Slovenia
Slovenia is a parliamentary republic with a freely elected government that generally respects political rights and civil liberties. A right-wing government that sought to undermine the rule of law was replaced by a left-liberal coalition after the April 2022 parliamentary elections. Corruption remains an issue.
Research & Recommendations
Slovenia
| PR Political Rights | 39 40 |
| CL Civil Liberties | 57 60 |
Overview
Slovenia is a parliamentary republic with a freely elected government that generally respects political rights and civil liberties, though corruption remains an issue. The judiciary has an established record of independent rulings.
In countries where democratic forces have come to power after periods of antidemocratic rule, the new governments should pursue an agenda that protects and expands freedoms even as it delivers tangible economic and social benefits to citizens.
These countries must act swiftly to release all political prisoners, build or revitalize democratic institutions, reform police and other security forces, organize and hold competitive multiparty elections, and ensure accountability for past human rights violations.
In countries where there has been significant erosion of political rights and civil liberties, policymakers, legislators, jurists, civic activists, and donor communities should work to strengthen institutional guardrails and norms that serve to constrain elected leaders with antidemocratic or illiberal aims.
Slovenia
| DEMOCRACY-PERCENTAGE Democracy Percentage | 79.76 100 |
| DEMOCRACY-SCORE Democracy Score | 5.79 7 |
Executive Summary
Political developments in Slovenia in 2023 were dictated by the actions of a government led by the newly established Freedom Movement (GS) party and Prime Minister Robert Golob, in power since 2022. Observers rightfully characterized the situation as “people without political experience finding themselves in power.” The political inexperience of the prime minister, coupled with his only known modus operandi being from the private sector and his micromanaging approach, led to some unfortunate decisions.
The future of European democracy and security is now inextricably linked to the fate of Ukraine. European Union (EU) and NATO member states must not only invest far more—and more efficiently—in their collective defense, but also provide Ukraine with the assistance it needs to roll back Russian advances and build a durable democracy of its own.
In addition to defending the international order from emboldened autocrats, democratic governments must attend to democratic renewal within Europe, particularly among nascent democracies.
Military aggression from autocracies in the region has underscored the dangers of exclusion from democracy-based organizations like the EU and NATO, galvanizing the political will of policymakers in aspiring member states and generating further public pressure to undertake long-sought democratic reforms.