The 2022 Slovenian parliamentary election held on 24 April resulted in a landslide victory for the newly formed liberal Freedom Movement, led by former energy executive Robert Golob. The party won 34.5% of the vote and 41 seats, the largest number secured by a single party since independence, displacing the incumbent Slovenian Democratic Party government of Prime Minister Janez Janša.[1] Only five parties entered parliament, the fewest since Slovenia’s independence.[citation needed]
Golob announced a coalition with the Social Democrats, 7 seats and The Left, 5 seats, giving the coalition a working majority of 53 seats.[2] The coalition agreement was signed on 24 May 2022, and the National Assembly confirmed Golob as prime minister shortly afterward. The 15th Government of Slovenia was sworn in on 1 June 2022, comprising ministers from all three coalition partners.[3]
Date of the election
The next Slovenian parliamentary election is expected to take place on 22 March 2026, following an announcement by President Nataša Pirc Musar after consultations with parliamentary party leaders.[4] This aligns with the expiry of the four-year term of the National Assembly elected on 24 April 2022.[5]
Under the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia and the National Assembly Elections Act (Zakon o volitvah v državni zbor), the President of Slovenia issues a decree calling parliamentary elections. Regular elections must be called no earlier than 135 days and no later than 60 days before the end of the Assembly’s term, and voting must occur no later than two months before its expiry.[6][7] Once the decree is published in the Official Gazette, formal electoral procedures begin, including the appointment of electoral bodies and updates to voter registration.[8]
Candidate lists must be submitted no later than 30 days before election day, with constituency electoral commissions verifying them within five days. Campaigning is regulated by the Elections and Referendum Campaign Act, which imposes a 48-hour electoral silence before polls open.[9][10]
If the National Assembly is dissolved early, such as following the failure to elect a Prime Minister or a successful vote of no confidence. The President must call a snap election within 60 days. The new term begins with the Assembly’s first session after the vote.[citation needed]
For the 2022 parliamentary election, the presidential decree was issued on 9 February 2022, setting the vote for 24 April 2022. The next parliamentary election is expected on 22 March 2026, with the date announced on 22 December 2025.[11]
Timetable
Key dates
Date
Event
22 October 2025
President Nataša Pirc Musar announces that the elections will take place on either 15, 22 or 29 March 2026.[11]
22 December 2025
President Nataša Pirc Musar announces that the elections will take place on 22 March 2026.[12]
6 January 2026
President Nataša Pirc Musar will officially sign the election date into law
12 January 2026
The deadline from which electoral procedures begin to run, such as the collection of party signatures for the submission of candidate lists.
4 February 2026
The parties can open the checking accounts, specifically for the election.
19 February 2026
Beginning of pre-election period. Nominations of candidates close.[13]
Election Day – polls open from 7 am to 7 pm and announcement of the results.
Electoral system
2026 election ballot paper
Voting eligibility
Citizens of Slovenia who are at least 18 years old on election day are eligible to vote in elections to the National Assembly. Voting rights are universal and equal for all eligible citizens, regardless of social, ethnic, economic, or political affiliation. Individuals deprived of legal capacity by a court decision due to an inability to understand the purpose of elections may be excluded.[14][15]
Slovenian citizens residing abroad also retain voting rights. They may vote by post or at diplomatic and consular missions if they notify authorities within the prescribed deadlines.[16]
Voter registration is automatic and based on the central population register maintained by the Ministry of the Interior. Electoral rolls are compiled 15 days before election day and list voters by their permanent or last registered residence. Voters must cast their ballots at the polling station assigned to them unless eligible for special voting arrangements, such as OMNIA stations for individuals who have changed residence after the roll compilation.[8]
Voting takes place by secret ballot, and Slovenia does not require compulsory voting. Proxy voting is prohibited, except in cases of certified disability where legally defined assistance is permitted. In-person voting is held on election day from 7:00 to 19:00, while limited postal voting is available for hospitalized, detained, or temporarily absent voters who notify the State Election Commission in advance.[16]
Members of the Italian and Hungarian national communities possess additional voting rights, enabling them to elect their own representatives in dedicated single-member constituencies, in addition to voting for the remaining 88 deputies under the general system.[17]
Voting method and seat allocation
The National Assembly consists of 90 members. Of these, 88 are elected through open listproportional representation across eight constituencies, each electing 11 deputies. The remaining two seats are reserved for the Italian and Hungarian minority communities, elected using the plurality voting method.[16]
