STA, 25 October 2021 - The ruling Democratic Party (SDS) has recorded a rise in its support ratings of almost four percentage points compared to September, while President Borut Pahor's popularity has comprehensively declined, shows the latest poll commissioned by the commercial broadcaster POP TV.

The SDS remains in the lead with 18.6%, as its support has risen by 3.6 percentage points compared to September. The opposition Social Democrats (SD) remain second with 11.5%, also rising by almost two percentage compared to last month.

The SD are followed by the opposition Left at 9%, who gained one percentage point, and the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) with 5.6%, which slipped back 1.4 points compared to September.

With 5%, the coalition New Slovenia (NSi) has gained 1.1 points compared to September to overtake the opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) with 4%, which lost 1.2 points and thus conceded the fifth place.

Meanwhile, the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the Pensioners Party (DeSUS) remain well below the parliament threshold at 1.2% and 0.9%, respectively.

The proportion of undecided voters (20.9%) has declined by more than five percentage points compared to September, while 8% would not vote for any of the existing parties.

NSi MEP Ljudmila Novak returned to the top of the popularity ranking of politicians to unseat the long-standing public favourite, President Borut Pahor, who recorded one of his worst results yet with coming in fifth.

Second place was taken by parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič, followed by Health Minister Janez Poklukar and Foreign Minister Anže Logar in third and fourth, respectively.

The poll was conducted by Mediana among 712 respondents.

STA, 21 September 2021 - Four centre-left opposition parties have finalised an agreement on cooperation after the election. Party leaders initialled the agreement on Tuesday and will sign it next week pending approval by the top decision-making bodies of each of the parties.

The agreement involves the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), Left and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB).

The SAB council unanimously endorsed the pact tonight as the first of the four. The remaining parties will hold sessions at the weekend.

The content of the agreement has not been revealed in today's press releases circulated by all four parties.

The idea for a post-election alliance was put forward by LMŠ leader Marjan Šarec in mid-August. He said such a pact was necessary to "return Slovenia to normalcy and to democracy".

"After Covid-19, government terror and disregard for the rule of law and after the hole they dug in public finances, Slovenia will need a normalisation," Bratušek said after the party council session, pledging for the four parties to deliver that after the election.

She promised the party would do all in its power for Slovenia to have a stable and strong economy as a basis for the welfare state, listing pensioners, healthcare and public education as SAB's top priorities.

STA, 23 August 2021 - Just over a quarter of respondents in the latest public opinion poll conducted by Mediana for commercial broadcaster POP TV support the work of the Janez Janša government, which is the lowest support in this term. The senior coalition Democrats (SDS) continue to top party rankings, followed by the opposition Social Democrats (SD).

While 27.5% of the respondents support the cabinet, two-thirds or 63.9% oppose it and 8.6% are undecided, shows the poll conducted among 714 respondents this month.

Although it remains the most popular party, the SDS lost ground, with its support dropping by almost two percentage points to 16.1%. The SD in second place also lost some ground going from 11.7% to 11.1%.

Meanwhile, the support for the opposition Left increased by 0.8 of a percentage point to 8.8%.

The Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) continues to lose voters' trust, going from 7.9% to 5.6%.

In contrast, the coalition New Slovenia (NSi) saw its support rise from 4.2% to 5.6%.

The top five are followed by the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), whose support was up by 1.4 percentage point to 4.1%, the Pirates with 2.5%, and the Greens with 2%.

All other parties enjoy the support of less than 1% of respondents.

One in four respondents is undecided (23.3%), and one in ten would not vote for any of the existing parties. Just under 3% of the respondents would not reveal their party preferences.

MEP Ljudmila Novak (EPP/NSi) climbed to the top of the list of most popular politicians from the third place last month. She is followed by last month's favourite, President Borut Pahor, and parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič. Prime Minister Janez Janša ranked 15th, while Education Minister Simona Kustec is at the very bottom of the list.

STA, 16 August 2021 - The Vox Populi poll carried out for the newspapers Dnevnik and Večer shows that the four centre-left opposition parties which have previously joined forces in an informal coalition to topple the current Janez Janša government, would win a combined 51 seats in the 90-seat parliament if an election was held this Sunday.

Last week, Marjan Šarec of the opposition LMŠ, urged his remaining three centre-left opposition parties to sign an agreement on post-election cooperation.

While the Social Democrats (SD) and Left welcomed the call in principle, the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) accused Šarec of going solo.

The latest poll shows that Janša's ruling Democrats (SDS) continue enjoying the strongest support at 18%, up 0.2 of a percentage point in August over July.

