By: Andrej Umek
The average citizen in the democratic world, including Slovenia, when deciding which party to support and which candidate to vote for, usually chooses on the basis of promises. This is especially true for election times. Only a small minority wonders about how realistic these promises are, and an even smaller minority asks what the promises are based on. However, it is an indisputable fact that what the pre-election promises are based on is what makes the biggest difference between the two blocs, which we popularly call the left and the right. The left bases its promises and forecasts on predictions – the prophecies of its own prophets, who, if you ask me, are false prophets. From Karl Marx to, if we follow Roger Scruton[i], Slavoj Žižek. As these prophecies turn out to be false over and over again, one after the other, the left is constantly creating new prophets and faces that are forgotten before the next elections due to their false promises and misguided concepts.
In contrast, and this is the main difference between the two political poles, the centre and centre-right parties are striving to ensure the highest possible quality of life for their citizens on the basis of scientific and professional analysis. In a rational way [ii], they are searching for the best solutions to economic and social problems and optimal solutions for future development. In proving this claim, I will base my article on the graph available here.
Based on this graph, it is clear that raising the standard of living can only be achieved by simultaneously raising the level of economic freedom. The point that marks Slovenia on the aforementioned graph lies below the red arrow, and the latter indicates the only rational possibility for further development. The current centre-right government and its Minister of the Economy, Zdravko Počivalšek, followed this trend. This is also evident from the following graph, available here.
In accordance with the first graph, the trend shown in graph 2 was followed by economic growth, which means that gross domestic product grew by more than 8 percent in the last year, and the other economic indicators changed as well – unemployment fell and reached its lowest value ever in the history of independent Slovenia. This rational and objectively successful economic policy of the current government has been consistently opposed by the parties of the left-wing opposition. They did not want to see the real successes of this government; all that mattered to them was that this government did not follow the prophecies of the false prophets of the new left. The rational efforts of the current government are also visible on the new economic map of Europe, which I am summarising based on the analysis in reference III and given in the graph available here. It shows that in the economic sense, Slovenia entered the, if I may use this term, core Europe for the first time ever – which is coloured green. The left-wing opposition has repeatedly said that it wants to bring Slovenia to core Europe, but with its actions, it has actually distanced it from it. The left never understood that any country, including Slovenia, can only move along the red arrow (graph 1), forward or backward, but not perpendicular to it. This is a fact of rational analysis; however, I admit that it is in contrast with the prophecies of the leftist thinkers – prophets of both the old and the new left. And they are only following these prophecies.
I would like to add another example to my argument of how disastrous it would be and how contrary to common sense to follow the thinkers of the old and the new left, which is what this column is about. Throughout the term of the current government, the left-wing opposition has repeatedly said that democracy in Slovenia is deteriorating. And they are still using this claim today, during the election campaign. In doing so, they are apparently following, without the slightest thought, the prophecy of the grandfather of all their prophets, Karl Marx, who claimed that capitalism is leading to the collapse of democracy, which is why the left-wing parties are still unable or unwilling to see the facts. In presenting the facts, I used data from the well-known British newspaper, the Economist [i]. Based on that data, I prepared a graph showing the growth and decline of the democracy index in Slovenia. I think that on the basis of this graph as well, it is more than obvious when Slovenian democracy progressed and when it declined – and who was leading the country during those times.
I believe that with both of those cases, economic and political, I have shown clearly enough what the facts are and how the centre-right reacts to them. This analysis actually objectively determines the situation and, with regard to the current state we are in, seeks the best solution for the individuals who want to live in a democratic society of equal individuals and material well-being. Meanwhile, the populist left wants to fulfil the predictions of its false prophets above all, no matter how absurd or proven to be unfeasible and false they are. Such aspirations, wherever they can be pursued, lead to general poverty. Unfortunately, there are too many examples in the world which prove that already.
Let me conclude this article by saying that what follows from all of the above is that Slovenians have two diametrically opposed options in the upcoming elections. We can choose the path of democracy, progress and material prosperity, or we can follow the predictions of false prophets into poverty and general deprivation. I believe that Slovenian voters will vote according to logical considerations and choose the path of progress and prosperity.
[i] Economist Intelligence Unit, Democracy Index 2021, The Economist, 2021.
[i] Roger Scruton, Zablode, prevare, hujskaštva, misleci nove levice, Družina, 2019.
[ii] Steven Pinker, Razsvetljenstvo ZDAJ, v zagovor razumu, znanosti, humanizmu in napredku, UMco, 2019.
[iii] Terry Miller, Anthony B. Kim, James M. Roberts, 2022 Index of Economic Freedom, The Heritagfe Foundation, 2022.