By: Dr Janez Juhant
As a Christian and as a Democrat, I am very unpleasantly surprised and concerned by your statements about the current political situation in the country.
I would like to remind you that at the time of independence, we priests contributed a lot to the success of the Christian Democrats. After their collapse or merger with SLS, Mr. Andrej Bajuk founded NSi precisely for the purpose of preserving the Christian heritage and defended Christian values in the party. Times are changing and the party has of course every right to change their views; but you still refer to two foundations that clearly form the heart of the party’s activities: Christianity and democracy. Therefore, your priority is still to insist on the Christian foundations of society.
However, there are many signs that these foundations are increasingly being swept under the carpet by prevailing political trends – often by deception – and procedures based on coercive and fraudulent mechanisms, such as those used by the previous system, are being introduced. This also includes demonising others, excluding, and trampling on the principles of the rule of law and democracy. Such interventions are not a sign of democracy, and it is even less possible to refer to Christian foundations when using them, or at least supposedly act in accordance with them, which is on behalf of your party. Of course, you are free to make decisions in this regard as well but acting in this way casts doubt on both principles written on behalf of the party. You also have the right to your views on other people, which should be based on correctness and also respect for the voters of other parties, as well as political correctness towards your previous partners, thanks to whom you were able to do a lot for the Slovenian nation in the past mandate. However, I am afraid that your statements regarding the SDS champion are succumbing to those whisperers in the background, who direct their political strategy towards strengthening unity in Slovenia.
The lively post-election dynamics of involving your party in cooperation with the ruling coalition clearly has a single purpose – after all the steps that have already taken place this year, to further strengthen one-mindedness and exclude all those who persistently work against it. This cannot only be a problem for your party and its leadership, but at least for your voters, who will otherwise express their opinion about your steps in the upcoming elections, and for all Christians in Slovenia. But now it is about much more: the survival of Slovenia as a democratic country and also the existence of us, Christians, in it. Our conscious Christian ancestors: Janez Evangelist Krek, Lambert Ehrlich, Anton Korošec, and others were aware of this and warned against totalitarian systems. Now, with the ruling coalition and its backers, a soft totalitarianism is asserting itself, which is the basis of dumbing down everyone to participate in this false single-minded story and in preventing the realisation of all versions that oppose it. In contrast to this, insistence on the preservation of democracy and Christian values must be cultivated.
Allow me to add a few thoughts from the media silenced consultation entitled Tolerance and Democracy for Peace in Europe by SAZU and EAZU (Salzburg) academics with the President of the Republic Borut Pahor. In the spirit of the Christian values of Europe, the speakers highlighted the importance of democracy, tolerance, and reconciliation. Tolerance is not just putting up with others, but compassion and empathy with them. It builds the foundations of coexistence and prevents economic or political interests from being misused to subjugate people. Empathy encourages people not to humiliate anyone for power-political or economic reasons, forcefully push them out of society in order to achieve their political goals; it encourages compassion for others, especially the suffering, the afflicted. Peace and reconciliation can be achieved through justice and respect for the dignity of every human being, created in the image of God. Although these Christian notions may no longer be native to today’s people – unfortunately many times not even to professed Christians – they are all the truer and are the foundation of a just society. Slovenia is now acting differently. Should Christians just accept this calmly? A connoisseur marked this with the phrase: “Look around: They have eaten almost everything, now they just need you for dessert!”
That is why I am worried, and I urge you to be sober and prudent, but also to respect your conscience and God’s laws.