SLEEPING WITH PENGOVSKY

Janković, Mesec & The Also-Rans

With two days left until the 2026 local elections in Slovenia, it is high time pengovsky got in on the action. And for the first time in 20 years, Ljubljana is where it is at. By the looks of it, mayor Zoran Janković will likely be forced into a run-off, and the guy doing the forcing is none other than Levica co-boss ~~Zohran Mamdani~~ Luka Mesec.

Zoran Janković and Luka Mesec look set to go into the run-off in Ljubljana election for mayor this Sunday. But what role will Tone Rop and Klemen Boštjančič play?

A picture of The Three Bridges in Ljubljana. You can't see it but City Hall is just a bit further to the left.

Admittedly, back in July pengovsky speculated that former PM Tone Rop might be the one to unseat Janković. Especially after the parking ordinance fuck-up that kept plaguing the mayor throughout summer months. But Rop never caught fire (more below) and this meant Mesec was alone in the serious challenger lane. And yet, it may not be enough.

Vučić Ouster Makes For Awkward Muddy Hollows Moments

Assuming he doesn’t spring some sort of a trap and contests the result , Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić has lost parliamentary election last Sunday. Obviously the fall of any autocratic regime should be celebrated by itself. But here is also a distinct Muddy Hollows angle to Serbia finally doing what needed to be done a long time ago.

Aleksandar Vučić losing elections in Serbia will inevitably have repercussions in Slovenia as well. Who will feel them most, Zoran Janković or Janez Janša? All these other people shaking his hand sure won't. — *A choice selection of Slovenian politicos palling with Aleksandar Vučić*

To put it succinctly, as a result of Serbian election thoughts and prayers are needed across large swaths of Slovenian political class. Both nationally and locally, politicians of various persuasions have lost either a dragi prijatelj or a garant stabilnosti. Again, barring predsjedniće pulling an authoritarian rabbit out of his shopping cart, things could get at least somewhat dicey for a number of people around here.

Panic! At The Right Wing Disco

Well, fuck me sideways and call me Sally. For a bunch of right wing culture war issues meant to prop up the legislative referendum on parliamentary inquiry, Sunday sure was a barn-burner. As you probably know by now the YES camp won the vote on disenfranchising third-country nationals on local level, and the one on tying welfare benefits to public work.

Of the four referendums last Sunday, the right-wing Janša government lost both key votes. By the thinnest of margins the people cast a majority vote rejecting abolishing RTV SLO fee and changing rules for parliamentary inquiry. — *(L-R) Tallies on parliamentary inquiry, RTV SLO, welfare benefits and 3rd country nationals (source)*

Crucially, however, the NO camp won the all-important vote on removing safeguards of a parliamentary inquiry and abolition of RTV SLO fee. The margins of victory are thin as fuck, but they do exist. And the resulting panic in the right wing coalition of Janez Janša suggests that his government is much shakier than he would like you to believe. Today’s shakeups and resignations in the parliament support that notion.

Culture War Referendums, Part Two

More on referendums this Sunday. Contrary to the legislative referendum (see Part One in the series), there is no turnout or quorum requirement in a consultative referendum. It’s a straight-up whichever-side-gets-more-votes type of situation.

A really sad mock-up ballot in a follow-up to the four referendums on Sunday, This time we do votes on RTV SLO, welfare benefits and voting rights of third-country nationals. It all boils down to decency. — Another mock referendum ballot. This one is even worse.

In addition, results of a consultative referendum are, as the name suggests, wholly legally non-binding. In theory, they are politically binding, but going on recent experience, a popular vote suggesting a certain policy direction is not worth a pair of fetid dingo’s kidneys, if it doesn’t align with a per-existing government agenda.

Culture War Referendums, Part One

To say that Janez Janša’s ruling right-wing coalition is making a mess of things would be an understatement. Firstly, this here blog abhors using such milquetoast language, so the correct term would be incompetent twats. Secondly, despite appearances to the contrary, Janša’s minority government is shaky as fuck. In fact, judging by the last couple of weeks, his coalition partners keep picking up bad weeks to quit sniffing glue.

Slovenians will vote in four referendums this Sunday, each referendum more damaging to democratic values than the other. On the picture is a sample referendum ballot. — *A referendum ballot (photo by yours truly)*

And thirdly, whatever coherent policy they had is locked up in a referendum bid against the Logar/Vrtovec omnibus bill. And having apparently hit “empty” in their ideas tank about two weeks after taking office, the Glorious Leader and his ilk are doing the one thing they always knew how to do. Wage culture wars. Which is why the good people of Muddy Hollows will vote in four referendums this Sunday, each more damaging to democratic values than the other.

Zoran Stevanović And The Truthers

No, this is not a blog post about Zoran Stevanović and his high school rock band. Primarily because there’s no record of Zoran Stevanović ever being a part of, let alone leading a high school rock band. But also because, in the unlikely event of Zoran Stevanović leading a band in high school (or at least being a part of one), rock is not exactly the genre one would put him in.

Zoran Stevanovič and Resnica were in the news a lot lately. He is in way over his head, Boris Mijić is still around and Katja Kokot is the only one having fun. Also in the picture are Aleksander Štorek and Nedeljko Todorović. — *(With apologies to The High School Reunion. I hear they’re great, book them here*)

If Stevo had a band, it would be a cheap pop wall-of-sound act. In mono. Much like his party. And like Phil Spector, wall-of-sound inventor and music industry’s biggest asshole by a country mile, Stevo is cranking up the volume and compression. All in an attempt to hide the fact that Resnica are a bunch of lying insignificunts who took the most toxic and corrupt traits in Muddy Hollows politics and ran with it. Unsurprisingly, it turns out they suck at that, too.

President Pirc Musar And Her Slow Moving (Communications) Car Crash

Almost two weeks ago, president Nataša Pirc Musar was involved in a car crash while travelling in a motorcade. She suffered a broken collarbone while one of the other two passengers suffered a more serious injury.

President Nataša Pirc Musar was injured in a car crash two weeks ago. Then a communications car crash followed which made things even worse. — *Presidential palace. The car in front is not part of president Pirc Musar’s motorcade (photo by pengovsky)*

The driver/bodyguard in the president’s van was also slightly injured and apparently there was a non-insignificant amount of material damage. Also not-insignificantly damaged was the notion of at least semi-competent official communication at the highest levels of the state. And much of the blame lies with the president herself.