Slovenian PM Seeks Coalition Partners After Razor-Thin Election Victory

Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob is working to form a coalition government after his party won just one more seat than his main rival in last week's election. Golob is pushing for urgent economic measures to address rising energy costs affecting the Alpine nation.

Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob began discussions with political party leaders on Friday to form a broad coalition government following last week’s extremely close election results that left no party with a clear majority.

Vote counting from the March 22 election shows Golob’s Freedom Movement (GS) secured 29 seats in parliament, edging out the right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) led by former premier Janez Jansa by just a single seat.

Both parties need additional partners to reach a working majority in Slovenia’s 90-member parliament, giving smaller political groups significant influence in determining the country’s next government.

Golob extended invitations to all parties that won seats except the SDS to join a unity government during what he described as a challenging period marked by Europe’s latest energy crisis stemming from the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.

However, three center-right parties with platforms similar to the SDS declined the offer, stating they would attempt to create their own center-right alliance instead.

Current projections show parties historically aligned with Golob’s movement could bring his parliamentary support to 40 seats, while Jansa’s SDS and potential allies would hold 43 seats – still falling short of the needed majority. Jansa indicated he plans to wait for final vote tallies before beginning his own coalition discussions.

During Friday’s meeting, Golob emphasized the need for immediate economic intervention, stating that all participants agreed to work together on urgent measures to protect Slovenia’s agricultural sector and broader economy. He described these steps as necessary following “the unwise attack on Iran, and as Europe is preparing for a major economic crisis.”

Slovenia is already experiencing energy supply challenges and recently had to impose temporary restrictions on fuel purchases at gas stations due to hoarding behavior triggered by price increases.

Meeting participants agreed that any future government’s top priorities should focus on anti-corruption efforts and stabilizing the energy sector.

Under Golob’s leadership, Slovenia has maintained pro-European policies emphasizing social reforms while aligning its foreign policy with other European nations.

In contrast, Jansa – who maintains close ties with Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orban and has expressed support for U.S. President Donald Trump – advocates for business tax reductions, cuts to welfare and media funding, and a shift in Slovenia’s international relationships.

The SDS filed formal complaints with election officials requesting new early voting due to alleged irregularities, but the electoral commission rejected these claims on Friday.

The election attracted international scrutiny after Golob accused “foreign services” of interference, referencing a reported December meeting between Jansa and officials from Israeli private intelligence firm Black Cube. Golob characterized this as “the biggest scandal we have witnessed in Slovenia since independence.” Jansa has denied any wrongdoing and accused Golob of attempting to hide corruption within his own party.