Right-Winger Janez Jansa Becomes Slovenia’s Prime Minister for Fourth Time

Slovenia’s parliament elected right-winger Janez Jansa as Prime Minister in a secret ballot on Friday. He won 51 votes from MPs in the 90-seat parliament. Jansa will now serve his fourth term as prime minister despite the fact that his Slovenian Democratic Party, SDS, narrowly failed to win elections in March.

Robert Golob’s liberal Freedom Movement won the elections, gaining one more seat than Jansa’s SDS, but failed to put together a majority to form a government, opening the way for the veteran right-winger to return. In addition to SDS MPs, his candidacy was supported by New Slovenia – Christian Democrats, the Slovenian People’s Party, Fokus and the Democrats, with whom SDS agreed a coalition deal on Thursday – as well as representatives of Resnica, who will not, however, join the government. The Freedom Movement, the Social Democrats and the Levica/Vesna parliamentary group, are now in opposition. In his address to parliament before the vote, Jansa said he wanted to shape Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity, and justice, where every responsible citizen feels safe and accepted”. He said his governing programme focuses on democratisation and development, the fight against crime and corruption, decentralisation and cooperation with the opposition on constitutional changes and development priorities. He argued that Slovenia’s transition to democracy was only “half-finished”. His return to the premiership means there is now another outspoken right-wing political leader among the European Union’s most senior politicians, after the departure from office of Viktor Orban in Hungary last month. Media advocates will also be watching closely after allegations about the erosion of press freedom under Jansa in the past.

Key points

• Robert Golob’s liberal Freedom Movement won the elections, gaining one more seat than Jansa’s SDS, but failed to put together a majority to form a government, opening the way for the veteran right-…
• In addition to SDS MPs, his candidacy was supported by New Slovenia – Christian Democrats, the Slovenian People’s Party, Fokus and the Democrats, with whom SDS agreed a coalition deal on Thursday –…
• The Freedom Movement, the Social Democrats and the Levica/Vesna parliamentary group, are now in opposition.
• In his address to parliament before the vote, Jansa said he wanted to shape Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity, and justice, where every responsible citizen feels safe and accepted”.
• He said his governing programme focuses on democratisation and development, the fight against crime and corruption, decentralisation and cooperation with the opposition on constitutional changes an…