Battling for the right answers

Since the ascension of Robert Fico to the prime-minister's office, the opposition is somewhat weakly struggling to regain it's position. While in developed democratic states, parliament functions - and therefore the opposition included - as a control mechanism of the cabinet, this principle is in the case of Slovakia nothing but a utopian theory.

The reason why is a bit obscure, but in my view threefold; Firstly a lack of a long democratic parliamentarian tradition. A fact, which should not be underestimated. The rules of the game, at least in theory my be correct, the habit on how to put them into practice is apparently not that easy. And perhaps it is not totally fair to state, that if one has the (good)will the goal can be achieved, ergo a certain group seems not to be overly interested to improve these principles, while the general public has no defined expectation and thus accepts the present status quo.

Secondly, the largest opposition parties (i.e. the former coalition partners) seem totally off guard by the loss, that regaining a strong standing is far off. When observing the attempts of the current opposition to find an answer to the current state, I have a feeling that it is merely a rudderless vessel. Even to the extent, that some party programmes are merely an ad hoc collection of tactical ideas that have popped up during brainstorm sessions (there are exceptions of course). Here too, a certain tradition is lacking on how to effectively market your ideas, and some attempts are simply snowed under before they could have any impact at all. Too many missed chances (not addressed), too many weak arguments (addressed).

Thirdly, a detachment of the broad public with politics. Definitively a strong tradition from the totalitarian past. Politicians face the risk, of being a priori judged. Despite the fact that these taxpayers de facto sponsor the whole machinery, nobody feels his due right to compare the scores and act appropriately; during election. But this is not the only right. Here too, the third sector, including the think-tanks play a fairly marginal role even though it could greatly contribute in raising democratic awareness.

In fact, a fourth aspect arises, but it is connected to the previous; the abuse of the present government to fill this gap with their populist quasi soviet-styled trend to control even the media - and fairly effectively. A dangerous situation, which will have serious repercussions for many years to come. The weakened democracy has been put on non-active since 2006 and none of the players, those who should at least be vocal about it, has found a way out. It's a grave battle for the right answers. If only the adequate questions would have been asked first. Not once; all the time, over and over again.

MS