By: Sara Bertoncelj / Nova24tv
“We fear that at the end of the experiment, what will happen is that both the patient and the healthcare system will die,” said the leader of the Slovenian Democratic Party parliamentary group, Jelka Godec. In addition, she also reminded everyone of Golob’s Romanian bank account, for which the latter claims it was created after someone stole his identity. She also noted that the Kosovo parliament has ordered that a commission of inquiry look into the alleged illegalities of the Gen-I energy company deal. In a secret ballot on Tuesday, the National Assembly, as expected, elected the President of the Freedom Movement party, Robert Golob, as the Prime Minister-designate of the new government. Golob has already submitted a list of ministerial candidates to the National Assembly.
At an extraordinary session held on Tuesday afternoon, the National Assembly decided, among other things, on the candidate for the position of Prime Minister, Robert Golob. In a secret ballot, the President of the Freedom Movement party (Gibanje svoboda) was elected as the Prime Minister-designate, who will form the new government. Golob, who has already submitted a list of ministerial candidates to the National Assembly, said in a statement after being elected that he is aware of the great expectations but that sometimes “a challenge must be great in order for you to work even harder.”
In his presentation of the future government’s programme concepts, the future Prime Minister, Robert Golob, highlighted topics such as social justice, solidarity and knowledge-based society. He will first tackle the regulation of the public healthcare system and the rising of prices, which will be limited before autumn, he announced. “A month ago, voters were clear in their decision that they want to live in a normal country, which will not be in a state of emergency all of the time, and where they won’t be uncertain about what the next day will bring,” he said at Tuesday’s extraordinary session of the National Assembly, where the deputies were deciding on his candidacy for the position of Prime Minister. According to Golob, the people expect hope for a better future, for which, as he announced, he will also strive.
The ruling coalition is preparing a silent nationalisation
President of the New Slovenia party (Nova Slovenija – NSi), Matej Tonin, told the future coalition that Slovenians can achieve a lot, but only through cooperation. He said NSi will be a constructive opposition party but will only support the good proposals of the government, and, if invited, will also take part in the drafting of joint legislative proposals. He added that this does not mean they will stay quiet and be good, but that they would use all democratic means to thwart socialist experiments. “We share many concerns of the representatives of the economic sector, of doctors, trade unions, and ordinary people,” he pointed out. He also listed the silent nationalisation and additional taxation of those who constantly work and create as reasons to worry. Tonin also announced that the NSi party will use all legal options to defend the changes in the personal income tax system, which were adopted in the previous term. He assessed that the coalition agreement was too tipped to one side, in favour of the Left party (Levica). This is also why the NSi party voted against the prime ministerial candidate who signed such an agreement. The leader of the NSi party also announced that they intend to submit many legislative proposals and that they will also support all anti-corona legislative measures, which will also be supported by the medical profession, in autumn.
Golob is under international financial investigation
President of the Slovenian Democratic Party (Slovenska demokratska stranka – SDS), Janez Janša, did not speak at the session, however, the leader of the party’s parliamentary group, Jelka Godec, said that the candidate for Prime Minister wants to reach a broader consensus with civil society, especially those who read hostile pamphlets against the current government on the Republic Square in Ljubljana, recited hateful poems, and chanted “death to Janšaism.”
She accused Golob of planning to get rid of all SDS staff in the ministries by systematising jobs. Godec touched on Golob’s announcement of an experiment in the public healthcare system, which would supposedly determine the limits of public healthcare. “We fear that at the end of the experiment, what will happen is that both the patient and the healthcare system will die,” she said. She also reminded everyone of Golob’s Romanian bank account, for which the latter claims it was created after someone stole his identity. She also noted that the Kosovo parliament has ordered that a commission of inquiry look into the alleged illegalities of the Gen-I energy company deal.
MP Žan Mahnič also commented on the investigation and said that apparently, Golob is in a rush to form the government before the 3rd of June. “And not because you want to get to work so quickly, but because you want to change the staff. An international investigation of the Gen-I company and Dr Golob is also currently underway. Trust me, you will not be able to stop this with any staff changes.”
“This has been confirmed by the information I have,” Mahnič said and reiterated that this was an international investigation – which Golob denied. “Let’s let time do the work, and in the end, we will see who was right,” Mahnič responded. According to him, Slovenia does not need experiments but a planned path and strategy for how it will develop further, which he also emphasised, and explained that he would not support Golob for Prime Minister – because he represents everything that is wrong in our country, as Golob is a media project who was supported by the national television, POP TV and its family connections, and uncritical reporting. “I would not want to support someone who may be involved in mafia business and money laundering for the position of Prime Minister,” Mahnič added.
