Melania Trump shows no interest in her homeland, Slovenia – and for that I'm grateful

By: Ana Schnabl, Slovenian writer and critic
Translation: Telegrafi.com

Slovenia is a small country, not just in terms of physical size or population, but also because it has 2.1 million inhabitants. It has no real geopolitical status: it does not shape the foreign policy or economy of other nations, but is influenced by them. For this reason, there is a widespread belief in Slovenia that we should focus on our soft power. According to this view, exceptional Slovenians will bring the country out of anonymity, putting it on the map or securing recognition through their own merits.

That's why the achievements of basketball players Goran Dragić and Luka Dončić, the victories of professional cyclist Tadej Pogačar in Tour de France, Janja Garnbreti's two Olympic gold medals, the fame of the band Laibach and Katarina Časi's film roles are considered national opportunities.

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But none of these Slovenian-born figures, impressive as they are, generate as much excitement as the former Melania Knavs, now Melania Trump. When Donald Trump's return to power made Melania First Lady once again, the media reaction in Slovenia was predictable: state media largely downplayed the connection, while commercial media wasted no time promoting it as a possibility.

Slovenia's largest commercial television network, Pop TV (nomen est omen), aired an interview with Ivo Boscaroli, a wealthy Slovenian businessman who attended the inauguration celebrations in Washington. His argument? The Slovenian government had missed a golden opportunity to exploit Melania's presence in the White House and improve its relations with the US.

Now, even though I don't pay attention to Pop TV, I take its influence seriously. It is the most watched channel in Slovenia, which means that many Slovenians are likely to accept and internalize this narrative. Some media commentators have even suggested that Melania could be the “golden ticket” in case “everything goes wrong.” I wonder if Trump’s rejection of the transatlantic alliance in favor of Vladimir Putin and his threat to start a trade war with the EU mean that this has already happened.

The problem with this way of thinking, however, is that it is not based on any reality. There is absolutely nothing in Melania’s memoirs to indicate that she has any interest in strengthening a political or economic relationship between her adopted country and Slovenia. On the contrary, on the few occasions when she mentioned Slovenia during her first term as First Lady, she usually referred to its “totalitarian” past, perhaps playing on American fears and aversions to communism and socialism.

Melania grew up in the small town of Sevnica and left to pursue a career as a model before Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. She has generally remained quiet about her Slovenian heritage, although most of her family still lives there, and she reportedly speaks Slovenian with her son. In her speeches, she has consistently portrayed the United States as the ideal place to be, while Slovenia is, therefore, a place to forget. Perhaps that is why she has not seen fit to visit Slovenia during her term as First Lady.

But let’s consider this hypothetical scenario for a moment. What if Melania’s position really represented a unique opportunity for Slovenia? It’s hard to imagine, given that so little is known about her personal political views – apart from the fact that she opposed her husband’s stance on abortion – a rare divergence. However, her decision to marry a problematic public figure and then remain married to a leader who displays authoritarian tendencies speaks volumes. There is a certain complicity in this choice: a tacit approval of Trump’s idea that humiliating Volodymyr Zelenskyy or forcing Ukraine to submit to Russian demands is the basis for peace; approval of his renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America; of his plan to rebuild Gaza, but perhaps not for the Palestinians; of his support for gender essentialism; of his demonization of immigrants; of his denial of climate change; and even, ironically, to the ban on abortion.

So Melania could become Slovenia's greatest opportunity to forge a special relationship with a budding fascist regime. Is this the opportunity Slovenia wants? I'm not naive – right-wing ideologies have supporters in Slovenia, and they certainly admire Trump. But, strangely enough, I'm more afraid of the ruling neoliberal politicians and business elites of our country, who see every relationship – no matter how toxic – as a potential win. I would really like to know if we risk the relationship between Slovenia and the US – as our hopeful Prime Minister wished in X after Trump's inauguration – "to be further strengthened."

For now, Slovenia is fortunate that Melania has yet to show any real interest in using her position to strengthen ties with her homeland. There are no diplomatic maneuvers to be undertaken, no grand strategic moves to consider. Any appreciation of Melania in the White House will pass, if it hasn’t already, and with it – fortunately – Slovenia’s temporary hope of exploiting her for political gain. Perhaps our next global star will offer a more constructive opportunity. Until then, Slovenia could benefit more by focusing on building relationships based on shared values ​​and long-term interests – rather than relying on the whims of problematic individuals. /Telegraph/