On Sunday, Slovenia elected Freedom Movement leader Robert Golob as its new Prime Minister (PM), ousting the right-wing populist Janez Janša in the parliamentary elections. The result is viewed as yet another major blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Golob is expected to bolster Ljubljana’s ties with the European Union (EU). In fact, Slovenia is already a member of the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but has continued to enjoy close ties with Russia under Janša.
Golob’s green-liberal party defeated Janša’s three-time incumbent Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), securing 34% of the total votes after 97% of the votes had been tallied. The SDS trailed with just 24% of the votes; the New Slovenia party received 7% of the votes, while the Social Democrats got 6%, and the Left Party garnered 4%. According to the election commission, voter turnout was around 68%, with roughly 1.17 million Slovenians eligible to vote. This marked a huge increase from the 2018 election, when just 52% of Slovenians voted.
The EPP is worried about the possible Russian interference in the Slovenian elections, which is clearly a consequence of Slovenia’s firm & unequivocal support for Ukraine. Slovenia was one of the first countries that strongly condemned Russia’s barbaric war in Ukraine.
— EPP (@EPP) April 24, 2022
Golob is expected to form a coalition government with the Social Democrats and other left-leaning parties who will together control 52 of the 90 seats in parliament. The SDS, meanwhile, will be the main opposition with 28 seats.
The new leader celebrated his win remotely after contracting COVID-19 more than a week ago. In his victory speech, Golob remarked, “So today people are dancing, but tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow, we start working hard to justify trust,” underscoring that his victory indicates that the “people really want change.”
Elections in Slovenia today. Illiberal PM Janez Jansa, an Orban and Dodik ally and purported author of the infamous Balkan “non-paper” which advocated the wholesale partition of Bosnia, Kosovo & N. Macedonia, in a tight race vs. newly formed eco-themed “Freedom Movement”.
— Jasmin Mujanović (@JasminMuj) April 24, 2022
Golob was an energy executive at the state-owned GEN-I company until November 2021 and served as State Secretary for Energy in the Environment Ministry from 1999 to 2002. Prior to the elections, he suggested that his first job in office would be to introduce legislation that solidifies civil society, repealing a set of Janša-era laws. Golob ran on an environmentalist and sustainable development platform. Right-wing media, in particular, have accused the liberal leader of financial misconduct, an allegation that he has dismissed.
Following the announcement of the results, Janša said, “The results are what they are. Congratulations to the winner,” while underlining that his SDS party had obtained more votes than before. His campaign was centred around nationalist themes, using slogans such as “We build Slovenia.”
However, some SDS members complained that their party received unfair treatment by the media. Minister of the Interior and SDS vice-president Aleš Hojs noted, “We had practically all mainstream media against us.” Talking about Golob, he said, “People have apparently again bet on a new face.”
Slovenia: Around 3000 polling stations opened across the country for parliamentary elections.
— KurdSat English (@KurdsatEnglish) April 24, 2022
The prime minister, Janez Janša and his wice cast their ballots. #Slovenia #Elections2022 #KurdsatEnglish pic.twitter.com/PUrfNhazPF
Janša, the 63-year-old populist, shared a close relationship with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán, who recently secured re-election. Like Orbán, Janša has been accused of authoritarian behaviour such as installing loyalists in key government positions. Moreover, he was previously ousted as PM in 2012 after failing to disclose his financial records.
Additionally, Janša has been facing anti-government protests and has come under the scrutiny of the EU over rule-of-law concerns and siding with Russia over the Ukraine war. Last year, EU politicians criticised Slovenia’s accession to the EU presidency over Janša’s anti-press and other autocratic policies. Furthermore, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called out Janša for his remarks on Iran, which he said did not align with Brussels’ position.