Political parties or lists must surpass the national 4% electoral threshold to qualify for seat allocation. Within each constituency, seats are distributed using the Droop quota method. Voters may cast a preferential vote for a candidate on a party list, influencing the order of election within that list.[citation needed]
Remaining seats after constituency allocation are distributed at the national level using the D'Hondt method to maintain proportionality. Although Slovenia is divided into 88 electoral districts, not all districts necessarily elect a deputy, as multiple deputies may be elected from some districts depending on list performance.[18]
Gender quotas apply to candidate lists: at least 35% of candidates must be from each gender, except on three-candidate lists, which must include at least one candidate of each gender.[19][20]
As of October 2025, no amendments have yet been made to the proportional representation system, and the electoral framework remains unchanged from previous elections, despite a referendum approving the introduction of the preferential vote and ongoing public and political calls for a shift toward a two-round majority electoral system.[citation needed]
Due to his election as Mayor of Lendava on 4 December 2022, Janez Magyar left the National Assembly and was replaced by Andrej Kosi.[26]
On 20 September 2023, MPs Martin Marzidovšek (for personal reasons) and Dejan Zavec (for health reasons) resigned their seats and were replaced by Jurij Lep and Dejan Süč.[27]
Following the election of Marjan Šarec as a Member of the European Parliament, he was replaced by Borut Sajovic, who was subsequently replaced by Aleš Lipičnik on 21 October 2024.[36]
On 13 October 2025, following allegations of physical violence against a former partner, MP Jani Prednik resigned his seat and was replaced by Janja Rednjak.[39]
In the same year, former foreign minister Anže Logar began building his own political party, and following his departure from SDS, the party Democrats was formally founded.[44] Another new party, Karl Erjavec - Trust Party, led by four-time DeSUS Minister Karl Erjavec, was established soon afterwards.[45]
The party Prerod - Party of Vladimir Prebilič was founded by former Mayor of Kočevje, 2022 presidental candidate and MEPVladimir Prebilič,[49] and former The Left MP and another 2022 presidental candidate Miha Kordiš founded the socialist party We, Socialists![50] Two further projects were reported to be in the process of establishment, The Guard, linked to Catholic podcaster Alen Koman, and Volt Slovenia, as a Slovenian branch of the pan-European federalist movement Volt Europa.[51] Unlike Volt Slovenia, The Guard collected 200 signatures in time to establish a new political party, but failed to collect 100 signatures in each of the 8 electoral districts which would place the party on ballot.[52]
Pre-election cooperation
Pre-election alliances, mergers, and cooperation talks reshaped the landscape. Greens of Slovenia first called for the unification of green forces on a joint list.[53]The Left and Vesna – Green Party signed a pre-election agreement announcing a joint run in the election;[54] the cooperation was later formally confirmed by both parties in their internal bodies.[55][56] Talks about cooperation within this broader left-green axis also included the newly established localist party Community,[57] which is also a potential partner for Prerod - Party of Vladimir Prebilič, as was Party of Generations until they announced they would contest the election alone.[58] In addition, a public appeal on social media, with the liberal activist Jaša Jenull urging We, Socialists!, The Left, Vesna, and the Pirates to join forces and establish a United Progressive Front.[59]
On the centre-left, Prerod announced talks with the Social Democrats and related cooperation initiatives on the wider left.[60] However, Prerod later rejected the option of a joint list with SD and announced it would run independently, while leaving open further talks with the Party of Generations, although they later also rejected this option.[61]Prebilič also invited the leaders of several centre-left parties to a meeting intended to explore future cooperation, but the meeting did not take place because most invitees declined. Robert Golob invited SD, The Left, We, Socialists!, Pirates, Prerod, Vesna and unexpectedly Resni.ca for talks.[62] Resni.ca rejected the offer and Karl Erjavec claimed that his Karl Erjavec - Trust Party was not invited because it cannot be "cannibalized".[63]
In the centre, Greens of Slovenia and Party of Generations formed an alliance.[64]
On the centre-right, Concretely merged into Democrats,[65] and New Social Democracy, led by Andrej Magajna, later announced they were in talks about a united participation with Democrats,[66] which was later abandoned and New Social Democracy didn't file to participate in the election. New Slovenia and the Slovenian People’s Party opened talks on possible joint cooperation,[67] and NSi, SLS, and FOKUS each signed a separate declaration of intent and began coordinating a potential common list and the distribution of constituencies.[68][69]
