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.
This is also why prime minister Janez Janša trampled on long-established rule the PM and the Prez alternating in delivering these things, and 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 has 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 throughout all of this, members of Janša’s cabinet politely applauded. So, let’s go and meet some more on them. (And click here for part 1 of the series.)
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Janez Cigler Kralj, minister of agriculture, forestry and livestock demography
If Anže Logar landed the worst gig in this iteration of a Janša government, Janez Cigler Kralj got stuck with a close second. Sure minister of agriculture sits on a shitload of cash, but he is also continuously just one badly worded act on glyphosate away from the farmers staging a full blown sit-in, but with motor-cultivators.
OK, so farmers in Muddy Hollows don’t protest the way their French brothers in tractors do (not yet, anyway), but being on the business end of an angry group of people who tend to be handy with a pitchform is not a pleasant experience under any circumstances.
Doubly so when the Farmers’ Chamber (the preeminent pressure group for this demographic) is now an SDS-controlled outfit. This means that Cigler will be getting his marching orders from his SDS government boss and will be closely monitored by the SDS-affiliated pressure group. Which still maintains compulsory membership, mind you (put a pin into that one).
On top of that, Cigler Kralj’s party boss and erstwhile rival for the top NSi position, Jernej Vrtovec will be expecting a lot of that pile of cash to be diverted to NSi-friendly projects. Which is a great way to make sure that the minister of agriculture will never be quite at ease in his seat.
All Janez Cigler Kralj wanted was to be the minister of demography (which is the new right-wing-virtue-signalling-speak for ministry of social affairs). Actually, he really wanted to be Speaker, but when that didn’t happen he was getting ready to return to his old stomping ground of labour, family, social affairs and equality. Minus labour, which was kicked over to Logar’s portfolio, and minus equality, because this is a right-wing government, after all.
Instead, he got dumped at the produce section of the political supermarket, waiting to be rammed continuously by his party boss, his actual boss, and the people with a very specific idea about how he should be doing his job.
And he still owes pengovsky a beer.
Tadej Ostrc, minister of health and dumpster fires
One wonders how long Tadej Ostrc will last as minister of health. Statistics are definitely not on his side. Over the last decade, the turnover at this post rivals that of 10 Downing Street. Sure, the British PM has a slightly larger field of responsibility, but the dumpster fire that is the Slovenian health system could give the disfunctionality of post-Brexit Britain a run for its money.
Then again, Ostrc, a founding member of Logar’s Demokrati, was state secretary to Danijel Bešič Loredan, Robert Golob’s first minister of health, so he does have some on-hand experience required for this job. And with background and PhD in medicine as well as MA in political science, he seems a perfect fit for the position. Maybe a little too perfect.
With Ostrc, it’s not the qualifications that are the problem. It’s the fact that he – unitentionally – proved that he can be a good replacement for Anže Logar. In fact, unike Logar, Ostrc was actually elected to parliament. True, this was mostly due to Logar’s ineptitude at picking safe precincts, but still. The sheer fact that Ostrc did well for a political noob is probably giving Logar heartburn. Doubly so when one considers that Ostrc got the portfolio he wanted, and Logar didn’t.
Then again, the Glorious Leader is probably not playing favourites here. I mean, both Demokrati ministers got shitty portfolios and likely won’t make a lot of friends in the next couple of years. The only difference is that Ostrc wanted that particular dumpster fire and Logar was manhandled into his. In the world of fragile egos that is the Muddy Hollows political cesspool, this could be enough for Logar to start being threatened by the mild-mannered dental technocrat.
Borut Rončević, minister of education, science, youth and creationism
At first glance, Borut Rončević has similar qualifications for a Cabinet position as Ostrc does. He is a full professor of sociology (albeit at one of the alternative universities), has done actual research in the field and has served as state secretary in a previous government.
Then again, primary and secondary education was never his remit. And as anyone who had at least a passing experience in the field will tell you, higer education (ostensibly Rončević’s comfort zone) is a completely different beast than primary and secondary school.
