The Slovenian parliament appointed right-wing nationalist Janez Jansa as prime minister on Friday. During the vote, 51 of the 87 parliamentarians present supported Jansa.
The 67-year-old Trump admirer, Netanyahu ally and EU critic has been prime minister three times before: in the periods 2004-2008, 2012-2013 and 2020-2022.
Jansa is known as someone who opposes political opponents, judges and journalists. As prime minister, he thwarted the national news agency by blocking funding. He also delayed in appointing corruption fighters. A European Parliament delegation concluded in 2021 that Jansa fueled contradictions in Slovenian society.
By the way, not Jansa, but the pro-European, left-liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob narrowly won the elections last March. Golob, who was elected prime minister in 2022, received 7,776 more votes but failed to form a coalition. His party received 29 of the 90 seats, Jansa’s party 28.
Jansa was then given the opportunity to form a minority coalition. His Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) is working together with the Christian Democratic New Slovenia (NSi), the centre-right Demokrati and two MPs from smaller parties. This coalition has 43 of the 90 seats. The pro-Russian opposition party Resnica (Truth) provides tolerating support. However, according to the AFP news agency, the coalition is “formally” pro-European. Jansa has criticized Putin in the past.
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During the election campaign, Jansa advocated lower taxes, smaller government, ‘traditional family values’ and campaigned against NGOs. He also wants to reverse the Golob government’s recognition of Palestine and move the Slovenian embassy in Israel from secular Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Just before the parliamentary elections there was a political scandal. Leaked conversation recordings allegedly show that Golob was guilty of corruption as prime minister. According to the Slovenian security service, the infamous Israeli company Black Cube is involved, which recruits employees from the Mossad, the Israeli secret service, and the Israeli armed forces.
Slovenian stakeholders believe that the recordings were manipulated and Black Cube was hired by Jansa’s party. Jansa contradicts that allegation. A citizens’ collective has taken the case to the Slovenian Constitutional Court.
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