The Slovenian parliament has reappointed right-wing politician Janez Janša as the country’s prime minister. The 67-year-old Janša, who lost power in 2022, marks a political comeback that signals a shift in this small European Union member state, which has been governed by liberal administrations in recent years. In the parliamentary vote held on Friday in Slovenia’s 90-seat parliament, Janša secured 51 votes in favor and 36 against. The new prime minister will face another parliamentary vote within the next 15 days to seek approval for his new cabinet.
Janša’s appointment ends a political deadlock that followed general elections two months ago. In the March 22 election, the former liberal prime minister Robert Golob’s ‘Freedom Movement’ won 29 seats, while Janša’s populist Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) secured 28 seats. Although Golob managed to take a plurality, he was unable to assemble the majority necessary to form a government, resulting in parliamentary impasse. Just last Thursday, Janša and his SDS signed coalition agreements with other center-right to right-wing groups to form a new government. This new coalition holds a total of 43 seats in parliament.
The new united government includes SDS, New Slovenia, the Democrats, the Slovenian People’s Party, and the Focus party. Additionally, the right-wing ‘Resnica’ party has decided to support the coalition without formally joining the government. Janez Janša is assuming the prime ministership for the fourth time, having previously led the country during 2004–2008, 2012–2013, and 2020–2022. Presenting the government’s forthcoming agenda to parliament, Janša emphasized priorities such as economic development, fighting corruption and administrative delays, and decentralization.
He also committed to reducing tax rates for the wealthy and promoting private education and health sectors. Earlier this month, in discussions with journalists, Janša claimed the new coalition would ensure a high-quality state system at a lower cost. The prime minister is a longtime admirer of former US President Donald Trump and is considered a close ally of Hungary’s former populist prime minister Viktor Orbán, who was recently defeated in elections. On international matters, Janša is a staunch supporter of Israel. He strongly criticized the previous government’s decision to recognize Palestine as an independent state in 2024.
During his earlier terms, Janša was accused of weakening democratic institutions and imposing restrictions on press freedom, which sparked widespread public protests in Slovenia and prompted serious scrutiny from the European Union. This time, his right-wing populist style continues to draw close attention and monitoring within Slovenia and across Europe.
