Leaders of Slovenia’s political parties begin talks in bid to end crisis

Photo: Twitter/BorutPahorSlovene President Borut Pahor will open talks with opposition party leaders today in an effort to form a new government.

After less than a year in office, the centre-left coalition government led by Prime Minister Marjan Sarec of the Lista Marjana Šarca (LMS) resigned on January 27 after failing to pass healthcare reform legislation. The prime minister then called for an early election to rally support for his agenda. For this to occur, the president must fail in forming a new government.

The coalition talks will involve the centre-right and anti-immigration Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), which is the largest party in the National Assembly with 26 of 90 seats. However, SDS leader and former PM Janez Jansa has admitted that a coalition is unlikely. Even if one emerges from the negotiations, it will comprise a highly unstable mix of parties, similar to the previous government.

Expect the president to fail in his attempt to form a coalition and thus forced to call another election. Whether this results in an outright victory for any party is unlikely within the fragmented reality of Slovene politics. The LMS and SDS are close in the polls, at 15.1% and 14.1% respectively, with smaller parties garnering approval in the single digits. Almost a quarter of voters remain undecided, making the race even more unpredictable. Regardless of the outcome, expect another coalition government.

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