By: Dr Vinko Gorenak
In several contributions, I have explained that by the term “pigeon house”, I refer to the government coalition. However, it seems that I will have to extend this designation to at least the majority of the Constitutional Court, which, with its decision on the law concerning RTV Slovenija, has become a service to the “pigeon house”, and to the President of the country, Nataša Pirc Musar.
June is the month in which we celebrate the national holiday, Statehood Day, and commemorate many other events related to the process of independence in 1991. It is clear that the most responsible individuals in the country must plan carefully and precisely which events they will attend and which they will not be able to attend. At least from the President of the country, the Prime Minister, and the President of the National Assembly, who represent the entire population or should represent it, one would expect them to participate in all those events that embody and are embraced by the majority of citizens, rather than only those with left or right political leanings. However, this is not the case in our country, and I will address this further in the following text.
I still remember how, in the aforementioned context, then-Prime Minister Andrej Bajuk acted in 2000. He first went to Kočevski Rog, the site of the massacre of Home Guards and others who were extrajudicially killed by the partisan authorities after the war, and immediately after that, he went to Sveti Urh near Ljubljana, known for being a Home Guard stronghold where partisans were allegedly killed. This is a typical example of the behaviour of a politically balanced Prime Minister for all citizens of Slovenia. He cannot be criticised for it.
However, during the times of the “pigeon house” in 2023, nothing is as it should be. A few days ago, I attended a mass for the homeland, celebrated by the Archbishop of Ljubljana, Stanislav Zore, at the Ljubljana Cathedral. There were no prominent representatives of the state, especially those from the “pigeon house”, present. If in Germany or elsewhere the highest representatives of the state were absent from a mass commemorating the national holiday or major religious holidays, everyone would wonder if someone was sick or if something was happening. Meanwhile, President of the country, Nataša Pirc Musar, mingles with a marginal group of homosexuals, lesbians, transgender individuals, and others, greets them, and takes pictures with them. She even raises the rainbow flag at the Presidential Palace. But she does not have time to attend the mass for the homeland. Let me be clear, I have nothing against the Pride Parade and its participants, who represent a minority compared to the religious believers and others who gathered at the mass for the homeland. You might argue that she was at the Council of Europe, but that is just an excuse. The protocol of the President, the Prime Minister, and the President of the National Assembly could have been coordinated with the Church to schedule the mass for the homeland, but apparently no one wanted that.
I have no idea where the Prime Minister and the President of the National Assembly were during the mass for the homeland. Maybe Robert Golob was feeding nutria with his sweetheart Tina Gaber in Ljubljansko Barje, and perhaps President Urška Klakočar Zupančič was planning to adopt another monkey during the mass for the homeland. I say this half-jokingly and half-seriously.
At the beginning of June, there is also an annual mass in Kočevski Rog to honour all those who were extrajudicially killed after the war. The first one was held in 1991 when then-President of the Presidency Milan Kučan and Archbishop Alojzij Šuštar shook hands. We saw it as an act of reconciliation, at least it seemed that way. But of course, it was not the case. Kučan was only able to do it back then, and as far as I remember, no left-wing politician in the three highest positions of power in the country has attended that traditional mass in Kočevski Rog ever since. The same was true this year.
Therefore, it is important to address the following to all three of the most responsible individuals in the country: Nataša Pirc Musar, Robert Golob, and Urška Klakočar Zupančič. You should carry out your duties for all citizens and not just for those whose left side of the heart is still beating, while their right side has become as rigid as a stone, like with yourself.
However, in the “pigeon house”, they did plan a state celebration for Statehood Day, where the central performance was assigned to the pop singer Magnifico. Nothing extraordinary, except that this singer previously stated that he voted against Slovenia’s independence in the 1990 plebiscite. What irony, then, that at the celebration for the day of independent Slovenia, which he opposed, he now performs, funded by taxpayers’ money, including those who fought for Slovenia’s independence.