Slovenia’s parliamentary election on Sunday appeared to end in a virtual tie between Prime Minister Robert Golob’s liberal Freedom Movement and the opposition Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) led by populist Janez Janša. With about 99% of ballots counted, the Freedom Movement held 28.5% of the vote to the SDS’s 28.1%. An exit poll had initially given Golob a larger lead, but that margin narrowed as counting continued.
It was unclear which camp would have the clearer path to forming a government: neither was poised for an outright majority in Slovenia’s 90-seat parliament, leaving smaller parties as likely kingmakers. Speaking after the near-final results, Golob expressed confidence he could lead the next government while acknowledging “tough negotiations lie ahead.” He added: “In the next term, we will do everything we can to ensure a better future. We can look forward to moving ahead, into the future, under a free sun.”
The vote was widely seen as pivotal for the 2 million–person EU member state and for the wider European balance between liberal and illiberal forces. Golob’s government has been a proponent of the EU’s liberal agenda, while Janša and the SDS have allied rhetorically with illiberal leaders such as Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Slovakia’s Robert Fico. Janša has also voiced admiration for former US President Donald Trump. Since independence from communist Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia has often swung between these blocs. The country joined both the EU and NATO in 2004.
In the campaign’s final weeks, allegations of foreign election interference dominated headlines. Journalists and activists accused Janša of hiring Israeli private intelligence firm Black Cube to aid his election effort, including producing videos that purported to document government corruption. Janša has acknowledged contacts with Black Cube but denied any interference. Slovenian authorities said Black Cube operatives visited Ljubljana four times during the campaign and were seen near SDS party headquarters.
Golob urged an EU investigation into the matter at a Brussels summit, saying action was needed “to protect every other state that will come into election process in the next months,” and expressing confidence Slovenian voters would reject foreign interference. Black Cube, run by former Mossad agents, has not publicly replied to the allegations. The firm says it operates legally and ethically but has faced controversy before, including over work tied to attempts to discredit people who accused film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse.
Edited by: Kieran Burke
