STA, 3 November 2021 - A group of members of the Human Rights Commission at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU) has expressed concern that Slovenia is moving to a totalitarian form of government, urging MPs to stand up against what it sees as demolition of the constitutional order in the country.
In an open letter similar to the one issued by the commission a year ago that the SAZU distanced itself from, the group says the government's way of running the country and controlling civil society is taking the country to a "totalitarian form of government".
The commission finds that since it warned of arbitrary measures and autocratic and repressive conduct by the government a year ago, the autocratic style of government has only worsened. They say the executive branch of power has raised itself above the legislative, being that it rules mainly by means of executive orders, and above the judiciary, being that it does not respect court rulings.
"The violence of those in power is provoking people's revolt, even violence. We condemn any violence, both that committed by the state and that by civil society. It is indecent and harmful that the state should declare peaceful protests, including an academic's reading the constitution and an academician's reading his own poems, as something violent," the letter reads.
"With such proclamations, the government is turning things upside-down. Democratic conduct is being condemned as undemocratic, while it proclaims its undemocratic, autocratic conduct as a form of 'new' liberal democracy," the commission says, adding that such democracy is nothing but autocracy, which "leads either to anarchy and chaos or to totalitarianism".
"By defying the institutions and senior officials of the European Union, the prime minister is creating mistrust in this precious supranational alliance of countries," the commission says, urging MPs to put aside fear, and personal and party interests, and vote according to their oath and commitments. "Only you can stand up against demolition of the order as determined in the constitution."
The open letter was signed by SAZU Human Rights Commission members Milan Dekleva, Josip Globevnik, Tine Hribar, Ivan Kreft, Blaž Rozman, Renata Salecl and Alenka Šelih.
SAZU said the signatories were not speaking on behalf of the Human Rights Commission or the SAZU. "The SAZU does not interfere in current political issues and neither do its working bodies. But just like all citizens of Slovenia, SAZU members have the right to express personal opinions," the organisation said.