Golob is the antipode of Drnovšek
“So what will be realised – what you wrote in the coalition agreement or what you said in front of the camera?” wondered SDS MP and the outgoing foreign minister, Anže Logar, who pointed out that what is written in the coalition agreement is quite different from what is being said. He reminded everyone that Golob said that all people expect is hope – which has a double meaning, as it can be understood selfishly or altruistically. The coalition agreement points to the first interpretation – in the sense of “I dare to do everything the Left party says,” but what Golob says brings some hope that this is actually an altruistic version. Logar wondered if what is written in the agreement will be translated into action. Namely, he noticed quite a few discrepancies – namely, Golob said some time ago that the professionalism and knowledge of all state staff should be consistently checked – and on the same day, Robert Pavšič was nominated for Secretary-General of the National Assembly. Logar was also interested in why Golob turned the coalition agreement so far to the left, given that he has 41 deputies and a comfortable majority with the Social Democrats (Socialni demokrati – SD). He also commented that the media like to mention that Golob’s role model is Dr Janez Drnovšek.
But in practice, this is what that looks like: they formed a government with the most ministerial portfolios in the EU, without any arguments or analyses, and – of course – the media have not discussed any costs of this either. They then decided on the division of the working bodies in the National Assembly, and based on the Rules of Procedure, they made a decision that is actually in conflict with the Rules of Procedure. In addition, they also announced staff changes everywhere, even where no one else has done them, and where there is no basis for change. “All this is the antithesis of what Drnovšek once advocated,” Logar pointed out, adding that Drnovšek would not have invited Marjan Šarec or Alenka Bratušek to join his government. Logar later also pointed out that the Freedom Movement is supposed to be a green party – and he wondered if that means that they will not continue with the construction of the sewer over the aquifer, which is, of course, in the interest of the Ljubljana mayor Zoran Janković, who is also very close to Golob. Logar then also repeated the words of Luka Mesec, who said at the signing of the coalition agreement that they are ending the lost decade and a half with this moment. According to Logar, there is little hope in this as well, as 12 out of these 15 “lost” years were represented by the same politics that makes up the coalition we have today.
Procedures have been thrown out the window, and democracy has been murdered
SDS MP Branko Grims pointed out that “today, the procedure (which protects the minority) has been thrown out the window, and thus, democracy has been murdered.” Grims also quoted Orwell’s rule, who said that you should never believe the leftists and the terms that they use – what happened on Tuesday is, according to Grims, an introduction of totalitarianism. If the procedure can be thrown out the window, then there is something seriously wrong with such a democracy. According to him, the formation of the government is also being done quickly due to the commission of inquiry in Kosovo and the investigations that are underway in four other countries in the Balkans. He also noted that the coalition agreement, along with the statements the representatives of the coalition have given so far, reads like a catechism of cultural Marxism – an attack on normalcy, the family, which is supposedly a fascist cell, an attack on children, who will be forced to listen to LGBT propaganda, an attack on private property – Grims pointed out the double taxation, first the real estate tax, and then the property tax, and made a point, based on everything that he said before, that it pays to get drunk and be lazy, but it does not pay to work hard. He also pointed out that the demand for real estate across the border has dramatically increased, as many Slovenians are planning to move from Slovenia, and the richest may have already moved their companies abroad. “Everyone who loves Slovenia will vote against you today. I myself will be absolutely and resolutely against,” Grims said, adding that Slovenians will be the ones being used under this government.
“Dear Mr Golob, I wish you all the best in performing your job, and as a long-time Member of Parliament, I ask you that if you come to the conclusion that your experiment has actually turned into an experiment, to act as Marjan Šarec did two years ago,” said MP Eva Irgl, asking Golob to resign in case things get too far. She also suggested to the citizens that they actually read the coalition agreement from the first letter to the last to see that socialism is being reintroduced. “This is the experiment you are talking about. The economy sector and Slovenian entrepreneurs don’t want that. They have said so many times now,” she added. After the session, Janez Janša also congratulated Golob, who will be the 15th Prime Minister of Slovenia, on Twitter: “Congratulations to Dr Robert Golob on his election as Prime Minister. Let your actions be in line with today’s promises and not with yesterday’s coalition agreement,” the current Prime Minister wrote.