Ljubljana

Privatization of former state enterprises hasn’t run as smoothly as expected. A great percentage of the population feels cheated. Subsequently, married couples, retired citizens and young autonomous activists all march side by side. The political youths want a “revolutionary change,” whatever that may entail, but riots are no part of this protest march, which retains an air of performance art, with many marchers dressing up as zombies. They are making fun of the former head of government, Janez Jansa, who had recently called the protesters “zombies.” My colleagues from the Slovenian daily newspaper Dnenik have lost count of the demonstrations since November; they have taken all kinds of angles on the subject already. For this reason, they relish the opportunity to catch the outside view of a visiting reporter from Germany. So my job here is that of a chronicler – quite a challenge due to my non-existent language skills and a constant downpour. Fortunately, the autonomous activists state their point quite poignantly in English. “I don’t need sex, my government fucks me everyday,” is the slogan their signs bear – a catchphrase unlikely to slip my mind.