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By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
LJUBLJANA — In a night of high drama that has gripped Central Europe, Slovenia’s governing liberals have narrowly fended off a challenge from right-wing populists, according to preliminary results from Sunday’s pivotal parliamentary election. The vote, described by observers as a “referendum on democracy,” saw Prime Minister Robert Golob’s Freedom Movement (GS) edge out the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), led by the veteran three-time premier and Donald Trump ally Janez Janša.
With 99% of the ballots counted, Golob’s center-left GS secured approximately 28.6% of the vote, while Janša’s SDS trailed at 28.1%. The razor-thin margin signals a period of intense political horse-trading, as neither major bloc has secured a clear path to a 46-seat majority in the 90-member National Assembly.
🔴 Updates
🇸🇮 The liberals of Slovenia’s incumbent PM Robert Golob are on course to narrowly edge out the conservatives
🇮🇹 Turnout Constitutional referendum at 23.00 CET
45.95%🇩🇪 CDU (conservatives) won election in Rhineland-Palatinatecenter, SPD (socialists) came second pic.twitter.com/bu49wWDiI4
— Other Europe 🇪🇺 (@other_europe) March 22, 2026
A Campaign of Shadows
The race was defined by what many called the “dirtiest campaign in Slovenia’s post-independence history.” Just days before the polls opened, the political landscape was rocked by a spy scandal involving alleged secret video recordings of government officials.
Prime Minister Golob accused “foreign services”, specifically pointing to the Israeli private intelligence firm Black Cube, of interference. Opponents, meanwhile, leveraged the leaked footage to highlight accusations of graft and inconsistency within the liberal administration.
The Rise of the Kingmakers
As the two giants of Slovenian politics remain locked in a stalemate, the future of the nation now rests with a fragmented field of smaller parties:
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The Traditional Allies: Golob’s current partners, the Social Democrats and The Left, suffered losses but remain essential to any liberal coalition.
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The Wild Cards: Former Foreign Minister Anže Logar, who broke away from Janša to form a centrist party, and the anti-establishment Resni.ca party have both crossed the 4% threshold, positioning themselves as potential kingmakers.
Europe’s Fault Lines
The stakes extend far beyond the borders of this nation of two million. A Janša victory would have likely pulled Slovenia into the “illiberal” orbit of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Slovakia’s Robert Fico, potentially fracturing EU consensus on Ukraine and Western Balkan integration.
“These elections are perhaps the most important ever in Slovenia,” said Robert Botteri, editor at Mladina. “They decide if we remain a democratic welfare state or align with the new illiberal model rising in Central Europe.”
A Bitter Aftertaste
Despite the narrow victory for the liberal course, the campaign has left the country deeply polarized. Civil rights groups have warned of a disturbing surge in anti-Romany rhetoric from both sides, with the marginalized community being used as a political football in the closing weeks of the race.
Speaking from his party headquarters, a somber Golob acknowledged that “tough negotiations lie ahead,” while a defiant Janša warned that the result would bring “not much political stability” to the country.