Legal Order in the Draft: Europe on the Eve of the 100th Anniversary of the Treaty of Versailles

In recent years, Europe and the Globe have witnessed a series of unprecedented challenges of fundamentals of national, European and international legal order. States ignore decisions of competent courts, put international treaties in question, or are about to marginalise constitutional principles. Consequently, legal values are not acknowledged, past experiences ignored or misinterpreted and the peaceful future put at risk. The author recalls the disastrous consequences of mistakes of the Treaty of Versailles and the inability of Europe to avoid them. The situation of Europe in the aftermath of the Cold War as seen by some prominent US observers is addressed and the "Initiative for Europe” of the French President Emmanuel Macron, pleading for an independent and sovereign Europe, analysed. A plea is made to re-place the inefficient patchwork of memoranda and treaties, which came into being after the end of Cold War by an international legal order based on clear rights and obligations of all parties directly involved, necessary to secure an enduring peace in Europe. In view of the occasion, the activities of Slovenes at the peace negotiations in Versailles and the difficulties the Slovenian delegates were faced with in asserting their justified claims are recalled. The possibilities of the independent Slovenia to support initiative of President Macron are considered. Macron’s initiative is viewed as a great opportunity for Europe to achieve the status of an equal and independent geopolitical power. Key words: Treaty of Versailles, peace, Cold War, Emanuel Macron, future of Europe, Slovenia, Europe, European Union.