By: Dr Stane Granda
At the turn of each year, self‑proclaimed prophets around the world proclaim what the new one will bring and what it will be like. Slovenians, because of the parliamentary and municipal elections, are convinced that it will be tense, complex, and demanding. As we make our bed, so we shall lie in it. Really?
Golob’s government, which no one predicted would reach the end of its term, has not only deepened an already unprecedented and, for Slovenians, dangerously divisive rift among citizens, but has also triggered shifts in Slovenian society whose far‑reaching uncertainties and unpredictable outcomes we can hardly grasp. It undertook certain globally necessary reforms, yet neglected much of the preparation required for them, above all due to a lack of competence and understanding of Slovenia’s specific circumstances. As a result, the ambiguities, shortcomings, and mistakes are several times greater than what would normally be expected. It denied all previous work, including and especially that of its coalition partner, the United List, which was not only the most exposed to attacks but also quietly swallowed all insults and criticism. At every opportunity, the prime minister emphasises that nothing has been done in the past 30 years, or that whatever was done was wrong and worthless. We are thinking especially of the Ministry of Labour, Family…, which for years was the domain of the communists. We can only marvel that they are willing to swallow so much of their own mud. Apparently, the leaders of the United List have the worst possible opinion of themselves and their past governing. The government’s left wing, especially its minister Mesec, has taken full advantage of this; he never missed an opportunity to, as the old communists used to say, kick a dead horse. Even during the Roma affair in Dolenjska, he first pointed his finger at the minister of justice. Although her responsibility is far smaller than his, he remained a pillar of Golob’s government despite the interpellation. At the same time, apparently in agreement with the owners of transitional capital, he launched a new minimum wage into Slovenia’s financial oligarchy, which runs the country. None of its members raised their voice. They know they will only benefit from it. A demagogue of a kind rarely seen in Slovenian history. It seems the philosopher Žižek is expertly guiding and instrumentalising him. Such and similar cases dominate under Golob’s government.
Has Slovenia, under Golob’s rule, run aground economically and socially, or is it sinking? This is a question the new government will have to answer. If it radically sets out to undo the pre‑election giveaways, it will summon not only the cyclists but also the trade unions, and above all the rapidly growing Slovenian poverty. The middle class is on the verge of extinction. Its upper tier, usually represented by doctors, has been placed by the government between the hammer and the anvil, and citizens are systematically incited against them. The same applies to medium and small entrepreneurs, who became what they are through their own abilities, ambition, and work. The base of Golob’s government is the intellectual lumpenproletariat. The government has flooded it with money and has strong international Hayek‑inspired connections reaching all the way to Obama. His verbal abilities should not be underestimated. He is closely intertwined with Balkan businessmen of the Janković type, who, when needed, also bring in Balkan fighters. When necessary, they also engage groups such as the Roma and others who are marginal only on paper. In reality, they intimidate Slovenia’s most economically important region – Dolenjska, with Revoz, Krka, and other successful companies – which is why some call it the Slovenian Bavaria. Then there is the aggressiveness of the central state media, which surpasses the methods and capabilities of Goebbels’ propaganda.
Whom can the new government rely on? On the abilities and experience of the personnel it will engage. The political struggle will be bloody and ruthless. One cannot rely on foreign countries or democratic Europe. From there, especially from the right, the worst may come. Such are the experiences! The new anti‑Golob government must devote exceptional attention to communication with the population, which it must never underestimate or placate with cynicism. A mass moral and political renewal of Slovenian citizens must be initiated, arising from a completely relentless exposure of the current government’s criminality and the tragic consequences of its ill‑considered decisions. Moral capital among Slovenian citizens exists. It was confirmed by the defeat of the ruling party in the last referendum. The first months of the new government will be crucial. What is missed will be difficult to repair.
We are convinced that we have pointed out the substantive part of the coalition with the voters, that is, a coalition for achieving the essence and goals of Slovenian independence, for realising its fundamental ideas, whose dimensions, especially the details, we cannot address in full. These will be determined day by day, in order and in detail. “Now it is about Slovenia,” Pučnik would say.