parliamentary election
Right-wing populism also loses in Slovenia: the winner is Robert Golob
Former energy manager with a soft voice: Robert Golob, winner of the election in Slovenia.
© Luka Dakskobler/Sopa/Zuma Press Wire / DPA
Slovenia was well on the way to becoming an “illiberal” state – modeled on Hungary. But with Robert Golob, a recently fired energy manager after surprisingly winning the election, could bring about a turning point.
Europe has one less right-wing populist. In Slovenia, the small Alpine republic between Italy, Austria and Croatia, the previous head of government, Janez Jansa, was voted out. The 63-year-old liked to insult political opponents via Twitter, showed his solidarity with right-wing foreign politicians such as Victor Orban and Donald Trump and was busy transforming his country into an “illiberal” state – with some “success”: No other country on the renowned “Freedom-of-the-world” list about the state of democracy had recently slipped as much as Slovenia. But that could now be the end of it.
Robert Golob “between hippie and yuppie”
70 percent of the population voted, more people than in 22 years. More than a third have made their cross with the “Freedom Movement” (GS), which is led by the liberal political newcomer Robert Golob. The clear lead for his party came as a surprise, because a head-to-head race between the GS and Jansa’s party had actually been expected. “People want change and have given us the confidence to bring about these changes,” said Sieger Golob, who the press locates “between hippie and yuppie” because of his half-length, wavy hair and soft voice.
Golob, 55, is in many ways the opposite of the previous incumbent. Possibly it was even Jansa himself who consulted his competitor. Until a few months ago, the electrical engineer was still general director of the state-owned electricity company “Gen I”. But then he had to leave the company because his contract was not renewed. This is said to have been arranged at the behest of Jansa. As a result, Golob immediately went into politics, put himself at the head of a small, green party, renamed it the “Freedom Movement” and just won the election.
During the election campaign, the ex-energy manager focused on protecting the rule of law. The program entitled “We deserve it” is committed to the modern welfare state, the energy transition and an open society. It was mainly young Slovenes who voted for Golob. They voted against a Slovenia “following Hungary’s path, against the introduction of an illiberal democracy, against a government that would take control of public television and the judiciary,” according to Slovenian expert Miha Kovac.
Golob had previously described the election as a “referendum on democracy in Slovenia” and followed the election evening from the quarantine because of a corona infection. In his first speech he said: “Tomorrow we will start working hard to justify the trust.” Whether and how he will succeed is not yet foreseeable. Although the 55-year-old has gained experience as a state secretary and party leader, he has not yet turned the big political wheel. Analyst Kovac said Golob’s movement has been in existence for less than three months. There is a lack of “infrastructure”, “know-how” and experience with the functioning of the parliament.
The right is running out of heads of government
After the right-wing extremist presidential candidate Marine Le Pen missed entering the Elysée Palace in France and Janez Jansa also located the election, European right-wing populists such as Victor Orban (and their financier and supporter Vladimir Putin) are slowly running out of allies on the government benches. Especially since the Bulgarian Boiko Borissow and the Czech Andrej Babis have also been selected in the recent past.
Sources: DPA, AFP, “FAZ“, “Southgerman newspaper“, Freedom House.