On the nationalist side, Suvereni, United Slovenia Movement and Party of Slovenian People, MP Dejan Kaloh, Andrej Šiško and Ivan Bolfek, announced efforts to form a “sovereigntist–patriotic bloc” and referenced the political action SLOEXIT, proposing Slovenia’s withdrawal from the EU and a debate on leaving NATO.[70] Suvereni representatives later appeared at an event organised by Karl Erjavec - Trust Party, where cooperation and the formation of a new parliamentary group were discussed.[71] However, Suvereni subsequently decided to run independently rather than enter an electoral partnership with Karl Erjavec - Trust Party,[72] and United Slovenia Movement and Party of Slovenian People announced the forming of the Coaliton of the United Nations.[73]. After DVK rejected KZN's lists in three electoral districts, they withdrew from the election alltogether. Eventually, Suvereni decided to participate on the lists of the Trust Party.[74]
In 2025 several parties reaffirmed their leaders or elected new ones. Slovenian Democratic Party subsequently held its congress, at which Janez Janša was reconfirmed as party president and continuing his 33-year long streak at the helm of the party.[79]New Slovenia then followed as they elected Jernej Vrtovec as party president, succeeding Matej Tonin.[80]
Robert Golob announced on Instagram a list of four proposed debates with Janez Janša.[101] Meanwhile, SDS and the bloc formed by NSi, SLS, and FOKUS announced that they would not participate in debates on RTV due to the broadcaster’s decision not to air the programme Tarča, altough they later reversed their decision.[102]
Janša confirmed his participation only in a debate hosted by the AIDEA podcast, led by Klemen Selakovič. He also proposed a public debate format, suggesting venues such as Cankar Centre, Exhibition and Convention Centre, or Maribor. Under his proposal, each candidate would be allowed to bring two journalists to ask questions, while members of the audience would also have the opportunity to participate.[103]
During the pre-election campaign, TV SLO 1 will broadcast a total of eight televised election debates, scheduled between 19 February and 19 March. Debates involving parliamentary parties will air on five Thursdays at 8:00 p.m., starting on 19 February, while debates featuring non-parliamentary parties will be broadcast on three Mondays at 8:00 p.m., beginning on 2 March.[104]
The debates will also include thematic programmes focusing on specific policy areas, including healthcare and long-term care, foreign policy and security, as well as the economy, taxation, and wages. The pre-election series will conclude with a final debate between the leaders of parliamentary parties on 19 March.[citation needed]
On Radio Prvi, election debates will be held on Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m. between 25 February and 18 March. The final debate will bring together representatives of all political parties.[104]
POP TV will organise six election debates, broadcast on four Mondays and two Fridays between 23 February and 20 March. Unlike previous election campaigns, the broadcaster will record most debates on location, including in Koper (23 February), Ljubljana (UKC Ljubljana, 2 March), Novo mesto (6 March), Kranj (9 March), and Maribor (16 March). The final debate, held on the evening before the start of the election silence, will take place in a television studio.[citation needed]
On Planet TV, the debate series Slovenia Chooses will air on Sundays at 8:00 p.m., starting on 22 February, and will be hosted by Katarina Braniselj and Luka Svetina.[citation needed]
On Nova24TV, the election debates will be held between 25 February and 18 March, and will be hosted by Aleksander Rant.[citation needed]
The weekly programme Pogovori o prihodnosti was hosted by Tomaž Vesel. It aired on Mondays at 9:00 p.m. on TV Veseljak Golica, on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. on TV Aktual, and on Sundays at 9:30 p.m. on Radio 1 TV. The programme consisted of a series of 13 interviews with the leaders of political parties.[130]
In addition to its traditional large-scale election debates, POP TV also produced eight weekly interviews with party leaders as part of the 24UR news programme.[131] The paired interviews were conducted by journalists from the evening news team Žana Vertačnik, Anže Božič, Marko Gregorc, and Kaja Kobetič, as well as journalists from the 24ur.com portal, including Urša Zupan, Mirko Vorkapić, Natalija Švab, and Maruša Slana.[132]
As part of the evening current affairs programme Odmevi on TV SLO 1, profiles of political parties were broadcast between 3 and 16 February 2026. These profiles focused on parties polling above two percent in public opinion surveys ahead of the upcoming elections and consisted of nine approximately 15-minute interviews with party leaders, prepared and conducted by the programme’s hosts.[133]
In February 2026, the online portal Domovina aired the podcast Volitve 2026, hosted by Vida Petrovčič. The series presented centrist and centre-right political parties and focused on themes described as being “more oriented towards the survival, future, and development of Slovenia.”[134]
LOESS curve of polling conducted, excluding undecided voters
Opinion polling for the next Slovenian parliamentary election is being carried out continually by various organisations to gauge voting intention. The dates for these opinion polls range from the 2022 Parliamentary election on 24 April to the present day.
