By: Dr Matevž Tomšič
In recent days we often hear that the recent pre‑election campaign was extremely dirty, especially in the last, decisive week. That there were low blows and mutual smearing between the main political rivals, while substantive argument‑based debate was practically non-existent. It is true, the debates were not on a high level. Instead of offering positive solutions to key social problems, fears of political opponents were being spread. But mutual name‑calling before elections is something normal. What was more problematic was the total instrumentalization of those who are supposed to oversee politics and inform the public about the actions of its protagonists. Those who should be at least to some extent impartial. Yet they behaved in an extremely partisan and one‑sided manner.
The backstage power centres were clearly convinced that they could lose this year’s parliamentary elections. That their political exponents would be defeated, and thoroughly so. That is why they mobilised all available forces. And there are many of them, as their tentacles are spread across all key social subsystems.
The key role in promoting the current ruling clique, and especially in concealing its improprieties, was (once again) played by the media. Most Slovenian media have always been inclined toward the left political option. But in the past, especially during the rule of Drnovšek’s LDS, they expressed this inclination in a more concealed and subtle way. Under the current government, however, they have completely thrown off their masks. Their bias has revealed itself in its full extent. Golob’s “depoliticization” did its work, especially on the public broadcaster, which in its agitprop often resembled state media in Putin’s Russia. The peak of this was the “expert” commentary of the election results in the TV studio, where they invited four declared opponents of Janez Janša and his party, including a former left‑wing politician who had to resign from her ministerial post because of a corruption scandal. Pluralism and balance, enough to make you faint!
It was precisely media reporting that was largely responsible for neutralising the scandalous statements made in the famous wiretaps by important economic‑political insiders, in which they exposed the corrupt nature of the ruling left politics. The latter managed to shift attention to the supposedly problematic way these recordings were obtained, and – skilfully, it must be admitted – played the card of external threat, claiming that foreigners (and Israelis, no less, who for Slovenian leftists are a symbol of evil) were plotting against us in cooperation with “domestic traitors.” And the mainstream media uncritically spread this narrative. In doing so, they acted completely differently than years ago, when the conversations of then‑minister Vizjak in Janša’s government were revealed. That produced the “stupid taxes” affair, and no one asked how it came into the public. And speaking of foreign influence on elections – let us remember the Patria affair, which came from Finland and was announced by none other than Kučan. Yet no one spoke of foreign interference in collusion with domestic actors.
Left‑wing NGOs also (again) proved that they are completely aligned with the ruling politics. At the 8 March Institute, which had already openly assisted Golob and his people during the campaign in diverting attention from evidence of corruption, they urged their supporters on election day to turn out with an alarming message: “Dear people, it is very likely that we may lose this election. These will be the most evenly matched elections so far. Turnout in city centres is extremely low and it looks bad for us.” Yes, they used the first‑person plural. They made it clear that they are one of the participants in the elections, that they are an integral part of left politics. And this organisation has received several million euros from abroad in recent years. So much for foreign influence on elections!
