Gregor Golobic
Encyclopedia
Gregor Golobič is a Slovenia
n politician
. Since 2007, he has been serving as president of the left liberal party Zares
. Between November 2008 and June 2011, he served as Minister for Science and Higher Education of Slovenia.
Golobič was born in the Slovenian town of Novo Mesto
, then in former Yugoslavia
. He attended the prestigious Novo Mesto Grammar School. He enrolled at the University of Ljubljana
, where he studied philosophy
. In 1988, already as a student, he became employed by the Alliance of Socialist Youth of Slovenia, the youth organization of the League of Communists of Slovenia
. Between 1992 and 2001, he served as the Secretary-General of the ruling Liberal Democracy of Slovenia
.
In 2001 Golobič left politics. In 2002 he obtained his BA in philosophy from the University of Ljubljana with a thesis on a Lacanian critique of the philosophy of Cratylus
. In 2006 he quit his former party and in October 2007, he was elected president of the newly formed party Zares
, formed mostly by former members of the Liberal Democracy. In the 2008 parliamentary elections
he was elected in the Slovenian National Assembly. In November of the same year, he was appointed Minister for Science and Higher Education in the centre left government of Borut Pahor
.
On April 21st 2011, he announced his resignation as Minister due to disagreements with the policies of the Prime Minister Borut Pahor.
In June 2011, Golobič resigned from his position as Minister of Education. His resignation was followed by other ministers of the Zares party later in the same month, opening a government crisis, which was resolved in September 2011 with the vote of no confidence to Borut Pahor and the calling of early elections in December 2011
.
company Ultra, where Golobič was employed between 2003 and 2007. He was accused of misleading the media about his investment into that company during the campaign for the 2008 parliamentary election. According to allegations, the company had some 21 million euro of unsecured loans at the state-owned Nova Ljubljanska Banka
(NLB). When the media examined the loans, it came out that Golobič owns 10% of Ultra SUM, a Netherlands
-based company which owns 70% of Ultra company. This was a fact that he had withheld from the public during the 2008 general election campaign. Golobič publicly apologized for having misled the public, but refused to resign as the minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology
The Ultra Scandal was also one of the reasons for the decision of Matej Lahovnik, one of the co-founders of the party Zares, to leave the party in July 2010. Lahovnik, at the time Minister of Economy, mentioned Golobič's alleged misuse of political influence in order to favor his business partners as one of the reasons for his break with the party. As a response, Golobič demanded that Lahovnik stepped down from his position of Minister of Economy and qualified his behavior as "Brutus-like", that is, treacherous.
Golobič is a close personal friend of the Slovenian Marxist philosopher Slavoj Žižek
who frequently expressed admiration for him, once referring to Golobič as the "Slovenian Stalin". The epithet "Slovenian Stalin" has been frequently used since, mostly by his political opponents and the media.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Since 2007, he has been serving as president of the left liberal party Zares
Zares
Zares – Social Liberals is a social-liberal political party in Slovenia. Its president is Gregor Golobič, former Secretary General of the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia and former close advisor to the late Janez Drnovšek, who had previously abandoned active political involvement due to...
. Between November 2008 and June 2011, he served as Minister for Science and Higher Education of Slovenia.
Golobič was born in the Slovenian town of Novo Mesto
Novo Mesto
Novo Mesto is a city and municipality in southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The town is traditionally considered the economic and cultural centre of the historic Lower Carniola region.-Geography:...
, then in former Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
. He attended the prestigious Novo Mesto Grammar School. He enrolled at the University of Ljubljana
University of Ljubljana
The University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
, where he studied philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. In 1988, already as a student, he became employed by the Alliance of Socialist Youth of Slovenia, the youth organization of the League of Communists of Slovenia
League of Communists of Slovenia
The League of Communists of Slovenia was the Slovenian branch of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia, the sole legal party of Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1989...
. Between 1992 and 2001, he served as the Secretary-General of the ruling Liberal Democracy of Slovenia
Liberal Democracy of Slovenia
Liberal Democracy of Slovenia is a liberal political party in Slovenia. It is led by Katarina Kresal and is a member of the Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party...
