By: Dr Andreja Valič Zver
When Golob arrives on Gregorčičeva Street to visit Šarec, it is a “first-class” media event. But when the International Democratic Centre CDI ICD holds a world meeting in Slovenia, it is hardly worth mentioning. One would laugh if it were not another sad proof of the distortion in our majority media scene. With a few honourable exceptions, Slovenian media have once again failed the test of objective and comprehensive reporting. But let’s leave aside the worn-out story of the extended arm of power, about which high-ranking communist functionary Stane Dolanc once noted, “the media are in our hands”.
Let’s focus on the exceptional political gathering that has never been seen before in Slovenia. Former and current presidents, prime ministers, ministers, Members of the European Parliament, and other decision-makers and influencers from the centre-right political spectrum gathered in Ljubljana and Bled to discuss the current global political moment. Under the leadership of former Colombian President Andrés Pastrana and Vice Presidents Janez Janša, Viktor Orbán, Andrej Plenković, and others, the International Democratic Centre CDI ICD has become the most influential association of the democratic centre. Its members address and seek to resolve critical points in global politics. Fourteen resolutions were adopted, including two Slovenian resolutions. The first addressed the Slovenian perspective on burning global and European issues, while the second clarified the uncertain situation in Slovenia. The meeting participants unanimously condemned the unreasonable decision by Golob’s government to abolish the Memorial Day for the Victims of Communist Violence in Slovenia. MEP Milan Zver informed the European and global public about this barbaric act. The international association Platform of European Memory and Conscience (PEMC) immediately reacted and issued a special statement, wherein over 60 professional institutions from all over the world, express deep concern over the abolition of the National Memorial Day declared by Prime Minister Janša’s government last year. PEMC emphasises that this decision by Golob’s government shows a lack of respect for the memory of innocent victims and does not contribute to the construction of a united and resilient Europe. Upon joining the EU, Slovenia committed to respecting democratic principles and European values, including the right to remembrance and redress of grievances. PEMC warns that the dismantling of the consequences of the totalitarian system in the former Yugoslav territory is proceeding too slowly and that new bloody conflicts have occurred in Eastern Europe, repeating themselves in this region. To prevent historical mistakes from recurring, Europe has adopted a series of commitments. In them, it clearly and unequivocally condemns all criminal totalitarian regimes – fascism, national socialism, and communism. PEMC highlights the fact that more than 700 mass graves have been discovered on Slovenian territory to date. Immediately after the end of World War II, over 100,000 people of different nationalities were killed here. Therefore, the abolition of the right to remembrance and respect for all victims who have not yet been officially buried is a condemnable act.
At the CDI ICD meeting in Bled, there was a particularly interesting discussion about South America, where five parliamentary elections are being prepared for this year, followed by six more next year. According to the politicians present and writer Alejandro Peña Esclusa, who exposed the activities of the São Paolo Forum, it would be necessary to establish an international observation body to monitor the elections. A significant portion of South American regimes are strongly linked to drug cartels. In alliance with Russia, China, and Iran, they literally steal elections, which will also be discussed in Esclusa’s upcoming book.
At the Bled meeting of CDI ICD, I participated as the President of the Jože Pučnik Institute. In my opening address, I emphasised that in recent times, the so-called cultural Marxism has raised its voice again, which has deep roots in the history of the communist movement. It seeks to achieve cultural hegemony through radical mental transformation, by changing the software of the human mind. Slovenia, as a country with an incomplete democratic transition, is particularly vulnerable. Therefore, it is necessary to resist such totalitarian reflexes together with democrats on a global level.