LJU-ORD
Newbie
Posts: 1
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« on: July 09, 2014, 03:15:14 PM » |
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« edited: July 09, 2014, 03:18:55 PM by LJU-ORD »
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Sir John Johns's analysis is correct. In recent days, the SMC has been widely criticized by other parties and the media for not taking specific stances on various issues. Of course, this ambiguity is essentially what the SMC's strategy is all about: They wish to appeal to both the center-left and the center-right and are afraid that specific proposals would only end up alienating potential voters.
This approach is viable right now because the SMC enjoys a substantial lead in all recent polling despite a notable lack of a concrete program. The Slovenian electorate is deeply disenchanted with the established political parties, and Miro Cerar is seen by many as a reasonable, uncorrupted political novice who could finally overcome the left/right political stalemate in Slovenia. In this respect, he is a bit like Barack Obama circa 2008 -- people can project their own hopes and desires on him and his party.
And speaking of projections: Even though Cerar is considered a center-left candidate, I see him as a realist and believe that he will continue on the track of economic reforms -- maybe even increase the pace to some extent. (He has already indicated that he would be willing to enter a coalition with any center-right party except the SDS.) I believe that his anything-but-courageous avoidance of specific proposals is the result of the left's (and the labor union's) resistance to economic reforms -- and he can't afford to lose many left-of-center votes if he wants a decisive victory. (On the other hand, some of Cerar's advisors have been skeptical of reforms in the past, so I'm not sure how committed to a reform agenda he really is. I don't know if anyone is really sure right now.)
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