By: Miro Petek
In the past, I did not closely follow the persona and work of Robert Golob. As far as he caught my attention, it was mostly due to his rather unconventional, perhaps even slightly bold hairstyle for a businessman, which, in my humble opinion, actually suited him. Journalists portrayed him as an exceptionally successful entrepreneur and a mindful father and husband, although his appearances in the field of energy were not particularly engaging for the average audience. And energy was his domain, that must be acknowledged, he knew what he was talking about and why he was saying it.
And this miraculous discovery of Slovenian politics has now been known to us for a good three years as Prime Minister, and just when we think he can no longer surprise us, he pulls the rug from under us again and crashes us back into reality. Golob’s decisions, which he changes by the minute, and his statements, which clearly show he does not know what he is talking about, might be amusing and entertaining, if they did not come from the person holding the highest executive office in the country, whose decisions are impoverishing our lives. First came the firm and irrevocable announcement of Christmas bonuses for all, and how the Freedom Movement would take care of its people in public administration, followed by a softening of that promise, suggesting that workers should decide among themselves to forgo the money if the bonus could mean the collapse of a company. Then came the scandalous statement before the informal EU summit in Copenhagen regarding drone protection on the EU’s eastern flank, when he blurted out on camera that he has been discussing the drone wall with his 14-year-old son for some time and hopes it is not a concept lifted from social media. In doing so, he unwittingly revealed that he went to the summit unprepared, apparently had not even looked at the agenda, let alone exchanged views with other EU leaders or surprised them with a constructive proposal.
Clearly unskilled strategists advised him before the elections to appear as much as possible on major television networks. Just days ago, he appeared on both POP TV and national television on the same day, and looked pitiful on both. He took a stance of not answering the questions posed, dodging them with a pompous demeanour. Through arrogance, he tried to show the hosts his power, but by refusing to answer, he exposed his fear of the truth. Golob counted on remaining untouchable despite his evasiveness and smoke-screening, hoping the media appearance would benefit him and that an uninformed and dazzled public would buy into the dodging and hollow responses. But even that is beginning to change. People, even those who voted for him, are growing irritated when instead of serious answers, he throws out things like how he has known Tina for three years and how she is a good and sensitive person. Who cares about his Tina at a time when the country and all its subsystems are falling apart!
Golob does not communicate – Golob manipulates. Dodging journalistic questions is a sign of ignorance or fear: whoever dodges, either does not know how to answer or is afraid their ignorance will be exposed. Golob is an example of someone who uses words to conceal, not to reveal.
If Golob was a confident speaker in his role as director, as a politician he is a hollow tree, a vast communicative void. He steps before the public unprepared, filling his emptiness with long-winded phrases, hoping that with confident delivery and a pleasant tone, listeners will not notice the void.
Robert Golob lives under the illusion that he is untouchable. Bought-off media and journalists still polish his image, and from his position of power, he counts on the police, the prosecution, and the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (CPC), which is slowly creeping up on him, not to seriously pursue his missteps.
Yes, they are creeping so slowly that they will let him finish his term. But with each passing day of this government, the damage grows.