Zoran Stevanović | SLEEPING WITH PENGOVSKY

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Janša

If your idea of Santa Claus is a bald guy with a thick Dolenjska drawl who has it in for public media and NGOs, then Christmas is about to come early in Muddy Hollows. Namely, despite claiming the opposite, Janez Janša is on the cusp or forming his fourth government.

President Pirc Musar will probably end up with Janez Janša as her second prime minister. In the picture, both are ecstatic as fuck at this prospect. — *Janez Janša and Nataša Pirc Musar, fucking extatic at the prospect of seeing one more of one another (source)*

That much is obvious after president Pirc Musar held her first official round of consultations before she appointing a PM nominee. To be fair, no-one has yet secured the 46 votes necessary in the first and second rounds of PM appointment procedure. But with Robert Golob taking a step back, the initiative is with the Glorious Leader. And he sure behaves as if he had already clinched it.

Zoran Stevanović, Ultimate Bouncer

So, yeah, this happened. By now most of you know that SDS, NSi++ and Demokrati backed Resnica boss Zoran Stevanović for Speaker of Parliament. Which is a bit like putting the bouncer in charge of the nightclub. It might look cool but you just know bad shit is waiting to happen.

Zoran Stevanović in front of the Slovenian parliament, looking more like a bouncer and less like a Speaker he was about to become. — *Zoran Stevanovič doing his best bouncer impression, a day before he got the Speaker job*

To say that Robert Golob and GS were blindsided by this is an understatement. They had it all gamed out six steps ahead and were ready for some serious 3D chess. But it all hinged on the failure of the first speakership bid. Imagine their surprise when a disgraced former cop got the nod at the first try and was driven home by his buddies from the police academy.

Robert Golob Wins Second Election In A Row

In the end, Robert Golob and Gibanje Svoboda eked out a narrow victory in the parliamentary election in Slovenia. But with SDS of Janez Janša tight on his ass, Muddy Hollows is in for a protracted period of coalition building that will likely (but not necessarily) the Big Bird continuing as PM, albeit with a shakier coalition.

Unofficial results of the 2026 Slovenian election show Robert Golob and his Gibanje Svoboda taking the top spot with Janez Janša and SDS close second. — *Top-line election results (source: DVK)*

Assuming, of course, that the new parliament gets constituted at all. Namely the moment he lost the lead, Janez Janša started claiming voting and counting irregulairites. Which means that the next few weeks will be fucking intense.

The State of Muddy Hollows Play, part 5: They’re On The Pavement, Thinking About The Government

There is one relatively substantial piece of the Muddy Hollows political puzzle that nobody is quite sure how it will fall into place. Or if it will even fit at all, for that matter. Various NGOs and/or civic coalitions that have sprang to life during the pandemic are a big wildcard and could have an outsize effect on the final outcome of the vote.

The Gremo volit! campaign will attempt to increase turnout in 2022 parliamentary election in Muddy Hollows — *Launch of Gremo volit! (Let’s Vote!) campaign (source)*

This constitutes the fifth and final part of this here series. Click here for parts One, Two, Three and Four. Muddy Hollows is transitioning into full campaign mode and every move they make (and every breath they take) will now be watched from the viewpoint of election Sunday.

Tear Gas, Muh Freedoms And Fun For The Whole Family

In a reprehensible, yet entirely predictable escalation of a series of anti-covid-pass protests last Tuesday, Muddy Hollows’ capital Ljubljana was the scene of a demonstration-turned-riot that saw liberal use of tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets as well as mounted and K9 units. It was, in short, fun for the whole family.

Police water canon is deployed in downtown Ljubljana, Slovenia, surrounded by riot police armed with shields and tear gas — Created with GIMP

This was in stark contrast to the week before when a similar but larger protest took place and the police more or less just stood by, dispersing the crowd only when it entered the Ljubljana bypass and briefly stopped traffic. This time around however, everyone was spoiling for a fight. The Covid-sceptic mob, the police and the government. And a fight was what everyone got.