The political programme of the Left party (Levica), which is being implemented in Slovenia by the government of Robert Golob, is more and more clearly oriented towards the idea of equality at any cost. The slogan used by many critics to describe it is “all equal, all poor.” It is a policy that is supposed to ensure greater social justice, but at the same time risks lowering the general standard of living and demotivating people to achieve higher earnings. The statistics on income tax assessment for 2022 provide further proof of the above.
The data reveal that as many as 75 percent of people in Slovenia earn below the average wage, which shows the extreme stratification of the population and the increasing concentration of low incomes. At the same time, the government, which is trying to maintain a progressive taxation system, insists that the rich should pay even more, even though around 20 percent of people already contribute more than 70 percent of all taxes.
According to the data, a gross salary of 2,900 euros, which is about 2,000 euros net, already puts you in the top 10 percent of highest-paid Slovenians. Although many would consider this an average salary, the system puts you in the “rich” category, which means you face higher taxes. This shows that wage differences in Slovenia are relatively small, leading many to conclude that it is difficult to exceed average incomes without significantly higher burdens.
As mentioned above, around 20 percent of the highest-paid people in Slovenia contribute more than 70 percent of total tax revenue, which shows the highly progressive nature of the tax system. Nevertheless, the government of Robert Golob continues to stress the need for greater solidarity, which raises questions about whether some groups are bearing a disproportionately high tax burden.
The fact that 75 percent of the population is paid less than the average wage is particularly worrying. This indicates that a large part of the population is below the average standard of living, which has a significant impact on the purchasing power and social situation of the majority of the population.
Where are the government of Robert Golob and the Left party’s programme taking us?
Commentators are of the opinion that the current economic trends are leading Slovenia back to socialism, whose motto is “all equal, all poor.” One of the vocal critics of this system, Edvard Kadič, pointed out: “If three quarters of the people earn less than the average wage, we are not becoming the backwater of Europe – we already are just that, but we keep on lying to ourselves that we are not.” Mitja Iršič, a political analyst, also highlighted the Left party’s project, which, in his view, pursues wage compression and equality at any cost, saying: “Everyone is equal in poverty. They are achieving their goal.”
Rok Ravnikar also criticised these figures, saying that the government seems to be aiming to have 98 percent of workers below three times the minimum wage, which would push everyone into poverty: “The obvious goal: All equal, all poor. And grateful to the totalitarian government for all the crumbs.”
A.G.
