The International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES) in Ljubljana, Slovenia, regularly analyses events in the Middle East and the Balkans. IFIMES has prepared a pre-election analysis in view of the upcoming early parliamentary election in the Republic of Slovenia which is to take place on 13 July 2014. The most relevant and interesting sections from the comprehensive analysis entitled “Slovenia: Social elites have plundered the country” are published below.
Slovenia:
Social elites have plundered the country
The seventh parliamentary and second early election since the Republic of Slovenia proclaimed its independence is scheduled for 13 July 2014. The election will be based on a proportional electoral system carried out in eight electoral units composed of 11 electoral districts. There are slightly over 1,710,000 eligible voters. Eleven mandates will be distributed in each electoral unit (one per district). The mandates will then be distributed at the level of electoral units and at the national level on the basis of the total number of votes given to a party. In addition to the ordinary 88 deputies there are two deputies representing (the Italian and Hungarian) national minorities who will be elected on the basis of the majority electoral system in two special electoral units (i.e. units of the national communities). The representatives of national communities will thus have two votes each at the election to the National Assembly, which represents positive discrimination. The election threshold is 4%.
Candidacies can be submitted by all parties whose lists are supported by the signatures of three deputies or 100 voters at the national level or 50 voters at the electoral unit level. Non-party electoral lists have to be supported by 1000 signatures of voters in each of the eight electoral units.
THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION SINCE THE COUNTRY PROCLAIMED INDEPENDENCE
The forthcoming parliamentary election will be probably the most important for the country since it proclaimed independence. After dazzling achievements during the first decade as an independent state, Slovenia began to pay the high price for bad or wrong decisions taken by its previous and present social elites. Accelerated recruitment of staff in the public sector (state administration) began immediately in the newly-formed state. Besides the official political structures, parallel backstage structures started to gain power. The developments on the internal political scene mostly resulted from the relationship between two key political actors: Janez Janša and Milan Kučan. Numerous Slovenian politicians have been influenced by the two figures, notably by the latter in view of Kučan's political power and the fact that he run the state for three terms of offices.
A large part of Slovenian social elites originate from the 1980s civil society. Before and during the period of gaining sovereignty, a part of that civil society became politically active through political parties. However, proper development of democracy was jeopardised by the lack of transparency and the fact that some key decisions were taken backstage although they were subsequently formally adopted by appropriate institutions. The political and economic social elites have plundered the country – at that time it was not known to what extent, but their frauds could not remain hidden for ever. Eventually it turned out that they robbed billions from their own country, with new facts being revealed every day.
SLOVENIA LEFT WITHOUT ANY GOALS?
Slovenia became a full member of NATO and EU in2004 and a member of OECD in 2010, and it is also a member of numerous other international organisations. After reaching the clearly set goals of gaining membership in those organisations, Slovenian politicians were left without any new goals for the future. For example, they have not exploited EU membership for national interests, like Poland and some other member states have done.
The macro and micro environment have changed to the detriment of Slovenia. According to latest information over EUR 125 billion annually disappear due to corruption in the EU. Crime and corruption have turned into a monster that jeopardises the very essence of the state. This has led to the phenomena that can be defined as politisation of crime and criminalisation of politics.
NEW PARTIES AND NEW FACES – A HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
Slovenian citizens are visibly dissatisfied with the existing political parties and elites. Certain individuals from political parties are connected with crime and corruption. Even former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša (SDS), who presided the EU Council in the first half of 2008, has gone to prison. His imprisonment has triggered fierce reactions among Janša's followers while reminding the European public that several visible representatives of the European People's Party – the leading EU political party – have been sentenced to prison, such as former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Thimoshenko and former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, while former French President Nicholas Sarkozy is facing serious charges. This has further strengthened two Slovenian traditional centre-right people's parties that promote the preservation of traditional and Christian values: New Slovenia-Christian Democrats (NSi) and Slovenian People's Party (SLS).
