Mayor of Slovenian town hits out at 'Melania Trump effect' as it's revealed why some locals aren't happy with her
After Melania Trump yesterday resumed her role as first lady, the major of her hometown - Sevnica, in Slovenia - has released a pretty damning statement about the so-called 'Melania Trump effect'.
The 54-year-old is married to Donald Trump, meaning his re-entry into the White House this week will also see his wife Melania and 18-year-old son Barron move into the presidential palace too.
For those unfamiliar with Melania's background, the first lady was born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, in the small hamlet of Sevnica, in 1970.
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She was actually born Melanija Knavs. Upon her 16th birthday, however, she started modelling and opted to change her surname to the German version, Knauss.
At the time, she also decided to drop the 'J' from her first name - the spelling she still uses to this day.
Though she raised her son to speak Slovenian, Melania has only returned home several times since she became a US citizen, and even moved her sister to the States.
Rags to riches narrative
Apparently, Melania's supposed dissociation from her hometown has upset some locals, including Sevnica's mayor, Srečko Ocvirk.
Speaking to POLITICO this week, the 56-year-old began by claiming the first lady's humble beginnings have been glamorised for Americans.
"The mischaracterisation and misinterpretation of our people certainly angers those of us in Slovenia," he told the publication, alluding to the belief that the cliché of a young girl from a communist country rising to become the first first lady from a foreign nation is propaganda.
"The quality of life and level of development of our country was not represented in a factual manner," the mayor continued.
To prove his point, Ocvirk recalled broadcasters, agents and journalists flocking across to the quaint Lower Sava Valley settlement - which lies beneath the medieval Sevnica Castle - hoping to catch wind of what Melania was really like in her youth.
He believes, however, that when no especially inspiring story emerged, a rags-to-riches narrative - a woman who escaped an oppressive nation and achieved the 'American dream' - was formed by press to describe Melania's rise to the White House.
The 'Melania Effect'
This theory was also supported by Slovenia filmmaker Jurij Gruden, who recalled making a documentary about Melania's life after it was pitched as a particular poignant story of prosperity, describing it as the 'Melania Effect'.
"While making this documentary, I also got to experience what it means to be part of the Trump ecosystem in terms of the attention," he told the same news outlet.
"But also at times the immediate and automatic condemnation it draws, even when you’re just doing a documentary."
However, Gruden says not every local is thrilled with the way their country has been perceived in American culture, with many blaming Melania in part.
"The reactions to Melania are still somewhat mixed," he explained.
"Some in Slovenia don’t like her because she seems to show barely any interest in [the] country itself, not having visited for many years."
"This makes her an atypical Slovenian.
What has Melania said about her upbringing?
Interestingly, Melania herself appears to hold reservations over this storyline about her home nation, having discussed her upbringing in her memoir.
In the self-written work, the mother-of-one seems to echo what many locals ceaselessly reiterate about Slovenia, in that, while it was previously part of the socialist federation of Yugoslavia, the country in no way mirrors the low of quality of life notorious in the Soviet Union.
In actuality, Sevnica is a town renowned for its industrial and cultural development, particular with regards to textile manufacturing.
Thankfully, however, with Melania's recent support, Ocvirk claimed that reports around her home nation have become 'much more balanced'.
He added: "In a way, journalists and media companies seem to have finally caught up with real life in Slovenia."
Despite some backlash, the mayor added of his support for Melania: "We perceive [Melania’s return to the White House] with satisfaction and pride, above all, those citizens who know the Knavs family and are their friends."
Topics: Celebrity, Melania Trump, Donald Trump, US News, Politics
Rhianna Benson