EditSlovenian parliamentary elections deliver narrow victory for Golob’s Freedom Movement
Crucially, the outgoing PM ruled out any cooperation with SDS and Janez Janša unequivocally: "With all democratic parties, without the SDS party”
Incumbent Prime Minister Robert Golob’s liberal Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda) emerged as the relative winner in Slovenia’s parliamentary elections held on Sunday, securing 28.59% of the vote and positioning itself to lead coalition negotiations for the next government.
With over 99% of ballots counted, the party claimed a “relative victory” in a tight race that saw the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), led by Janez Janša, trailing closely at around 27.95-28.1%.
The 90-seat National Assembly requires at least 46 seats for a majority, and no single bloc achieved this outright. Preliminary seat projections placed Freedom Movement at 29 seats, SDS at 28, with smaller parties such as the NSi-SLS-Fokus alliance (around 9 seats), Social Democrats (SD, 6 seats), Demokrati (6 seats), the Left-Vesna coalition (5 seats), and newcomer Resni.ca (5 seats) holding the balance of power. This fragmented result heralds weeks of intense negotiations in a country of 2 million people where coalition governments are the norm.
In post-election remarks reported by EUalive’s partner Siol.net, Golob expressed gratitude to voters for their trust and high turnout, describing Slovenians as a “free-thinking nation”. He thanked supporters for what the government accomplished in the previous mandate and acknowledged the “enormous work” ahead in the next four years. Crucially, he ruled out any cooperation with SDS and Janša unequivocally: “With all democratic parties, without the SDS party. We announced this from the first day and we do not intend to deviate from it.”
Golob explained the exclusion by emphasizing the need for broad consensus amid global challenges, hinting at the possibility of achieving a constitutional majority without SDS. He dismissed Janša’s calls for new elections, saying losers often want a rematch but that voters’ choice must be respected. On coalition-building, Golob signaled openness to talks with everyone else, including Resni.ca’s Zoran Stevanović (who demanded three ministries) and Demokrati’s Anže Logar. “We will start talks with everyone… I don’t exclude anyone, I don’t make distinctions,” he said, aiming for at least four parties – or more – to form a stable “large coalition” capable of implementing his AS program focused on healthcare investments, youth housing, and economic competitiveness.
The outcome contrasts with pre-election polls that often showed SDS edging ahead, but Golob’s party held firm despite controversies, including accusations of foreign interference and campaign tensions. President Nataša Pirc Musar congratulated Golob and urged negotiations, while SD’s Matjaž Han warned that forming a government would be difficult. Janša, meanwhile, portrayed the result as a referendum on corruption and suggested Slovenia remains in a precarious state until change occurs.
The elections highlighted deep polarization between Golob’s pro-EU, liberal course – marked by progressive policies on social issues and foreign affairs – and Janša’s conservative, populist platform aligned with figures like Viktor Orbán and Donald Trump. With smaller parties now kingmakers, the coming weeks will test whether Golob can assemble a broad democratic majority or if deadlock leads to prolonged uncertainty. For now, Golob insists the mandate belongs to those voters chose, setting the tone for what could be Slovenia’s most inclusive – or challenging – coalition in recent memory.
Golob’s Freedom Movement won despite allegations that Israeli private intelligence firm Black Cube conducted covert operations – including illegal surveillance and leaked recordings – to tilt the race in favor of Janša and his SDS party.
The original article in Slovenian by our partner Siol.net can be found here.
Caption: Robert Golob is at the podium, surrounded by party officials. Photo: Ana Kovač, Siol.net
Updated: March 23, 2026 - 06:49
