Just the Facts | Elections in Slovenia and Denmark in March 2026

Slovenia, which borders Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Italy, is a parliamentary republic with power vested in the government headed by a prime minister. The National Assembly (parliament) is directly elected for a four-year term. 

Slovenia held parliamentary elections on 22 March 2026. The National Assembly has a total of 90 members, 88 of whom are elected under a proportional representation system from eight constituencies, and two deputies representing the Hungarian and Italian national communities under a majoritarian system. A governing coalition requires 46 out of the 90 seats to command a majority. 

The election was a battle between the liberal-centrist incumbent prime minister Robert Golob’s centre-left Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda – GS) and his conservative rival, Janez Janša of the conservative Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS). The previous parliamentary elections took place in 2022, when Golob took over from Janša as prime minister and head of a three-party coalition government with the Social Democrats (SD) and Levica (“Left Party”). For more information on the 2022 Slovenian elections, see here.  

Slovenia, a country of about 2.1 million people (1.7 million of whom are registered to vote), is a small but strategically important EU member state. The election was viewed not only as significant for Slovenia’s political direction – but also as a possible “bellwether of things to come in Hungary” and even as a localised version of a wider political shift across Europe. Prime Minister Golob himself framed the elections in Slovenia and Hungary – taking place within a month of each other – as an opportunity for pro-European forces to push back against the rising far-right populist movement across the continent.  

Election results

Golob’s Freedom Movement (GS) came first in Slovenia’s parliamentary election, narrowly ahead of Janša’s SDS. GS secured 28.63% of the vote – a decrease of 5% from the previous election. After leading pre-election polls for months, Janša’s SDS won 27.95%, up 4% from the last election. Polls in the fortnight preceding the election showed a steadily narrowing gap between the two parties.  

The almost equal result means that none of the main parties will have a majority in the 90-member parliament and that both GS and SDS will depend on smaller parties to form a government. The outgoing coalition government (GS, SD and Levica) fell short of a majority, with 40 out of 90 seats. Golob has invited the ​leaders of all parties that won parliamentary seats, except the SDS, to join the GS ⁠in a government of national unity. However, three centre-right parties rejected the invitation, saying ​they would instead try to form a centre-right coalition with SDS. Janša, however, rejected any coalition talks, criticising the legitimacy of the elections – which Slovenian President Musar refuted.  

It is notable that although the right-wing bloc fell short of a governing majority, it made gains across the board. Both SDS and the centre-right coalition NSi-SLS-Fokus strengthened their positions. In general, left-leaning parties performed better among women and voters with higher education levels, and right-leaning parties attracted more men and voters with lower education levels.  

Seven parties have now entered parliament, including two newcomers: the centre-right Demokrati (DEM) and the right-wing populist movement Resni.ca. This reflects the highly fragmented political landscape in Slovenia, which complicates coalition talks and raises questions about the stability of a new government. The constitutive session of the new parliament will take place on 10 April. By law, the Slovenian president will have to propose a prime minister designate within 30 days of the inaugural parliamentary session. 

Sources: National Assembly elections 2026, https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/slovenia/  

Campaign issues

The Slovenian parliamentary elections took place in a “highly competitive and increasingly polarised” political environment, according to the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, with intense public debate on several key policy issues. These included socio-economic issues such as the rising cost of living, long-standing challenges in the healthcare system, and public safety and minority rights. Some campaigners also accused both Golob and Janša of scapegoating the country’s Romany minority – which numbers about 12,000 people, many of whom are disproportionately vulnerable due to poverty and exclusion – and treating them as a security threat.  

Golob, a former businessman, is supportive of a multi-speed EU, particularly in light of Hungary’s current veto on EU decisions. Golob has been one of the EU’s most outspoken critics of Israel’s war in Gaza, with Slovenia becoming the first EU country to ban all weapons trade with Israel in August 2025. In June 2024, Slovenia’s parliament – following in the steps of Ireland, Norway and Spain – passed a decree recognising Palestinian statehood. Under Golob’s leadership, and with the Left Party (Levica) as a junior coalition partner, the Slovenian government has introduced various social policies over the past four years, such as an increase in the minimum wage and the introduction of a long-term care system.  

Janez Janša previously served three times as a prime minister of Slovenia (2004-2008, 2012-2013, and 2020-2022) and was involved in securing the country’s independence when Yugoslavia disintegrated in the 1990s. His 2012-13 government collapsed amid mass protests over corruption allegations, with Janša being sentenced to a two-year prison term, which was later overturned. During his third term as prime minister from 2020 to 2022, his government’s attacks on media and migrants and his attempts to undermine the rule of law prompted warnings from the European Parliament. Janša now represents the pro-Trump current of the European right wing – although he remains supportive of Ukraine’s defence and critical of Vladimir Putin. During the recent election campaign, SDS called for economic deregulation and increased defence spending. It is expected that Janša would most likely reverse the current government’s stance in favour of Palestinian rights and pursue closer ties with Israel.  

