SLEEPING WITH PENGOVSKY

Who’s Who In Janša 4.0 (Part Two)

Slovenia celebrates 35 years of independence today. Yay, us! Events were organised, flags were waved and speeches were held. But in a classic case of plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose, it was also a night for retribution, vindictiveness and exclusion. Because it’s our turn now. That is to say, their turn. Which is mostly why president Nataša Pirc Musar got booed through a part of her address to the nation during last evening’s main celebration.

Janez Janša and members of his cabinet. — Team Janša 4.0. Again. Because pengovsky couldn’t be bothered to find a copyleft pic from last night (source)

This is also why prime minister Janez Janša trampled on long-established rule of PM and Prez alternating in delivering these things. Instead, he insisted that they both address the nation. Because that’s just how he rolls. Rules for thee, but not for me. Naturally, the far right element had a lot to say about freedom of expression last night. You know, decorum is for pussies, because fuck your feelings. Needless to say they go apeshit if/when situation is reversed. But through all of this, members of Janša’s cabinet politely clapped their hands. So, let’s go and meet some more of them. (And click here for part 1 of the series.)

Who’s Who In Janša 4.0 (Part One)

The fourth government of Janez Janša is nary a month old and already they’ve earned themselves three referendum bids, an ongoing criminal investigation (from the before times) and a brazenly corrupt MP, even though he technically is not on the team.

Who's who of the fourth government. of Janez Janša. In Part One we meet Jernej Vrtovec, Anže Logar, Andrej Šircelj, Tone Kajzer and Janša the man himself. — *Team Janša 4.0 (source)*

But before we deal with all of that – or at least parallel to that – pengovsky feels it is important to get to know the people pretending to call the shots in version 4.0 of the Janša administration. Because obviously nothing will be done without the micromanager-in-chief’s say-so.

Janša 4.0: Grown-ups, Dependents And True Believers

Ten days ago Janez Janša was sworn in as the next prime minister. This made a lot of people in Muddy Hollows really angry and was widely considered to be a bad move. Especially among the dreamers, thinkers, speculative progressives… or, as right-wing pundits would have it, idiots.

Ten days ago Janez Janša was sworn in as the next prime minister. Now he is populating his fourth administration mostly with loyalists and people depending on him for political survival. — *Yup, this is us… (source)*

However, Glorious Leader updating his Twitter bio was only part of the task. A big part, to be sure, but this is one of those nothing-is-done-until-everything-is-done type of things. And since there is no Janša government without people for Janša to, well, govern, the grand finale started on Monday, with would-be ministers testifying in front of various parliamentary committees. Barring any mayor fuck-ups Slovenia will have Marshal Twito’s fourth government by tomorrow evening.

The President Had One Job…

In a surprise address to the media on Saturday morning, President Nataša Pirc Musar announced she will not be making a PM nomination. Assessing that no candidate can secure an absolute majority in the parliament, she notified Speaker Stevanović (shudder!) that she is so done with this shit, even though she still had two more weeks to come up with a name.

President Nataša Pirc Musar standing behind a lectern last Saturday. She said she will not nominate a PM. At all. With this she may have opened herself to impeachment and is definitely guilty of political malpractice. — *President Pirc Musar announcing she will remain nominee-less (source)*

Not to put too fine a point on it, the president fucked up royally. In one fell swoop, she made a huge political error, missed an opportunity to hold parliament accountable, screwed up the messaging (again) and possibly opened herself up to an impeachment proceeding. It is, to use a technical term, a clusterfuck.

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Janša

If your idea of Santa Claus is a bald guy with a thick Dolenjska drawl who has it in for public media and NGOs, then Christmas is about to come early in Muddy Hollows. Namely, despite claiming the opposite, Janez Janša is on the cusp or forming his fourth government.

President Pirc Musar will probably end up with Janez Janša as her second prime minister. In the picture, both are ecstatic as fuck at this prospect. — *Janez Janša and Nataša Pirc Musar, fucking extatic at the prospect of seeing one more of one another (source)*

That much is obvious after president Pirc Musar held her first official round of consultations before she appointing a PM nominee. To be fair, no-one has yet secured the 46 votes necessary in the first and second rounds of PM appointment procedure. But with Robert Golob taking a step back, the initiative is with the Glorious Leader. And he sure behaves as if he had already clinched it.

Zoran Stevanović, Ultimate Bouncer

So, yeah, this happened. By now most of you know that SDS, NSi++ and Demokrati backed Resnica boss Zoran Stevanović for Speaker of Parliament. Which is a bit like putting the bouncer in charge of the nightclub. It might look cool but you just know bad shit is waiting to happen.

Zoran Stevanović in front of the Slovenian parliament, looking more like a bouncer and less like a Speaker he was about to become. — *Zoran Stevanovič doing his best bouncer impression, a day before he got the Speaker job*

To say that Robert Golob and GS were blindsided by this is an understatement. They had it all gamed out six steps ahead and were ready for some serious 3D chess. But it all hinged on the failure of the first speakership bid. Imagine their surprise when a disgraced former cop got the nod at the first try and was driven home by his buddies from the police academy.

Janša Disputes Results While Golob Coos Partners

It has been a week since the Slovenian election and Janez Janša keeps re-litigating the result. Apparently he skipped school when they were learning how nobody likes a sore loser. Or, he may be in more shit with rank and file than he lets on. Which is why he keeps kicking this particularly deceased horse.

President Pirc Musar met with PM Golob do discuss election results. She also met with Janez Janša, Jernej Vrtovec, Anže Logar and leaders of every other party elected to the new parliament. — *President Pirs Musar informally meeting Robert Golob to discuss election result (source)*

On the other hand, Robert Golob and Nataša Pirc Musar are calling meetings. Right now, these are purely about taking the temperature. But in this brave new world of post-rational politics vibing is super important, apparently. So there are already attempts at making people comfortable around one another.