- Title: Melania Trump's hometown of Sevnica welcomes US election outcome
- Date: 9th November 2016
- Summary: SEVNICA, SLOVENIA (NOVEMBER 9, 2016) (REUTERS) SEVNICA AT NIGHT CARS DRIVING DOWN ROAD STREET CAFE SHOWING U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION LIVE SCREEN SHOWING ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE FLAGS OF SLOVENIA AND UNITED STATES ON BAR SEVNICA MAYOR TALKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (Slovenian) SEVNICA MAYOR, SRECKO OCVIRK, SAYING: "We, the people of Sevnica, are all happy to see Melania holding up well in the election race. We were always supportive of the (Trump) candidacy, and especially of Melania, who supported her husband. We supported her on her way to the White House, so we are very happy for their win." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE INSIDE BAR (SOUNDBITE) (Slovenian) MELANIA TRUMP'S CHILDHOOD FRIEND AND LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, MIRJANA JELANCIC, SAYING: "As a child Melania was very creative and innovative already, and in that sense Sevnica was just too small for her. She always said she wanted to go to (Slovenia's capital) Ljubljana to study at the design school there. She had a lot of potential, lots of skills, and I believe that is why she found her path to success abroad." PEOPLE INSIDE BAR (SOUNDBITE) (Slovenian) FRIEND OF MELANIA TRUMP'S FATHER, JANKO REZEC, SAYING: "I know the (Knavs) family, they keep to themselves. I've never met Melania but I did hear that she always wanted to make a modelling career. She was in the right place at the right time. Up until today Slovenia was not aware of it, and always underestimated her." PEOPLE SITTING IN BAR UNDER SCREEN SHOWING ELECTION COVERAGE LIVE (SOUNDBITE) (Slovenian) SEVNICA HEALTH CLINIC DIRECTOR, VLADIMIRA TOMSIC, SAYING: "Based on the elementary school she went to, and her family - some of whom I know - I believe she will make an excellent first lady and that she will take her Slovenian values and bring them to America and the world at large." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE INSIDE BAR WATCHING TRUMP'S VICTORY SPEECH VARIOUS OF MEN HOISTING SLOVENIA, EUROPEAN UNION AND UNITED STATES FLAGS IN TOWN SQUARE VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF MELANIA TRUMP'S FAMILY HOUSE VARIOUS OF MAIN ROAD IN SEVNICA
- Embargoed: 24th November 2016 09:40
- Keywords: US election Donald Trump Melania Trump
- Location: SEVNICA, SLOVENIA
- City: SEVNICA, SLOVENIA
- Country: Slovenia
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA00157Q4THJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election was celebrated on Wednesday (November 9) in his wife Melania's tiny hometown Sevnica, in southeast Slovenia.
Many followed the closely contested election overnight at a local bar and showed pride as Trump's victory over Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton was announced, showing pride as one of their locals would become the new First Lady of the United States.
"We, the people of Sevnica, are all happy to see Melania holding up well in the election race. We were always supportive of the (Trump) candidacy, and especially of Melania, who supported her husband. We supported her on her way to the White House, so we are very happy for their win," said Sevnica mayor Srecko Ocvirk, while people hoisted huge US and Slovenian flags in town to celebrate the news.
Melania Trump's new life as first lady will be a far cry from her roots in Slovenia, a tiny former Yugoslav republic of 2 million people comparable in size to New Jersey and nestled below the Julian Alps between Italy, Croatia, Austria and Hungary.
Her schoolmates say Melania - back then using her maiden name Knavs - was always very ambitious and wanted to go into modelling at a very young age.
"As a child Melania was very creative and innovative already, and in that sense Sevnica was just too small for her. She always said she wanted to go to (Slovenia's capital) Ljubljana to study at the design school there. She had a lot of potential, lots of skills, and I believe that is why she found her path to success abroad," said Mirjana Jelancic, who was Melania Trump's classmate in the local elementary school where she now works as principal.
After moving to Ljubljana, Melania began modelling full-time, eventually going on to Milan and the United States, where she changed her last name to the more easily pronounceable Knauss before meeting her future husband Donald Trump at a party in New York in 1998.
"I know the (Knavs) family, they keep to themselves. I've never met Melania but I did hear that she always wanted to make a modelling career. She was in the right place at the right time. Up until today Slovenia was not aware of it, and always underestimated her," said Janko Rezec, who claims to be a good friend of Melania's father Victor but admits to never have met her in person.
Melania's family still owns a modest two-storey house in the outskirts of town, but spend most of their time in the United States, where Melania's sister Ines also lives.
Although she has not visited Sevnica in years, people in town say she donated an ambulance to the local health clinic to celebrate the birth of her son, Barron, in 2006, a year after marrying Trump.
Vladimira Tomsic, director of the clinic, said she was sure she would bring Slovenian values with her in her new position.
"Based on the elementary school she went to, and her family - some of whom I know - I believe she will make an excellent first lady and that she will take her Slovenian values and bring them to America and the world at large," she said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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