Just days ahead of the election, Prime Minister Golob accused foreign services of interfering in the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections after reports emerged that officials from Israeli private intelligence firm Black Cube, which was founded by former members of the Israel Defence Forces, visited Slovenia in December 2025 and met with politicians from the opposition party and main contender SDS. This fuelled allegations of corruption, counter-accusations of political manipulation, and warnings of foreign interference by an Israeli company.  

Background  

Denmark held parliamentary elections on 24 March 2026. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had announced a snap election at the end of February, ahead of the deadline of 31 October 2026.  

Denmark is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government. The Folketing (parliament) is a unicameral body comprising 179 deputies elected for four-year terms, including 175 elected from Denmark and two each from the Faroe Islands and Greenland, which are constituent countries of the Kingdom of Denmark. 135 members are elected through party-list proportional representation in ten constituencies, and 40 seats are allocated to ensure proportionality at national level.  

The last general elections, held in 2022, resulted in a centrist coalition consisting of twelve parties governed by the Social Democrats, which received 50 seats in parliament, under the leadership of Mette Frederiksen and including the conservative-liberal Left (Venstre) party and The Moderates (Moderaterne). Frederiksen has been Prime Minister since June 2019 and leader of the Social Democrats since 2015. During this time, she has spearheaded the EU’s hard line on migration together with Italy’s Giorgia Meloni.  

Election results 

With the Social Democrats polling at 20% the week before the election, another SD-led coalition was widely anticipated. Frederiksen’s party ultimately came in at 21.9%, its worst result in over a century, although it remained the largest single party, with 38 out of 179 seats. A left-wing bloc of five parties, including the SD, won a total of 84 seats, while the right-wing and far-right claimed 77 seats. The Danish People’s Party – a traditional far-right party – more than tripled its result to 9.1%, while the three anti-immigration groups collectively won 17% of the total votes. Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, leader of the centrist Moderate party, which won 14 seats, emerged as the kingmaker, as neither the left nor right-wing bloc would be able to form a majority without his party. Voters in Greenland overwhelmingly backed two pro-independence parties, Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) and Naleraq. 

Following the election, Danish King Frederik X tasked Frederiksen, as acting prime minister and SD leader, with leading coalition talks – a process that will likely take weeks. Frederiksen formally tendered her coalition government’s resignation the day after the election, announcing that she wanted to try to form a centre-left government comprising the five left-wing parties and the centre-right Moderates – but it is unclear if Moderate leader Rasmussen would agree to a left-leaning coalition. Denmark has often had minority governments, but with twelve parties in parliament, the political landscape has emerged particularly fragmented from the election.  

Sources: https://www.thedanishparliament.dk/en/news/2026/03/results-of-the-danish-general-election-2026, and https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/denmark/

Campaign issues  

The Danish parliamentary election took place just weeks after the United States’ threats to annex Greenland. Frederiksen emerged from this crisis as a stable and reliable leader, as reflected by a surge in domestic support. One MEP commented after the election that SD would likely have suffered an even worse defeat had it not been for the voter sympathy generated by Frederiksen’s refusal to give in to Trump’s threats on Greenland. However, the issue was largely absent from political debate in the run-up to the election, with broad consensus among voters and parties in favour of the EU, strong support for Ukraine and higher defence spending dominating instead.  

Social policies also featured heavily in the election campaign, including a reform of the retirement age, maintaining a strict migration policy, and Frederiksen’s proposal for a wealth tax of 0.5% on assets above 25 million kroner, which would largely flow into schools. The far-right Danish People’s Party called for a stronger focus on deportations and the fight against inflation. The abolition of a public holiday (“Store Bededag”) was also a core grievance in the election campaign, representing a top-down economic policy that alienated voters. 

Pig farming and food prices in Denmark – the world’s sixth-largest pork exporter – also turned into a key campaign issue in the run-up to the election. The small green party The Alternative, which joined forces with other left-wing parties, dubbing themselves “Coalition for a pig election”, demanded making the implementation of better conditions for pigs a prerequisite for backing any future government.  

At the end of February, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) warned of possible foreign interference in the election, linked to Denmark’s strong support for Ukraine. However, post-election reporting by Danish news outlets concluded that domestic policy decisions, rather than external interference, were decisive for the outcome of the election.