Warning forecast: Opposition could defeat itself

A pessimistic yet realistic forecast suggests that Slovakia's current opposition, along with its voters, might inadvertently defeat themselves. This pattern, the author argues, has been a recurring feature throughout modern Slovak history.

Several symptoms point to this potential self-sabotage. These include a state of chronic defensiveness, a tendency to repeatedly fall into the same traps, accepting rules dictated by others, and engaging in unproductive internal disputes. Most recently, there has been an increase in baseless self-blame and subsequent animosity. This occurs instead of pursuing programmatic cooperation and a confident offensive strategy, clearly and forcefully identifying problems, and consistently denouncing the opposing side's significant missteps, which are often presented daily as if on a silver platter.

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My pessimistic-realistic warning forecast is that the current opposition and we – its voters – will defeat ourselves along with it. After all, it has been like this almost always in modern Slovak history.

Furthermore, valuable time is being lost while the opposition enjoys a comfortable, long-term position in a parliament that seems to be in almost permanent recess. The author calls for a significant increase in efforts, particularly in areas such as systematic grassroots work, coordinated actions, and effectively utilizing the intellectual potential and experience of willing and capable non-partisans. Crucially, there is a need for the creation, clear interpretation, and widespread dissemination of realistic solutions to the acute problems plaguing Slovakia.

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This is instead of programmatic cooperation and a confident offensive, clearly and emphatically naming problems and consistently denouncing the other side's mega-blunders – served practically daily as if on a silver platter.

The opposition possesses the necessary personal, intellectual, financial, and technical capacities to achieve this, with the support of its voters. When the opposition does engage in meaningful counter-offensives, citing examples like Member of Parliament Hlina, MP Kolíková, and the Progressive Slovakia and Democrats parties on specific issues, it yields positive results. These successes include cases like agricultural subsidies, the preservation of the Office for the Protection of Public Procurement, alerting the European Parliament, and more recently, issues such as national park zoning, non-transparent projects, and the violation or restriction of land ownership rights.

However, the author emphasizes that the democratic opposition should not emulate the methods of their opponents. Just as Petr Pavel does not behave like the "Motorists" and maintains greater authority, Péter Magyar has not, thus far, stooped to Viktor Orbán's tactics. Ultimately, warning forecasts are not made to be fulfilled but to prevent their fulfillment.

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Warning forecasts are not made to be fulfilled, but to prevent their fulfillment.