By: Nova24tv.si
The President of the country asserted in her pre-holiday interview that the previous government led by Janez Janša trampled on the rule of law and human rights. The leader of the opposition, of course, did not leave her statement unanswered.
“The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, characterises the painstaking work of the entire previous government during the challenging times of the pandemic as trampling on human rights and the rule of law. Seriously?” wrote Janša on the social network X.
Let’s recall, the government led by Janez Janša took over power in an extremely uncertain time when the Covid-19 virus began to spread uncontrollably worldwide. After the resignation of then-Prime Minister Marjan Šarec, it was necessary to mobilise almost all subsystems of the state, especially to introduce measures that would enable the already exhausted healthcare system to withstand the unchecked spread of the epidemic. The government began to implement restrictive measures, all aimed at the primary goal – saving lives.
However, for some, saving lives was not the primary value but rather a struggle for power. Non-governmental organisations organised protests even before the government was sworn in, and representatives of left-wing political parties later joined these protests. Some actively called for the protests. Later, the protests became increasingly intense, with some turning notably violent. At the same time, this was also a period when almost every leftist sinecure in the country was mobilised. In this context, the president’s fight, as described for Večer, can also be understood.
As already mentioned, Janša did not hold back in his response. He wrote: “Where does the authority for such insults come from? And this from a person who actively supports dealers in white goods [pardoning fines, rewarding individuals involved in illegal border crossings…], lies about tax payments, etc. At the same time, she openly boasts about how she toppled the previous government, claiming she does not want to do the same to this one. And she is supposed to be the president of everyone?”
Unpopular President
The president’s pre-holiday interview comes at a time when she is still licking her wounds from her recent negative episode with the media. She believes that her net income is too low, so she addressed a letter to public administration demanding additional salary supplements. The story about the internal memo quickly spread throughout the country, particularly unsettling her supporters, who are now wondering what kind of president they elected. The thoughts of their voters were summed up by the president of the Association of Slovenian Writers, Dušan Merc.
“We have to get used to the fact that our president is rich”, he sarcastically said, continuing, “You know, this is a special relationship, it is like a queen; it is a function that befits you because you are rich, and because sometimes you slightly lie, prevaricate, and preach to others,” he added meaningfully and admitted that he enjoys it when he can afford it.
Observant observers of Slovenian politics have also noticed the following – it seems that many citizens still prefer to meet and hear former President Borut Pahor speak than the current president. The president would do well to ponder why this is the case.