Reporter argues snap election last thing the right wing wants
Ljubljana - The weekly Reporter says in its latest editorial that an early election is the last thing the right wing wants, as it is looking forward to the distribution of EU funds. It is unlikely, though, Janez Janša will remain prime minister after the next election, the magazine notes.
The government has stated that there will be no early election due to what it described as security and public health concerns in what is a clear sign that PM Janša has decided to stay on until the end of his term, as he would not gain anything by resigning.
"It is getting less and less likely that he would keep his post after the election since a year and a half of Covid has been enough for voters to get sick and tired of the current government. That would have been fatal for any government even if it had not been led by the most polarising Slovenian politician."
Janša has the most loyal voter base, but beside that he has nothing as he has failed to convince any additional voters to back him. "That is the reason he probably will not be able to form the government again despite the likely win."
The latest scandal involving his minister Andrej Vizjak and businessman Bojan Petan will do no more harm to the Democrats (SDS) or Janša, "than all the previous ones in the past year and a half". It looks like it would do no harm to Vizjak himself as well.
Meanwhile, the coalition New Slovenia (NSi) has been discreetly distancing away from the SDS ahead of the election, but its hints that there could be a snap election after the Slovenian EU presidency has been dismissed by the ruling party, says Reporter in Until the End.
Janša will use the time he has left as prime minister to continue carrying out some staffing changes and to distribute the upcoming EU recovery funds. "After years of 'starving' in the opposition, too many people on the right have now made their way to the trough, and the last thing they want is an early election and the loss of access to the hard-won trough."