According to the 24ur web portal, former President of the Republic, Milan Kučan, who was the keynote speaker at the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Dražgoše, took the opportunity to “very critically comment on the current government’s actions.” Kučan also found it controversial that during the celebration of the 30th anniversary of gaining independence, we listened to a sort of “bookkeeping list” of the current government’s achievements. However, he apparently did not see anything problematic in him talking about the topic of political division and bashing the current government while standing on top of a grave – he is willing to do anything he can to make sure his people return to power. According to the Slovenian Press Agency, around 1,500 people listened to Kučan talk in Dražgoše, who attended the ceremony despite the current epidemiological situation – the organiser was expected to provide a maximum of 750 seats, but many people also gathered outside of the designated space for the event.
“We need to talk about where the disintegration of the constitutional order, the attempts to rule by decrees, the circumvention of laws, the attacks on the judiciary, prosecutor’s office, and freedom of the press can lead,” Milan Kučan once again named the already-known political platitudes in Dražgoše, adding that we need to fight against all of it. “Today’s images of fascism are not the same as those we remember from recent history. But the starting points are the same,” he added, according to the web portal 24ur, and also noted that the upcoming elections are the only democratic means of changing power. He also mentioned – in passing – that war is an evil that goes against humanity, which is why working for peace is so very valuable. But it did not seem as if he himself was willing to do anything to contribute to peace. He is, of course, convinced that our nation is mainly divided by the “ruthless display of power by the current authorities, which systematically introduce new divisions into people’s lives.”
Kučan also explained which part of Slovenians should be exterminated this time
It is a well-known fact that every year, the anniversary of the Battle of Dražgoše is used and abused for political propaganda of the left-wing political pole. This is clear even to some on the left – the Socialist Party of Slovenia did not attend the ceremony for this very reason. However, the ceremony was attended by the current President of the Republic, Borut Pahor, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Igor Zorčič, and the Social Democrats (SD) party’s group of “delegates,” which also included MP Matjaž Nemec. Of course, SAB MP Marko Bandelli was also present, who talked about the extermination nof fascists and collaborators just a few days ago. Luka Mesec, the coordinator of the Levica party (the Left), Levica’s MP Miha Kordiš, and the current Mayor of Ljubljana, Zoran Janković, were also spotted at the celebration. “On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the burning of Dražgoše and the massacre of the villagers, a pious mourning ceremony would have been much more appropriate. Instead, Kučan put on a show reminiscent of Gazimestan and explained which part of Slovenians should be exterminated this time,” Prime Minister Janez Janša commented on Kučan’s speech.
“We live in a situation where the world is facing a serious, difficult-to-manage threat posed by the epidemic,” Kučan said, noting that we have seen lots of encroachments on the foundation of values on which modern society and international law are based. “They are being undermined by populisms and nationalisms, anti-solidarity sovereign doctrines and egoisms, within which there are more and more signs of the revival of fascism,” he said. “We must not forget that fascism has grown into a state ideology and a means of militaristic policy with a war of conquest and crimes against humanity by using and abusing the mechanisms of democratic parliamentary democracy. We Slovenians were also the target of this ideology,” he pointed out, adding that this is why we should remain alert in recognising the signs of its renewal. “Therefore, we must draw attention to them in the new situation and call them by their real names. Understandably, today’s images of fascism are not the same as those we remember from recent history. But the starting points are the same,” he stressed. Apparently, the left-wing political pole does not understand that the changing of power is a completely democratic concept. When there is a change of government, they always label their political opponents as fascists, as they are accustomed to everyone thinking in the same manner, from the times of the almighty League of Communists. It is interesting how Kučan thinks that he is the right person to lecture others about what democracy even is when an independent, democratic Slovenia was not even his preferred option at the time of our country gaining independence.
“We need to talk about where the disintegration of the constitutional order, the attempts to rule by decrees, the circumvention of laws, interventions in the principle of separation of power, the attacks on the judiciary and judges, the independence of prosecutors, the police and the supervisory institutions, attacks on freedom of the press and human rights and dignity lead, where the use and promotion of hate speech and vulgarity, disrespect for the separation of church and state, their attitudes towards refugees, abuse of historiography, and equating patriotism with the demand for support of the current government and the largest government party lead,” Kučan also said. All in all, it sounds as if we are listening to the fabrications of the members of the so-called Constitutional Arch Coalition (which is the left-wing part of the current opposition), which they came up with when the takeover of power failed, and they decided to export their lies abroad, to try and convince people of the kind of dictatorship we supposedly live in and how the media is supposedly being subordinated. But what happened next is very interesting – whoever wanted to check the statements of the Slovenian left to see if they were true could soon see that everything is exactly the opposite.
