October, 2023 | SLEEPING WITH PENGOVSKY

How To Lose Friends And Alienate People (Robert Golob Style)

Harold Wilson was very much correct when he observed that a week is a long time in politics. Let alone eight weeks. Two months ago, Robert Golob was riding high in the polls, courtesy of the immediate aftermath of the August floods. This week, he is running around like a clown across a minefield, kicking MPs out from his party and calling people liars. And it’s only Wednesday.

Robert Golob, Urška Klakočar Zupančič, Mojca Šetinc Pašek and Janez Janša in a parody of a poster of How To Lose Friends And Alienate People. — *Sorry, not sorry 🙂*

It is difficult to pin down when exactly things started going tits-up for the Big Bird. It seems a safe bet, however, that forced departures of minister Šinko and Brežan definitely accelerated things. In light of this, losing Sanja Ajanović Hovnik suddenly became a big fucking deal. And then, as it is so often the case, events began.

Sanjonara Ajanović Hovnik

Welp, that was fast. Last time around pengovsky indicated his belief that the beleaguered (embattled?) minister of public administration will eventually resign. Or at least be dismissed, despite all of her boss’ assurances to the contrary. But even this blogger didn’t think that it would happen this fast. Earlier today, after additional allegations against her came to light, Sanja Ajanović Hovnik tendered her resignation.

Sanja Ajanović Hovnik is no longer the minister of public administration — *Sanja Ajanović Hovnik quit her post (source)*

Either reader will remember that the exact quote was “whoever thinks that Golob can sugar-coat the inevitable departure of Sanja Ajanović Hovnik with a wider cabinet reshuffle should be fired on the spot for incompetence.” And indeed, not only has the minister quit, PM Robert Golob is now left with a giant political turd in his hands. Mostly of his own doing.

Ajanović Hovnik, Šinko and Brežan On The Political Strife Scale

Sanja Ajanović Hovnik, minister of public administration in the Golob government spent the better part of the last two weeks fighting accusations of wasteful spending and abuse of office. And the more she tried to explain the story away the more it stuck, making her situation increasingly fucktangular.

Ministers Sanja Ajanović Hovnik, Irena Šinko and Uroš Brežan, on their respective places on the political strife scale. — *Political Strife Scale, Muddy Hollows Style*

The Big Bird realised soon thereafter that the weeds are much deeper than originally thought and that the situation requires some ninja level moves. Just how sacking Irena Šinko and Uroš Brežan, two other members of his cabinet, qualifies as a ninja move is beyond pengovsky. But it is what it is. At any rate, it is time to break out the political strife scale.