Five members of Slovenia's first government have accepted back the state honours that they returned in 1993 in protest at what they saw as attempts to revive the former Yugoslavia, along with the son of the parliamentary speaker of the time.

Lojze Peterle, who served as prime minister from May 1990 to May 1992 - during the time that the country gained and defended its independence - and four other members of his cabinet, including Slovenia's later PM Janez Janša, and late Speaker France Bučar were awarded the Golden Orders of Freedom by President Milan Kučan in 1992 for services rendered in defence of Slovenia's freedom and sovereignty.

But a year later they wrote a letter to Kučan declaring that they were returning the honours in protest at what they described as attempts to devalue Slovenian independence and to revive Yugoslavia. They also gave back the medals.

As part of the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of independence, President Borut Pahor ascertained that the recipients were willing to accept the honours back and the award ceremony took place at the Presidential Palace on 13 December, just ten days before the end of Pahor's term.

"On the independence anniversary, we expressed our willingness to the president to accept the decorations out of respect for Slovenia, taking into account all the circumstances of our country's creation and the sacrifices made. We are pleased that the president has accepted our proposal," the recipients said ahead of the ceremony.

Peterle and Janša, the independence-era defence minister, accepted the decorations in person, along with Dimitrij Rupel, Igor Bavčar and Jelko Kacin, who served as ministers of foreign affairs, interior affairs and communication, respectively. Bučar's son accepted the medal on behalf of his father.

They see the award as a tribute to the entire first Slovenian government and a way to honour those that are no longer with them.

Peterle thanked Pahor for the gesture and for the "festive spirit accompanying the 30th anniversary celebrations that we are wrapping up today". He also thanked him for being the president of all Slovenians.

However, not everyone was pleased with the gesture. Kučan said the re-acceptance of the awards could not erase the fact that they had been returned or the argument for their return, which clearly implied an attempt at destabilising the country.

"It cannot erase their wish at the time not to acknowledge the results of the presidential election," Kučan said of the election in which he was elected Slovenia's first president.

President-elect Nataša Pirc Musar, who will take over on 23 December, said that while she would make it possible for the six to take back the decorations, the re-awarding ceremony at the Presidential Palace was inappropriate.

"By returning [the decorations], they expressed their attitude towards the state, not to the one who handed them out. I don't think the return is an appropriate way of expressing your disagreement with the current political situation," she wrote on her Twitter profile.