Magic 21

The lately commemmorated Velvet Revolution in 1989 started somewhat unexpected. Even though in the countries around us, changes were visible, the Czechoslovak Communist Party was still governed by hardliners, who were even more conservative than the Soviet master - wanting to 'be more Catholic than the Pope'. The initial spark was in fact very trivial, and - unlike one would expect from most revolutions, where leaders were strategically planning for some years - it was only a students' march to remember Jan Opletal, who was shot by the occupying Nazi Germans in 1939, and was somewhat a national hero-symbol of a promising youth against a totalitarian system, which - as you can imagine - didn't please the comrades much, as they were equally a totalitarian monster.

Exceptionally, they got a permission to hold a 'formal' demonstration at the famous Vysehrad cemetery, but spontaneously, they decided to march up to the city as well, where police hindered them and the final result was a brutal beating up against unarmed peaceful demonstrators. Brutal force, together with propaganda that this was justified to eliminate dangerous elements to save the state, is always a prerogative of totalitarian regimes. The repercussions ended slightly different from what the leaders expcted, causing a domino effect and the whole system crumbled down within days.

Not only has Slovakia - or its leaders - exposed itself for its incompetences in the foreign press due to the explosives incident with Dublin, an equally serious debacle has prominently surfaced not only in the headlines at home but abroad; The newly implemented electronic toll system has proven a bit of an unwanted failure. What is most jawdropping, is that the responsible ministers, at the respective press conferences (and mind you; those are held days too late) while the ministers show hardly any responsibility, claiming that everything is completely under control, toll system is working excellently, and yet the opposite is visible.

Not only is this a show of utmost arrogance of the regents, but clearly demonstrates their lack of political intuition that their behaviour is resulting in a dangerous fiasco. The electronic toll system was from the very onset a clear farce, as the most expensive bidder won the tender. Usually the rule would go, that the least expensive should get a preference, but this would be too logical for Mr Fico's friends; obviously, if your befriended company happens to have a more expensive bid, you still choose them even though it is costing additional unnecessary millions of euros of tax payers' money. In the meantime, the chosen supplier, has delivered a crappy system, with numerous faults and other serious inadequacies. Examples, that if you drive on a nearby road, the GPS system assumes you are on a toll road and charges you twice, hardware that does not meet requirements for its application, etc.

Yet, the minister, who was traceless during the implementation date as he was on a holiday, solemnly declared that the system was functioning excellently, and as it is not just concerning Slovak truck-drivers (who have to cough up additional costs for installation of the said system in each truck, therefore will be faced with higher operating costs - eventually the end-customer will feel the effect), also foreign companies will perhaps reconsider using Slovakia as a transit country, not even to say the long cues of trucks at the borders. In other words, this mess is noticeable abroad as well.

Bratislava is as of yesterday blocked by angry truck-drivers. Other cities have slowly followed. Prime-Minister Fico refused (surprise, he is still there, although not visibly) talking to them unless they clear the streets, but - knowing Comrade Fico's credibility - the drivers did not relent. Maybe this is the long awaited spark for finally putting Fico's cabinet on their knees, where now even the loyal Fico-voters will perhaps see, how damaging the many years of devastating nepotism have become. And I do not want to appear as a melodramatic mediaeval Cabbalist or numerologist, but isn't it striking that we have a pattern of 21; when taking the dramatic year numbers that marked (Czecho)Slovak history - 1968 (+21=) 1989 (+21=) 2010.

I have always wondered, why the opposition - despite of all clear controversies - keeps on failing to mobilise their forces, which is rather frustrating. But what started with a silly telex to Dublin airport and an exorbitantly overcharged failing toll system hiccup might be a n eye-opener, a turning point that might give the broad until now passive public back some common sense and the has created therefore the right momentum for those, who feel to do something about it, to unite and act. Let's not waste this chance! Magic 21...

MS