By: Vančo K. Tegov
In the Slovenian political universe, the alignment and positioning of “planets” is descending into chaos. Some “planetarians”, both in behaviour and politics, are turning the political and real world into a planet of political and other kinds of apes.
“Apes” who until yesterday fed on the usual political diet (read: bananas), are now slowly starting to devour each other, becoming cannibals, practicing political cannibalism. Political cannibalism is taking on new dimensions, of a kind, degree, and intensity that threaten the very existence of the state, both by destroying its international reputation and through internal chaos and disorientation.
The freshest example comes from Friday, when a meeting of the ruling coalition parties was convened and concluded regarding a consultative referendum on planned government defence spending. Twisting the arms of their own.
Robert Golob, Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, after the meeting with the “compliant” and helpful ones, proposed, based, of course, on a prior opinion from constitutional lawyers, to withdraw the parliamentary decision concerning the referendum question on possible NATO withdrawal, calling it “misleading.” He expects a second withdrawal to follow, and with that, the restoration of Slovenia’s reputation on the international stage. From the “soup” he himself cooked and got burned by, he now wants everyone else to blow on it and cool it down. Others, when they emerged, felt it had been more of a talk than an agreement. The opposition refuses to be the part of politics that would legitimise the cooked “porridge” in which they had no say, even though attempts were made to involve them.
As if that were not already too much, the current governing period, especially under these strained circumstances, shows the “success” of Luka Mesec, until recently best known as a “brat” in the government lineup, who managed to complete a master’s degree at the Faculty of Social Sciences while serving as Minister for Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. Yet he does not know the ministry well enough to truly manage it. He preferred, during his ministerial term, to do interviews with colleagues, even with state secretaries, and allegedly had one of them as his thesis mentor, who, by the time of the defence, went on vacation… all “arranged.” A joke.
The “needy one” never ceases to surprise. As if it were not enough that she consoles herself in the chambers of the National Assembly, where on multiple occasions after sessions she provocatively walks past the same MP, lifts her skirt well above the knees, points at the MP in question, and soon afterward, when his speaking time is taken, which in parliamentary language is the MP’s main weapon as a representative of the people, sends him and everyone else on a break, supposedly to cool down from the excitement. Meanwhile, she recommends horse therapy. I doubt this will earn her any extra credit, especially since it is plain to everyone that this therapy at the UKZ (likely a local clinic or programme) has not yielded the desired results. I only hope that in Dubrovnik, the President of the National Assembly is not discussing horse therapy and how she teases MPs in Slovenia’s parliament by lifting her skirt, but rather something beneficial for the country.
As if that were not enough, there is another repulsive specimen responsible for the ongoing animalisation, the imitation of animal behaviour, or their onomatopoeia, who seems wound up like a toy or placed on rails and, at regular intervals, flashes “asses” on camera, disrupting the parliamentary speeches of those currently speaking.
The public gets the sense that this whole this political zoo is directed by the Prime Minister. But no, the chaos creators have carefully divided roles. The Prime Minister is just the highest-ranked bluffer without backing. To top it off, he suffers from political bipolar disorder, where one half, the one that appears abroad, does not know, coordinate, or cooperate with the other half at home. The damage is immense.
Resume…
And just as the text began with a dog with fleas, I will end in that style too. We have seen and experienced the results of all the flies, fleas, and other vermin in our political and everyday life, causing harm to everything good that is growing and living in this land. It is time we found a proper repellent, one that deters and eliminates such phenomena in our country. Whether that is a referendum, a vote of no confidence, resignation, or ultimately elections, any move must, and I believe will, be better than the current situation. I hope many citizens support this. And that common sense, culture, manners, and decency return to both politics and everyday life, as soon as possible.