Tag: Matjaž Han

Better The Han You Know

Matjaž Han, minister of economy and a shrewd behind-the-scenes centre of gravity, is the new leader of the Social Democrats. He was elected in the second round, entering the race at the eleventh hour and narrowly beating Milan Brglez.

Economy minister Matjaž Han is the new SD leader.
Minister of economy and newly-minted SD leader Matjaž Han (source)

As little as a week ago, Han swore up and down that he is not interested in becoming the big kahuna. While he didn’t really do a full Sherman, his avoiding the top spot tracked with his hitherto pattern of wielding power behind the scenes. So when the word leaked that is about to take the plunge, it was widely seen as a desperate move. For a reason, it turned out.

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Tanja Fajon Is So Done With This Shit

“This shit” being the clustefuck that are the Social Democrats right now. Foreign minster Tanja Fajon anounced yesterday that she will not seek another term as leader of the SD. Which, although somewhat unexpected, is completely understandable. At least as far as pengovsky is concerned. Because, Jesus fuck, this party…

Tanja Fajon, soon to be ex-leader of the Social Democrats
Tanja Fajon, soon to be ex-leader of the Social Democrats (source)

As both readers know, the SD has just seen the insides of a meat-grinder mincer. This, after prominent party members were caught pants-down in a dodgy real-estate deal. Things got really fucktangular really fast, resulting in SD justice minister being booted out of the party. But hell hath no fury like Dominika Švarc Pipan scorned.

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Showdown At O.K. Švarc Pipan

When a small-scale dust-up between Dominika Švarc Pipan and her detractors within the SD kept getting bigger and bigger, pengovsky realised it has been north of two months since the last post on this blog. As both readers surely know, adulting is hard.

Dominka Švarc Pipan surrounded by SD aparatchiks, with PM Golob in the background, during a commemoration event in spring 2023.
Dominka Švarc Pipan surrounded by SD aparatchiks, with PM Golob in the background.

But then the sussy real estate deal ballooned way out of proportion and started engulfing more and more people. To the point where senior SD kahunas are now making thinly-veiled threats against PM Robert Golob and his grip on power. At that point this scribe realised he better get scribbling.

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Mechanics of Coalition Building

It has been ten days since election in Muddy Hollows and President Pahor convened the inaugural session of the new parliament for this coming Friday. This means personnel decision are looming and with no coalition deal in sight nervousness is starting to set in.


(source)

What we have seen in the past week or so were polar opposites in approaching the conundrum at hand: One side there is the presumptive PM nominee Janez Janša playing his cards as close to the vest as possible, while on the other side there’s the nominal runner-up Marjan Šarec who is producing all kinds of chatter about “coalition exploration”, “platform compatibility” and other buzzwords du jour.

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