Slovenian political parties are set to rush into coalition talks after no party won a majority in parliamentary elections, Reuters reports.
Prime Minister Robert Golob’s Freedom Movement (GS) was almost tied with the right-wing Democratic Party of Slovenia (SDS) of populist former prime minister Janez Jansa on the 22nd of March. Neither party has won the 46 seats needed for a majority, meaning smaller parties that pass the 4% threshold could be decisive.
Some analysts have expressed concern about the potential political instability caused by such close results. Political expert Miha Kovac said the new government was unlikely to be stable.
In a speech early on the morning of the 23rd of March, Golob said his party was ready to start coalition talks to begin implementing the GS program, which focuses on healthcare, education and the economy. He said that
more than a weak majority was needed to implement it, and he would invite all democratic parties to the talks.
With 99.85% of the vote counted, the GS won 29 seats, closely followed by the SDS with 28 seats. Jansa, who could be serving a fourth term as prime minister, said the SDS would start coalition talks once all the votes were counted, apparently hoping the result would swing in the SDS’s favor.
Jansa, a supporter of US President Donald Trump and an ally of Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has already accused the election commission of miscounting votes. His team of observers reportedly found discrepancies that cost the SDS 50,000 votes. However, Jansa did not provide evidence for his claims.
European Union member Slovenia gained independence in 1991 when Yugoslavia collapsed. Avoiding conflict and a strong industrial base have allowed it to develop faster than other Balkan countries. Golob was elected in 2022 and has brought Slovenia’s foreign policy closer to other European countries, while Jansa could change the country’s stance on the international scene. Jansa wants to introduce tax breaks for businesses and reduce funding for NGOs, welfare and the media.
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