By: Dr Metod Berlec
In this edition of Demokracija, we once again highlight the incredible influence that the last head of the Party and the first President of the Republic of Slovenia, Milan Kučan, still has on Slovenian politics.
Although he has held no official position for over two decades, his influence – if nothing else, symbolic – can still be felt in various spheres of Slovenian society, from the media to the judiciary. So-called “new faces,” pulled out of a hat like aces before every election by the political godfathers of the transitional left, still wait for his ‘blessing’ to enter politics. The most recent example is MEP Vladimir Prebilič, who recently even publicly admitted that he has not yet received the final “yes” from the last head of the Party. According to him, the time is not yet ripe. In the meantime, the leftist transitional network, aided by various analysts, pollsters, and public opinion makers such as Toš, is still testing different scenarios to most effectively prevent SDS leader Janez Janša from returning to power.
The influence of the old forces and their culturally and civilisationally limited offspring is once again visible at every turn – most clearly during anniversaries of events that took place eight decades ago and still weigh heavily on the Slovenian nation. At a commemorative ceremony at the Mass Grave under the Hornbeam Hill in Kočevski Rog – a site of a major crime where Slovene killed Slovene – the president of the Slovenian Bishops’ Conference, Andrej Saje, pointed this out. “The crimes of revolutionary violence have still not been condemned; the innocent victims have not had their names cleared.” He emphasised the necessity of a proper burial for those killed after the war, saying that “every burial and grave is a recognition and expression of human dignity.” Reconciliation is tied to this as well. But reconciliation, as he said, cannot exist without truth, and forgiveness cannot exist without acknowledgment of guilt. “That is why we once again call on those responsible to do what is right: to clearly and publicly condemn the crimes committed here, to remove the stain from the memory of the innocently slain, and to ensure a dignified burial for these victims.”
The ruling authorities were not present at this commemorative event. Instead, they were visible at events already celebrated under the former totalitarian regime. One thing is clear: the transitional left is already racking up pre-election points based on the alleged genocide in Gaza. Anyone who disagrees is met with a full-blown media assault. That is why Slovenian mainstream media bombards us daily with numbers of allegedly killed Palestinians. What they omit is that these numbers are released by the terrorist organisation Hamas and that they largely count their own members – often including innocent civilians that Hamas itself has killed. These are people who simply want peace and know they are being exploited by Hamas for its own purposes. And to this, the Slovenian, European, and global left all gladly lend their support. How much longer will this continue?