On Monday, the radical leftists repeated their rampage at the Faculty of Social Sciences (Fakulteta za družbene vede – FDV) and occupied the lecture halls, while the management of the faculty – and the University of Ljubljana in general – bowed down and confirmed the rule of the street over democracy. The leadership of the Faculty of Social Sciences demanded that the University of Ljubljana immediately cease cooperation with all Israeli institutions. The students are thus ending their takeover of the faculty, as the Senate has accepted their demands in full.
What is even more bizarre is that the leadership of the University of Ljubljana has shown its true colours. Namely, the Rector, Gregor Majdič, has said that none of the members of the university’s leadership support Israel’s actions. Meanwhile, Žiga Turk pointed to the University of Ljubljana’s Code of Ethics, which states that “Political or other agitation on the premises or in the university grounds, the use of the teaching process and university resources for political or other non-academic purposes constitute a violation of this Code.” But democracy does not apply to them, as they have already shown between the years 2020 and 2022, pointed out Nejc Brence.
Calling on all members of the university to publicly declare they are in favour of recognition of Palestine
A few days ago, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Iztok Prezelj, said on behalf of the faculty’s leadership that they agree with the students in principle, and that the faculty’s leadership aims to develop possible common positions with them. The faculty’s leadership also expressed support for Palestine and denounced the Israeli state’s practice of genocide. They also called on other member faculties of the University of Ljubljana, as well as the Rector’s Office, to make a public statement in support of a free Palestine.
The political commissars have apparently succeeded in ordering the members of the University of Ljubljana with whom they can and cannot cooperate. “The Faculty of Social Sciences demands that the University of Ljubljana immediately suspend academic and economic cooperation with Israeli research and educational institutions (and companies) that have proven links with the military-industrial complex of the Israeli state. We also demand the immediate termination of all agreements that the university and its members have with institutions in Israel or in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”
F**k NATO?
Meanwhile, Rector Gregor Majdič raised the whole matter to an even higher level of bizarreness when he gave an interview for the commercial television station POP TV while standing in front of a sign that read “F**k NATO” and said: “I believe we are all in the same boat and we all have the same view of the matter. None of us in the university leadership support Israel’s actions.” The Rector thus proved that he tolerates everything – from unauthorised usurpations of lecture halls and breaches of the Code of Ethics of the University of Ljubljana, to anti-NATO and anti-EU banners.
Sara Kovač
