V Evropskem parlamentu se je 2. decembra 2014 odvila konferenca, ki jo je organiziral Laszlo Tokes, z naslovom "1989: Nedokončana revolucija? 25 let kasneje". Prispevek za konferenco je pripravil tudi evropski poslanec in podpredsednik Slovenske demokratske stranke dr. Milan Zver.
Na konferenci, na kateri so med drugim sodelovali Zsolt Nemeth, evropska poslanka Sandra Kalniete, evropski poslanec Tunne Kelam, evropski poslanec Gyorgy Schopflin in Christian Preda, je nedokončano slovensko tranzicijo opisal na primeru političnega zapornika Janeza Janše. Zsolt Nemeth je spregovoril o nedokončani tranziciji v Sloveniji, ki je razlog za velike težave slovenskega pravosodja.
Prispevek evropskega poslanca dr. Milana Zvera, ki so ga prejeli vsi udeleženci konference, v nadaljevanju objavljamo v angleškem jeziku.
CONFERENCE »1989: Unfinished Revolution? 25 Years After«
Milan Zver MEP - The Slovenian Experience
(2 December 2014, 15h30, 6Q1)
Ladies and gentlemen, Members of the European Parliament, dear friends, dear László,
it’s a great honour for me to take part in this conference organised by a remarkable person, the former vice-president of the European Parliament and a good friend of mine, László Tőkés.
László is a fighter for freedom of thought, democracy and the rights of minorities. He was one of the first who stood up against the communist regime in Romania. Since then, human rights have been the core of his work. László has been one of the most important persons to struggle for the reconciliation in Europe. It is a true privilege working with him in the Platform of European Memory and Conscience and in other fields. He is a great moral authority.
I am thankful to László for organising this conference.
I believe 25 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, democracy in Europe is very fragile. The strengthening of extreme left and right-wing parties in EU, so-called “putinization”, Islamic terrorism and fundamentalism, economic crisis etc. endanger Europe and its values. Besides that, only a few ex-communist states have made necessary reforms, implemented lustration and cut the connections with the previous totalitarian regime. Slovenia is still experiencing political and economic crisis because of the failed transition.
1. SITUATION IN SLOVENIA
Liberalization has greatly strengthened in Slovenia in the 80'. Many social movements and opposition media have been created at that time. When a young dissident, Janez Janša, was imprisoned a strong movement for human rights and fundamental freedoms arose. Several independent political organisations have been formed and exactly 25 years ago joined a coalition called Demos. Demos won the first democratic elections, took power in April 1990 and accelerated the process of independence. These circumstances called for cooperation between the new and old political elite, which resulted in no thorough break with communism at the very beginning.
In December 1990 almost 90 % of Slovenians decided for independent path at the referendum and to exit the disintegrating Yugoslavia. In the war for Slovenia in 1991, Slovenian armed and police forces defeated Yugoslav army. However, Demos ran out of strength for a fundamental break with the previous regime.
Accordingly, no changing of elites has been carried out (80 % of old country leadership kept their positions in the new system), no lustration has been done, no thorough change of the secret service, repressive, state authorities nor judiciary was carried out. Demos' government (therefore) soon fell, as did the next important project, the privatization. The old nomenclature soon revitalized its power. Even today, the share of state ownership still represents around 40 % of the Slovenian economy.
The greatest problem in Slovenia nowadays is the failure of the rule of law. Only one in five Slovenians trusts the Slovenian Courts. Media, trade unions, informal networks under the leadership of previous regime nomenclature have the biggest power in the country.
2. THE CASE OF JANEZ JANŠA
Allow me to present the case of Janez Janša as it is such a special case. For the last 170 days, Janša, who successfully led Slovenia between 2004 and 2008 and again in 2012/2013 and the EU in 2008, has been a political prisoner.
The fact is that since 1986 Janša’s political opponents (members of nomenclature) have been trying to destroy him, the person, who was one of the leaders of the Slovenian Spring.
Janša has been convicted to two years in prison on the basis of allegations that he supposedly accepted a promise to receive an unknown reward for his intervention in a public tender on an “undetermined date”, at an “undetermined place” and through an “undetermined method of communication”.
Despite the fact that the judgement is not based on any evidence, Janša remains the only political prisoner in the European Union. The Patria affair marked already the sixth Slovenian elections in the last six years and continues to destroy the good reputation of Janša, now imprisoned for 170 days, as well as his family.
Many constitutional experts stated that there was a flagrant violation of fundamental rights in the Patria case.
Numerous civil society members have been protesting against the abuse of Slovenian judiciary for 170 consecutive days in Ljubljana in front of the Supreme Court.
This is a story of Slovenia 25 years after!
Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,
Let me conclude with an appeal. Pope Francis said during his visit in the EP: “Keeping democracies alive is a challenge in the present historic moment... This is one of the challenges which history sets before you today.”
Thank you for your attention!
