Styrian anthem in constitution: political dispute with Slovenia flared up!

Styrian anthem in constitution: political dispute with Slovenia flared up!

Wien, Österreich - On May 27, 2025, the Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) brought a joint application to amend the State Symbol Act in the Constitutional Committee. This application, whose confirmation from the office of Governor Mario Kunasek (FPÖ), provides for the statutory anchoring of the "Dachstein song", which is considered a Styrian national anthem. Several symbols are currently anchored in the state symbol law, including the national coat of arms with the Styrian Panther, the national colors white-green and the state seal. This is intended to close a gap in the canon of the state symbols, says Kunasek.

The project is now being forwarded to a subcommittee with the aim of taking a final decision in July's Landtag. Critics, especially from the opposition, criticize the lack of public assessment of the application in the Constitutional Committee. Together with SPÖ, Greens and KPÖ, the NEOS are calling for a public hearing to make the process more transparent.

diplomatic tensions with Slovenia

The planned legal integration of the "Dachstein song" has triggered diplomatic tensions with Slovenia. The Slovenian Foreign Ministry has expressed concerns and emphasizes that parts of the song refer to today's Slovenia, including the "Bed of the SAV", which is no longer part of Styria. Untersteiermark, in which cities such as Maribor, Celje and Ptuj are located, has not been part of Styria for over 100 years. This region came to Yugoslavia after the First World War and has been part of Slovenia since 1991.

Slovenia to exercise extreme prudence in the constitutional change. The application is mentioned as part of the government program of the FPÖ-ÖVP government, which provides for the admission of the state anthem to the state constitution. However, the text of the "Dachsteinlied" is not listed in the constitution or the associated explanations, which leads to further uncertainties. The controversial first stanza of the song contains geographical covers that leave some interpretation scope.

The importance of Styrian-Slovenian relationships

In order to maintain diplomatic relationships, the deputy governor Manuela Khom (ÖVP) plans a trip to Slovenia. It emphasizes the importance of Styrian-Slovenian exchange and cooperation at various levels. These relationships are not only limited to cultural aspects. Austria and Slovenia are close partners in the EU and are committed to security and stability in the Western Balkans. On April 25, 2025, Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger met her Slovenian counterpart Tanja Fajon in Vienna to talk about bilateral relationships and current foreign policy issues.

Austria is the largest investor in Slovenia. Around 25,000 people commute across the border every day, which underlines the need for expanding the transport infrastructure, in particular the rail connections. The exchange of autochthonous ethnic groups plays an important role in this context and is intended to act as a bridge between the two countries. Austria also supports the demand of the German -speaking ethnic group in Slovenia after official recognition as a minority.

The upcoming legal anchoring of the "Dachsteinlied" is therefore not only a question of home care, but also a topic with far -reaching diplomatic implications that affect both state politics and international relationships. This underlines the complexity of the situation and the need for a sensitive approach in the political discussion.

Kleine Zeitung reports that ...
Antenne Styria informs about the Styrian hymn in the constitution ...
BMEIA deals with the partnership of Austria and Slovenia ...