It is common knowledge that we Slovenes are a hard-working, neat but in essence spineless folk. Our favourite pastime is oppressing our fellow citizens, especially our neighbours, peers and co-workers – always putting them into their designated places, preferably somewhere beneath us.

We remain silent, however, when truth should be spoken to power. Oppressing others and staying silent is hard work! Our inability to resist the will of the great and the mighty – our bosses, rulers, domestic or foreign governments – makes us highly corruptible and, therefore, unreliable. It’s not a coincidence that Slovenes are usually depicted with bowed heads and clasped hands: those are images of obedience, and obedience is, without a doubt, a calculated behaviour.

Have I caught your attention? Sad, if true. I admit, I’ve ensnared you with an autostereotype, a belief about one’s own social or political group. You might have noticed that my version is gloriously self-deprecating, and you might already understand that stereotypes and self-stereotypes shouldn’t be believed or reinforced.

But what if the Slovene self-stereotype is not completely wrong? What if it is a narrative like any other – a large lie, organised around a tiny truth?

I’ve been obsessing about these questions since 22 March, when Robert Golob, our prime minister – along with his counterparts from Ireland, Malta and Spain – signed a statement on the recognition of Palestine. As the Slovene government last week endorsed the recognition of Palestine, which will be put to a vote in the National Assembly on 4 June, I really shouldn’t worry any........

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