By: Sara Bertoncelj /Nova24tv.si
Today, President Borut Pahor assessed that the talks, even at the level of parliamentary party leaders, were insufficient. He therefore invited the party presidents to a joint meeting, as he believes that a conversation at a time when we are facing one of the most difficult tests would be very useful. However, the conversation would not only focus on tackling the epidemic, but also on the presidency of the EU Council. However, some leaders of the parties that make up the KUL coalition clearly do not sympathise with President Pahor, and even more so, they resent his non-interference in the political scene, which, according to KUL, means support for the current government and Prime Minister Janez Janša.
The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, sent an invitation to the presidents of parliamentary parties to a meeting to discuss the country’s focus on the epidemic, recovery, and the EU presidency. He decided on this move in accordance with the long tradition of cooperation between parliamentary parties in jointly overcoming crises or achieving the country’s strategic goals. Out of the nine parliamentary parties, six accepted the invitation and three parties rejected the invitation. Both views are, of course, legitimate, and the President remarks that a rejection of dialogue in principle can lead to exclusion, which no one seems to want. Although two leaders of the nine parliamentary parties will not attend the meeting, they wrote that President Pahor has high expectations. He will strive for this meeting to contribute to greater agreement of Slovenian policy on essential state issues, and thus to a more tolerant and inclusive general mood in the public, which is also important for the success of action during and after the health crisis.
Yesterday we already reported on the response of the president of the LMŠ party Marjan Šarec, who rejected the invitation to the meeting. “You did not come forward to defend human rights. Instead, we have seen you on social media while using children’s playgrounds that are not accessible to children because they are taped up because of the epidemic. Your immense happiness when visiting a hairdresser was also not necessary to be shared with us, as this is not important for citizens,” Šarec commented sarcastically. He also mentioned that it is difficult to talk about the EU presidency because the government supposedly completely isolated us in terms of foreign policy. An interesting observation, given the successful performance of Foreign Minister Anže Logar. Of course, he also did not forget to indicate that it would be best for the current government to leave.
Fajon demands preliminary elections from Pahor
Shortly after Šarec’s letter, another one followed. SD party leader Tanja Fajon wrote to President Pahor that she did not have high expectations from the conversation: “I agree that unity in controlling the epidemic, in presiding over the EU Council and in development recovery would be useful. However, there is no basic condition for such unity: there is no trust. With its radical actions, incitement to hatred and intolerance, subordination of independent institutions, inability to cooperate and treatment of all those who think differently, the government has shown that it is not worthy of the trust of either the opposition or the people.” She accused Pahor of being responsible for the existing political situation. She accepted the invitation for the meeting, but at the same time reiterated that unity with this government is not possible, and called on the President to call preliminary elections, which could restore the necessary trust. It would be interesting to see what her opinion would be after the SDS party wins again, as has happened in the previous elections.
Mesec does not see the conversation as part of the solution, but as part of the problem
Today, however, Pahor received another negative response. “I cannot accept your invitation to a conversation at the level of parliamentary party leaders, as I do not understand it as part of the solution, but as part of the problem,” wrote the Levica party coordinator Luka Mesec, pointing out that the ruling party and party president Janez Janša are shamelessly attacking journalists and judges, the media and the courts, critics and protesters. He added that they also aggressively undermine institutions or subjugate them. In a letter to the President, Mesec accused him of being silent for ten months and remarked that his silence was not innocent. “The legal theorist of the Third Reich, Carl Schmitt, stated that the true bearer of sovereignty is not the one to whom sovereignty belongs under the social contract (and in Slovenia this is the people), but to the one who has the power to suspend the normal functioning of society and the social contract due to declaring state of emergency. Mr. President, such a suspension has been taking place with us in your silence for nine months now,” said Mesec, blaming Pahor for the alleged suspension and rejecting his invitation to talk. He further insulted him that he understood his silence as support for the government and its president.
Apart from LMŠ and Levica, DeSUS will also not attend the meeting
The president of the SAB party, Alenka Bratušek, did not react at first, as she probably had too much to do with taking the parliamentary seat, which she will succeed after the recently deceased deputy Franc Kramar. Later, however, she wrote that if politicians in the country stop talking, the next step is just a call for violence, which is unacceptable for the SAB. “Therefore, they will constantly strive to find the best solutions for the people,” she wrote, showing the intention to attend the meeting.
Also from the DeSUS party, after talks between the party leadership and its parliamentary group regarding support for Karl Erjavec as a candidate for Prime Minister, they announced that they would not attend the meeting. In a telephone conversation, Erjavec supposedly thanked the President for the invitation and informed him of the submission of a constructive vote of no confidence next week, as well as explaining why the proposed meeting is not the most appropriate step at the moment. The reactions of the public were quite critical of Šarec’s and Mesec’s move, as well as of Fajon’s letter, which is supposed to be proverbially connecting, which she often shows in rather strange ways. But the fact that state-forming for KUL members is just a word on paper has been shown on practically every occasion in the months since they have been “operating”. It should be reminded that Prime Minister Janez Janša also invited opposition parties to cooperation several times, but each time he was rejected. Their actions certainly also show how they would run our country. Completely exclusive and solely for their own benefit.