‘I see a weak Europe - the enemy is present’ Ex-Slovenian PM issues staggering warning to Von Der Leyen

Peterle said he had fears of ‘civilisational and cultural decline’, responding, “We need to understand where we are or why we are here. If we know who we are, then we can find also our direction.

"And I saw divided Europe. I spent my first 42 years in the communist Yugoslavia, which was a totalitarian country led by the Communist Party.

"Then I saw and I worked for Reunited Europe, and later I spent 15 years in the European Parliament.

“Now I see a weak Europe, but I see that the concept of the enemy is present almost everywhere, is present globally, and this is what you have to to think about.”

Darren then asked the former PM whether he was concerned about the political trajectory of younger generations to “perhaps a left wing, Marxist direction?”

“The left wing, especially those described as cultural Marxists, they try to engage young people with their slogans.

“And I was fighting for freedom, but today it seems that each desire can become a right and related to freedom and so on.

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“We see that new rights are produced on daily basis, but rights without responsibility. And I think we should speak also about about responsibility.”

“I like to say that the roots are not the past. I remember how many times in the former communist countries, the former leading communists said let's forget the past.

“I can understand why they would wish that we forget… Because the past is the only thing we really have. We can't grow without roots and this is why we need I would say clear conservative concepts related to the reality we are living in.”

Darren wondered if we can ‘tell a better story’ about progress and life in the West: “That may well be a story about the past and and the the way in which the West has led the Enlightenment and been responsible for many advancements and progressions in society.”

Peterle replied, “The concept of the enemy is so strong and we are more and more divided, more and more polarised. But we have to find the common language. We can live when diversity enriches us.

“But we have equal dignity and we have to find a language which will allow us to live together. And totalitarians, they don't like diversity very much. They simplify the reality by excluding those who are different.”

Finally Darren asked Peterle what message he would send out to European leaders and policy makers today, to which he replied: “We see in Brussels that the main ideologic stream is labelling the others as Conservatives, and some like to speak about progress or the progressive line. But this is ideology.

“We have to agree what is what is progressive and progressive is only that what will enable us to to reach higher quality of togetherness, higher quality of our community.”