.
In 2001 Golobič left politics. In 2002 he obtained his BA in philosophy from the University of Ljubljana with a thesis on a Lacanian critique of the philosophy of Cratylus
Cratylus
Cratylus was an ancient Athenian philosopher from late 5th century BC, mostly known through his portrayal in Plato's dialogue Cratylus. Little is known of Cratylus or his mentor Heraclitus . According to Cratylus at 402a, Heraclitus proclaimed that one cannot step twice into the same stream...
. In 2006 he quit his former party and in October 2007, he was elected president of the newly formed party Zares
Zares
Zares – Social Liberals is a social-liberal political party in Slovenia. Its president is Gregor Golobič, former Secretary General of the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia and former close advisor to the late Janez Drnovšek, who had previously abandoned active political involvement due to...
, formed mostly by former members of the Liberal Democracy. In the 2008 parliamentary elections
Slovenian parliamentary election, 2008
Parliamentary elections for the 90 deputies to the National Assembly of Slovenia were held on 21 September 2008. 17 parties filed to run in the election, including all nine parliamentary parties...
he was elected in the Slovenian National Assembly. In November of the same year, he was appointed Minister for Science and Higher Education in the centre left government of Borut Pahor
Borut Pahor
Borut Pahor is a Slovenian politician who has been Prime Minister of Slovenia since 2008. A longtime president of the Social Democrats party, Pahor served several terms as a member of the National Assembly and was its chairman from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, Pahor was elected as member of the European...
.
On April 21st 2011, he announced his resignation as Minister due to disagreements with the policies of the Prime Minister Borut Pahor.
In June 2011, Golobič resigned from his position as Minister of Education. His resignation was followed by other ministers of the Zares party later in the same month, opening a government crisis, which was resolved in September 2011 with the vote of no confidence to Borut Pahor and the calling of early elections in December 2011
Slovenian parliamentary election, 2011
A parliamentary election for the 90 deputies to the National Assembly of Slovenia will be held on 4 December 2011. This will be the first early election in Slovenia's history.-Background:...
.
Controversies
In June 2009, Golobič was involved in a so called Ultra scandal named after the Slovenian ITInformation technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
company Ultra, where Golobič was employed between 2003 and 2007. He was accused of misleading the media about his investment into that company during the campaign for the 2008 parliamentary election. According to allegations, the company had some 21 million euro of unsecured loans at the state-owned Nova Ljubljanska Banka
Nova Ljubljanska banka
Nova Ljubljanska banka is the largest bank in Slovenia. It has branches throughout Slovenia, Trieste in neighbouring Italy and subsidiary banks in Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Germany and other countries in Europe. The head office is in Ljubljana, Slovenia....
(NLB). When the media examined the loans, it came out that Golobič owns 10% of Ultra SUM, a Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
-based company which owns 70% of Ultra company. This was a fact that he had withheld from the public during the 2008 general election campaign. Golobič publicly apologized for having misled the public, but refused to resign as the minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology
The Ultra Scandal was also one of the reasons for the decision of Matej Lahovnik, one of the co-founders of the party Zares, to leave the party in July 2010. Lahovnik, at the time Minister of Economy, mentioned Golobič's alleged misuse of political influence in order to favor his business partners as one of the reasons for his break with the party. As a response, Golobič demanded that Lahovnik stepped down from his position of Minister of Economy and qualified his behavior as "Brutus-like", that is, treacherous.
Golobič is a close personal friend of the Slovenian Marxist philosopher Slavoj Žižek
Slavoj Žižek
Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher, critical theorist working in the traditions of Hegelianism, Marxism and Lacanian psychoanalysis. He has made contributions to political theory, film theory, and theoretical psychoanalysis....
who frequently expressed admiration for him, once referring to Golobič as the "Slovenian Stalin". The epithet "Slovenian Stalin" has been frequently used since, mostly by his political opponents and the media.