Dramatic elections in small EU country Slovenia: Career-changing liberal politician Robert Golob dethroned controversial Janez Jansa.
Energy manager Robert Golob’s new liberal party has won parliamentary elections in Slovenia – and more clearly than expected. Right-wing prime minister Janez Jansa will step down from office after just over two years. Golob’s Freedom Movement (GS) rose from 98 percent of the vote to 34 percent and 40 of 90 parliamentary seats on Sunday, according to the state Election Commission. Jansa’s SDS party won 24% of voters and won 28 seats.
Only three other parties, the conservative New Slovenia (NSi, 7%, 8 seats), the Social Democrats (SD, 7%, 8 seats) and the Left Levica Party (4%, 5 seats) also surpassed the barrier of 4%. which is decisive for entry into Parliament. A seat in parliament is reserved for representatives of the Italian and Hungarian minorities.
Isolation instead of partying with followers
With this distribution of seats, Golob can form a majority with the Social Democrats. Jansa, on the other hand, along with NSi, its traditional coalition partner, currently does not have a majority on its side. Turnout was 68%, higher than any other Slovenian election in 22 years.
Golob spent election day in home isolation in his hometown of Nova Gorica due to a corona infection. In the evening, the 55-year-old director addressed his supporters, who were celebrating their electoral victory at a club in the capital Ljubljana, via videoconference. “People really trust that we are the only ones capable of fulfilling the hope for change,” Golob said. First there is dancing, but on Monday a new day begins and with it the hard work.
Jansa – ally of Viktor Orban
Jansa accepted electoral defeat and declared that he wanted to appear with his party as the “state-supporting opposition”. The 63-year-old veteran of Slovenian politics is accused of suppressing press freedom and undermining the independent judiciary.
He was prime minister from 2004 to 2008 and from 2012 to 2013. He used government funds for the SDS election campaign. He repeatedly attacks political opponents and journalists through the short message service Twitter. Police, controlled by its people, often hit peaceful protesters with legally questionable and sensitive fines.
Jansa, defense minister during Slovenia’s short-lived war of independence in the summer of 1991, is a close ally of right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Hungarian businessmen who depend on Orban have been funding SDS television stations, newspapers and online portals for years. Under Jansa, EU member Slovenia moved closer to the “illiberal” axis formed by the skeptical EU governments in Budapest and Warsaw.
Political career change
Jansa became prime minister again in early 2020 as the centre-left coalition formed in 2018 collapsed. Deputies from two small parties defected to Jansa, so he managed to unite a small majority with a right-wing coalition.
Your challenger Golob studied electrical engineering and entered the electricity market with his own start-up. Since 2006 and until recently, he was the general director of the state-owned electric power trading company Gen-I. At the end of last year, Jansa managed to have his contract not extended. Golob then took over a small Green Party and turned it into the now victorious freedom movement.
Navigation account 20 minutes, Mr. Time 04.25.2022, 07:17 | Act: 04/25/2022, 07:19