in Ljubljana, while Mladina fully supports its construction. However, in line with its liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
stance, Mladina was one of the few printed media in Slovenia that published the controversial cartoons of Mohammad
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
in 2006.
Mladina has had several prominent dedicated professionals. Ivo Standeker was a feature editor for Mladina working in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
when he was killed in June 1992.
Famous contributors
Several famous people have collaborated with the magazine during its history. They include: sociologist and musician Gregor TomcGregor Tomc
Gregor Tomc also known as Grega Tomc is a Slovenian sociologist, musician and activist. In the late 1970s and 1980s, he was the founder and member of the famous Slovenian punk rock band Pankrti.- Biography :...
, journalist and politician Janez Janša
Janez Janša
Janez Janša is a Slovenian politician who was Prime Minister of Slovenia from November 2004 to November 2008. He has also been President of the Slovenian Democratic Party since 1993...
, philosopher Slavoj Žižek
Slavoj Žižek
Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher, critical theorist working in the traditions of Hegelianism, Marxism and Lacanian psychoanalysis. He has made contributions to political theory, film theory, and theoretical psychoanalysis....
, philosopher and literary theorist Rastko Močnik
Rastko Mocnik
Rastko Močnik is a Slovenian sociologist, literary theorist, translator and political activist. Together with Slavoj Žižek and Mladen Dolar, he is considered one of the co-founders of the Ljubljana school of psychoanalysis....
, political theorist Tomaž Mastnak and Vlasta Jalušič, journalist Jurij Gustinčič, sociologist and publicist Bernard Nežmah, film critic Marcel Štefančič Jr., jurist and human rights activist Matevž Krivic, cartoonist Tomaž Lavrič, and many others.