Slovenian voters reject referendum bill on parliamentary inquiry powers

Voters in Slovenia rejected a government bill to expand the powers of parliamentary inquiry commissions in a binding referendum on Sunday. France 24 reported that with 99 percent of the votes counted, 51 percent of voters opposed the measure while 49 percent voted in favour. [1]

The outcome marks a setback for Prime Minister Janez Jansa and his reform agenda. France 24 reported that political opposition members had criticized the proposal as authoritarian. [1]

Janez Jansa leads the right wing Slovenian Democratic Party, a position he has held since 1993. He became prime minister again in 2026, having previously served in the role from 2004 to 2008, from 2012 to 2013, and from 2020 to 2022. [4]

Slovenia is a high income European Union member state that adopted the euro in 2007, with an economy heavily reliant on manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and tourism. [6]