Author: pengovsky

Last couple of weeks were hectic for pengovsky, to say the least. I did my best to keep you, the faithful readers of this blog, at least marginally in the know about events this side of the Alps, but one item has consistently eluded my attention – mostly because it requires more than just one post. But as not to get overtaken by events (again), today we focus on Laško brewery and its CEO Boško Šrot.

Boško Šrot, the not-so-new owner of Laško brewery, Delo newspaper and Mercator retail chain. Approx. net worth: 2.2 billion euros (source)

You remember him from events surrounding Delo newspaper, subsequent anti-media drive by the government of PM Janša and his pre-dawn anti-tycoon raids aimed at making owners of capital once again toe the line and restore the government’s more or less shattered public image.

However, Boško Šrot is not some samaritan whose sole purposes in life are democracy and free media. He had (better yet – has) an agenda and was playing an angle all along – I have at least hinted at that many times on this blog. But yesterday Boško Šrot played his hand and confirmed what everyone suspected all along – that the overall strategic objective of his endeavours was taking over Laško brewery.

Mind you, this was not an ordirnary MBO. This was a long and winding road, which he embarked upon at least two years ago, possibly much sooner than that. And by employing a web of dummy corporations, friendly companies and share-parkings he has managed to steer most of Laško’s shares into his private company’s portfoilo. making him effectily more or less the sole owner of the largest Slovene brewery.

Ha! If it were only that! Noone really cares about the brewery… I mean, Boško Šrot obviously does, but it’s his now. Unless of course the authorities actually get their act together and bring charges against him (it’s a long story, suffice it to say that he wasn’t exactly forthcoming with information other investors and shareholders migth need to make informed cohices). But as Slovene authorities have shown in the case of Clean Shovel, they’re great at stirring up shit, but they awfully lack power and will to kick some serious ass.

So, Boško Šrot will probably get away with it. Or not… The funny thing here is not Laško brewery itself, but the fact that this company (now owned by its CEO) also owns the largest Slovene newspaper. Given the way this government obsesses over the media (and there’s no real guarantee that the next one will not follow suit), it is safe to say that Boško Šrot literally bought a seat at the table with the big guys and can now protect his assets by using Delo as he sees fit.

In the long term, this is not good. But before someone swallows an Energizer bunny and starts going on about how Janša was in the right to have started the anti-tycoon drive and that Delo was never anything more than a left-wing party rag, let me just add that it was basically Janez Janša and his obsessing over controling the media that allowed for this to happen. Janša let Laško and Istrabenz buy out Mercator, getting rid of Zoran Janković as Mercator’s all powerful CEO, making life much easier for both Laško an Istrabenz (owner of several food producing compaines). In return, Laško and Istrabenz bought Delo and installed a government-friendly supervisory board.

But in a classic boomerang effect, Zoran Janković was elected mayor of Ljubljana, Istrabenz sold its share in delo to Laško and Boško Šrot broke loose, running away with Mercator, Laško and Delo in his pocket, making him the fourth richest Slovenian. Whereas all Janez Janša is left with is an increasingly uphill election battle.

The good doctor often says that Slovenian independence was not won by a handful of individuals, but by the people of this country. Obivously, the whole thing would have not gone as smoothly as it had, had it not been for a perfect blend of a clear-headed communist leadership, fervent, vocal but nevertheless rational oppostition and brave, resolute and civil people who sensed that a lot was at stake supported the process of democratisation as such, not neceserily always agreeing either with the communist leadership which was gradually relinqushing power or the oppositon which was getting ready to take power.

70.000 people demonstrating in support of JBTZ, demanding a fair trial and use of Slovene language (photo: Tone Stojko)

The so called “Slovenian Spring” started in earnest on May 31, when Janez Janša (yes, the guy) was arrested for allegedly being in posession of a top secret military document. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back. As Ali H. Žerdin, author of Generals Without Hats, a brilliant book about the period, notes, the masses were ready and were waiting for the signal. And as luck would have it, four people of very different walks of life we arrested, starting the JBTZ trial (Janša, Borštner, Tasić, Zavrl – a very good beginner’s guide on the trial is here).

Janez Janša, David Tasić, Ivan Borštner and Franci Zavrl moments after the trial ended (photo: Tone Stojko)

Immediatelly, a “rescue operation” was mounted and it took the shape of Committee for Protection of Human Rights (Odbor za varstvo človekovih pravic), headed by Janša’s long time friend Igor Bavčar. But it soon became obvious that the Yugoslav army, the only true force still holding Yugoslavia together was not just on a show-of-force mission, but was dead serious about trying, sentencing and locking up these four people for high treason. And the Army wanted to do it in Serbo-Croatian. This was reason enough even for people who intentionally stood out of politic’s way. Language is one of the few things on which Slovenes agree most of the time and as far as the Army was concerned, it all went downhill from there. People were out on the streets, repeating a simple demand: A fair trial in Slovene language. As Žerdin later noted, it rarely occurs that such a simple idea has such devastating consequences.

Ordinary citizens throwing flowers at the feet of conscripts guarding the military court in Ljubljana (photo: Tone Stojko)

To commemorate this rarely seen unity of Slovenians and to give credit to everyone of hundreds of thousands of people who either took part in demostrations or became members of the Committee, who – to put is simply – were there when it mattered, to all those a web museum named Slovenska pomlad is being set up (Slovene only, I’m afraid), but if you happen to be in Ljubljana one of these days, a “real-life” exhibition opens today at Mestni Muzej Ljubljana (Ljubljana City Museum).

Believe me, it’s worth a look…