site.btaWinner in Slovenia Elections Starts Coalition Talks

Robert Golob, the leader of the green Centre-Left Freedom Movement that won the elections for a new legislature in Slovenia on Sunday, said he wants to start coalition talks as soon as possible so that a government can start work by mid-May. 

The first in row for the talks are the Social Democratcs, report the news media in Slovenia. Informal talks with President Borut Pahor are also due Tuesday.

Unofficial results from the Sunday elections indicate that there will be five parties in the new Parliament. First is the Freedom Movement with 34.56% of the votes, which will likely get it 41 seats in the 90-seat Parliament. The Centre-Right Slovenian Democratic Party of Prime Minister Janez Jansa will have 23 MPs after winning 23.52% of the votes. New Slovenia had 6.85% of the votes and will be with 8 MPs. The Social Democrats of MEP Tanja Fajon won 6.65% support and seven MPs, leaving the Left with 4.39% and five seats.

The final results are due by May 10 after which President Borut Pahor will convoke Parliament and start the procedure for formation and approval of a government.

Simple arithmetic shows that the Freedom Movement and the Social Democrats have a majority between them and will be able to form a government. Analysts say that the fewer the parties in the coalition the more stable the government, and the fewer the parties in Parliament the more transparent the political scene will be.

Social Democrats leader Fajon also called for fast start of coalition talks because Slovenia needs a stable and strong government.

Golob, however, said that he is going to also meet with the Left and with two formations in the Left part of the political spectrum which have failed to clear the 4% barrier for Parliament.

Before the Left starts coalition talks, it will have to make a decision on the replacement of the party leadership due to the disappointing performance in the elections.

A 55-year-old engineer, Golob said he wants to put together a government of people who are specialists and have qualities, regardless of their party affiliations. "we are not a classic party but a movement, and we don't have party discipline or intend to enforce any. We value people for their knowledge and skills, and political affiliation is not going to be a condition for taking a [government] post," Golob said on N1 TV.

The Social Democrats and the power-sharing New Slovenia, however, are not on Golob's schedule for coalition talks.

According to its election platform, the Freedom Movement will work to considerably increase renewables for energy production, to ensure affordable energy for households and businesses, to reduce the dependence on natural gas and encourage participation in the circular economy. It also promises to reform health care, eliminate red tape and digitize the sector, as well as schools, revise the media law and the culture sector, and ensure pensions that are at least 10% above the poverty line of 739 euro per month.  The current minimum pension in Slovenia is 613 euro.

The party also plans to reform the corporate income tax, stabilize the local capital market, activate dormant capital and encourage employee ownership in companies. Also, it has promised to raise the child allowances for all children and provide government security for first home purchase by young people.

The Freedom Movement has several ideas for reforming the political system: strengthening the role of the President and empower him to appoint judges, as well as introducing preferential voting in the general elections. Modernizing the armed forces is also in the plan.

As for the Ukraine war, the Freedom Movement believes that Ljubljana must offer Kyiv all political, economic, financial, humanitarian and other support and care for Ukrainian people. Regarding the sanctions, they call for unity and concerted actions of all EU countries without isolating any country.