Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa is fighting an uphill battle in elections Sunday that may rid the European Union of a leader who has challenged its democratic values.
Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, and as fellow EU member France votes over whether to give President Emmanuel Macron a new term or replace him with right-wing standard bearer Marine Le Pen, opinion polls tip Slovenia’s upstart Freedom Movement party to oust Jansa’s party from power.
While the Freedom Movement, led by former state-owned utility chief Robert Golob, is running neck and neck with Jansa’s SDS, it has a strong chance of forming a coalition with left-leaning and centrist parties even if it doesn’t win the most votes.
