By: Dr Metod Berlec
First of all, I would like to thank everyone who supported us so massively with their participation in the Saturday meeting of supporters of Nova24TV television and the magazine Demokracija at Tavčarjev dvorec in Visoko. Thank you also to everyone who supported us by sponsoring the event, by donating, buying books and magazines, by becoming new subscribers to Demokracija magazine, or by joining the Nova24TV Supporters’ Club. Thank you also for all the congratulations, suggestions, and advice that we, the creators of Demokracija and Nova24TV, received at this really happy and massive meeting. Thank you also to everyone who could not attend the meeting, but who support us daily and weekly!
All this will be an incentive for our work in the future, because we see that you trust us and expect that we will do our best to help the Slovenian media scene to be plural, so that the voice of those who were silenced in the past will be heard or of those (us) who are second-class citizens under the new left-wing government, that is, those who just have to work and quietly pay taxes so that the left-wing “new class” grazes at the state manger, follows the LGBTQ+ ideology, happily travels around the world and organises various performances or crazy orgies in some basement.
In order for Slovenia not to fall into an autocracy (a political system in which one person or a small group has unlimited, arbitrary power, autocracy), such as they have in Russia, one must be an active citizen. It is necessary to leave the comfort of the sofa and go submit signatures for the call for three legislative referendums. At the beginning of September, at the proposal of the SDS, the collection of signatures for the call for three referendums began: on amendments to the law on government, on amendments to the law on RTVS, and amendments to the law on long-term care. In short, to stop the arbitrariness of the ruling neo-socialist government.
If we briefly summarise the reasons with which the largest opposition party justifies these three referendums. Firstly, the Act on Amendments to the Act on the Government of the Republic of Slovenia recklessly increases the number of ministries from 17 to 20, which consequently means higher costs and burdens for taxpayers. Why oppose such a law? Because there is no meaningful rounding of areas after the amendment of the law. It would make sense to shrink the number of ministries, but not to increase them. From the draft law and from the public announcements about who would occupy the ministerial positions in the newly established departments, it is only clear that unelected politicians had to be provided with well-paid jobs. The proposed number of ministries also does not follow the international regulation of the countries listed in the explanation of the law. An increased number of ministries does not bring efficiency, but only a greater possibility of disagreements. The number of ministries brings even more bureaucracy in a country that is already suffocating under a bunch of different regulations…
Secondly, a significant change to the Act on RTV Slovenia is the dissolution of the existing programme and supervisory board and the introduction of a single management and supervisory body – the RTV Slovenia Council. In amending the law, the only purpose is the immediate takeover of the management bodies of RTVS and thus of this extremely important public institution, by the ruling politicians. A lot of decision-making power at RTV would be given to the so-called non-governmental organisations that have nothing to do with RTV, and the amendments to the law would prevent representatives of listeners and viewers from participating in RTV bodies, i.e., those who finance the “RTV contribution”.
Why oppose such a law? Because it recklessly introduces a new management and control body, which, under the guise of depoliticisation, abolishes the programme and control council, which ensure impartiality and balance; because the adoption of the law following an urgent procedure prevents the public and interested stakeholders from presenting their views, ideas, proposals and initiatives, thereby abusing the process to achieve the political goals of the ruling coalition, which, together with some trade unions, has been planning a political takeover of the public RTV Slovenia for a long time, because it does not ensure respect for the principle of reality, impartiality and integrity of information and because it does not guarantee respect for human personality and dignity, the principle of balance and worldview pluralism.
Thirdly, the Long-Term Care Act was finally passed at the end of 2021 after more than 20 years. The left-wing governments were unable to accept it, the previous centre-right government did. It is a law that regulates the field of long-term care by ensuring the conditions for accessible, high-quality, and safe treatment of adults who, due to illness, age, injuries, or disability, are no longer able to take care of themselves independently. The Long-Term Care Act brings hope to all citizens that they will not be left alone and without medical care and assistance in their old age. Robert Golob’s government wants to postpone the implementation of the law by one year, which would also stop solving problems in the field of long-term care. The statements of the ruling party that the maintenance fees will be higher due to the announced referendum are not true. Why oppose the delay in the implementation of the law? If nothing else, because the delay in the law threatens the payment of European grants in the amount of 1.5 billion euros and distances the elderly in all respects from the systemically arranged long-term care that they undoubtedly deserve.
In short, if enough signatures are not collected for these three referendums by Wednesday, October 5th, 2022, a total left-wing pogrom will begin on anyone who thinks otherwise. And the public institution RTVS will again be a one hundred percent trumpet of the transitional left. That is why every signature is important!