By: Dr Matevž Tomšič
Our progressive intelligentsia is up in arms again. Once more, it has raised its voice in protest. But this time, for a change, not against its “class enemies” on the right, but against someone from its own ideological and political camp – Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković.
He offended them when he publicly supported his friend, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, against whom thousands of students (and other Serbian citizens) have been protesting for some time. The trigger for this was the collapse of a canopy at the Novi Sad railway station, which caused the death of fifteen people – an event that, for part of the Serbian public, symbolises the corruption and abuses of the ruling elite. The structure had been recently renovated, meaning the collapse was due to criminal negligence, very likely with the knowledge of those in power. A group of well-known figures from the left-wing scene has launched a petition expressing outrage at the mayor’s letter of support, denying him the right to speak on behalf of the citizens of Ljubljana.
Some might say that this proves the left is capable of critical distance and of publicly standing against political figures from their own ranks. But at first glance, that is only how it appears. This moralistic distancing from the mayor of Ljubljana is, in reality, deeply hypocritical.
Janković has become the target of leftist revolt over an action that has virtually no impact on the functioning of the city administration or the well-being of Ljubljana’s residents (regardless of what one thinks about the situation in Serbia). Yet there are numerous highly problematic actions by the current mayor that have significantly affected life in the Slovenian capital – actions to which these same protesters have never responded. Those who claim to advocate for transparency have never raised their voices against the questionable financial dealings of the municipal administration, including corruption suspicions related to the Stožice complex construction. Those who loudly profess environmental concerns have remained silent about Janković’s infamous C0 canal (dubbed the “sewage pipeline”), which poses a massive ecological threat due to potential groundwater contamination. Those who present themselves as defenders of women’s rights never spoke up against the mayor’s abuse of power in the “pharmacist case” (where sexual favours were allegedly exchanged for employment). And those who claim to stand for minority rights and always side with victims have never condemned the mayor’s inhumane decision to deny burial for Roma victims of wartime communist violence in Ljubljana’s Žale cemetery.
Now, those who seek to distance themselves from Janković have been his staunch supporters ever since he entered the political scene. Most of them have undoubtedly voted for him in every mayoral election, and many backed his Positive Slovenia party in the 2011 parliamentary elections when the primary goal was to “stop Janša”.
Now, they want to align themselves with the Serbian students who are protesting. But they have nothing in common with them. Serbian students are opposing an establishment that seeks to control every aspect of society, while our so-called leftist intellectuals are an integral part of the establishment. They have access to media platforms; they have access to political decision-makers. Not only have they supported Janković all these years, but they also helped bring his protégé, Robert Golob, to power. Under the leadership of these two, Slovenia is increasingly resembling Vučić’s Serbia. The prime minister and his partner are importing turbo-folk culture and reality-show-style behaviour reminiscent of Serbia’s infamous Zadruga. The Slovenian ruling “left-wing scene” is taking the worst aspects of the Balkans. And those now pretending to be some kind of dissidents are complicit in this.