Signpost to Europe
Alja Sotlar/STA, Paris
GORENJE. Strange how comforting it is to see something familiar far away from home, when you can barely pinpoint yourself on the map spread out on the car seat. Amidst honking cars, pushing in all directions on the Paris by-pass, it warms your heart.
At the "porte de Bercy" a Slovenian will notice a big red sign imposed on top of a building: GORENJE. On the edge of a city that the entire Slovenian nation could not fill, the letters make you think of the sunny side of the Alps. The Gorenje trademark is on nearly every washing machine, stove, refrigerator, TV, etc. in Slovenia. The reaction in the car: surprise, pride, and a sense of belonging. One thousand kilometres west the name has become a synonym for "ours".
The symbol of the Slovenian company has been on that roof for ages; probably since the industrial 1970's or 80's. It was certainly there during Slovenia's independence. Back then Parisians were puzzled with the mention of the baby state, today they know it plays football. The household companion survived Slovenia's transition to a market economy, and today Gorenje holds a four-percent market stake in Europe.
Yet, the next time I set off for the city on the Seine, will the Gorenje greeting still be there at the end of the road? The promising potential of the Slovenian corporate world has caught the eye of foreign investors. As the takeover race in the EU acceeding country begins, the home appliances maker could just as well be the next target; cause for more debate on Slovenia's "national interest". Naturally, the question pops up: to sell or not to sell?
Capital is a good thing, foreign or not - no doubt about that. Yet, would I feel nostalgic if it suddenly said Bosch or Whirlpool or Miele where Gorenje used to be? On the other hand, life is getting too large for national boundaries and it seems ridiculous to limit oneself to small frames, just because you are afraid of the big picture.
The world is vast, and to conquer it you need to think big - expand, merge, produce. Only results matter, all else is cosmetics... even the name.
Rush hour people with EU license plates on their cars do not have time to contemplate rooftops. If you hesitate in the fast lane, they honk at you. Take a moment and others jump the line. "Can't they be more patient with newcomers?" One would expect courtesy, but there is no special treatment when you are one of millions. The EU-plated cars honk at each other too. Origin is no excuse, performance counts. Welcome to equality.
