By: Bogdan Sajovic
Last month, Slovenia was hit by the worst floods in its history. The destructive force of water inundated and swept away everything in its path, leaving behind devastation and desperate people. We witnessed acts of great courage in the rescue efforts and tremendous solidarity in the face of this disaster. Not only domestically, but images of the catastrophe that circulated in the media and on the internet also prompted assistance from many European countries, including war-torn Ukraine.
Politics naturally responded to the situation as well. The opposition, lacking the reins of power, grabbed shovels, and worked through the devastation. This did not sit well with left-leaning media and NGOs, who cried foul, claiming that the opposition was using the situation for self-promotion. So what? They helped the affected, unlike the NGOs who receive generous funding from the Golob’s government to criticise those who are working. While the opposition was actively involved in relief efforts, the ruling coalition seemed confused. Tina Gaber did try to offer comforting embraces to those who had lost everything in the catastrophe, but her sweetheart, the Prime Minister, along with the ministerial team, was busy with clichés and vague promises. The only one being specific was the communist Asta Vrečko who prioritised saving partisan monuments while who cares about the half-submerged country. Now, after the initial shock – roughly a month after the floods – the feathery coalition has gotten its act together. They have realised the enormous opportunities handed to them on a silver platter by the disaster. They can now conveniently shift the blame for all their mistakes onto the floods. With new taxes, mandatory solidarity contributions, and volunteer Saturdays, they will dig deep into the pockets of their fellow citizens. They will also employ hundreds of otherwise unemployable comrades in the state administration as coordinators for flood relief. It is a golden opportunity that will ensure the prosperity of the anointed comrades for at least a decade. This means that the reconstruction will be delayed for another decade or two, just like it happened in the post-earthquake reconstruction of the Posočje region a quarter of a century ago. This only reaffirms the old rule that for the well-being of the Bolsheviks, all-encompassing misery is a necessity…