The SDS is followed by three centre-left opposition parties - the SD at 12.2%, Left at 8.9% and the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ at 8.5%), all slightly down over July. The fourth centre-left coalition party, the SAB, polled at 3.4%.

If a general election was held on Sunday, the four opposition parties would win 51 seats to easily form a government coalition, while even the seats of only three of them - the SD, Left and LMŠ - would suffice to form a coalition, as they would win 46 seats.

Based on the number of votes by decided voters, the support would translate into 19 seats for the SD, 14 seats for the and 13 for the LMŠ of former PM Šarec.

The coalition New Slovenia (NSi) meanwhile polled at 5.5%, with all the other parties, be it parliamentary or non-parliamentary, including the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC), polling at 1.4% or lower.

The number of undecided voters has increased from 29.6% in July to 30.4%, while 6.9% said they would not go to the polls, up from 6.5%.

The government earned low support in Augusts's Vox Populi, with 69.5% saying it performed poorly, whereas 27.4% consider it successful.

President Borut Pahor reclaimed the top of rankings of Slovenia's 22 most popular politicians to unseat MEP and ex-NSi leader Ljudmila Novak.

Health Minister Janez Poklukar placed third and parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič fourth, Foreign Minister Anže Logar is tenth and Prime Minister Janša 20th.

Pollster Ninamedia surveyed a total of 700 persons between 10 and 12 August.

STA, 1 July 2021 - The centre-left opposition has rejected the coalition's call for a political truce during Slovenia's EU presidency. They are determined to continue to use all the available means at their disposal and are not ruling out a new attempt at a vote of no confidence.

The Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) says that if they gave up the instruments at their disposal as the largest opposition party they would also give up democracy.

"When the constitution and laws are being kept violated, when media freedom and fiscal stability are being threatened, when experts and civilian society are not being let to participate in environment legislation, when the government forgets about the problems of children and youth resulting from the epidemic, it's the duty of the opposition not to keep quiet, regardless of the presidency," LMŠ deputy group leader Brane Golubovič said on Thursday as Slovenia formally assumed the rotating EU presidency.

He believes Slovenia will carry out its presidency tasks correctly in technical terms owning to the professionalism of Slovenian diplomats and technical officials.

Similarly, the Left said it "could not and must not" change its positions about the the ruling coalition's record in office for the sake of the presidency with deputy Matej Tašner Vatovec saying Slovenia still needed an early election.

The party criticised the national recovery and resilience plan, which the European Commission approved today, saying it "confounds every vision and all basic principles of democracy".

The Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) would like the government to successfully perform its tasks during the presidency because that would benefit Slovenia's reputation. "We are afraid, however, that this government has already made a negative mark in Europe due to all the statements, letters, tweets and mainly actions," SAB deputy leader Maša Kociper said.

She said the opposition would continue to "keep an eye on the government" and they were not ruling out a vote of no confidence if all opposition parties agreed on the motion.

In a somewhat different vein, Tanja Fajon, the leader of the Social Democrats (SD), wished for Slovenia to use the presidency to "mitigate the disastrous impression it has made in Europe in the past year" in the spirit of European values and solidarity.

In a video address on her Twitter profile, Fajon said Slovenia's international reputation was at its lowest ever. "Due to the prime ministers' actions [Slovenia] has been treated on several occasions as a country that has been straying aside from the European path and values."

[NAPOVED] Digitalna izjava @tfajon (S&D/SD) ob 10. uri o začetku predsedovanja Slovenije Svetu EU. https://t.co/uMx54lWaOU

— Socialni demokrati (@strankaSD) July 1, 2021

She said it was dangerous that the violations seen in Hungary and Poland were being promoted in Slovenia.

She would like for the Slovenian presidency to contribute to enhancing recovery and resilience so that Europe to revive its vision as the world's greenest and most innovative economy, but she believes it would take different ambitions to achieve those goals than the ones that the government showed in the national recovery and resilience plan.

STA, 1 June 2021 - The Prosecution Council will propose that the State Attorneys Office file a lawsuit against the government for breach of law to the detriment of public interest after the government annulled the procedure to appoint Slovenia's two European delegated prosecutors (EDP), the chair of the Council Tamara Gregorčič said on Tuesday.

Discussing the government's decision to annul the appointment procedure and start a new one, the Council reiterated today that the procedure had been in line with regulations and the candidate picks had been based on expert assessment.

