Why are Slovenians the most patriotic people in the Balkans?

I’m from the Balkans where dick measuring about who’s the most “patriotic” is like a national sport.

Well if I had to pick the most patriotic ethnic group in the region, it would have to be the Slovenians.

Why you might ask? Because they’re the quietest ones in the room.

They do patriotism right. Rather than talk about how great their past is, what great figure they produced or get obnoxious tattoos of their flags or whatever war criminal their country produced, the Slovenians quietly built up their their nation in the last three decades.

So much so that their HDI is higher than Austria’s and Japan’s. Leaving behind Western European countries like France and Spain too.

This was a country that a generation ago was in the eastern bloc. And now it’s peaceful and prosperous.

Because they did patriotism right.

They did it through hard work and high trust. They didn’t trip each other up over petty disputes. And they didn’t foolishly wreck their own industries for short sighted gains.

Patience and hard work paid off for the Slovenian people. And that’s why they’re the most patriotic group in the Balkans. Because patriotism is more than just waving a flag, starting a soccer riot over political differences or making obnoxious hand gestures.

Grown up patriotism is about developing your country and uplifting your fellow citizens.