By: Domen Mezeg (Nova24tv.si)
“The persecution of hate speech? Remember the term “national interest” from years ago and how taxpayers were robbed because of it, while the working class was deceived! Hate speech, green transition, media depoliticisation… “brothers and sisters” of that national interest, you will see. The chosen ones are paving the way to maintain power, consequently, enrich themselves, and they want complete peace while doing so. Of course, they cannot say this directly,” warns commentator Miran Videtič.
With political commentator Miran Videtič, we discussed current political and social issues, as the hot political autumn is approaching, which will certainly not be calm for Robert Golob’s government. We talked about floods, the potential government reconstruction, borrowing, compulsory contributions, the prosecution of “hate speech”, pressure on the media, and the danger of water contamination in Ljubljana related to Zoran Janković and the infamous sewage canal C0.
How hot a political autumn can we expect, what awaits us? How do you assess flood recovery, borrowing, and price increases?
I believe that due to the natural disaster that has affected us, I do not expect major conflicts between political parties. The coalition has a solid majority, and the opposition will likely seek its place in the sun with some moderate pressure on government mistakes, such as the unreasonable decision not to stop financing unnecessary projects (primarily the activities of pro-government NGOs) in the country, the stalemate in healthcare reform… A more serious dispute is much more likely to occur on the left side of the political spectrum, where the Levica party will have to sharpen its rhetoric due to falling support. And, of course, there will be the ongoing “battle” of the new face (in this case, PM Golob) with left-leaning networks that expect a payoff for their electoral “activities”, whether they are in media, finance, construction, labour unions, or some other sector within that circle.
Assessing the recovery is premature; in fact, it has not started comprehensively yet. For now, it is a bit here and there, which is logical. I like the personnel decisions, who should lead the efforts, but it should be understood that Marjan Pipenbaher and Boštjan Šefic can “design” the plan to perfection, but they will not provide the financial resources. As always, money and the speed of removing bureaucratic obstacles will be crucial. For now, it seems that the government is relying on the most comfortable solution, which is introducing new taxes for individuals and businesses. Given the announced price increases, this will be a significant blow to the desired optimism in society and, for some, even a survival problem.
Is a government reconstruction in the works? Will Golob persevere?
The need for a reconstruction is very real in several ministries. I believe Prime Minister Golob sees this, but the question is whether he is ready for such a move or whether he dares to take that step. Do you mean if he will persevere in politics? I believe he wants to continue but based on what we have seen in the past, it is not solely in his hands.
How do you comment on the increasing imposition of taxes and the crackdown on hate speech?
The new taxes were already announced by the current ruling elite before the elections, so I do not understand why there is such surprise now. Around 400,000 voters seemed satisfied with this announcement, assuming they even knew what it was about. It sounds strange, but that is the impression. The issue is not necessarily the new levies, but rather whether public spending is directed towards progress on one hand and, on the other, towards social and legal security for people and a business-friendly environment. The crackdown on hate speech? Remember the buzzword “national interest” from a few years ago and how taxpayers were swindled because of it, while the working class was outplayed! Hate speech, the green transition, depoliticisation of the media… the “brothers and sisters” of that national interest, you will see. The chosen ones are paving the way to maintain power, get richer, and they want to do so in complete peace. Of course, they cannot say it that bluntly.
What do you have to say about the new pressures on media outlets that do not follow Golob’s tune (Telekom over Nova24TV)?
It is difficult for me to comment on the reasons for such a decision by the management because I do not have access to relevant business data. However, it is true that it is a state-owned company, and politics is certainly informed about it. Every management team likes praise from its owner. Try to understand what I am trying to say.
Will we be able to solve the clean drinking water issue in Ljubljana? Will Janković at least, in light of the floods that exposed the danger of the C0 canal, become a bit more cautious? Will this be addressed at the EU level?
You should ask someone like Nika Kovač about that. Who could tell you more about drinking water than her? As far as I can understand the character of Mayor Janković, he will not stop himself. It would be a bit awkward given his leadership style and the stage the project is at. I do not believe the Europeans would intervene here, let alone the current government. But your question is the best illustration of why the elites need the “crackdown on hate speech”. That is what I was talking about.
