“As per my previous posts. I agree with the experts who estimated that the non-paper affair was prepared in the Sarajevo-Ljubljana “kitchen” and that the key roles in the import of this affair for the needs of Slovenia were played by the SD MEP Tanja Fajon; journalist and political activist Blaž Zgaga, who in all probability also works for the intelligence clients; Zijad Bećirović, founder and director of the IFIMES International Institute, which supposedly also selects and appoints the appropriate interlocutors from Slovenia for the Bosnian media outlets; and a well-known player from the numerous scandals against Janez Janša, the former criminal investigator and former Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, Drago Kos,” journalist Bojan Požar wrote, sharing additional information about the non-paper affair. Vladimir Prebilič, a security expert for the Balkans, and Miloš Čirič, a political analyst, also shared their opinion on the matter with our media outlet.
This week’s affair about the “non-paper” documents and the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was artificially created by the directors of the deep state, ended miserably. The main protagonists in this affair were the journalists of the Necenzurirano (Uncensored) web portal, as well as Delo’s correspondent from Brussels, Peter Žerjavič. In addition to the Slovenian media, Bosnian and Northern Macedonian media outlets who are politically connected with the SD party and its leader Tanja Fajon were also particularly involved in this conspiracy. The affair finally ended with the help of Drago Kos himself, as he was interviewed by one of the Bosnian media outlets.
Despite the fact that the existence of the document was denied by both the European Commission, as well as the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the mainstream media still wanted to be the victors in the matter. They even went as far as to accuse the Hungarian government of preparing the document. The Necenzurirano media outlet reported on the so-called “non-paper” on Bosnia and Herzegovina for several days, even though the document has so far proved to be fake.
A construct of the intelligence services
Even the analyst and expert on the Balkan area, Miloš Čirič, does not believe that any of the statements might be true. The first thing that caught his attention was that nobody, except the Necenzurirano web portal and a few of the Bosnian media outlets, confirmed who the author of the alleged documents on Bosnia and Herzegovina was. The story seems quite similar to another famous story of the search for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, which turned out to be a construct of the intelligence services. “Such insinuations without solid evidence can only have negative consequences. Without evidence, this is just another in a series of impulsive attempts to prevent Janez Janša’s presidency of the European Union. The observer cannot help but get the feeling that this is a much bigger game of redistribution of forces within the EU.”
Regarding the situation, Čirič hopes that a discussion on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina will begin soon. It has been known for a while now that no one is satisfied with the current situation. It is becoming increasingly clear that the Dayton Agreement has become sort of outdated, as it is precisely the current regime that is to blame for the major political problems in BiH. The expert on political and business trends in the Balkans warns that the situation in BiH must improve; otherwise, the country is in danger of disintegration.
With all the media hype, the assessment that the left-wing political pole simply cannot come to terms with the fact that Janez Janša will preside over the Council of the EU for the second time is becoming more and more pronounced. Čirič also pointed out that the central Slovenian media, which are associated with the transitional left, are in a bad mood because the current government has been successful in obtaining significant funds from the EU. In addition, the left fears that a successful presidency and good economic forecasts could further tip the electorate to the side of the ruling coalition. This “could lead to a good position before the elections that will happen next year, which gave the opposition additional drive in their task of disabling the current government while there is still time for that,” Čirič explained.
Necenzurirano web portal does not even have the necessary sources to obtain exclusive diplomatic documents
Journalist Bojan Požar described the latest failed political affair of the transitional left in a very vivid manner. He believes that the main roles were played by the SD MEP Tanja Fajon and journalist and activist Blaž Zgaga. The latter probably works for clients from the so-called intelligence circles. In addition to Fajon and Zgaga, Zijad Bećirović and Drago Kos were the other two main players in the affair. Bećirović’s role was to find Slovenian interlocutors for the Bosnian media outlets. In the past, however, the director of IFIMES has been involved in many scandals. And Drago Kos, the former criminal investigator and Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption was known to be involved in many scandals against Janša in the past. “One of the main goals of this affair is also to prevent Janša from presiding over the European Union from the 1st of July,” Požar added.
We asked the long-time and experienced journalist and expert on the media scene about the verification of the authenticity of very sensitive documents, similar to these that were supposedly revealed in this affair. Namely, the decision on what is published and how the authenticity of certain documents should be checked is made by each individual media outlet, journalist, editor, and also the owners of the outlet.
Požar doubts that the documents were forged by the Slovenian journalists. He is much more convinced that “they got them from someone, and then, of course, this is a whole other, probably criminal story.” However, Požar claims that someone delivered the entire story from the Sarajevo-Ljubljana “kitchen” to the Slovenian media – deliberately and after it was agreed upon. He also drew attention to the research preferences of the Necenzurirano web portal’s journalists, as, judging by their previous work, they do not have the necessary resources to get to such documents “by themselves, through their own research line.” And only the biggest idiots will believe that the Necenzurirano web portal received the exclusive documents from Sarajevo.