The State Attorneys Office will be thus urged to bring action against the government before the Administration Court. The Council will also put forward a proposal to file a request for a suspension of a new call for EDP applications, which the Justice Ministry has been tasked with publishing.

Gregorčič highlighted that the Council had not been formally acquainted with the government's decision so far. The prosecutors have seen a press release published on the government's website, but they have neither been informed about the manner in which the decision was made nor about the legal basis for it, she said.

Responding to the government's statements that the Council should have presented at least six candidates instead of just two, Gregorčič said that the law was crystal clear and the procedure in question completely transparent and in line with the law. All legal experts agree on that, she added.

Any ruling out of state prosecutors from the appointment procedure at either national or EU levels is unwarranted and unlawful, she noted.

Asked whether the candidates put forward, Matej Oštir and Tanja Frank Eler, are still in the running for Slovenia's delegated prosecutors, Gregorčič said that "according to the Council's opinion the decision has not been made as it should have been in a way".

"Naturally they are the candidates according to the first call for applications. I see no reservations about this."

All available legal remedies will be used, the chair of the Council said, adding that it was telling that it had taken the government almost six months to make the decision.

After months of delay in the appointing of Slovenia's delegated prosecutors, the government decided last Thursday to repeat the call for applications, arguing that the Council had not put forward enough candidates.

The experts dismissed such reasoning as Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič stepped down, saying she saw no justified grounds for the step.

Unofficially, Oštir and Frank Eler were deemed unacceptable by Prime Minister Janez Janša and his Democrats (SDS).

European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said today that the European Commission was in contact with the Slovenian authorities for Slovenia to fulfil its obligations regarding the appointment as soon as possible.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office was launched today after all participating countries bar Slovenia and Finland had appointed their delegated prosecutors.

STA, 30 May 2021 - President Borut Pahor said Slovenia was not in a political crisis, it was just in the midst of "heightened political uncertainty", as he addressed reporters after a meeting with his German and Portuguese counterparts on Sunday.

There is enough maturity and experience in Slovenian politics that the country may preside the Council of the EU at a level that fulfils the high expectations of all 27 member states, he said.

"My view of the role of politics in these circumstances is that I cooperate with the government, which is appointed by the National Assembly, and of course to cooperate with the National Assembly in the same scope."

If the state of heightened political uncertainty lasts longer and even deepens, Pahor said it would be all the more important to "be aware of our shared responsibility - notwithstanding the political differences among us - that we are responsible not just for our own development but also for running the Council of the EU."

Pahor hopes the sense of responsibility stemming from the fact that as the presiding country Slovenia steers some of the principal debates and resolutions about the EU's common future will prevail. He plans to work towards that as president.

STA, 25 May 2021 - The ruling Democrats (SDS) have defended a draft resolution they plan to adopt at the upcoming congress and which warns about the possibility of civil war and leftist extremism, as the opposition stepped up criticism of a document they claim constitutes scaremongering.

"If anyone thinks advocacy of constitutionality and respect for the Slovenian constitution is controversial, there's something wrong with them," Branko Grims, a senior lawmaker for the SDS, told the press on Tuesday.

The SDS wants to preserve the constitutional order, democracy and security in Slovenia, and that is the only clear message of the resolution, he said.

The statement comes after several media leaked a resolution the party plans to adopt at its congress in June and which warns of the dangers of the opposition Left, extremists, leftists and the escalation of tensions. [See more here]

It says that Slovenia has been experiencing street violence perpetrated by extremists who are backed by leftist political forces and often have ties with foreign movements, describing the SDS a party that promotes democracy, the rule of law and high standards to protect human rights.

Grims alleged the Left plans "to drive businessmen into the sea with bayonets", noting that "those who agree with that and tolerate that are driving Slovenia into civil war".

He was referring to a manifesto widely circulated by government supporters on social media that was attributed to the Left but which the Left said was completely fabricated and had nothing to do with the party.

"The Left should prove what is true and what is not true," he said, adding that a Left MP had posted that manifesto on his Facebook page.

Asked whether such resolutions will not end up worsening political tensions, Grims said the political arena was being "heated up by leftists who have gone crazy on the streets of Ljubljana".

The resolution was already condemned yesterday, and the opposition parties stepped up their criticism today.

"The deeper he is in [trouble], the more radical his moves, his latest being scaremongering with civil war," Left leader Luka Mesec said about the SDS leader, Prime Minister Janez Janša.

He sees the resolution as a sign he and the party are afraid of the Left and were trying to demonise it.

