Tanja Fajon | SLEEPING WITH PENGOVSKY

Tomaž Vesel Dropped Like A Hot Potato. Will Marta Kos or Tanja Fajon Swoop In?

It was six months ago, almost to the day, when PM Robert Golob announced Tomaž Vesel as his party’s pick for a post in the next European Commission. And in the face of skepticism and concerns, the Big Bird was resolute in supporting the nominee. Until Friday afternoon, that is.

Marta Kos and Tanja Fajon are leading contenders for the next EU commissioner from Slovenia after Tomaž Vesel dropped out — *(L-R: Marta Kos, Tanja Fajon, Tomaž Vesel. One is not like the other two)*

Vesel wasn’t the strongest pick to begin with. But in doing what he does best, Golob was staunchly behind his man, until the moment he threw him under the bus. And so Vesel was probably as surprised as the media were yesterday afternoon, when he found out he was stepping away from the nomination. And pengovsky is only half joking there.

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 (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.

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.

The First Government of Robert Golob

Robert Golob finally put the ministers into his prime-ministership. The parliament voted on his cabinet yesterday and – to nobody’s surprise – approved the whole lot. Only it didn’t. Because this is not the cabinet Robert Golob wanted. Rather, it is the cabinet he can have at this moment.

Robert Golob and his (first) government, pictured immediately after the swearing-in ceremony. — *The initial setup of Golob government (source)*

This is a direct result of SDS moving to call a consultative referendum on the new Government Act. It stopped Golob’s redesign of the executive dead in its tracks and forced him to adhere to the existing layout. But the Big Bird will eventually get his way and a cabinet he really wants. So in a way, yesterday we saw the swearing-in of Robert Golob’s first government.

Election Nightmare in Muddy Hollows

Muddy Hollows is less than a month away from parliamentary election and rubber is finally hitting the road. Technically, the campaign only started on 24 March. But in many ways, what is done is done. For the most part, political parties will not be seeking organic growth over the next month. Rather, they will try to keep whatever voter base they’ve established until now.

A nightmare rendition of election campaign TV debates in Slovenia. — *TV debates, nightmares and Muddy Hollows (source, via dreamscopeapp)*

The parties will also hope the competition somehow fucks up royally, bleeds support and that they get to reap the benefits. Sometimes, this happens on its own, and sometimes it requires a bit of help. Which is probably why PM Janez Janša has avoided the first round of TV debates. He probably thinks he can waltz in during the final stretch of the campaign and throw everyone off balance.

Ukraine War Forces Slovenian Politics To Think Foreign Policy Thoughts

In all honesty, it is a bit self-serving to try and look at Russian war against Ukraine through the lens of Muddy Hollows and its political cesspool. But seeing as this is an utterly self-serving blog, pengovsky will go right ahead. PM Janša, on the other hand, will stay put, as the Russian aggression preempted his photo-op in Kyiv planned for today.

Flags if Ukraine in the government district in Ljubljana. — *Ukrainian flags in the government district in Ljubljana (source)*

This, incidentally, should make the Glorious Leader available for a court-date in a defamation case against him. But he’ll probably claim an emergency NatSec Council meeting or something like that. And for once, he may not be lying through his teeth to get out of a court date.