By: Davorin Kopše
We know that motto all for one, one for all. But the Slovenian opposition turns everything upside down. They are also doing very well this time. You could also say all against one (Golob), each against all (KUL). There is nothing right with the opposition, and Golob’s Movement for Freedom, as he unhappily called it, is joining this more and more successfully. He is only fortunate if he has in mind the freedom that was assured to us with the so-called victory in World War II, where only the Communist Party was liberated from the illegal and evil opposition.
After the 2018 elections, election losers formed a government out of scraps that was not operational. The coalition party LMŠ, which was the leader of the government with President Marjan Šarec, collected less than half of the votes of the winning SDS in the elections. Anyone who said at the time that the efforts would bear no fruit was right. We watched the performances of the Prime Minister, which had no content, but if the content was, it was culinary or hunting. We all remember those statements about cold donuts and a rabbit in the woods with a barbecue on. When we expected the peak of his political potential when he appeared in the European Parliament, Šarec announced that he would not appear there. He could not dare that with all his incompetence.
As early as December 2019, an epidemic of a devastating virus began to approach our places, which later spread to the whole world. For the miraculous Marjan, who, according to the stories in the European institutions, was a quick step away from being addressed, it was too much. With the incompatible coalition partners, the situation began to squeeze him by the neck. As he ran out of air, he resigned irrevocably at the end of January 2020.
Due to the constitution of the new government, preliminary elections did not take place, as expected by Šarec. As a result, disputes in the failed government coalition merged into an opposition coalition. Defeated and wounded by their wounds, they began to declare their unity and began to call for immediate elections, even though the National Assembly and the government acted effectively. They wanted to put back a dysfunctional government with the same components. With conflicting teams, no content, and no organisation.
Unified in exclusion
So, we have witnessed almost two years of repeating KUL’s demands for preliminary elections. They were not successful in this, neither in parliament, nor in interpellations, not in the streets, or through media pressure. Given the insurmountable differences in character and due to the different programmes, even their cooperation is not possible in the future. All that remains for them is to repeat the eternal mantra that their only goal is to win the elections and take power.
All this time, KUL has been building only on hatred towards Janez Janša and has been permanently trying to harm the government. Constantly opposing everything on all levels without their own ideas on how to solve certain things on their own. We listened to empty phrases about how they would be “different” and with proper communication. Votes against the packages of measures, which have enabled many positive trends, and efforts to prevent aid funds from reaching people, have completely exposed them.
It turns out that populist actions with the help of some NGOs do not help. Their mood is not benefited even by falsified results of opinion polls. They know the right mood among people. This is not in their favour. All this is already creating a dilemma among supporters of left-wing political options whether to go to the polls and vote for the parties currently in power, or not to go to the polls at all. There are fewer and fewer people who would vote for KUL members at this time, as they have too often been embarrassed or proved to be against the interests of the people.
After all this empty policy of exclusion, just before the elections, another internal left option appeared against Janez Janša and the successful Slovenian government. First, Robert Golob was fired from the background, who bought the existing invisible party, which he transformed into the Freedom Movement. Golob’s first move towards freedom was a raised pointer and an announcement that he would expel all fascists. Imaginary, of course. This is in line with the rumour that all that is against them is fascism. What is more, fascism is even all that is not with them. Let’s face it. It is about thinking that political opponents and dissidents need to be removed one way or another.
Well, the mantra of fascism and radical attempts to overthrow a successful government were repeated by the Kul for two years, but then Robert Golob appeared, who said it only once and immediately took over the primacy of the left. This could only have happened because this pillar is so fragile and hollow. According to his own movements, Golob does not have a programme or staff to talk about substantive issues. After the meeting with Kul, everyone repeated only that they had agreed on a dialogue.
Even within the KUL opposition itself, there is no perceived enthusiasm for each other, and finally, their uncles from a deep country and with parallel mechanisms forced Golob on them. Thus, they became hostile competition to each other in expressing hatred towards the government and the ruling coalition. Unity in exclusion thus boldly encroaches on their internal unity and causes cannibalism. Cannibals call for veganism and forget that edible dishes are also on the menu.
Commands are clear and must be obeyed
Golob thus took the lead with his movement. It all depends on how he will do. If he is successful enough, he does not need members of KUL, Šarec’s LMŠ, and Bratušek’s SAB. These two ex-uncle pets will only be left to join Golob’s or perish. According to all estimates, Levica and the SD are strong enough to survive, however, new dark clouds are already approaching. The Constitutional Court will rule on the constitutionality of their existence and operation. Both do not want to distance themselves from totalitarian communism and some would carry out a new expropriation. The hearing may take place before the elections. Publicly.
Expellers
Either way, orders are issued and must be unconditionally obeyed. The current KUL expellers will have to include a new player and share an already small cake with him. The split KUL must support Golob’s Freedom Movement, and this movement does not need to support them. The only thing for everyone is that they are without content, so they cannot compete with the best who are currently in power. They can only compete in radicalism, and in this they have rivals only with each other. All for one thus means that everyone must support Golob, and each for oneself means that everyone will fight against everyone else. Nervousness and depression have their background, and, in such situations, it is not easy to fight for existence. These are certainly not combinations that would go to the left of the left political pole. This is a new turning point in Slovenia after independence. Most of the work was done then, and after a little over thirty years, we have the opportunity to complete the transition or at least move into the final phase.
A true multi-party democratic Slovenia can be expected after purification within the left itself. The time in which power belonged to them is inevitably running out. They will be forced to consolidate and choose a direction that will be modern and will be an appropriate democratic counterweight to the already properly formed right. This will certainly not happen in this election yet. A strong defeat in the last battle of the Kučan clans would lay a good foundation for the final formation of democracy in Slovenia, which is characteristic of the most developed world.
According to the right estimates and information from the field, we can see that the current coalition has a lot of support and that the Slovenian Democratic Party has the most reputation. If at least some new parties succeed in the elections, we can expect a strong centre-right government that will continue the work of the current coalition and intensify it.
It will be important that all those who believe in it come to the polls. Staying at home in the belief that his option will win anyway will be a bigger mistake this time than ever. What will be important is not only victory, but the power of victory in elections. We urgently need this democratic power.
Davorin Kopše is a war veteran for Slovenia, a candidate for MEP and an active citizen.