"Unfortunately, we're in a country where the prime minister and his party depict a topsy-turvy world, where those of us who are on the front lines defending democracy are becoming perpetrators in the eyes of these people - the people who are actually demolishing institutions."

LMŠ leader Marjan Šarec said the SDS messed up everything and was now resorting to ideology, noting that such manifestos are primarily designed to consolidate the party.

"Talking about the possibility of civil war is utterly abhorrent. We know the situation is not the way they are trying to depict it. The fact is that 75% of the people did not vote for the SDS and the nation is far from split. The majority of the nation disagrees with the current state," he said.

Social Democrat (SD) president Tanja Fajon described the resolution as "absurd, dangerous and worrisome, because it does not warn against civil war, it is menacing".

"Janša is indicating a very dangerous course for the country's future ... he's putting himself above the Constitution," according to Fajon.

SAB leader Alenka Bratušek said her party could not believe that the SDS "can really be so crazy". The party is convinced this is a diversionary tactic to divert attention from the "disastrous state of public finances, public health and foreign policy".

SDS warns about leftists, extremists in draft manifesto

STA, 24 May 2021 - The ruling Democrats (SDS) warns of the dangers of the opposition Left, extremists, leftists and the escalation of circumstances in one of the five draft manifestos sent to its local branches ahead of the party congress, which is expected to be held on 19 June.

The SDS sent the drafts to the party's municipal and city committees, including a draft resolution titled For Defence of Constitutional Foundations of the Slovenian State, the news portal 24ur.com reported.

The draft warns of the above-mentioned dangers, pointing to an attack on Slovenia's democracy. It says that Slovenia has been experiencing street violence perpetrated by extremists who are backed by leftist political forces and often have ties with foreign movements.

The proposed manifesto analyses the political situation in Slovenia, describing the SDS as the only Slovenian party with everything in order and long-term political organisations in place. The party finds these to be the attributes of other serious parties worldwide.

What also sets the SDS apart from other Slovenian parties is the fact that it is capable of leading the country at any time, the draft reads.

There are too many impromptu parties in Slovenia, while the traditional ones are dying out, the SDS thinks. As the launch of new parties and new faces is mainly common for the left pole of the political spectrum, there are many cases of completely incompetent appointments at the governmental level with grave consequences, says the party.

The SDS meanwhile sees itself as a party that promotes democracy, the rule of law and high standards to protect human rights.

The party says that Slovenian democracy has not matured, noting that the situation has been worsening since the "extremist political party Left" made it to parliament in 2014.

According to the SDS, the Left's programme is the first by any party or movement that is directly at odds with the Constitution.

Moreover, the SDS says that the extremists' supporters could be found in EU institutions as well, particularly the European Commission and European Parliament, where they "plot against the [Slovenian] government and prime minister and accuse him of curtailing media freedom".

Noting that it will safeguard democracy and the Constitution, the party warns of the risk of the escalation in the polarisation, including the risk of a civil war.

Responding to the draft, the Left said that the SDS was again painting a picture that had nothing to do with reality.

"While they themselves with their government are bringing down the media, democratic institutions and courts, they portray themselves as democrats in the manifesto, as a party that would defend democracy. But facts speak for themselves," says the Left, warning that Slovenia is turning into an authoritarian regime.

"To depict themselves as saviours they naturally need scapegoats. That is why they pointed to the Left in the manifesto," the Left adds, describing itself as a thorn in the SDS's side that is not afraid of the ruling party's intimidation and manipulation and will do all it can to unseat this party, "which is growing into a criminal organisation", via an election as soon as possible.

Tanja Fajon, the leader of the opposition Social Democrats (SD), has also responded, saying that "the SDS is not cautioning against a civil war, but threatening with it to legitimatise in advance repression against those who think differently".

"There is only one option: peace. There is only one strategy: cooperation. There is only one solution for Slovenia: early election," she said.

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 30 April 2021.

Mladina: Record and remember govt's wrongdoings

STA, 30 April 2021 - Mladina says in its latest commentary that the duty of the public and political parties is to encourage civil servants not to leave their posts and to instead watch and remember what the current government is doing so that the wrongdoings could be prosecuted once it inevitably steps down from power.

The left-leaning weekly quotes criminologist Dragan Petrovec, who said at Tuesday's anti-government rally that there was a "series of institutions where employees do not dare resist bullying, insults and abuse by their superiors."

Under the headline Secret Allies of the Public, it adds that Petrovec noted that capable people were leaving their jobs, while it would be better if they fought back and stayed at their posts.

