Hagia Sophia on a January Night; photo by dr. Fil
Istanbul is such a beautiful city, but sometimes the lights are dimmed by more than nighttime. The elightenment brought to the country by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk has not gone far enough to reach today’s understanding of free speech and academic debate, as Professor Atilla Yayla found, having just been handed down a 15-month suspended jail term on account of insulting the state’s founder. (Source: BBC)
In her article published yesterday in the Spiegel, Marion Kraske brands Slovenia as Europe’s not-so golden pupil. She analyses the situation in the country at the time of assuming the presidency of the European Union, noting that rampant inflation and journalists’ concerns about government censorship are causing problems in the country.
She goes on to present examples of people who’ve found ways to apply their entrepreneurial spirit very successfully in the ‘new’ environment and then describes some of the current hot issues in the country. I found her conclusion to be an interesting closing of an article on Slovenia in one of the leading German magazines:
I have not come across the abovementioned /rather naive?/ sentiment thus far and have also not heard of anyone else refer to Blaz Zgaga as “the Robin Hood of the Slovenian media community”. Things become increasingly interesting as Europe’s eye does seem to focus more on Slovenia than it did before, contrary to my personal expectations.
This has been a major question lingering in the back of my mind for the past couple of months. Instability in the Serbia/Kosovo region would inevitably affect the rest of the broader Balkan area and Europe and could lead to an interesting development of events on the podium of world politics with the US and Russia playing major roles and the EU possibly trying to make an effort at sticking to an actual concrete common foreign policy.
Yesterday, the Serbian President Boris Tadić visited the buffer zone in Southern Serbia and stated that Serbia will never again send its soldiers to “senseless wars”, elaborating that thought by claiming that Serbia will “always use its army in accordance with Serbian and international law”. Reportedly (source and another source), he said that although many wish Serbia went to war again, this would lead to eventual loss of Kosovo and more victims, which is why the current Serbian government will not take that course.
As positive a sentiment as this is, I still cannot imagine Serbs not reacting to Kosovo’s proclamation of independence with violence. Perhaps not officionally sanctioned by the Government, but carried out by the “many who wish Serbia went to war again”. One type of militia or another. I have not seen Serbs being offered anything they would consider of true value in return for the surrender of a rather large piece of what is in essence Serbian territory. Some might claim that the ticket to accession to the EU is it, but I doubt that the privilege of starting negotiations to join a multinational economic and political superstructure to which the nation will delegate some of its sovereignty is something that the people of the country view as a fair trade-off for land. Not just any land, but land they feel particularly attached to.
The way I see things progressing, I suspect that the unilateral declaration of independence by the Kosovar, which can no longer be avoided as it enjoys too wide a support by some of the strong players, will provoke an outburst of violence in the Kosovska Mitrovica area as Serbian militia trickles across the border into the region to protect the cradle of the Serbian nation and more importantly the Serbs still living there. This violence would be retaliated by Kosovan Albanians attacking the NATO-guarded Serbian enclaves. It is not unrealistic to expect casualties in NATO’s Kosovo Force, which in turn might affect the sentiments and consequently course of action of the countries supporting Kosovo’s independence.
When taking a look at the situation, one should not dismiss Russia’s position on the subject or what Russia believes the greater consequences could be of setting a prejudice in Kosovo of externally promoting the separation of a part of a sovereign country against said country’s will. Russia’s military chief of staff Yury Baluevsky made it clear, for example, that Pridnestrovie gets recognition if Kosovo does. Several other countries would no doubt love to jump on that same bandwagon.
Nevertheless, I personally do hope that although the above outbursts of violence seem inevitable to me, they will at least have a short lifespan and that deals have already been made that we, the ignorant regular folks are blissfully unaware of. Hopefully, all powers that be basically want peace and progress for their respective nations and are willing to negotiate and strike up a compromise.
What I’m trying to say is that I hope that Serbia is offered a substantial reward for letting go of land it’s all but lost a long time ago and that the proud nation will do the world a favour and release the land and its people as peacefully as possible. Perhaps retaining approximately 20% of the north-most territory (…and there the story continues).
The snowball is already rolling… The question is: how big will (the international community let) it become before it melts and allows Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo to thrive.
I am sticking to my one big Christmas/New Year wish I’ve had for many years now:
May 2008 bring peace and love to this World.
Today is would have been the Day of the Republic
If you were not ‘Born in the S.F.R.J.’ or you are just too young to remember the days, you may want to read up on the ex holiday of an ex country here.
The new Ljubljana Opera House project presented at Ljubljana City Hall
(Novi Kolizej)
As the Bluff was called and all the main players took the stage on national TV last night, I couldn’t help but think of the Immortal Bard. The dethroned Lord of Bluff remains Slovenia’s Prime Minister. May he and his entourage serve the country well in the year that remains of their term.
All the World’s a Stage
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
Photo of the Week in Mladina magazine; visit the author’s blog: Binula
While the Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša struggles to discipline his coalition partners, people still find it difficult to forget some of the recent statements considered to be in rather poor taste.
In our office’s backyard, my dear colleague (meet Sabina) took a photo of a question posed by an annonymous voter or voter-to-be who apparently dug through the trash container for loaves of bread in vain. He or she most probably came across no milk and honey, either.
Today, Sabina’s photo of the container with the sign: “Janša, where are the bread loaves?” was published in Mladina magazine as the “photo of the week”. Incidentally, Barbara Brezigar, featured to the left of the photo used to share Sabina’s last name. And possibly a drop of blood or two. Hey, it’s a small country 
Bravo to Binula the blogger on becoming a published photographer!
