Election could spring surprise
RIGHT-WING LEADER JANSA AHEAD BUT 40% OF THOSE POLLED ARE YET TO DECIDE
Slovenians voted yesterday in an early election in which veteran rightwing leader Janez Jansa looks set to emerge on top after consolidating his lead in the last days of the campaign.
The last poll had Jansa’s SDS on just over 25%, well clear of its nearest rivals, the Social Democrats, who were on 12%.
However, with more than 40% of those surveyed saying they either hadn’t decided or didn’t want to reveal their preference, a shock result can't be ruled out.
Jansa’s combative personality, anti-immigration rhetoric and alliance with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban dominated the campaign’s closing stages.
In the final TV debate on Thursday, Jansa effectively traded barbs with comedian-turned-politician Marjan Sarec.
Sarec’s “antisystem” LMS party is on 11.9% in the poll, a weaker showing than earlier in the campaign, but one which could yet leave him well-placed to play kingmaker if borne out.
The SMC party of outgoing prime minister Miro Cerar – whose shock resignation in March prompted yesterday’s poll – is on just 9.3%.
Cerar threw in the towel after months of being buffeted by public sector strikes and internal wrangling within his coalition, with the last straw coming when a supreme court verdict on a flagship infrastructure project went against the government.
About 1.7 million Slovenians are eligible to vote for 90 members of parliament.
The first results were expected late last night.
Even if Jansa’s SDS party comes out ahead, he may find it hard to achieve a majority in parliament.
The parties in the outgoing coalition – the Social Democrats, the SMC and the pensioners’ party, Desus, have all ruled out collaborating with the SDS.
Sarec also recently told AFP that “spreading fear [of migrants] and getting the prime minister of a neighbouring country [Orban] involved in our elections has crossed all red lines and I and our members do not see ourselves in such a constellation”.
Last month, Orban took part in an SDS party convention and said an SDS victory “would ensure the survival of the Slovenian people”.
According to Slovenian media reports, Jansa’s media campaign has also been boosted by investments to the tune of €2 million from Hungarian media compa- nies in a TV station and newspaper co-owned by SDS.
Sarec and other opponents say this may be a violation of campaign finance laws but SDS insists the investments are above board.
Jansa’s political career stretches back to the country’s struggle for independence from the then Yugoslavia and has already seen its fair share of drama.
In 2013 he was forced to quit as prime minister over a corruption scandal and he competed in the 2014 elections from jail. – AFP