By: Dr Metod Berlec
The magnificent protest rally last Tuesday in Novo Mesto showed that people have had enough of Roma violence, enough of their criminal behaviour, enough of the shameless exploitation of the welfare state, enough of the ineffective actions of law enforcement, enough of the inefficiency of state institutions, and enough of Golob’s incompetent leftist government.
The murder that shook Novo Mesto, and with it all of Slovenia, sparked a wave of outrage, a protest rally, and an emergency session of the Novo Mesto municipal council, where mayors from Southeast Slovenia and Posavje unanimously warned of the rising number of criminal offenses and demanded immediate systemic changes. Prime Minister Robert Golob, in a state of panic, announced radical measures to address the Roma issue. The new so-called “Šutar Law” is expected to cover areas of security, criminal justice, and social policy. It would grant police greater authority to enter and monitor high-risk areas, increase penalties for violent and group crimes, restrict social benefits for repeat offenders, and eliminate child allowances for underage mothers. However, the opposition is critical of these announcements. SDS president Janez Janša warned that the situation would likely unfold similarly to the floods of August 2023 – bombastic promises, but ultimately no concrete results. He reminded that legislation aimed at resolving Roma issues in a systemic and civilised manner is already in process, but the coalition has rejected it four times. Janša labelled some of the proposed measures as inappropriate, arguing that existing laws already allow for action – the real problem lies in the lack of political will and resources. In this context, it must be stated clearly: the responsibility for the current situation lies with the ruling politics, which, blinded by ideology, created a system of double standards and enabled the Roma community. Not even the deflection by President Nataša Pirc Musar, claiming that the entire Slovenian political sphere is to blame for the current state, can obscure this. It is clear that Golob’s government is responsible, having rejected proposals to resolve this burning issue for three and a half years.
And a warning: In an interview for Delo’s Saturday supplement, the controversial long-time advisor to Kučan, public opinion analyst and shaper Dr Niko Toš, declared, just under five months before the elections, that he would give Robert Golob and the entire ruling coalition another chance: “Yes. Not just him, the entire coalition trio. They just need to close ranks even more in the pre-election ‘extra time.’” He concluded: “Golob and the coalition parties entered parliament through the Independence Square, the square of resistance. Without that square, neither this coalition nor he would be in parliament. All coalition partners must be aware of this.” Certainly, these are the messages of a cunning old red fox that the opposition must keep in mind and not underestimate.
