When you wake up in the morning, look at the referendum results and realise that Janez has lost not only the legislative referendum, but the consultative one on RTV too! That, in a photo finish, the decision was that people are happy to pay the RTV fee, want this kind of programming, and don’t want Janez and his lackeys meddling in the matter. I admit, it makes for a lovely start to a Monday.
- Citizens passed a vote of no confidence in Janez Janša’s government in the legislative referendum
- I want referendum day!
- Let the people be drunk if we are ruled by people drunk on power
Janez, who has been waging a holy war against RTV Slovenija for years, had clearly been counting on a far more convincing result. On Slovenians overwhelmingly ticking YES, so that he could spend the next few years explaining how people no longer want to pay the RTV fee.
But things got a little complicated. With almost all ballots counted, 49.96% voted FOR abolition, while 50.04% voted against it. A small difference, but still a difference, isn’t it?
For me personally, the best thing about all this is the message that people evidently understand RTV Slovenija is not merely the news programming that gets under Janez’s skin so badly because it doesn’t place him on a pedestal and every programme doesn’t begin with him. There is also culture, sport, documentaries, children’s programming, radio and everything else that makes up a public service. There are countless other things he apparently knows nothing about, but his voters clearly don’t agree with him.
Janez, in footballing terms, so your voters can understand it. You lost. On home turf, which you prepared yourself, the people handed you two votes of no confidence. Perhaps it is time for you and your lackeys to stop concerning yourselves with RTV Slovenija. Though I understand it is hard to accept that a media outlet exists which you cannot simply switch off whenever you don’t like what it says.