Some new political parties have entered the political scene, such as the Party of Miro Cerar (SMC) which stands out as a party without any ideological burdens whose goal is to unite all the citizens regardless of their ideological or any other differences in order to work for the public welfare, prosperity and a better future. SMC membership is mostly comprised of new political faces without any burdens from the past. High public support to SMC shows that Slovenia needs a strong political party which can pull the country out of the deep political and economic crisis.
Slovenian politics is marked by two extremist political parties. The first one is Janša's Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) whose ideology is based on anti-communism and the process of gaining national independence. The fact is that communism is gone and that the process of gaining independence ended in 1991. Most credit for this goes to the Slovenian people who supported the independent and sovereign state at the plebiscite. However, some political parties have tried to take all the credit for gaining national independence, forgetting that it resulted from the aspirations of Slovenian people for independence as well as from the historical circumstances, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall. This misuse of facts resembles the situation in Slovenia at the end of World War II when the Communist Party misused the national liberation battle in order to monopolise the new government. Interestingly, SDS has won the parliamentary election in the independent Slovenia only once.
The second extremist political party is the Social Democrats (SD), the successor of the former League of Communists of Slovenia. SD is currently facing a deep crisis after failing to transform into a modern left-wing political party. It is still burdened by numerous past issues. It has also won parliamentary election only once and its government (2008-2011) performed worst in the history of independent Slovenia.
SDS and SD are the political parties that have reaped most benefit from the ideological conflict that has been tearing Slovenia apart.
Analysts have noted that Slovenia needs a political party/parties that are not burdened with the left or right extremism but instead aim to unite the nation and regain citizens' trust in politics and state institutions. The primary goal should be to improve the competitiveness of Slovenian economy, as this will resolve many other problems.
The time has come to stop with romantic nationalism – Slovenians have their own country, but now they have to ensure its future for the next generations. The new government will have to deal with many problems. The politics that stress historical divisions among Slovenians will bring the country back into the past. What Slovenia needs now is the future. Many other nations also have their historical divisions, but they rarely stress the past at the expense of their future, as has been the case in Slovenia. This kind of politics has lead the country to a “silent” civil war and permanent debt slavery due to irresponsible borrowing decisions taken by the incumbent and past governments.
SLOVENIA NEEDS A NEW BEGINNING
Analysts have noted that Slovenia needs avant-garde politicians of the new epoch and the challenges for a new beginning. It is high time for Slovenia to pull itself out of the deep economic and political crisis. The present political and economic elites that have taken part in the plundering of Slovenia will definitely not provide a better future to its citizens, notably the young generation that is increasingly emigrating for economic reasons.
The new government will first have to establish the actual situation in Slovenia after all previous governments (especially the incumbent one) have borrowed loans from abroad in a non-transparent manner, leaving the total amount of state debt unknown. Slovenian politicians should act in line with the principles of morality and ethics. Slovenia does not need only normative idealism, but the true rule of law and the proper functioning of institutions. This will be the best incentive for foreign investors.
A worrying fact is that the present political elites have been using any means to prevent the rise of new political elites and the creation of political competition which represents the essence of democracy. Politicians and political parties that have led Slovenia into the present crisis can not form the pillar of its future development Individuals burdened with ideology and corruption should become minor political actors.
The new government will have to eliminate the grey areas in legislation that enable misuse and prevent state institutions from efficient functioning.
Slovenia has not exploited its EU and NATO membership and strategic partnership agreements signed with Turkey, France and Germany. In addition to membership in international organisations Slovenia should focus on development of bilateral relations and strategic partnerships with other countries, making the West Balkans its true priority. This is something the previous governments had failed at.
Prudent privatisation should be carried out, preserving the vital national resources. In order to make state-owned companies successful their managers should be selected on the basis of their merits and not their party and political links. Moreover, state institutions should further intensify their fight against crime and corruption.
Slovenia has a chance for the future if it stops being hostage to the Kučan-Janša relationship – what it needs is a new beginning.
Ljubljana, 10 July 2014
