This past Thursday, protestors packed every corner of the Peršeren square – the main square in the Slovenian capital. They demanded an end to unequal treatment of citizens, the end of corruption and resignation of PM Marjan Šarec. “Slovenia needs a Prime Minister that respects every Slovenian, not only the privileged ones”, said Franc Kangler, a former mayor of Maribor. “Enough is enough,” he said, adding “it smells like spring” in a reference to the start of Slovenian independence efforts dubbed as the Slovenian spring.
The leader of the opposition and the president of the Slovenian Democratic Party, Janez Janša also addressed the protestors, saying the rally was about ending double standards and the deep state. “This is the beginning of the end of the anti-Slovenian comedy… After today, nothing will be as it used to be.” He called for debt write-offs to “first-class” citizens to be audited, that privileges for some be weeded out of the pension system, a complete block on the Slovenian border for illegal crossings and lustration of corrupt judges. Janša also demanded responsibility of those who stole from the state-owned banks twice, laundered terrorist money in them and shamed Slovenia around the world.
While the government coalition support is plummeting and the anger of Slovenia’s citizens grows, the opposition parties, especially those from the centre-right are gaining momentum and support in the public polls. The protestors announced that they will continue the protests in other Slovenian cities until the real change comes to the country.