Slovenia | SLEEPING WITH PENGOVSKY

Slovenian Election: One Battle After Another

Slowly at first and then all at once. Parliamentary election in Muddy Hollows is less than 72 hours away and the shit-show went from zero to 11, inside a New York minute. For all the polls and TV debates, it now open warfare and a general melee.

Election time. A composite image of Europe Elects opinion poll results and a photo from tonight's debate on RTVSLO, before Sunday's election in Slovenia. — *Debate on RTVSLO this evening, combined with the latest post by Europe Elects (source, source)*

The last six to twelve months have provided us with plenty of rendering of garments, strategizing and positioning to maintain status quo. SDS was in the lead, GS second, then nothing for a very long time, and then everyone else. But the moment ball started rolling, it was all just, well, one battle after another.

Vladimir Prebilič, Talk Dirty To Me

Vladimir Prebilič made a bit of a poo-poo yesterday in the European parliament. Addressing the recent tragedy in Novi Sad, where a collapsed canopy killed fifteen people and the role that Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić and his cronies played in this, he began his speech in Serbian.

Vladimir Prebilič during his ill-fated address. — *Vladimir Prebilič speaking in the European Parliament (source)*

This sent the more nationalistic elements in Slovenia, Croatia and even Serbia flying off the hook. It also showed Prebilič to be a political nincompoop, whose grandstanding came to a screeching halt on a point of order.

Four Referendums And An EU Vote

In case you haven’t heard, there’s an EU vote on this Sunday in Muddy Hollows. Not just Muddy Holows but this is what this here blog deals in. And since there are also a couple of referendum votes attached, it is high time pengovsky writes this shit up.

In this case, shit is not just a casual swear word. Because two of the referendum questions deal with legalisation of marijuana. Bongy Hollows, as it were. Then there is a question on changes to the voting system and – the big one – a referendum on medical aid in dying.

Slovenians Scoff As France Makes History On Abortion Rights

Reports that France passed a world-first constitutional protection of abortion rights the other day did not go down well in Slovenia. Not because Muddy Hollows would be some Mitteleuropäischer version of Alabama. Rather, because a certain sub-Alpine nation is fiercely proud of its own abortion protection rules dating back decades.

A still from Les Mis film, with words Vive La France, in recognition of French constitutional abortion protection. — *No, really, France. Chapeau!*

As a result, more than a few Slovenians and people in the wider region are butt-hurt over some baguette-munching assholes claiming to be the first ones to get where the Old Country was back in 1974. But not only are these people butt-hurt, they are also dead wrong.

About THAT Janša Retirement Teaser

Muddy Hollows celebrated her birthday last week. And it just so happened that a few days before the big event, N1 media outlet reported that Janez Janša apparently floated the possibility of political retirement. This obviously stopped the political and pundit class dead in their tracks. It also made the off-year anniversary of Slovenian independence that much more interesting.

Silhouette of Janez Janša facing a sunset, symbolising retirement. A composite image. — Is the Glorious Leader riding off into the sunset?

On that note, pengovsky should point out that president NPM delivered her first state-of-the-nation-ish speech as part of the official festivities. And did a fine job of it. She also didn’t mention Marshal Twito, at least not directly. But she did tear him a brand new asshole by forcefully rejecting casual references to civil war. Something Janša was throwing around liberally over the past few weeks.

Muddy Hollows Seats A New Parliament

Slovenian parliament constitutes for a new term today, kicking off a power-transfer process at the end of which Janez Janša will be looking at the PM’s office from the outside in. When that milestone is reached, Robert Golob of Gibanje Svoboda party will become the tenth person in history with an Outlook footer that says “Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia”.

Inaugural session of the new Slovenian parliament. All 90 MPs were present as were many onlookers. President Pahor opened the new parliament. — *New parliament in session (photo: Matija Sušnik/National Assembly)*

Golob spent the past weeks busily getting all of his ducks in a row. He concluded a coalition agreement with Tanja Fajon of SD and Luka Mesec of Levica. In the process he probably saved the former’s ass and gave the latter a chance of a lifetime. Somewhat surprisingly, SAB and LMŠ leaders Alenka Bratušek and Marjan Šarec get to play along, too.

Robert Golob Wins Slovenian Election: The Fuck Just Happened?

OK, so the “just” in the title is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, seeing as it has been nearly 72 hours since Robert Golob taking Janez Janša to the cleaner’s became global news. But still, Marshall Twito being defeated at the ballot box by a political adversary he himself had created, for the second time, is a big fucking deal.

Gibanje Svoboda led by Robert Golob threw a party after the election results were in. — *Party at Gibanje Svoboda electoral HQ after the results came in (source)*

But, wait, did pengovsky really state that Golob took Janša to the cleaner’s? He did? Well… In fact, the Glorious Leader and (some of his) minions even slightly increased their MP count. It is just that Robert Golob and his newly-minted party Gibanje Svoboda (GS) won basically all the other marbles, ending up with 41 MPs in a 90-seat parliament. Reader, it was a blow-out.