Slovenia’s opposition leader and nationalist former Prime Minister Janez Janša gives a statement after casting his vote during the general election in Arnače on March 22, 2026.
JURE MAKOVEC / AFP
The leftist prime minister wants to move on quickly from the vote, but critics say there is evidence of foul play.
Reports early on Monday, March 23rd, pointed to the opening of “tough” coalition talks led by left-liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob. But his conservative opponent, former PM Janez Janša, says allegations of foul play mean it is too early to call the result from Sunday’s election.
With 96.54% of the votes counted, Golob’s so-called ‘Freedom Movement’ (GS) secured 28.6%, amounting to 29 seats. Janša’s Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) was just behind on 28.2%, just one seat behind.
Reports of problems on the electoral commission’s website prompted Janša to announce his intention “to recount every vote in every polling station. Slovenia,” he said, “deserves stability, but I doubt it will achieve it given the results.”
The opposition leader has spent much of Monday morning sharing posts on X from users claiming, for example, that individuals were trying to remove votes at ballot sites, and even prevented some from casting their vote.
Slovenian news site Nova24TV also reported on Sunday that no less than 24 polling stations had illegally opened early.
But Golob is keen to put the election behind him, telling supporters after the count: “We are moving forward and that is what counts the most.”
Progressives elsewhere across Europe have also celebrated the result, however harshly it is likely now to be contested. Finnish minister Arto Satonen said the vote was “good,” because “at the moment, the most important thing for Europe is that Putin’s favorites do not win the elections!” Polish MEP Dariusz Joński likewise hailed that “Slovenia has opted in key elections for a strong and united Europe, curbing populist parties.”
French President Emmanuel Macron later sent his “sincere congratulations” to Golob, prompting Janša to respond: “Not so fast.”
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
