We have already reported about unrests in Slovenia (Corruption and Lack of Transparency Led to Unrest in Slovenia) and the corrupt practices of Franc Kangler, mayor of city of Maribor. The good news is that the mayor has announced his resignation and that protests against corruption have spread all over Slovenia.

There had already been a few protests in the capital Ljubljana (30 November and 3 December) and in some other Slovenian towns. The demands from the people are more or less the same everywhere: they either want their local politicians to resign or want to see all the political elite removed from their positions of power. The main argument is that, in the last 20 years (from independence in 1991 onwards), the politicians’ only goal has been to gain as much power and money as possible. This goal was mainly achieved through corruption and the politicians did not care about how the common people were living (in 2011, from 2 million inhabitants in Slovenia, about 273,000 lived in poverty). The result has been a degradation of public services and a severe economic crisis. After Slovenia became independent in 1991, it was a model of a successful post-socialist country. But now it is regarded as fallen child prodigy which possibly would be forced to ask the EU for bailout.

The most notable thing coming from the  protest in Maribor is the slogan “Gotof je!” (which in local dialect means “He is finished!”) and has spread all over Slovenia. It has been repeated in many local dialects and also slang (Ljubljana: Fertik je!, Novo mesto: Gotou je!, …). The slogan (Gotov je!) originated from the Serbian overthrow of Slobodan Milošević in 2000. Today this slogan symbolizes that the Slovenian corrupt politicians’ days are numbered.

The all-Slovenian protest has already been announced on Facebook and is scheduled for 21 December. Will it mark the end of the old and a beginning of a new era for Slovenia?

Featured image: Public domain

About Matic Urbanija

International Coordinator, Pirate Party of Slovenia/Contributor, Pirate Times/blog: maticurbanija.wordpress.com

 

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We have already reported about unrests in Slovenia (Corruption and Lack of Transparency Led to Unrest in Slovenia) and the corrupt practices of Franc Kangler, mayor of city of Maribor….