By: dr. Vinko Gorenak
Western European-style classical democracy operates on the principle of voter decision-making. Of course, many factors influence how voters decide, especially in Slovenia, where the media lean to the left more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Yet voters often make unreasonable and irrational choices. Before the last elections in 2022, Golob clearly announced that he would raise taxes, which he did, and the result is obvious: an average citizen’s annual salary dropped by €1,300. Nevertheless, he won the election.
Our predominantly left-leaning media have, in recent days, been heavily occupied with the so-called “wedding of the decade” between the head of the “Golobnjak,” Robert Golob, and Tina Gaber. Their initial obsession with reporting on the upcoming event likely surpassed the frenzy of British media when a royal heir gets married. But the wedding of Prince William and Catherine was, after all, the union of two young people who will one day be king and queen. In our case, it is the wedding of a divorced man nearing sixty and a woman twenty years his junior, known to have had several male companions in the past. But that is not important, it is their private matter.
What many were asking in the days leading up to it was, of course, whether Robert Golob would use the “wedding of the decade” for self-promotion and to boost his Freedom Movement ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Naturally, he tried, but his timing was poor. Half a year before the elections is far too early for the desired impact. But he did not hold the scissors and the cloth, the media did. If the media had reported extensively, sweetly, and charmingly on the “wedding of the decade,” especially over a longer period, Golob could have certainly capitalised on it for pre-election promotion. Who would not? But the media had another option: to report only the basic news and then drop the story. In that case, it was clear there would be no positive effect on public opinion ratings for Golob and his Freedom Movement. And that is exactly what happened.
The latest polls on the popularity of political parties and politicians show no positive effect from the “wedding of the decade,” which Golob likely envisioned as a boost for himself and his party. Public opinion data shows that the wedding did not deliver the desired or expected results, probably also because the media covered it for only a day or two.
What interests me about Golob and his wedding is something else entirely. First, I want to know how much the wedding cost the state budget. According to protocol, Golob is protected by the police, and the cost of his security, even on the wedding day, should amount to no more than a single day’s salary for five security officers and the use of three official vehicles, not a cent more. If two shifts of police officers were involved, the cost could be higher. Everything else is Golob’s personal matter and should be paid out of his own pocket. What interests me even more are his pre-election promises and their fulfilment. But I already have the answer to that. His government is harmful to Slovenia, and I certainly do not want it back after the elections.
If you ask me why, I will give you just a few facts:
– Because the average Slovenian citizen today earns €1,300 less annually than during Janša’s government.
– Because with an average salary, one can now afford 13% less than during Janša’s term.
– Because we do not wait 30 days for a specialist doctor, as promised, waiting times are only getting longer (by the way, I have been waiting eight months).
And I could go on.
