By: Gašper Blažič
After the European Parliament elections, when it seemed that Europe was turning to the right, there was some disappointment among voters of right-wing parties due to the fact that the current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wants to repeat her mandate, again with the same coalition as before. This is expected to mean a repetition of already seen disappointments, from the foolishness of green transitions to the “double waffles” (as Justice Minister Andreja Katič would say) that the European Commission has used in proceedings against certain EU member states. More precisely: against right-wing governments in some EU member states.
Then came the parliamentary elections in France, which turned out completely differently than expected. Disappointment only grew, along with intolerance and impatience, bordering on an almost complete loss of hope. So, Europe is finished. Therefore, it is not surprising that sharper words are already appearing on social media, which could in the next phase lead to the passivation of right-wing voters.
Of course, the matter is not as simple as it seems at first glance. It is true that the current situation does not give much hope, mainly due to the events in France, which, along with Germany, is the most influential member of the EU. From the relatively left-leaning rule of Emmanuel Macron, France has shifted even further to the left. This may also be an opportunity for long-term sobering up. We Slovenians have been experiencing such sobering up since the spring of 2022. It is very painful but perhaps also an opportunity to finally rid ourselves of such and similar “new faces” that have been served to us all these years from the same public opinion laboratories under Golob’s debacle.
But there is another twist. These are the various “friendly” whisperers, especially those from “domestic ranks”, who secretly inform us that the current opposition is still “sleepy”, demoralised, and without ideas, and that thorough changes, including personnel changes, are necessary. Perhaps this is true in some cases, but it is hard to overlook that the edge of these whisperings is directed precisely at the SDS, which, it must be admitted, performed very successfully in the European elections. This does not mean that it is perfect. The success of the right in the European elections should not lull us to sleep. For example, the phenomenal breakthrough of Zala Tomašič (who had no media support) showed that there are still significant reserves in the campaign on the ground. Her campaign is actually worth emulating by all SDS candidates (including SLS and NSi) in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Well, one of the whisperers, for example, thinks that SDS would rid itself of the burden of the current, but outdated, Trenta affair by changing its leadership. This is, of course, naïve thinking. It is clear that the transitional left, as the bearer of revolutionary traditions, does not respect fair-play rules. For this reason, it is pointless to think that SDS would have peace if it elected a new president. If SDS remains dangerous to the transitional empire regardless of who leads it, there will be no peace in any case. Period. Even if Janez Janša steps down, they will continue to accuse him of leading the party from behind the scenes.
In short, the opposition is not asleep, even if someone feels otherwise. Just as the European right is not asleep but is probably waiting for the (for example, in France) political corpses to float down the river. In political strategy, it is necessary to act long-term and rationally. This is, of course, not easy, as emotional reactions of disappointed voters can be a great and dangerous temptation for many politicians. After all, the rejoicing of the people over the emperor’s new clothes also lasted for quite some time until it was interrupted by the cry that the emperor was naked. For this reason, it is necessary to strengthen civil society – of course, the one that does not belong to the influence of the March 8th institutes. A strong civil society can indeed prevent further electoral fraud. Do not expect the transitional left to try to win honestly this time. They will not. Because they are not used to it.