By: Peter Jančič (Spletni časopis)
After the government recently granted substantial pay raises to officials and increased subsidies to political parties, today’s referendum concerns astronomical lifelong pension supplements for politicians and the cultural elite. In recent days, the most talked-about story on social media has been about the Minister for a Solidary Future, Simon Maljevac, and the National Housing Fund, who enjoyed a nearly 9,000-euro gourmet meal at Hiša Fink.
Bills were issued on March 27th, just a few days after a neighbourhood with 186 non-profit apartments was opened in Novo mesto – the result of projects initiated by the previous government led by Janez Janša, whose work the current government usually discredits. At the event, Simon Maljevac announced that next year – an election year – construction would begin on an additional 2,000 apartments.
So far, there has been no explanation as to why a nearly 9,000-euro banquet was necessary and who exactly was fed.
However, the Pension and Disability Insurance Institute (ZPIZ) has clarified a mystery reported by Spletni časopis regarding an Erar database entry, which revealed how much of his pension was earned and how much was granted as a state privilege to former basketball player and MP for PS, SAB, and DeSUS, Peter Vilfan. Erar showed that Vilfan – though he had already closed his private business due to retirement – received two monthly payments, for example: €2,086 and €574 in September last year. After this was revealed in Spletni časopis, the government removed this data from Erar, allegedly due to a “mistake.” This is questionable, especially regarding the part showing state-granted privileges. The public has a right to know how public money is handed out.
Thanks to ZPIZ’s response, I now have the exact figures of political privileges granted to 92 individuals last year, and it is clear that Vilfan received €2,088 per month in politically approved privileges, in addition to around €600 in earned pension. This is odd, considering he served multiple terms as an MP and was even a state secretary under then-Prime Minister Marjan Šarec. MPs and government officials are well paid and contribute to the pension system. It seems that in socialism, athletes were paid very little – or they chose to invest elsewhere. ZPIZ’s list revealed that 80 out of 92 privileged individuals received at least €1,000 monthly, and 7 received more than €2,000, like Vilfan. Every month. Net.
Compared to those granted privileges under the old socialist law – still valid for athletes, artists, and scientists – the new recipients under Vilfan’s scheme are practically capitalists.
In 2023, only 11 people under the old law received more than €1,000 per month, and just one received more than €2,000: Milan Dekleva, with €25,667 annually. Even Svetlana Makarovič, with €19,775, was well behind Vilfan. Still, she has recently returned to viciously attacking SDS. For a quarter of a century, she has been paid as a left-wing political activist for this kind of propaganda – and will continue to be, no matter the referendum outcome.
She may have paid more into the pension system than Vilfan during her career, which would explain her slightly smaller privilege. The same goes for Miro Cerar, father of the former prime minister, who received €14,346 annually in additional state pension under the old law. Under Miro Cerar Jr., Vilfan succeeded in legalising special privileges for himself and other athletes.
These figures matter because today, citizens are voting on whether to approve a new “Vilfan-style” law for cultural workers, drafted by Asta Vrečko (Levica) and passed by MPs from Svoboda, SD, and Levica.
Svoboda and Levica are calling for a referendum boycott, arguing that ordinary people should not or cannot decide on elite privileges. SD, however, is encouraging people to vote and support the payouts, which would then become legal entitlements, not just government-granted favours.
If the law is upheld, the amounts will be even higher, thanks to a more favourable calculation method – just as Vilfan once secured. This will attract more applicants. Recipients are not to blame – the politicians who hand out the money are. Most people would accept it if offered.
Just like the coalition is split before the vote, so is the opposition. SDS, which collected 40,000 signatures to call the referendum, is joined this time by NSi, although they were neutral in earlier referenda about ministries, RTV, and elderly support. Meanwhile, Democrats under Anže Logar are staying out entirely – they did not even register for the campaign.
As a journalist and editor, I firmly oppose this law and all similar laws that hand out privileges like this. These are unjust state rents given by politicians from public funds in return for influence and loyalty from prominent cultural and sports figures – like Svetlana Makarovič, who is already campaigning. She is not alone.
Let’s say it plainly: this is corruption. And it is not an isolated case.
If politicians want to financially reward individuals, they should do so transparently during their own terms – not by committing future governments and generations to half-million-euro lifetime annuities. These privileges are perversely inverse to contributions: the less you contributed to the pension system, the more you get from the state.
It is deeply unjust. And the burden falls on people who can barely pay their bills.
Whether the law stands or not will be decided by voters – but the referendum is useful either way. SDS was right to demand it. We must oppose abuse and bad decisions by those in power, even if not enough voters turn out to meet the constitutional threshold (one-fifth of all voters).
I made similar warnings during the RTVS purge referendum and the one about increasing ministries. That voters did not reject those proposals was a defeat for the ruling parties, not the opposition – because the bill always comes due.
Critics of political waste and favouritism have neither big media support nor big money. But time is on their side.
And it will be the same this time. The consequences of enacting bad solutions will catch up with the governing parties either way.
Even if the new law passes, the unsustainable privileges will eventually be exposed and paid for. And it will become clear how much the government lied during the campaign. For example, Prime Minister Robert Golob claimed only four people a year would qualify for the privileges. He was adamant.
There will be seventeen right away – those who already applied under the old law, but the new law states they are entitled to the privilege if they meet the new criteria. And they do. The government was not willing to reveal who these lucky ones are before the referendum. They are hiding it from you. Because it would hurt them in the referendum if people found out.
It is a private matter who receives it, they told me when I asked.
But if the law passes, their names will eventually have to be published, and ZPIZ will have to reveal the amounts.
If it does not pass, their identities might remain hidden – unless the government grants them privileges under the old law, which would not be surprising.
Still, the big question remains: how to eliminate all these unfair arrangements – the old law, the new “Vilfan law”, and even inheritable privileges, which the current law still allows for those already receiving the bonus. The pension system includes many such inheritances, not all equally large – but they should all be abolished.
Every last one.