By: Nova24tv.si
On referendum day, a familiar tactic of left-wing activists resurfaced. First, a threat is invented, then it is inflated to absurd proportions, and finally, when the falsehood is exposed, those involved pretend they were merely “concerned citizens.” This time, they sounded the alarm over so-called “far-right strongholds,” low turnout in the “right” cities, and “unacceptable” queues at polling stations. Their loyal media outlets also played a role in the effort.
The March 8 Institute (led by Nika Kovač) was already posting on social media in the morning that “the highest voter turnout is in far-right areas,” while turnout in Ljubljana Centre was the lowest and that “more than 88% of voters in Maribor had not yet gone to the polls.” They urged people to immediately send messages to five friends. At the same time, using red exclamation marks and graphics proclaiming “This is unacceptable,” they drew attention to the long queues at the Omnia polling station in Moste, where some voters were reportedly waiting for an hour.
Major media outlets picked up these claims almost immediately. Večer promptly published the headline “The March 8 Institute Warns of Low Voter Turnout in Maribor,” while 24ur circulated the graphic about the queues at Omnia. On referendum day itself, the media effectively acted as a notice board for the March 8 Institute, a fact that did not go unnoticed.
Deputy Mayor of Žiri, Nejc Brence, responded directly: “The situation is serious. They have been driven mad by hatred. Now you are automatically considered a far-right extremist if you live in the countryside. For leftists, apparently only Ljubljana counts. All the more reason for all of us to go and vote.”
Political analyst Miran Videtič went even further. He wrote that “it has become clear that we have hit rock bottom in this country.” According to him, “the mainstream media have become a notice board for the ideological ‘sect’ known as #8marec, eagerly reproducing almost every one of its posts.” He added that the “sect” operates according to the manuals of foreign masters, deliberately spreading hostility, creating the appearance of a state of emergency, and fostering the impression that we live in an authoritarian society. He specifically called on moderate supporters of the political left to reflect on the situation, arguing that they should not accept “the rule of the unelected, who merely serve the interests of foreign capitalist networks.” He concluded: “If things do not change, this country will soon cease to exist.”
What actually happened? The final turnout was around 54 percent, one of the highest turnouts in the history of such referendums in independent Slovenia. The highest turnout was recorded in districts such as Škofja Loka 2 (around 64 percent), Kranj 3, and similar areas, while the lowest turnout was in Ljubljana Centre. Queues at some polling stations, including Omnia, were part of the normal logistics of high voter participation, which the author claims had been boosted at the last moment by left-wing activists and NGOs.
The method was a familiar one: invent a threat and then exaggerate it, much as the March 8th Institute did before parliamentary elections. One example cited was a post published by the institute on election day, March 22 of that year: “WE’RE PANICKING!!! These will be the closest elections in Slovenian history. Urgently call two more friends and tell them to vote.”
The same message was reportedly shared by Tina Gaber, who added that turnout in urban centres was extremely low, that the situation looked bad for their side, and that people should immediately call their friends.
The episode was yet another example of a recurring pattern: left-wing activists, working together with major media outlets, deliberately created the impression of a state of emergency and low turnout in order to mobilise their supporters and discredit the will of the majority. When the final figures showed the opposite, namely high turnout that was strongest precisely in the places they had portrayed as problematic, the activists allegedly reverted to claiming that they had merely been “concerned.” Such behaviour is not only unfair to voters but also reveals a deeper attempt at manipulation, one that many people continue to fall for.
