By: Dr Vinko Gorenak
Have you heard of Alma Intihar, a member of the Golob’s coalition, more precisely the Freedom Movement (GS) in the National Assembly (DZ)? I had not noticed her until now.
But I did come across her statement about how she walked past the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) stand, where they were collecting signatures for a referendum against privileged pensions for certain artists. This is how she insulted the pensioner who was collecting signatures at the stand: “He was toothless and smelled.” A shameful, uncivilised, and unacceptable statement from a Member of Parliament, especially because she clearly knew he was an SDS supporter. Well, that pensioner also contributed to the fact that on May 11th, 2025, we will vote on this issue in a referendum, and I certainly encourage you to participate and vote “against”. Also because of such an offensive statement from an MP.
In my three terms in the National Assembly, I made hundreds of speeches, gave statements to the media, and appeared in various outlets, but I was never personally insulting to anyone. On the contrary, as an MP, state secretary, or interior minister, I encountered many insults in the street, through mail or email, and especially in the media. I was called everything but human. I experienced a lot – from name-calling on the street and physical threats to offensive writings or messages about me – but I emphasise, I generally did not respond, and certainly not with insults. Things escalated to the point where, in 2012, the police increased my physical security even at home, because at the time I was interior minister and was receiving death threats.
It is true that I initiated three court proceedings against three different people. In the first case, it was a young woman who threatened me, and through legal action she was ordered to pay 100 euros to the Ljubljana maternity hospital. In the second, someone threatened to murder me and bury me at the mass grave of Barbara’s Shaft; he was given a suspended prison sentence. In the third case, a known repeat offender, previously convicted for drug offenses and for insulting right-wing politicians, publicly declared me homosexual. Well, I won three lawsuits against him.
Now let’s look at some facts about the almost unknown MP. She was born in 1973, so during the war for independence she was a teenager and did nothing for Slovenia’s independence. The same likely cannot be said for the pensioner she insulted. Even if he was missing a few teeth and maybe had a glass of wine, it is almost certain that he actively participated in the war for Slovenia. Alma Intihar was elected in the Radovljica 2 electoral district, a strongly left-leaning area where a significant portion of the electorate are our former southern brothers.
Alma Intihar is the deputy chair of the Mandate and Election Commission of the National Assembly and a member of three other parliamentary committees. She is also part of friendship groups with 27 countries, one of which includes as many as 51 countries. When I was an MP, as far as I remember, I was not part of any such group – my job is here, although sometimes these groups also come with exotic trips. Despite Alma Intihar’s supposed extensive activity – at least on paper – most of our citizens have never even heard of her.
When asked why she entered politics, MP Alma Intihar wrote on the National Assembly’s website: “I am prepared to fight for the rights of independent female and male creators in the field of culture, because not all of us are children of wealthy and politically influential parents. Art is centralised mainly in the capital, where most of the relevant institutions that determine an artist’s importance in the Slovenian, European, and global context are located.” Fair enough, Madam MP, but that still does not give you the right to insult political opponents, especially not elderly people. Shame on you!
However, Alma Intihar is not the only MP from the Golob’s coalition who insulted the aforementioned pensioner with missing teeth and alleged odour. There are many more such cases.