Interestingly, the newly minted minister is aware of this and yet somehow thinks of it as an advantage. He says he will overcome his lack of expertise by enlisting the help of actual experts. Which, fair, assuming it happens at all, seeing as he still has to nominate his state secretaries. But to think of your learning on the job as a flex? To put in the words of Governor Walz, that’s just weird.
But Rončević’s self-indictment about lack of expertise wasn’t the money quote from his parliamentary hearing. That dubious honour went to the sentence about how Muddy Hollows needs “ideologically neutral education”. Which everyone soon recognised as a barely disguised conservative dog whistle.
Because this is not just about the usual stuff about Nazi collaborators being really just misunderstood good guys, which usually sends the Slovenian leftist to the barricades. No, this is about barring LGBT-related education, allowing climate change denial, Catholic religious education and – the ultimate prize – bringing creationism into the curriculum as “one of the theories”.
And if you think pengovsky is being alarmist, consider the following: over the last couple of years, SDS and NSi actively tried to do outdo one another in decrying “LGBT ideology in out schools”. There are scores of right-wing politicians who based their entire campaigns on anti-LGBT prejudice and overt homophobia (see Cigler Kralj, Janez). The other thing these types hate with passion is any form of green transition (see Grims, Branko, et al.).
Additionally, from what pengovsky hears, Church is once again getting increasingly bold in demanding a role in state education. At least, that’s the scuttlebutt coming in this blogger’s direction. Granted, not every parish and every priest are the same and sometimes what is being said depends on the occasion and the public, but the drive is there.
But perhaps most importantly, it was Rončević himself who mentioned inserting creationism in the curriculum during his hearing. He sugarcoated it with “taking scientific findings into account” and whatnot, but if there ever was a slippery slope, this is it. Once the verbiage is there it is only a question of time and enough pressure (say, from the Church, see above) to rephrase things.
And if you’re still unconvinced, the first time this was attempted (and retracted amid public outcry) was during the second Janša government, when the state secretary for education was … checks notes … Borut Rončević. Just sayin’…
Valentin Hajdinjak, minister for defence and creative math
Like Jernej Vrtovec and Janez Cigler Kralj, Valentin Hajdinjak is an NSi party man through and through. But unlike those two specimens, there seems to be a bit of an independent streak to the newly appointed minister of defence.
Being slightly older than his fellow NSi honchos, he’s been around the block a couple of times in various Janša outfits. He was chief spokesperson to the Glorious Leader in Janša 1.0, and chief of staff to then-minister of defence in Janša 2.0. In both cases it ended with Hajdinjak exiting national politics.
But time heals all wounds, apparently, because even though he skipped Janša 3.0, he is now back at his old stomping ground, the ministry of defence. But his freedom of action will be limited, not in the least because Marshal Twito will take great interest in the portfolio that is considered ground zero of his mainstream political career.
Hajdinjak will also be the point man for explaining why exactly Muddy Hollows still hasn’t met the original NATO defence spending target of 2% GDP, let alone any of the higher numbers that the guy who surrendered to Iran and served as an Eli Lily test subject occasionally floats.
But as ridiculous as they may sound (and given that war in Ukraine rages unabated, these defence spending targets are not that ridiculous), it is Hajdinjak ass on the line if the Glorious Leader needs someone to blame them for not reaching them, even after all the creative mathematics about dual use that will inevitably be deployed.
And the minister of defence seems to know that because while he is a team player he has started out by poking Janša in the eye at least a bit, by nominating long-time NSi MP and workhorse Vida Čadonič Špelič as one of his state secretaries.
Now, what exactly Čadonič Špelič, a veterinarian by profession, brings to the table, is not entirely clear. What is clear, however, is that for one reason or another, Janša is deeply suspicious of her. Which, is probably precisely the reason Hajdinjak wanted her on his team.
Just to send a message to the PM that he, too, can forgive but not forget.
Next up, a couple of randos and Franci Matoz, Marshal Twito’s personal consigliere lawyer.