Kučan then also shared his belief that we should draw attention to what is going on and that we should also resist it out of respect for the efforts of past generations who wanted freedom for our nation and out of responsibility for the future. He said that Slovenians are “broken up” like never before, and, according to him, we are also divided by the ruthless display of power by the current authorities, which systematically introduces new divisions into people’s lives. Not even the epidemic can stop them in their actions.
Kučan was also critical of the government’s response to the epidemic
Kučan then pointed out that the government is not looking for an alliance with the citizens but instead sees them as the culprits for the unsuccessful fight against the epidemic. “They consider peaceful protesters to be their enemies. They refuse any dialogue with them and respond to their proposals, demands and objections, with police repression,” he stressed. It also seemed controversial to him that at the time of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Slovenia gaining its independence, we listened to a sort of “bookkeeping list” of the current government’s achievements – although, in reality, the statistics show that our government is doing good work. And when it comes to the protesters, we all got a chance to see just how peaceful they can really be. During the violent protests, journalists got beaten up, and a lot of material damage was caused. But apparently, this does not bother some people, who were sitting on their couches at home in Murgle at the time. As Kučan refuses to acknowledge that the government is the one responsible for the good achievements, he said that everything we have achieved so far is actually an achievement of the entire Slovenian society, a result of the sacrifices and efforts of the vast majority of citizens. However, he believes that it is not these achievements that cause the division in Slovenian society. “They are causing division even in areas about which the current authorities do not talk, but they do it through gross, illegitimate and illegal encroachments on the constitutional, legal, and social value fabric of our society. They do this against the will of the people, in the name of their hidden political and ideological goals: to create another republic, which will be more to their liking; they do it in order to shift the whole social structure to the right or even to the extreme right.” Obviously, Kučan only perceives those who are on the side he considers to be the correct one, as citizens.
The message of this year’s commemorative meeting in Dražgoše is that we all need to participate in the elections
“It is precisely because of the recognition of these tendencies that there is resistance among the people,” Kučan then said in his speech. He assessed that the government could not hide the mentioned tendencies by distributing pre-election gifts and by attempting to bribe individual social groups with indulgences, nor by promising infrastructure and other investments to mayors. As for the fact that it is necessary to go to the polls and vote, we definitely agree with Kučan here.
“They also cannot hide the fact that this distribution of the EU funds, intended for recovery and development after the epidemic, does not allow for serious strategic and structural investments that would bring Slovenia closer to the goal of a green, digital, and high-tech country. On the contrary, this policy that excludes many is pushing us further away from this goal.” Kučan also pointed out that instead of bragging, we need a fair and realistic assessment of both the situation and the price we will ultimately have to pay for it. Obviously, Kučan is particularly bothered by the fact that he cannot freely distribute the record EU funds that the Slovenian government has managed to negotiate for our country.
In Dražgoše, around 1,500 people listened to Kučan, who attended the ceremony despite the current epidemiological situation. After the event was cancelled last year, the organisers from the Associations of the National Liberation Movement of Slovenia and the Škofja Loka Association decided to still organise the ceremony this year due to the exceptional importance of preserving this historical memory. It is interesting that Kučan criticised the government’s actions in controlling the epidemic while at the same time supporting an event in the middle of a pandemic, when we have more than 4,000 new infections on a daily basis in Slovenia.
“Dražgoše live in the memory of all those who care about our homeland, who respect history and our fighters for freedom. They are a symbol of resistance, courage, self-confidence, and bravery. Memorial ceremonies in Osankarica and Dražgoše are a reminder that the responsibility for our destiny is in our hands,” wrote the President of the Social Democrats party, Tanja Fajon.
Let us remind you that 41 innocent villagers were shot in Dražgoše, and another 81 were sent to camps, and the village was then burned. All of that also happened due to the fact that the partisans in the village organised rallies and spread Bolshevik propaganda. How do the relatives of those who were murdered feel? The murdered villagers of Dražgoše were buried by a German priest. In 1976, their remains were moved to the monument, without any religious ceremony – despite the fact that their relatives asked that the remains be left in the consecrated ground. “Every year, they organise these red orgies and jump on the graves of the slain villagers,” the Huda Jama Association pointed out.
Kučan also reminded everyone that the time after the epidemic will be difficult, and the recovery will be long and tough. Trust and support of the citizens will be needed for the successful governance of the country. “The false image is misleading and does not allow for recovery, and the same goes for pushing the burden of responsibility with the false image on the future government,” he also said, accusing the current government, which is a huge thorn in his side, and a clear threat to his very existence. All of this is true, but Kučan is pointing in the wrong direction when it comes to the question of who is misleading people and painting a false picture. He would be most honest with himself if he just set up a mirror – Kučan and his people have been misleading the nation for at least the last thirty years, if not more.
Sara Kovač
