Slovenia Enters Final Week of Campaign Ahead of Parliamentary Elections

Slovenia presidential elections (BETAPHOTO/HINA/ STA)

Slovenia is entering the final week of campaigning ahead of its regular parliamentary elections, the 10th since gaining independence, as accusations of corruption at the top levels of government and allegations of the spread of disinformation aimed at influencing the electoral process are surfacing.

The latest poll suggests the opposition right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party, led by Janez Jansa, is expected to win the most votes. According to the survey, Jansa’s party enjoys the support of 23.9 percent of respondents, while the left-leaning Freedom Movement ranks second with a gap of 3.8 percentage points.

Also expected to enter Parliament are the Social Democrats(center-left) with 6.6 percent, a coalition gathered around New Slovenia (center-right) with 6.1 percent, The Left and the Vesna party with six percent, the Democrats with 5.7 percent and the anti-establishment party Resnica (Truth) with 4.2 percent. Voters will elect 88 lawmakers, while one representative each will be elected by members of the Italian and Hungarian national minorities.

Polls indicate that the Slovenian Democratic Party together with its potential partners New Slovenia and the Democrats would have 45 seats in parliament, one short of the number needed to form a government, while the ruling coalition of Freedom Movement, Social Democrats and The Left would have 39 seats. The Resnica party, led by its president Zoran Stevanovic and advocating stronger state sovereignty, could play a key role.