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 | 58 60 |
Democratic resilience will increasingly depend on stronger coordination among countries that share a commitment to freedom, the rule of law, and accountable governance.
International support for democratic institutions, civil society, and independent media has been associated with modest but meaningful improvements in democratic governance, and it is far less costly than the military outlays necessitated by rising authoritarian aggression.
Young people are increasingly dissatisfied with democracy—not because they reject its principles, but because they see institutions failing to deliver on them. Programmatic work should create clear pathways for meaningful political participation, from voting and policy engagement to community organizing and public leadership, so that young people can translate their expectations into agency.
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.