The “dilapidated building” affair, as the controversial purchase of a new courthouse has come to be known among the online public, had wide-ranging political implications from the outset. Well-known names from the top of Slovenian politics immediately began to appear in the public domain as connected to the affair in question. Among them was also Vesna Vuković, Secretary-General of the ruling Freedom Movement party (Gibanje Svoboda).
Of course, Vuković cannot be held responsible for the Minister’s signing of the controversial contract, but she is said to be responsible for launching a media “bloodletting” affair for the Social Democrats (Socialni demokrati – SD), as some have written. Both commentators we have asked for their opinion on the matter so far are convinced that this is a strategic blunder. Aljuš Pertinač and our interlocutor on Friday, Miloš Čirič, both believe that the affair has a negative impact on all coalition parties.
“According to the information I have, the case originates from there (the general secretariat of the Freedom Movement party),” said Čiric, but he also does not think that there is a “war” going on between the two coalition parties. Namely, because the war is actually happening between the two general secretariats of the parties, the one headed by Vesna Vuković and the one headed by the Secretary-General of the Social Democrats party (Socialni demokrati – SD), Klemen Žibert.
Čirič also explained that the reason for this could also be the resentment that Žibert harbours towards Vesna Vuković. There is a whole lot of it, but it is precisely this that prevents effective leadership. “If you want to lead well, you have to forget about resentments, because you have to work with people with whom you have been in conflict in the past. Those who harbour resentment are the ones who cause problems.”
The low tide that will leave the whole coalition stranded
This, however, raises the question of motive. As Pertinač said last time, the affair has a negative impact on all coalition parties, not just the Social Democrats. “They don’t understand that any attack on any minister has a bad effect on the whole government. Such things definitely damage them. In principle, it is the case that both the good and the bad accumulate on the president. What happens in the government cannot be separated from the prime minister, or is very difficult to separate,” explained Čiric. He believes that in the whole affair, only the Left party (Levica) out of all the government parties can potentially gain something.
“Some say that the affair has given the Prime Minister a break, because now the public focus is elsewhere. There is a term for this, ‘burning bad news’, which allows the actors behind the scenes to deal with other matters away from public attention. But this only looks good at first sight. As I said, the affair is damaging the whole government,” says Čirič.
When police officers stay in their offices
The public, on the other hand, is watching with shock the passivity of the police and public prosecutors. Given the details of the deal that have been revealed so far, and above all, given the accusations made in public by the Minister of Justice, it is surprising that the Ministry has not yet been visited by the police. “What is puzzling about all this is that if there is something suspicious in the case, why is the prosecutor’s office not being activated, why is the police, which is the only competent authority in these matters, not being ordered to investigate? If there are serious suspicions, a criminal complaint should be filed, and the matter should be investigated,” the interlocutor believes. He also pointed out that the difference in the purchase and sale price is not necessarily problematic, but that there are other suspicious circumstances surrounding the purchase that would be worth investigating.
New faces are falling, the right is gaining strength
When asked what the political implications of the affair will be, Čirič said that even in the case of this government, people voted for the “great hope”, and with it came great promises, such as 30,000 new housing units. But the hopes have been trampled by reality, which is quite different from what was promised. He pointed out that if this trend continues, the next elections will see an extremely low voter turnout. “People are disappointed time and time again,” he noted.
Asked whether Golob has destroyed the concept of a new face, Čirič said: “What will happen is that people will no longer believe. New faces will always appear, but they will no longer succeed in motivating people to vote. While the right wing is slowly growing and gaining ground, or at least holding its ground, the left wing will be extremely disappointed.”
Ž. K.
