“Biščak, Gregor Golobič’s long-time lackey, wants to chase away the Americans, and as we have already noted, Golob has gone mad a long time ago already… Because now is the time of freedom,” journalist Bojan Požar wrote about the influential people from the left. It should be pointed out that Golobič publicly lied on the show Tarča (Target), claiming that the Left party (Levica) is a progressive European party, which lots of people questioned. However, it seems that tough times are coming, during which Slovenian entrepreneurs will be even more viciously attacked.
It seems that the saying “weak politics, strong deep state” is partially true. At least in the case of the left, which is predominantly without good ideas. Its success is still based on the “anti-Janša reflex,” while any actual political programme remains on the sidelines. In the case of the latest new left-wing party, the Freedom Movement (Gibanje svoboda), this is very much true, as the party has, at most, a list of likeable wishes, but not an actual programme. And that is why the political background is prospering ideologically. If anyone is wondering where the extreme views of the transitional politics come from, they should just read a few posts by the left-wing lobbyists on social media. One of the most influential lobbyists, who is also the lackey of the even-stronger Gregor Golobič, is Bogdan Biščak, who wrote: “It would be nice if AmCham withdrew from Slovenia for now, or better yet, forever.” He was, of course, referring to the Amerian Chamber of Commerce – AmCham Slovenia, which is very important for the cooperation of Slovenian, American and international companies.
The post is a kind of confirmation of the negative attitude towards the USA and the West, which is especially strong on the left. Representatives of the transitional political options like to talk about rapprochement with “core Europe,” but the periods of left-wing governments bring about something completely different: extremely close ties with Russia and neglect of the West, especially the United States. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Karl Erjavec, has visited Moscow as many as 11 times. Which is fine, but he could have also paid a little attention to Washington, given that both the USA and Slovenia are part of NATO… And there is a serious fear of those times repeating in the near future. “When it comes to international politics, we want to restore Slovenia’s reputation where it has been damaged,” wrote the future Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tanja Fajon. To which Prime Minister Janez Janša responded: “An ominous announcement of a return to pro-Russian and pro-Chinese politics. The roots of the Social Democrats party.”
But the uncritical Russophilia (or Putinophilia) is not the only potential pathology of the emerging government. The contemptuous, disparaging attitude it has towards entrepreneurs should also be highlighted. Biščak wrote on Twitter: “I see that entrepreneurs will talk about the new government on RTV Slovenia today at 8 p.m. Does anyone understand where this obsession with entrepreneurs comes from? Why not, instead, choose architects, the unemployed, or footballers?” And here is another one of his statements: “After the latest escapades of the Employers’ Association, it is time to become aware of the ideological basis of their naming. They are not the people who provide work, but those who use it to their advantage.” Golobič has a similar attitude: “This hysteria and lack of basic knowledge of the legal order (as well as their collaborating silence when that same legal order was brutally destroyed) shows how miserably arrogant, unreflective, short-sighted and opportunistic these representatives of ‘entrepreneurship and economy’ are.”
From a young, aspiring liberal to a stubborn “Stalinist”
The socialist concept of additional taxation, too, seems to have been his idea: “They are pulling out their hair because of the possible taxation of property, but the problem of unbearably low added value that they can produce does not even exist in their minds. They have no ideas or comments when it comes to that. They are part of the same unambitious group, which has become a hallmark of the Slovenian state, unfortunately.” “The older you get, the crazier you are,” as the singer Zoran Predin would say. Another saying also comes to mind here: “If you are not a leftist in your twenties, you do not have a heart. If you are a leftist in your forties, you do not have a brain.” In the case of Golobič, we are witnessing a worrying metamorphosis from a once-promising liberal to a stubborn (bitter) Marxist. He wants to stifle entrepreneurship with new taxes and drive away all investors.
The fact that the new coalition agreement is ideologically heavily based on the ideas of the smallest coalition partner is perhaps not all that surprising. This is partly due to the lack of ideas from the Social Democrats, and particularly the Freedom Movement, but partially also due to the political backstage. Golobič is often associated with the Left party. In light of the ideological similarity, there are no surprising (shocking) differences between the two, especially when it comes to the desire for additional taxation of property of entrepreneurs. Some want to produce and make stuff, while others just want to find a way to benefit from someone else’s work. In the latest episode of the show Tarča (Target), businessman Ivo Boscarol shared his concerns about the economic policy of the emerging coalition and even threatened with “pitchforks and axes.”
What is left for Golobič after the Ultra affair?
Boscarol is a successful entrepreneur and the pioneer of the world-renowned brand Pipistrel. His successes are confirmed with numerous awards, such as the European Business Award and an award from Nasa. And what does Golob have to show for himself, other than the Ultra affair, when he is accusing the entrepreneurs at Boscarol’s level of producing “unsustainably low added value?” After all, the accusations of greed also quickly fade away with the fact that Boscarol donated as much as 25 million euros to the municipality of Ajdovščina. However, we often hear this type of accusation from the circles of socialists.
Domen Mezeg
