By: Dr Stane Granda
The title is inspired by the English King John Lackland (1167–1216), the brother of Richard the Lionheart, who had connections to our region. Although he was an unsuccessful ruler, his issuance of the Magna Carta Libertatum made him one of the pillars of world democracy.
The title likely suggests the president’s lost battle against the prime minister, who, in terms of understanding societal issues, is a pauper compared to her. Of course, today, knowledge holds no weight against political power – let alone prestige. If anything, it is a burden. Is her defeat a personal one, or will it trigger changes in the formal powers of the presidency?
The ruling party, Gibanje Svoboda, through its crude figures – led by the president of the National Assembly and the culture minister’s “cobbler” – is proving its intoxication with parliamentary dominance. They are deliberately dismantling Slovenia’s fragile democracy. Especially under attack is the Slovenian state itself, portrayed as the source of all evil for the past thirty years. It is tragic that the leaders of this assault on parliamentary and political culture are lawyers – as if doctors were to be the first to advocate for euthanasia.
The president of the country, who seeks to be the frontrunner in the fight against Janšism, significantly contributes to Slovenia’s political self-destruction. She has alienated a large segment of the citizenry. She did not raise her voice against the abolition of the Museum of Slovenian Independence – the greatest achievement in Slovenia’s history. Upon taking office, she threatened that she would not remain silent. It is tragic that she speaks when she should be silent – due to a lack of knowledge and political culture – and remains silent when she should take a stand.
Her battle for supremacy in anti-Janšism cost her dearly when she took on Bobnar. As a result, she endured primitive and unacceptable insults as the sovereign of the state. If she complies with Golob’s demand, she will only confirm her own subjugation.
Although it is likely that she will be re-elected after her term due to Slovenia’s political insecurity – since democrats are unable to find a suitable candidate – her position will not improve. Anti-Janšism, as a fiction of communism’s defeated, leads her to act against Slovenia’s independence and democracy. Our goal was never post-socialism, but democracy! Not only does she not know history, but she refuses to understand it. That is why, despite a presidential(!) promise, she has failed to ensure the dignified burial of 3,000 people still awaiting resurrection in plastic crates. A disgrace unknown to European civilisation.
The tragedy of this president is that she has no party behind her. With Kučan’s help, she swept away both post-totalitarian leftist candidates and democratic ones. “Now you see her, now you don’t.” Kučan sacrificed her – not just to the prime minister, but even to his protégé Janković. He openly supports both of them, but never her! Yet, he gladly accepts hospitality at her lodge. Not trusting her completely, he keeps her on a leash like a lapdog – humiliating her as only he knows how. Marked by political incompetence, a lack of statehood awareness, self-appointment, and the political immaturity of the prime minister, the president of the country (!!!) is politically destitute. A nobody’s figurehead! Because she prefers the cynic Türk – the worst president Slovenia has ever had – over the best, Borut Pahor, she will struggle to find a way out. She is digging her own grave.
Slovenia urgently needs a Magna Carta Libertatum, adapted to its current parliamentary conditions. Such a document is desperately needed, yet it is nowhere in her field of vision. With it, she would win undisputed public support – for the sake of Slovenia! She should slam her fist on the table. Is she afraid of jeopardising her chances for a second term?
The president has taken her role seriously and wants to execute it diligently. That is commendable. Unfortunately, she lacks the necessary political instinct. She did not grasp the message of her latest parliamentary address. She is too self-absorbed and too eager to wear the pants. Every statesman does so – but in a way that people do not notice. She prioritises outward appearances over substance. She meddled in Austria’s internal affairs – a democratic state – but remains silent on the neo-Milošević-style Serbia. Does she find its regime more palatable? Is she indebted to Kučan and Janković?
Regardless of its president, Spring announces Slovenia’s future!