Background
The 2022 Slovenian parliamentary election held on 24 April 2022 resulted in a landslide victory for the newly formed liberal Freedom Movement, led by former energy executive Robert Golob. The party won 34.5% of the vote and 41 seats, the largest number secured by a single party since independence, displacing the incumbent Slovenian Democratic Party government of Prime Minister Janez Janša. [1] Only five parties entered parliament, the fewest since Slovenia’s independence.
Golob announced a coalition with the Social Democrats, 7 seats and The Left, 5 seats, giving the coalition a working majority of 53 seats. [2] The coalition agreement was signed on 24 May 2022, and the National Assembly confirmed Golob as prime minister shortly afterward. The 15th Government of Slovenia was sworn in on 1 June 2022, comprising ministers from all three coalition partners. [3]
Ministerial changes
Since the formation of Prime Minister Robert Golob's government in 2022, there has been frequent ministerial turnover due to disputes, scandals, and political pressure.
The first major departure came in December 2022, when Interior Minister Tatjana Bobnar resigned over alleged interference in police staffing. [4] She was replaced by Boštjan Poklukar in February 2023. [5]
In 2023, several ministers left, including Health Minister Danijel Bešič Loredan, [6] Agriculture Minister Irena Šinko, [7] and Natural Resources Minister Uroš Brežan. [8] The departures contributed to perceptions of instability, while the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (KPK) opened an inquiry into Golob. [9]
Turnover continued in 2024. Justice Minister Dominika Švarc Pipan resigned amid the Litijska Affair, [10] and was succeeded by Andreja Katič. [11] Defence Minister Marjan Šarec left after being elected to the European Parliament, [12] and was replaced by Borut Sajovic. [13] Digital Transformation Minister Emilija Stojmenova Duh also resigned later that year. [14]
KPK investigations into Golob intensified through 2024–2025, alongside multiple interpellations and coalition tensions. [15] [16]
A major crisis followed in October 2025, when the widely publicized death of Aleš Šutar prompted the resignations of both Justice Minister Katič and Interior Minister Poklukar. [17]
Public dissatisifaction
Since taking office in 2022, the Robert Golob government has struggled with persistently low public approval. A Mediana poll, conducted for POP TV in June 2025 put government approval at 32,5 %, up only marginally from 31.3 % in May. [18] By September, a Median survey reported support rising to 35 %, the highest in ten months, though this followed earlier stagnation. [19] However, an October 2025 Delo poll showed support slipping again. [20]
Pre-election polls also highlight dissatisfaction: in the latest Mediana survey, the ruling Freedom Movement scored 16.7 %, trailing the opposition Slovenian Democratic Party at 21.4 %. [21] Overall trends from multiple pollsters show the coalition parties lagging behind opposition forces.
Observers have described the 2024 European Parliament election as a kind of referendum on the Golob government. SDS won the most seats, while GS secured two, underlining mid-term unpopularity [22]
Contributing to public discontent are perceived policy missteps and inexperience in governance, notably in defence spending, energy policy, and internal disputes such as police staffing. [23] Trust in the Prime Minister Golob also declined, by early 2024, his personal rating was around 2.33/5, weighed down by coalition infighting and unmet reform promises in health and public administration. These issues have fueled calls for accountability and raised concerns over political stability, as reflected in polling data.
Date of the election
The next Slovenian parliamentary election is expected to take place in March 2026, following an announcement by President Nataša Pirc Musar after consultations with parliamentary party leaders. [24] While the exact date has not yet been set, it must fall on a Sunday, with potential options including 15, 22, or 29 March 2026. This aligns with the expiry of the four-year term of the National Assembly elected on 24 April 2022. [25]
Under the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia and the National Assembly Elections Act (Zakon o volitvah v državni zbor), the President of Slovenia issues a decree calling parliamentary elections. Regular elections must be called no earlier than 135 days and no later than 60 days before the end of the Assembly’s term, and voting must occur no later than two months before its expiry. [26] [27] Once the decree is published in the Official Gazette, formal electoral procedures begin, including the appointment of electoral bodies and updates to voter registration. [28]
Candidate lists must be submitted no later than 30 days before election day, with constituency electoral commissions verifying them within five days. Campaigning is regulated by the Elections and Referendum Campaign Act, which imposes a 48-hour electoral silence before polls open. [29] [30]
If the National Assembly is dissolved early, such as following the failure to elect a Prime Minister or a successful vote of no confidence. The President must call a snap election within 60 days. The new term begins with the Assembly’s first session after the vote.
