Populist PM Jansa Ousted As Liberal-Green Newcomers Sweep To Power

Slovenia's legislative election on 24 April delivered a rebuke to the Central and Eastern European political trend of rising populism, with controversial Prime Minister Janesz Jansa ousted in favour of a left-leaning coalition led by businessman-turned-politician Robert Golob.

• Golob's liberal-green Freedom Movement (GS) entered the National Assembly with 41 out of 90 seats. Just short of an overall majority they are set to form a coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats (seven seats, down three from the 2018 election), and potentially the eco-socialist The Left on five seats (down four).
• Jansa's right-wing populist Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) won 27 seats, up two from the last election, but finds itself short of willing allies. The only party that worked with the SDS in the previous gov't to cross the 4% vote threshold and win seats were the centre-right New Slovenia-Christian Democrats (NSi) on eight (up one).
• Liberal EU member states and the institutions of the EU are likely to breathe something of a sigh of relief following Jansa's loss. His EU-bashing rhetoric has been compared by critics to that of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, while media reforms enacted under the Jansa gov't have seen the country slide in Freedom House's rankings of democratic standards.
• There have been some rumblings of Russian interference in the election from sections of Jansa's support base. Some have alledged that the outgoing PM's staunch support for Ukraine resulted in Moscow interfering on behalf of leftist parties, but no proof is yet forthcoming of this accusation.
• Slovenia's political landscape has been one of instability in recent years, with newcomers often elected only for their coalitions to fall apart under the pressure of governing. Given the lack of legislative experience in Golob's Freedom Movement there remains the notable prospect of political instability in Slovenia over the coming months or years.

Source: volitve.dvk, MNI