By: Dr Matevž Tomšič
Often, we can hear that one of the main problems of Slovenian politics is its division. This stems from a long tradition of cultural struggle, sometimes between the Catholic and liberal camps, and today between the transitional left and right. Its intensity has not diminished in recent years – in fact, quite the opposite. On the majority of issues, political protagonists find themselves on opposite sides. Therefore, it is very difficult to achieve even a somewhat normal dialogue, let alone consensus, on the most fundamental social issues.
Considerable disunity also exists within both political camps. On the right, relations between the two parliamentary parties have been tense for quite some time. NSi party feels “constricted” by Janez Janša and his party, claiming that it stifles its political potential. Meanwhile, the SDS party accuses its opposition partner of being too lenient toward the left-wing government, even accusing them of unprincipled negotiations with Prime Minister Golob and his team.
On the opposite side, divisions are even more pronounced. It often appears that the left is only united when Janša is in power. At that time, they have a common enemy whom they want to defeat at any cost. However, when they form the government themselves, conflicts arise among coalition parties and even within them. This has happened in Pahor’s government and in all its left-wing successors. The peak of this is the current government’s term. It formally has a very strong majority in parliament, which might lead to the assumption that the implementation of its decisions would proceed relatively smoothly. However, its functioning is chaotic. Scandals pile up one after another, and no other government has produced as many scandals in such a short period.
The current scandal involving the significantly overpriced purchase of a decaying building intended to serve as a sort of judicial palace is a comprehensive demonstration of the state of mind within the ruling coalition. All parties involved in it try to wash their hands of guilt by implicating others as much as possible. The leadership of the SD party called for the resignation of their Minister of Justice, Dominika Švarc Pipan. She resisted this vigorously. To save herself, she began accusing everyone around her, from colleagues in the ministry to officials of her own party. She rejected her resignation with the absurd argument that she must stay in her position to get to the bottom of the matter, i.e., to investigate who is responsible for the unjustified purchase – as if someone involved in questionable dealings can independently investigate those dealings.
THE UNITY WITHIN THE COALITION, WHICH DID NOT HAVE MUCH LOVE FROM THE BEGINNING, HAS COME TO AN END. THE QUESTION IS ALSO TO WHAT EXTENT THE BACKSTAGE CENTRES OF POWER THAT BROUGHT IT TO POWER ARE STILL ABLE TO KEEP THINGS UNDER CONTROL.
The Prime Minister is also delaying the resolution of these matters. Actually, mostly him. The scandal with the judicial palace benefits him by diverting attention from his own affairs. For example, the fact that he is the sole owner of a company doing business with the state, which is no less scandalous than the mentioned overpriced building. Ultimately, he is responsible for it himself, as the government as a whole – and not the minister responsible – made the final decision on the controversial purchase.
But now, the public is primarily concerned with the Social Democrats. In the eyes of dominant media, they have fallen into considerable disfavour, as they are accused of involvement in dubious dealings. It seems that certain circles want to politically sink them and thus make room for another party of “new faces”.
The Minister of Justice will sooner or later leave her position. But conflicts on the left will continue. We will witness the gradual disintegration of the government coalition or even individual parties within it. Conflicts have also emerged in the Levica party, which, among all government partners, seemed to operate most homogeneously. The unity within the coalition, which did not have much love from the beginning, has come to an end. The question is also to what extent the backstage centres of power that brought it to power are still able to keep things under control.