On National TV, the Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša just stated that the Government will propose a motion of confidence (”vote of confidence”). You can read more on what that means here.
(If the Government does not receive the support of a majority vote of all deputies, the National Assembly must elect within thirty days a new President of the Government or in a new vote express its confidence in the incumbent President of the Government, or failing this, the President of the Republic dissolves the National Assembly and calls new elections.)
And so, the Lord of Bluff continues his rule…
Janez Janša, Slovenian Prime Minister; (photo source)
I may be notoriously recalcitrant (hey, I just learned a new word 
) but I think just about everyone can see that yesterday’s statement by the Slovenian Prime Minister that the option of the entire Government stepping down is not out of the question is nothing short of a brilliant bluff.
By giving this statement, the Strategist who functions best at times of duress effectively stopped the down-with-the-government campaign before it could begin. He will be turning from a villain to a victim in no time, blaming the EU Presidency (supported by everyone) for any and all problems that may arise. The poor-me/conspiracy card works like a charm.
I am doing a great job and if you think you can do better, go for it! A year before the elections and with the EU Presidency adventure inbetween? We all remember what happened 7 years ago with the player roles reversed, right?
One has to admire the way JJ is playing his hand. He has placed the opponents into a no-win position. Call his bluff and lose the elections or don’t call it and silently admit that he is needed and adequate at his job.
The New Slovenian President (right) and the Next Prime Minister (left)? (Photo Source)
The word is out. Danilo Türk won the Presidential elections with an almost incredible lead of over 70%. I must admit that while I expected his win, I never thought the polls would predict the final results so accurately. Now, while some will say this is a record win in Slovene history, I would like to point out that while Kučan won the Presidential elections by some ten per cent less, he did so in the first round, so the results are not really comparable.
Peterle surprised me several times in the last week. By starting a negative campaign against his opponent, by caving to the pressures of a not-that-politically-strong mayor and turning his back on his campaign manager in the final stretch of the campaign and lastly today at the time of announcing the results, by his bold explanation of his loss. He basically blamed his poor results on Janez Janša and his government and confirmed that he thought his loss reflected the people’s dissatisfaction with the current Government.
Taking the above into account and combining it with the fact that the STA (Slovenian Press Agency), owned 100% by the Government, reported today on the Article published in a Croatian newspaper claiming Janša had received an enormous amount of money from gun trafficking to Bosnia and Croatia while in the capacity of the Slovenian Defence Minister between 1990 and 1994, Janez Janša (current Slovenian Prime Minister) will probably wish he had not gone to China these days. Things getting slightly out of control? The theory has long been out there that Janša is not being tough on Croatia in the borders-at-sea issues because he is being blackmailed with evidence of gun trafficking, thus compromising the country’s best interests due to his personal issues. This promisses to be an interesting topic to follow.
In his victory speech, Türk emphasized Borut Pahor’s virtues and profoundly thanked him for his support, at the same time just like Peterle hinting that the results were partly a vote of no confidence to the current Government, which will probably have to change its actions. It was most interesting to see Gregor Golobič there in the back (but “limelight back”) as (again?) a kind of the “number one“.
Another politician we saw give a short interview on the telly was Igor Lukšič, the political strategy brains behind Borut Pahor’s Social Democrats that continue to gain ground in the Slovenian political arean. And so… round one is over and the game continues, with some of the players moving up one level.
Today is the first day of the parliamentary election campaign.
Play fair, kids!
Imagine. It’s all a matter of perspective.
The second round of the election campaign in Slovenia is just about over. The two candidates who made it this far and will be competing for the position of the Slovenian ‘king of hearts‘ during the next five-year term are Lojze Peterle and Danilo Türk. Please note the *ü* - if your keyboard doesn’t include it, alcessa has at least one for sale.
The so-called “election silence” (according to Slovenian election legislation, ‘public election propaganda must cease at least 24 hours before the day of the elections’) will be imposed as of midnight, cutting down on the juiciness of Slovenian news programmes. Not only that, the election silence may even take some wind from talk shows, fashion shows, family shows, cooking programmes and - who knows - maybe cartoons as well? Anything but reality shows: those are far too sacred a topic to smear with something as filthy as politics. Except for the original Big Brother, that is.
You may have heard of the latest declared candidate in the US Presidential elections, Stephen Colbert of the Daily Show. At a web poll, over 80% of more than 27,000 (!) people voted “Yes! Finally a candidate who understands how ridiculous he is.”
Ok so the world is a stage and we should all keep’em laughing as we go, but… never underestimate the power of your own vote. In this apparently media-driven (ok so who is/owns the media anyway, right?) society, it is no longer the political candidates that take on the role of stars during election frenzy, but rather the show hosts who can make them talk about their families, pets, make them cook, sing, maybe do tricks, even?
The trailer for the most popular Slovenian family show at the end of the first round of the campaign actually said something to the effect of: we don’t care about the policies they endorse, we want to get to know them better on a personal level. !”#$”#$&$%##”$%!
Pardon my language, it was a slip of a finger… or two. It’s so easy to forget that the policies the elected people draft will eventually be implemented in a way that will affect your daily lives and it’s equally easy to forget that in democratic elections, your vote counts exactly as much as that of your neighbour, boss or favourite soap opera star.
By failing to vote, you are actually giving somebody else the power to vote instead of you. Think about it. Dr. Fil is definitelly getting off her comfy couch and braving any type of weather and potential ‘maček’ due to ‘martinovanje’ to cast her vote. How about you?