For the 2022 parliamentary election, the presidential decree was issued on 9 February 2022, setting the vote for 24 April 2022. The next regular (or early) parliamentary election is expected on 15, 22, or 29 March 2026, with the President scheduled to announce the final date in December 2025. [31]
Key dates| Date | Event |
|---|
| 22 October | President Nataša Pirc Musar announces that the elections will take place on either 15, 22 or 29 March 2026. [31] |
Electoral system
Voting eligibility
Citizens of Slovenia who are at least 18 years old on election day are eligible to vote in elections to the National Assembly. Voting rights are universal and equal for all eligible citizens, regardless of social, ethnic, economic, or political affiliation. Individuals deprived of legal capacity by a court decision due to an inability to understand the purpose of elections may be excluded. [32] [33]
Slovenian citizens residing abroad also retain voting rights. They may vote by post or at diplomatic and consular missions if they notify authorities within the prescribed deadlines. [34]
Voter registration is automatic and based on the central population register maintained by the Ministry of the Interior. Electoral rolls are compiled 15 days before election day and list voters by their permanent or last registered residence. Voters must cast their ballots at the polling station assigned to them unless eligible for special voting arrangements, such as OMNIA stations for individuals who have changed residence after the roll compilation. [28]
Voting takes place by secret ballot, and Slovenia does not require compulsory voting. Proxy voting is prohibited, except in cases of certified disability where legally defined assistance is permitted. In-person voting is held on election day from 7:00 to 19:00, while limited postal voting is available for hospitalized, detained, or temporarily absent voters who notify the State Election Commission in advance. [34]
Members of the Italian and Hungarian national communities possess additional voting rights, enabling them to elect their own representatives in dedicated single-member constituencies, in addition to voting for the remaining 88 deputies under the general system. [35]
Voting method and seat allocation
The National Assembly consists of 90 members. Of these, 88 are elected through open list proportional representation across eight constituencies, each electing 11 deputies. The remaining two seats are reserved for the Italian and Hungarian minority communities, elected using the Borda count method. [34]
Political parties or lists must surpass the national 4% electoral threshold to qualify for seat allocation. Within each constituency, seats are distributed using the Droop quota method. Voters may cast a preferential vote for a candidate on a party list, influencing the order of election within that list.
Remaining seats after constituency allocation are distributed at the national level using the D'Hondt method to maintain proportionality. Although Slovenia is divided into 88 electoral districts, not all districts necessarily elect a deputy, as multiple deputies may be elected from some districts depending on list performance. [36]
Gender quotas apply to candidate lists: at least 35% of candidates must be from each gender, except on three-candidate lists, which must include at least one candidate of each gender. [37] [38]
As of October 2025, no amendments have yet been made to the proportional representation system, and the electoral framework remains unchanged from previous elections, despite a referendum approving the introduction of the preferential vote and ongoing public and political calls for a shift toward a two-round mayority electoral system.
Campaign
By early June 2025, the Greens of Slovenia unsuccessfully attempted to form a broader "Green Coalition", [39] as the Vesna later joined an alliance with The Left, while Youth Party – European Greens were reported to be joining the Party of Generations, although they clarified in October 2025 that there was only a small possibility of such cooperation. [40] On 17 June 2025, The Left and the Vesna announced that they would participate in the next election with a joint candidate list. [41] [42] There were also reports that the regionalist party Community might join the Vesna–The Left alliance after their congress in November 2025. [43]
On 3 July 2025, the Democrats absorbed the party Concretely.
On 21 August 2025, For a Healthy Society and the satirical party None of the Above confirmed an electoral alliance. [44]
By late August 2025, it was reported that internal discussions within New Slovenia could lead to a leadership change, with either Jernej Vrtovec or Anton Harej emerging as possible successors to the incumbent president Matej Tonin. [45] Following the party congress on 13 September 2025, Vrtovec replaced Tonin as president with about 85% support. [46] [47] He also renewed talks about a possible coalition with the SLS, while their president Tina Bregant called for broader unity on the right, inviting the Democrats and the Focus of Marko Lotrič. [48] On 19 November 2025 the parties signed a cooperation agreement forming their candidate list with candidates from each party. There were also rumours that, after the failed Green Coalition, Greens of Slovenia might join the alliance.
In the ruling Freedom Movement, parliamentary speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič initially expressed interest in running for the party presidency, but later withdrew her candidacy. [49] As a result, Robert Golob secured another mandate as party president. [50]
Meanwhile, Suvereni, the Party of Slovenian People and United Slovenia Movement were widely reported as likely to form a joint nationalist coalition ahead of the elections, advocating Slovenia's exit from the European Union (“SLOEXIT”) and a referendum on NATO membership. They were joined on 17 November 2025, by former foreign minister Karl Erjavec and his political project Karl Erjavec - Trust Party. [51] [52]
On 15 October 2025, the centre-left Prerod – Party of Vladimir Prebilič was officially founded by Vladimir Prebilič, the mayor of Kočevje and former independent presidential candidate in the 2022 Slovenian presidential election. The party aims to promote decentralisation, regional development and social solidarity.
On 14 November 2025, The Left elected Luka Mesec and Asta Vrečko as co-coordinators, replacing the previous single-leadership model and signalling a new organisational phase for the party.
On 16 November 2025, a new left-wing party We, Socialists! was officially founded, adding another actor to the emerging landscape of socialist and anti-capitalist movements in Slovenia.
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