Slovenia’s anti-migrant group may have the largest vote but could fall short of governing

The anti-immigration party of centre-right leader Janez Jansa emerged as the largest party in Slovenia’s parliamentary election on Sunday, but may struggle to command a majority.

With about 98 per cent of votes counted, Mr Jansa’s SDS party appears to have secured just more than 25 per cent of the ballot – giving it 25 seats in the 90-seat assembly – and the “anti-establishment” LMS party of comedian-turned-politician Marjan Sarec is in second place with 12.7 per cent and 13 seats, the State Election Commission said.

During the campaign, Mr Jansa made a common cause of migration with a fellow rightwing firebrand, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, by evoking memories of more than 500,000 migrants who crossed Slovenia in late 2015 and early 2016 – although nearly all continued on to northern Europe.

Mr Jansa, 59, said on Sunday that his party’s “door for talks and coalitions is open”.

“We are ready to start serious talks based on the programme we have been working hard on,” he said.

He reiterated his anti-migrant position, saying migration was “the most serious challenge according to most Europeans”.

The only party that has said it would work with him, the centre-right Nova Slovenija, won just seven seats, leaving the two parties short of the 46 needed for a majority.

Speaking to the Pop TV station after polls closed, Mr Sarec said he was “very happy” with the results, hinting that he may band together with other parties to keep Mr Jansa out of power.

During the campaign Mr Sarec said Mr Jansa’s antiimmigration rhetoric and his appearances with Mr Orban “crossed all red lines”.

On Sunday Mr Sarec repeated his opposition to working with the SDS leader but he recently said that his party “has many things in common with [French president Emmanuel] Macron’s position – a sensible, centrist orientation”.

The centre-left Social Democrats finished in third place with just less than 10 per cent, followed by the SMC party of outgoing prime minister Miro Cerar on 9.7 per cent and the left-wing Levica party with 9.2 per cent.

Just over 51 per cent of the 1.7 million Slovenians eligible to vote went to the polls.

According to Slovenian media reports, Mr Jansa’s media campaign was also boosted by investments of about €2 million (Dh8.6m) from Hungarian media companies.

Former comedian Marjan Sarec repeated his opposition to working with Janez Jansa’s centre-right SDS