He finds it perverse, wrong and disgusting to abuse the historical and even bloody stories of another country for the purposes of the political fight against Janša. In addition, the Slovenian players in this affair “are playing on the emotions of the Bosnians here, and at the same time, the people from these circles – the Slovenian transitional left – are happily doing business with people who are close to Milorad Dodik or Republika Srpska.”
With all the political and diplomatic damage that has been made, the question arises as to who will be held responsible for this planned sullying of the country’s reputation. Čirić thus claims that in this case, similarly to the United Kingdom and the Iraqi arms search affair, the state should initiate similar proceedings. Čirić also reminded us of a much more international affair, which the mainstream media want to sweep under the rug. Namely, the European Jewish Association sent a letter to the SD party, asking them to return the Moskovič villa to its rightful owners. The esteemed observer of international developments has put this matter in a much broader context for us. “This letter, which puts the SD party in an awkward position, is not only about the villa but also indicates a broader context.” The Jewish community is one of the most influential in the world, and “they can make any problem go international very quickly.” In the days to come, we will see how the mainstream media will try to get out of the international mess they created themselves.
Prebilič: Value criticism should only follow after the issues are clarified before the competent bodies
“After the disclosure of the document, the author of it remains unknown. I myself am not familiar with the answer of who prepared the document and what were their intentions. It is also not clear to whom it was forwarded – if it even was forwarded to anyone – and why. I believe that this should be cleared up before any kids of accusations are made or even developed into certain theories. And besides, the media is not a place for such discussions. In the Republic of Slovenia, we have the competent bodies which should deal with such matters (starting with the National Assembly and the competent committees – for foreign policy, and perhaps the European affairs), and such issues should first be clarified there. Only then would it make sense to talk about value criticism.
Of course, the media want to draw attention to various facts – which is the correct thing to do in this context, but the political parties should exchange their views within the space of political discourse. I understand that the current political situation is overheated, but it should still be understood that too many affairs on both sides of the political pole do not only result in the lowering of the already low reputation of Slovenian politics but also, especially when it comes to foreign policy issues, it also results in the lowering of the Republic of Slovenia’s reputation in the international environment. Political damage is being caused by both sides, and the victims are politics as a skill, and the art of leadership, which will undoubtedly also reflect in the electorate, and that will probably cause an increase in electoral abstinence, apathy and the almost proverbial distrust towards politics and politicians. It is difficult to recognise the purpose of all this, although I myself believe it is the instrumentalisation of practically anything for the political fight. The fact that there is a constant desire for power on the political stage is understandable, but I think we should try to limit this kind of behaviour, as we should recognise the extremes of such behaviour on both sides.
Nowadays, the lines seem to be completely blurred, and the Machiavelli concept is unfolding before all of us, where the end justifies the means. I myself am recognising a lack of fundamental dignity and tolerance in our politicians. As a result, the political spectrum continues to become more and more polarised, which is already reflected in the day-to-day running of our society. In the affair in question, I would suggest a sincere and direct confrontation between both the coalition and the opposition and an exchange of arguments. In any case, there is definitely room for self-restraint in the actions of both sides of the political spectrum.
Who and for what purpose showed the allegedly forged maps is a very important question. It will no doubt be very difficult to prove criminal liability, but the damage of such conduct is not measured in these terms, from the point of view of the Republic of Slovenia. This is a sensitive topic, and anyone who, in one way or another, intentionally or unintentionally exhibits territorial aspirations acts extremely irresponsibly and insultingly. Let’s just think back to how all of us Slovenians felt when the maps with the Hungarian border on the Mura river appeared in public. These are completely unacceptable provocations and an extreme departure from the foundations of international law, which speaks clearly and unequivocally about the inviolability of the borders of every country. Therefore, such conduct is detrimental to the reputation of the Republic of Slovenia in Europe, and the world, especially if such maps are presented by political figures.
The foreign policy of the Republic of Slovenia is led by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, in cooperation with the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia. It is true that the role of the government is emphasised in this trio, but due to the greater degree of legitimacy of the government’s actions, which expresses the views of Slovenian citizens, it is important to also involve the representatives of the opposition in the foreign policy, whenever possible. This reduces the chances of similar affairs and, to put it simply, the washing of dirty linen in our international relations. The Republic of Slovenia, as a member of the EU, must stand firm on its positions on the territorial integrity of all countries and strict respect for the rule of law. The Western Balkans should be a priority area of Slovenian foreign policy, both from an economic point of view and because of our knowledge of the situation in this area. I believe that the Republic of Slovenia could be the key member in shaping the EU’s position on an extremely unstable area, which can also pose a major security challenge for everyone in Europe.”
Luka Perš