The election resulted in a hung parliament, with no major party being likely to secure a majority of 46 seats.[147]Freedom Movement (GS) received 28.63% of the vote, while the opposition Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) received 27.95% of the vote, creating a gap of 0.68 percentage points, the smallest margin ever between the top two parties in a Slovenian parliamentary election.[148] With GS and SDS winning 29 and 28 seats respectively, the left-leaning bloc led by Golob decreased to 40 MPs and the right-leaning bloc led by Janša increased to 43 MPs.[149]
In third place was the right-wing coalition of New Slovenia, Slovenian People's Party and Focus taking 9.29% of the vote and winning a total of nine seats (NSi won 7 seats, SLS won 1 seat and Focus won 1 seat). The Social Democrats and Democrats each took around 6.70% of the vote, giving both parties their respective six seats. Left–Vesna took five seats with 5.58% of the vote, while Resni.ca also took five seats with 5.52% of the vote.[150][151]Zoran Stevanović, leader of Resni.ca, stated that the party wasn't interested in joining the right-leaning bloc led by Janša.[152]
↑Zerdin, Ali (22 March 2026). "Slovenia's liberals and populists neck and neck, preliminary results show". AP. Archived from the original on 22 March 2026. Retrieved 22 March 2026. The result means that none of the main parties will have a majority in the 90-member parliament and that whoever will form a future government will depend on smaller parties that will act as kingmakers.
↑"PM Golob's party appears to have won election by hairbreadth". The Slovenian Times. 23 March 2026. Archived from the original on 24 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026. The gap between the Freedom Movement and the opposition Democratic Party (SDS) is currently at a mere 0.7 percentage points, the smallest margin ever in a Slovenian parliamentary election, but this is also the first time since 2000 that the sitting prime minister appears to have won an election. It will be challenging to form a government though.
↑Bytyci, Fatos; Sito-sucic, Daria (21 March 2026). "Liberal, populist parties tied in Slovenia's parliamentary vote". Reuters. Retrieved 22 March 2026. Based on 99.45% of ballots counted, GS won 29 seats, trailed tightly by SDS with 28 seats. Along with the supporting parties, the GS led by incumbent Prime Minister Robert Golob would have 40 MPs while SDS, led by populist ex-prime minister Janez Jansa, would have 43 seats.
↑"Slovenia's Governing Liberals Narrowly Defeat Right-Wing Challenge at Polls". Balkan Insight. 23 March 2026. Archived from the original on 24 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026. In third place was the Christian Democratic alliance of New Slovenia, the Slovenian People's Party, and Focus, with nine seats. The Social Democrats won six seats, the same number as Anze Logar's Democrats. The anti-vaccine Resni.ca party is projected to win five seats, as is the left-wing alliance of Levica and Vesna, according to the Slovenian Press Agency, STA. Two additional seats in parliament are reserved for representatives of Slovenia's Hungarian and Italian minorities.
↑Krainc, Maya (24 March 2026). "Slovenia's Liberal Party Edges Past Right-Wing in Tightly Contested Election". European Western Balkans. Archived from the original on 24 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026. Seats were also won by the right-wing coalition of New Slovenia (NSi), the Slovenian People's Party (SLS) and the Focus party with 9.29 percent, the Social Democrats (SD) and the Democrats with 6.70 percent each, the Left with 5.58 percent and the anti-system party Truth (Resnica) with 5.53 percent of the vote.
↑"Stevanović: Z SDS ne gremo, zanima pa nas notranje, zunanje in finančno ministrstvo". N1 (in Slovenian). 22 March 2026. Archived from the original on 23 March 2026. Retrieved 22 March 2026. Prva stranke Resni.ca Zoran Stevanović je po zaprtju volišč za N1 ponovil, da v koalicijo z Janezom Janšo ne gre. "Zagotovil, ki smo jih dali, ne bomo prekršili in nikdar ne bomo zlorabili zaupanja ljudi," je poudaril.
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