Mladina adds that "people should start preparing for the moment when this government, which does not have public support and cannot win it back, tumbles down from power. Perhaps this will take one full year - but Slovenia must prepare for that moment already today."

The weekly argues that people need to prepare for the "cleansing from what has happened in the past year and what will happen in the coming months - the complete abuse of power."

It notes that in the coming few months, the government of Janez Janša is planning a number of "encroachments upon the state", including with the establishment of a tourism holding, adding that this is "nasty abuse and systemic corruption."

For this reason, it is important for individuals and social groups, including the police and prosecution, to start systemically collecting evidence about all of this. "Let them stay in drawers for now ... but let them be collected."

Mladina says that the public and political parties that understand how important this is and that themselves introduced stricter ethical standards should look up to Iceland as a good example.

"It is up to political parties that want public support in the next election to commit today ... that they will find the way for the information about wrongdoings could see the light of the day safely," concludes the commentary.

Reporter:  Schadenfreude for Čeferin in Slovenia

STA, 26 April 2021 - The right-wing weekly Reporter comments on the failed attempt by a dozen football clubs to establish their own Super League, saying the project found support in Slovenia because many could hardly hide their Schadenfreude for UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, a potential new player in Slovenian politics, thus a bogeyman for politicians on the right.

His being the head of a powerful international organisation makes him the most serious potential rival of Prime Minister Janez Janša if he decides to enter politics.

Čeferin's public objections and criticism of Janša have led many to believe that he is getting ready to return to Slovenia and become prime minister, the weekly says under the headline Schadenfreude.

When Super League clubs tried to sabotage Čeferin a week ago, it was bizarre to watch many Slovenian Twitter users siding with greedy rich men. Čeferin was being labelled a mafia lawyer, arrogant and even blamed for the clubs' attempt at defecting.

The attacks were the continuation of what started a few days earlier, when in an interview for the commercial broadcaster POP TV Čeferin criticised the fact that anti-government protesters are being punished in Slovenia.

"This is merely another battle in a war that started when Janša realised that Čeferin, being the head of a powerful international organisation, is in the perfect position to take over the top political position in the country."

However, the weekly doubts that this will indeed be the case. "Paradoxically, his victory against the Super League could delay Čeferin's return to Slovenia."

If the Super League were actually established, he might have returned earlier and still enjoyed great support for having fought billionaires' greed, Reporter says.

If he remains at the helm of UEFA until the end of term in March 2023 and then goes on to another high-profile job abroad, many politicians, not just Janša, will be relieved. "But a great number of undecided voters looking for a new saviour will be disappointed."

All our posts in this series are here

STA, 26 April 2021 - The WWII Veterans' Association marked Resistance Day with a call to "liberate the Slovenian nation once again" as it criticised the authorities for curtailing fundamental rights under the pretext of containing the epidemic.

"Let's fight against the curtailment of basic rights enshrined in the Constitution," the association's head Marijan Križman said at its online ceremony held on the eve of Resistance Day.

Resistance Day marks the establishment of the Liberation Front (Osvobodilna fronta, OF), an organisation which mounted armed resistance against the occupying forces in WWII and was founded in Ljubljana 80 years ago.

Convinced that basic human rights are being violated under the current government, Križman noted that 80 years on, the situation was again ripe for Slovenians to stand up for their rights.

"We do not allow putting young people on trial just because they want to go to school, sanctioning people who dare to voice opposition to government measures, demolishing public RTV Slovenija and STA, intimidating journalists, blocking art and culture."

He went on to list "disgraceful acts" such as vandalising of Liberation Front monuments, hate speech, acts that humiliate Slovenia in Europe and the world, and historical revisionism.

Križman urged Slovenians to celebrate Resistance Day as well as the coming May Day by remembering their ancestors who gave their lives for freedom.

Highlighting the role the Liberation Front played in WWII and the importance of its values today, the association called for respecting basic human rights and values of resistance, freedom, solidarity and equality.

It was because of the Liberation Front that Slovenia was part of the victorious anti-Nazi alliance at the end of the war, Križman stressed.

According to him, there was no civil war in Slovenia during WWII because this is not possible under occupying forces and because opponents of the Liberation Front fought under the direct command of the Fascist and Nazi armed forces.

Križman said that the responsibility for the war that pitted brother against brother had been with church and secular officials who had prioritised their own interests over the nation's survival.

The association therefore rejects current attempts at reconciliation as its members believe that what is presented today as reconciliation is mostly based on historical revisionism which attempts to turn traitors into victims.

The only way to reconcile people is to show historical facts about WWII, Križman noted.