Liberals win parliamentary election: Slovenia votes for “freedom”

Slovenia has voted for the change of power: the newly founded freedom movement of the career changer Golob won the election clearly. The controversial right-wing populist Jansa suffered a crushing defeat.

The liberal-green freedom movement in Slovenia has reached its goal – and it didn’t take long at all. Mainly responsible for the success: Robert Golob. The 55-year-old only formed the movement at the beginning of the year from an existing eco-party. Now she is the strongest political force in the small EU country with a good two million inhabitants.

According to the name of his party, Golob made it clear in an initial reaction what was and is most important to him: “Now we can say that our goal of bringing freedom to Slovenia has been achieved.”

The former top manager had to spend election day at home because of a corona infection. But of course he got the most important figures there, the most important for him: almost 35 percent for his freedom movement. It is clearly pro-European, wants to move away from fossil raw materials and, above all, wants to restore democracy, transparency and the rule of law, and strengthen the independence of authorities and the media.

Voter turnout increased significantly

Many in the country want that. After an unprecedented mobilization campaign supported by dozens of NGOs and associations, voter turnout rose from 53 percent in 2018 to 70 percent now. Golob explained that this now gives the mandate “particular weight”. One must be grateful to civil society, which has contributed to the high level of participation. “Without such a militant, hearty, determined civil society as it has in the last year and a half, Slovenia probably would not have seen freedom,” said Golob after his freedom movement’s election victory

Again and again the word, the theme: “freedom”. Mainly because this had been restricted more and more in the last two years of government under Janez Jansa. Jansa exerted pressure and influence on the judiciary, the police and the media.

Many in Slovenia, but also in Brussels, fear that if Jansa wins again, Slovenia will distance itself even further from democracy. Now, however, Janša’s right-wing conservative SDS only came in second with just under 24 percent. It no longer has a chance of forming a government.

Jansa admits defeat

Unlike Donald Trump, whom Jansa once congratulated on his fake election victory, the 63-year-old admitted defeat in the evening. Numerous challenges lie ahead of the new government. However, his government has laid the foundations on which one can continue safely and safely. According to his own statements, the voted-out prime minister now wants to do constructive opposition work.

The camp election campaign was at the expense of the other parties. Apart from the two big ones, only the Social Democrats, the Christian Democrats – both seven percent each – and the Left Party Levica with four percent made it over the crucial four percent hurdle this time. Four parties were thrown out of parliament. This makes things clearer there, even if the Italian and Hungarian minorities each get one of the 90 seats, as always.

EPP Group had supported Jansa

Golob can now form a majority with the Social Democrats, and the chances of success are good. So, like in Germany, there could be a traffic light. Except that this may be formed by two, not three parties; the freedom movement already covers green and yellow. However, talks with the Left Party for a tripartite alliance are also possible. As a kind of reward because she had also campaigned for Golob.

As relieved as many in Brussels are now – the Christian Democratic EPP Group had supported Jansa. And in him, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj loses a very big supporter. Earlier pro-Russian statements by Golob circulated during the election campaign – but he condemned the Russian war of aggression during the election campaign. It remains to be seen how the planned exchange of armored rings with Germany will continue. Nothing has leaked out in Slovenia lately.

Incidentally, one incident had no major consequences: a group of corona deniers led by a former army major broke into the seat of the State Electoral Commission on election day. The police were able to defuse the situation.