By: AI, C. R.
On Friday, October 2, a hearing will be held at the Ljubljana Local Court in a civil lawsuit in which journalist Jože Možina is seeking an apology and damages from cultural figure Svetlana Makarovič for alleged defamation.
Jože Možina maintains that on January 21, 2022, Svetlana Makarovič did not deliver a piece of sharp political satire at a public gathering but rather engaged in personal humiliation and defamation. In the sixth preparatory submission, dated September 23, 2026, he argues that the poet attacked his honour, reputation, and journalistic integrity before a crowd that loudly applauded her performance.
According to Možina, the dispute is not about Partisans, Home Guard forces, or the slogan “Death to Fascism.” Rather, it concerns a specific series of accusations directed at him personally. He claims that Makarovič described him as a “professional liar” who “distorts history,” a “subservient servant of the government,” a “traitor,” and a “slanderer without honour.” She also allegedly said that he had “vomited up witnesses.” Animal imagery reportedly followed, including expressions such as: “the pig has found its trough,” “he eats, stuffs himself, and vomits.” According to Možina, she concluded her performance with the command: “Watch your tongue, Možina!”
Možina argues that this sequence was not a polemic about the television programme Utrip of January 15, 2022, but a comprehensive attempt at discrediting him: first accusing him of deliberate lying, then morally degrading him, then portraying him as a repulsive creature, and finally calling for his silencing. He contends that the enthusiastic public reaction amplified the impact. He also highlights what he describes as blanket disparagement of guests who appeared on the programme Pričevalci (“Witnesses”), including concentration-camp survivors, Partisans, Home Guard members, and victims of revolutionary violence.
The central argument of his filing is straightforward: according to Možina, Makarovič has not identified a single specific false statement from Utrip that would justify calling him a professional liar. In his view, disagreement over the interpretation of the Dražgoše tragedy does not constitute proof of historical falsification. Likewise, references to political authorities or wartime oaths taken by other individuals do not prove that he is a “servant” or a “traitor.”
Možina rejects the characterisation of the performance as satire, describing it as an excuse. He cites the analyses of Matija Ogrin, Urška Perenič, Milček Komelj, and Jožef Muhovič, as well as the legal opinions of Jan Zobec and Klemen Jaklič, arguing that rhyme and the author’s literary reputation do not transform an insult into untouchable artistic expression. He further maintains that allegations of lying and subservience to the government are factual assertions that must be proven, not merely metaphorical language.
The filing also points to the later dissemination of the same text. On September 13, 2025, it was allegedly recited at Graška Gora by the then-minor Teo Škratek. According to reports, organising committee chairman Franc Žerdin subsequently resigned, stating that he would not have allowed the performance had he known its content. The Association of Combatants reportedly distanced itself from statements it considered inappropriate and made outside the official programme.
Možina is seeking a public apology, publication of the court’s ruling, and €2,000 in damages. He argues that an influential public figure should not be permitted to normalise the public dehumanisation and silencing of a journalist before a crowd. The court has not yet ruled on the merits of the claim.