By: Dr Metod Berlec
These days mark the 80th anniversary of the peak of the horrific postwar communist massacres, which remain one of the darkest – if not the darkest – periods of our history, as they amounted to a genocide against a part of the Slovenian nation. The victims were not only the Home Guard or members of the Slovenian National Army, but to a large extent also completely innocent civilians who were not enthusiastic about the so-called liberators. The main responsibility for these crimes lies with the Yugoslav communist leaders under the leadership of Tito, Kardelj, Kidrič, and others, who used the occupation as an opportunity for a communist revolution, and after the war, for a revolutionary seizure of power.
And today? Although Slovenia has over the decades developed as a democratic country with respect for human rights and the rule of law, the shadows of the past still influence the present. On such anniversaries, it is our duty not only to recall historical facts but also to ask ourselves what kind of future we want as a nation.
On this path, Slovenia faces serious challenges. The government of Robert Golob, through its policies and high taxes, has created difficult economic conditions that stifle entrepreneurship and development. Instead of creating a competitive environment, the government burdens entrepreneurs and tradespeople with its fiscal policies, leading to reduced investment, capital flight abroad, and a declining standard of living for all citizens.
At the same time, old patterns of political behaviour and appointments persist in the background – something former President Borut Pahor pointed out in a Sunday interview for TV Slovenia. Power brokers from behind the scenes, led by the last president of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Slovenia, Milan Kučan, are preparing a new political figure – MEP Vladimir Prebilič. Prebilič himself openly admitted this in an interview for the online portal Žurnal24, saying: “We met, the conversation was good, the gentleman is incredibly insightful. But there is no final ‘yes’ yet. In a way, I understand – perhaps the situation has not yet matured enough for that.” Thus, the transitional left will once again, through the so-called “new face,” try to capture a portion of disillusioned voters in the next parliamentary elections – those who keep drifting from one “new face” to another. This process is becoming a constant – one that promises yet another electoral deception, similar to what we have already experienced multiple times in the past. Do we really need another “new face” who in reality only continues the patterns of the old political structures? Of course not!!!
Slovenia is at a crossroads. Will we embrace a future based on the rule of law, economic progress, and transparent politics? Or will we again witness backroom games that lead nowhere new? The answer to this question will be given by the voters – who hold the power to take the future into their own hands.