Slovenia heads to the polls on Sunday (22 March) in a closely contested race between incumbent Prime Minister Robert Golob and right-wing former Prime Minister Janez Janša.
Opinion polls suggest a tight contest between Golob’s Freedom Movement (GS) and Janša’s Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), with the outcome likely to depend on smaller parties and post-election coalition-building.
Janez Janša has previously served three terms as prime minister (from 2004 to 2008, briefly in 2012–2013, and again from 2020 to 2022), making him one of Slovenia’s most experienced and polarising political figures.
By contrast, Robert Golob rose rapidly in national politics ahead of the 2022 election, when his Freedom Movement secured a record result on a reform-focused platform centred on strengthening public services, advancing green policies and restoring trust in state institutions after years of political turbulence.
The two candidates offer sharply contrasting domestic agendas.
Golob has prioritised social policy, the green transition, and institutional reform, while Janša has pledged tax cuts and a more business-oriented approach.
Foreign policy - particularly the Israel-Palestine conflict - has emerged as a key dividing line. Under Golob, Slovenia has taken a more critical stance on Israel and recognised Palestinian statehood in 2024.
Janša, by contrast, is a supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu and has criticised Slovenia’s recognition of Palestine.
The final days of the campaign have also been overshadowed by allegations of foreign interference. Golob has warned of possible external involvement following reports that representatives of the Israeli private intelligence firm Black Cube visited the country.
French President Emmanuel Macron said there were signs of interference affecting elections across Europe.
Janša has acknowledged meeting a representative of Black Cube but said the contact was informal, denying any involvement in or knowledge of alleged influence operations.
He rejected accusations that his party had co-operated with foreign actors to interfere in Slovenia’s electoral process, calling the claims politically motivated. No evidence has been publicly presented linking him or his party directly to any wrongdoing.
With no clear frontrunner, smaller parties are expected to play a decisive role in forming the next government, shaping Slovenia’s domestic direction and foreign policy in the years ahead.
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The pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet were killed after it collided with a fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, in an incident that closed the airport, authorities and U.S. media said.
Violent clashes broke out between police and opposition protesters in Tirana on Sunday (22 March) as demonstrators were demanding the resignation of the Albanian government following corruption allegations against the deputy prime minister.
Iran warned it would strike energy and water infrastructure across the Gulf if U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to attack its electricity grid, raising fears of mass disruption in a region heavily dependent on desalination for drinking water.
New Zealand will temporarily permit fuel meeting Australian standards to be imported for up to 12 months, the government said on Monday, as it seeks to mitigate supply risks linked to the Middle East conflict and soaring prices.
The pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet were killed after it collided with a fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, in an incident that closed the airport, authorities and U.S. media said.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. was considering "winding down" its military operation against Iran, as Iran and Israel traded attacks on Saturday (21 March) and Iranian media said the nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz had been attacked.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned that American forces could target Iranian power plants if the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and Iran, in return, warned that any attack on its energy infrastructure would trigger strikes on regional facilities.
Iran has launched long-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles towards the joint U.S.-UK military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, in what Israeli officials said was a major escalation in the war.
A British nuclear-powered submarine armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles has reportedly taken up position in the Arabian Sea, the Daily Mail reported on Saturday (21 March). The deployment gives the UK the ability to carry out long-range strikes if tensions in the Gulf escalate.
Violent clashes broke out between police and opposition protesters in Tirana on Sunday (22 March) as demonstrators were demanding the resignation of the Albanian government following corruption allegations against the deputy prime minister.
In UK's capital, four ambulances belonging to a Jewish community organisation in north London were set ablaze, police said on Monday, adding that the incident was being treated as an antisemitic hate crime. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called the incident "sickening."
New Zealand will temporarily permit fuel meeting Australian standards to be imported for up to 12 months, the government said on Monday, as it seeks to mitigate supply risks linked to the Middle East conflict and soaring prices.
France's far-right National Rally (RN) failed to win the cities of Marseille and Toulon which they had hoped to claim in Sunday's municipal votes, a setback that gave hope to embattled mainstream parties ahead of next year's presidential election.
Qatar has confirmed that seven people, including four of its military personnel and three Turkish nationals, were killed on Sunday (22 March) when a helicopter crashed in the country’s territorial waters.
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