Whether one regards a recently erected and more-so a controversial statue as pure kitsch, or a propagandistic show-off glorifying not just a fictional past, but - even worse - a bad government, the very fact that it attracts the wrong type of groups, fuelling heated nationalist discussions. For this very reason, certain clear signals to cleanse the murky discussions currently ongoing. But instead of a firm action, armed with a committees recommendation to highlight all issues involved (esthetic, artistic, historical, sociological...), the only step taken was to cover the controversial fascist emblem with a metal cover, looking as if a kid left his potty in an unfinished sand-pit.
It may seem a comical picture, yet the total image illustrates how political decisions, whether the highly criticised controversial Language Act as well as the Law on National Symbols - which is unnecessarily draining schools from highly needed finances - has been dealt with after the elections; with a high disinterest, which could be felt as a dismay or contempt of the broad public. Especially for this criticism, the voters expressed their discontent of the former clique, and now their voices are being disregarded, and the state is currently at a "business as usual" level.
It is a very sad given, for these fairly simple and perhaps trivial issues would have given Slovakia's public a tremendous positive symbolic thrust. Instead like a the soufflé, coming out of the oven, has puffed out its hot air and is only a ridiculous disformed thingy one would be too embarrassed to serve. The signal to businesses, or even to people in the street, is very discouraging.
Last week has shown some other faux pas; the public prosecutor, who has obviously done all his best to muffle up serious missteps of the Fico government (and therefore is both too much politically engaged as well as utterly incompetent). Yet - instead of his expected exit from office as his term is nearing its end - all of a sudden Mr Dzurinda suddenly has no objections if Trnka would remain for another term.
The credibility of SDKU's leadership is dramatically fading, but Mr Dzurinda has clearly disqualified himself - strangely enough, other critical SDKU figures remain deafening silent.
Slovak politics was promised a new fresh start, a new culture - meaning more transparency, more decency. Yet is will be the same game with different marbles. The big and needed clean-up will just be another cover-up. Only you need is just a cover.
