Slovenia Politics Explained, Who Holds Power in 2026

SLOVENIA · POLITICS

Who Holds Power in Ljubljana

Janez Janša, leader of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), is prime minister of Slovenia, a euro-area country of about two million people. He leads a coalition that took office on 4 June 2026 after the National Assembly, the 90-seat parliament, approved his government with 49 votes.

This guide is part of The Rio Times series on European politics. See also our guides to Spain and Germany’s AfD debate.

Voters elected that parliament on Sunday 22 March 2026, and no party won a majority. Janša’s SDS took 28 seats, second to the liberal Freedom Movement (Svoboda) of former prime minister Robert Golob, which took 29.

How the System Works

Slovenia is a parliamentary republic in which the prime minister runs the government. The president is directly elected, represents the state and nominates some officials.

President Nataša Pirc Musar is not an ally of Janša and says so in public. She has criticised the government’s stance on Israeli settlements.

The National Assembly writes laws, confirms governments and elects judges. The 40-seat National Council, a second chamber for local and professional interests, can only delay or advise.

The Coalition and Its Margins

Janša’s government rests on 43 seats: 28 for the SDS, nine for an alliance of New Slovenia (a Christian-democratic party), the People’s Party and Focus, and six for the Democrats, a smaller party. The opposition holds 40 seats, split among Svoboda (29), the centre-left Social Democrats (6) and the Left, a left-wing party (5).

The coalition is short of the 46 seats needed for a majority on its own. It relies on support from other deputies, including the Truth party (Resni.ca), which sits outside the coalition and whose leader Zoran Stevanović is speaker of the Assembly.

The Referendum That Went Against Janša

On Sunday 11 October, voters decided on a law that would have changed how parliamentary inquiry commissions work. Opponents, who gathered more than 40,000 signatures to force the vote, said it would weaken oversight of the powerful; 51.26% voted no, and the law falls.

Three non-binding questions were on the same ballot. Voters backed work-related duties for people receiving social benefits (60.54%) and limiting voting in administrative elections to Slovenian and EU citizens (55.29%), while the proposal to scrap the licence fee for public broadcaster RTV Slovenija was narrowly rejected, 50.04% to 49.96%.

A Court Fight Over Judges

On Tuesday 20 October the National Assembly refused to appoint Judge Boris Gabrijel Hrovat to the Supreme Court, with 33 votes in favour and 44 against. The coalition parties voted no, as did most Truth deputies, after a parliamentary commission had already withheld its support.

The Judicial Council, which proposes judges, warned against replacing professional assessment with political judgment. It meets on 5 November to decide whether to reconsider the candidates, and the Assembly confirmed six other judges the same day.

Israel, the EU and the President

In August Slovenia declined to back a joint statement by all 27 EU states on Israeli settlement plans in the occupied West Bank. The Foreign Ministry said a new statement would add no value, since EU leaders had already set out their position in June.

President Pirc Musar said the settlements violate international law and undermine the two-state solution. The dispute shows how far the president and the prime minister differ on foreign policy, though Slovenia remains a member of the EU and NATO.

Impeachment Talk and the Autumn Agenda

An impeachment motion against Janša, a formal charge that goes to the Constitutional Court, failed on 26 May by 42 votes to 44. Whether the opposition will try again is open.

Voters rejected the inquiry law in the referendum of Sunday 11 October. The result makes any new inquiry law harder to pass.

What It Means for US Readers

Slovenia is a NATO ally and an EU member that trades in euros, so its politics affect American investors only at the margin. The coalition has a thin majority, which raises the chance of delays on budgets and appointments, and the court and referendum fights are a test of how far Janša can push institutions.

For American travellers, Slovenia remains part of the Schengen area, the EU’s passport-free travel zone, and day-to-day life is unaffected by these disputes. Anyone with business ties should watch the 5 November Judicial Council meeting and the coalition’s votes on its autumn legislation.

What Is Not Known

It is not clear how reliable the coalition’s working majority is on ordinary legislation, since it depends on deputies from outside the governing parties. Votes in the coming weeks will show whether the referendum defeat changes that.

It is not known whether the opposition will bring a new impeachment motion. The Judicial Council has also not said whether it will keep Hrovat on the list for the Supreme Court vacancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Slovenia’s prime minister in October 2026?

Janez Janša of the Slovenian Democratic Party. The National Assembly approved his government with 49 votes on 4 June 2026.

What is the role of the president?

Nataša Pirc Musar is head of state. The role is largely ceremonial, but she speaks publicly on foreign policy and has criticised the government’s stance on Israel.

What happened in the 11 October referendum?

Voters rejected the government’s law on parliamentary inquiry commissions, 51.26% to 48.74%, in a binding vote. The law therefore does not take effect.

Why was the Supreme Court nominee rejected?

The National Assembly voted 33 to 44 against Judge Boris Gabrijel Hrovat on 20 October. Critics pointed to a 2022 detention ruling he co-wrote, which was later overturned.

When is the next election?

The regular term runs four years from the March 2026 vote, so the next election is due in spring 2030. An earlier vote would need a coalition collapse.

Sources: Government of Slovenia; National Assembly of Slovenia; State Election Commission of Slovenia; President of the Republic of Slovenia; Judicial Council of Slovenia.