Global Elections Update: Slovenia & Hungary

Slovenia

On March 22, Slovenia held parliamentary elections to renew the 90 seats in the National Assembly, resulting in a tight race and revealing a deep political fragmentation. Although the ruling party, the liberal Freedom Movement (Gibanje Svoboda), declared victory with 28.6% of the vote, it was closely followed by the conservative Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), which gained 27.9%. Far from contributing to national unity, the election has reinforced fragmentation and heightened the risk of government instability as the Freedom Movement, with only 29 seats, fell short of the 46-seat majority required to govern and must now negotiate a coalition with other parties.

Prime Minister Robert Golob (founder and head of the Freedom Movement) is trying to form a stable government, but some parties have refused to cooperate, including Zoran Stevanovic, leader of the center-right party Resni.ca. Stevanovic has become an influential political figure after being elected speaker of the National Assembly during the inaugural session on April 10. His party supports a nationalist, Eurosceptic platform that opposes sanctions on Russia and could challenge EU support for Ukraine, in contrast to Prime Minister Golob’s pro-European agenda and complicating government formation.

The Slovenian Constitution sets a 30-day period following the election to nominate a candidate for prime minister, which increases pressure on Prime Minister Golob to accelerate coalition negotiations.

Hungary

Hungary held parliamentary elections on April 12, resulting in a historic landslide victory for the Tisza party, marking the end of 16 years of Viktor Orbán’s rule. The pro-European center-right and Tisza party won 53% of the vote, compared with 37% for the ruling nationalist Fidesz party. The Tisza Party became the most-voted party in the country’s history and secured a supermajority with 138 of the 199 seats in parliament, enabling the new government to implement ambitious reforms.

Tisza party leader Péter Magyar campaigned on restoring the judiciary, the electoral system, and press freedom, which were weakened under Viktor Orbán’s administration. He also pledged to combat corruption and implement rule-of-law reforms required to unlock EU funds, which would help address economic stagnation.

In the last three years, Hungary has recorded zero economic growth and one of the highest inflation rates in the EU. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose campaign was openly supported by U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, conceded defeat and congratulated Péter Magyar following his decisive victory. Péter Magyar has served as a member of the European Parliament and is set to swear in as Prime Minister on May 5^th. His victory has been widely welcomed in the EU, as the new government is expected to shift Hungary’s current pro-Russia stance, reaffirming its commitments to the EU and NATO, and lifting its veto on financial aid for Ukraine.