Slovakia's political scene provides daily a number of new facts and developments, serious enough to keep a person busy. Unfortunately, not because it mainly would deal with dynamic prosperous or enriching the broad public with innovative programmes. On the contrary; mainly because the developments are seriously dangerous.
Generally, I am a person that would hardly lend an ear to certain conspirational theories, but as I have monitored Slovak politics for the past 3+ years - and lived within the society - even my most objective diagnosis of the whole matter is rather grim. How could this be possible within an EU country, which fulfilled the political ad economic requirements in order to be admitted into the EU in the first place?
First of all, like a small boy, who behaved in order to get his candy reward, once putting it in his mouth the mischief continues (he got his reward already, so what the heck). The greatest and perhaps the deadliest mistake is in fact in the EU itself. While at the onset, the EU required strict standards, once inside, none of the European institutions has neither the time nor the sincere interest, to be bothered with mischiefs. Personally I know this from experience, where sending a report to Brussels has vanished in a black hole. Not even a thank you letter, apology... Corrective steps from Brussels are thus a fiction.
Secondly, politics has brought forth the worst trends one could imagine. While the previous government has managed to a great deal to truly introduce improvements and professionalism (to enter the EU), the present government has done the maximum to devastatingly erode all the positive achievements; the justice-system is highly corrupt and politicised, the police force has already be used for a political agitation, the media are dangerously pushed into a corner because of dodgy laws turning it into a cryptic latent censorship. The opposition, unfortunately, lacks the political skill to be an effective opposition, putting the whole political functioning of parliament into a pre-1989 theatrical farce.
Thirdly, the press, not only pushed back by legal threats, also lacking basic journalistic skills and professionalism. Regardless of direct real-time uncensored and freely accessible comparisons thanks to satellite television technology (at least BBC, CNN, CBS, SkyNews...), with a handful of exceptions, none of the present day reporters shows any true professionalism at all, making him/her merely a servile nodding tool, cleverly used by the powers that be. At least a critical line up of solidarity among colleague-reporters and journalists could perhaps break through the daily monotony of state propaganda.
Fourthly, the electorate in general, has - obviously - too little experience in political democratic processes. The mere fact, a very often heard argument, that every four years free elections is a proof of a functioning democracy is a fatal over-simplification. Education would have been a first step, yet not only has this been underestimated, it would take also a certain amount of time to become effective. Intense campaigns by NGOs, think tanks and the like would be an alternative, where it not that the connection between the 'intellectual ivory towers' and the masses is in practice almost non-existent. Similarly, a politically active intelligentsia to initiate valid public discussions as is common in e.g. Germany or France is completely absent.
Public direly needs to find out what is really going on. Sounds repetitive, but this is the greatest lack in society. A few know, nothing is done and the majority doesn't care. Up to the point, that the most often heard phrase becomes now; "I am not going to vote". Tired of all the politicking, maybe understandable, yet it is the greatest danger that lures. It is not about an arbitrary outcome of who will win; it is about the destruction or survival of Slovakia as a civic society. Justice has ceased to exist already, the only way to resuscitate is at peril. Present political ignorance is deadly but those who could make a difference are already politics-fatigue.
MS
It is all a little repetative Michael but it needs to repeated many times more and the mantra to be taken up by the mainstream media for there to be any hope at all. But we all know how likely that is don't we! I've always seen the EU as an inherently corrupt institution with little or no true representation. Unelected commissars, a faceless beauracracy. Actually, come to think of it, a perfect place for a ruling coalition such as ours to hide out and prosper don't you think? When I first came here 10 years ago, I honestly believed it would take 20 years before the political, social and economic situation in Slovakia would be on the same level as those in the west. Many people thought I was overly pesimistic and that 10 years would suffice. Sadly I now hold out little chance that the necessary circumstances will develop in my lifetime. The scars of communism and servitude to the state, run far deeper than most people feared. The political will to see Dzurinda's vision right through to the bitter end, with all the necessary and painful reforms just wasn't there. That is to say that as soon as a less painful and more populist easy way out was offered, the Slovak people grabbed at it without thinking through the long term risks. I now find it harder and harder to sympathise, as George Bernard Shaw wrote 'Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed NO better than we deserve'
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