By: Dr Vinko Gorenak
The end of last year was marked by the “beheading” of various figures, from statues to real political personalities – though in the latter case, of course, only in the figurative sense.
Miroslav Pačnik did what the state should have done long ago: he physically “beheaded” the statue of the criminal Tito in Velenje. Slovenia is practically the only former socialist country that still has statues of the communist criminal on its territory, something you will hardly find anywhere else in the former Eastern Bloc. Pačnik is reportedly facing several years in prison. Perhaps in Slovenia, but certainly not at the European Court of Human Rights.
Nataša Pirc Musar politically “beheaded” the head of the Anti‑Corruption Commission (CPC), Robert Šumi, by making it clear she no longer wants him at the top of the CPC. This would be acceptable if she explained why she made that decision. But it appears she intends to appoint Katarina Sternad Bervar, her personal friend, best known for writing instructions for illegal migrants on how to enter Slovenia. She had already proposed her for the position of Human Rights Ombudsman, but the National Assembly did not support her. However, she can appoint her as head of the CPC on her own.
Vladimir Prebilič and his party Prerod were politically “beheaded” by none other than Milan Kučan, who said it was not the time to fragment votes on the left. Kučan calculated that Robert Golob, his loyal “errand boy,” would be more useful to him than Vladimir Prebilič.
The director of the Novo Mesto General Hospital and admirer of Robert Golob’s politics, Milena Kramar Zupan, politically “beheaded” one of the best surgeons, Gregor Kavčič. She threw him out. A few days later, the same hospital, faced with a demanding surgical case, sent a patient to a private clinic because they were not capable of treating him. And in that private clinic, the patient was treated by none other than Gregor Kavčič, the same surgeon they had politically “beheaded” in Novo Mesto.
Some will politically “behead” themselves. Among the politically “self‑beheaded” we can count all those political parties that will receive less than four percent of the vote in the elections.
Matej Tašner Vatovec, following Miha Kordiš, has apparently decided to politically “behead” Levica. For the first time in the history of Slovenian parliamentarism, the leader of a parliamentary group switched to another political party mid‑mandate, Vatovec moved from Levica to SD. Whether this will politically “behead” Levica to the point that it fails to enter parliament remains to be seen.
Urška Klakočar Zupančič, the Speaker of the National Assembly, is clearly a thorn in Robert Golob’s side. He wants to politically “behead” her but still does not know how. He has already tried to get rid of her several times, unsuccessfully. It now appears he intends to “behead” her by leaving her off the Freedom Movement’s candidate list or placing her in an unelectable position. She seems aware of this, and it would not be surprising if she defected to Levica. It is entirely possible that extremists such as Lena Grgurevič, Tamara Vonta, Janja Sluga, Sara Žibret, and others would follow her. This would significantly weaken Golob and the Freedom Movement, while Levica would likely remain in parliament.
The Constitutional Court annulled the most important article of the Healthcare Services Act, which prohibited doctors from working for private healthcare providers. It is fair to say that the Constitutional Court “beheaded” the most important reform of the coalition.
Perhaps the most important act of political “beheading”: the people, in a referendum, politically “beheaded” not only Robert Golob but the entire coalition, which calls itself a coalition, by overturning the harmful law on assisted voluntary dying.