New Slovenia

New Slovenia – Christian Democrats
Nova Slovenija – Krščanski demokrati
LeaderMatej Tonin
Founded4 August 2000
Split fromSLS+SKD
HeadquartersLjubljana
Youth wingYoung Slovenia[1]
Membership (2024)8,000
Ideology
Political positionCentre-right[5]
European affiliationEuropean People's Party[6]
European Parliament groupEuropean People's Party
International affiliationCentrist Democrat International
ColoursBlue
National Assembly
8 / 90
European Parliament (Slovenian seats)
1 / 8
Mayors
11 / 212
Municipal council
286 / 2,750
Website
http://www.nsi.si

New Slovenia – Christian Democrats (Slovene: Nova Slovenija – Krščanski demokrati, NSi) is a Christian democratic[7][8] and conservative[7] political party in Slovenia. Since 2018, it is led by Matej Tonin. The party was formed on 4 August 2000 following a split in the unified Slovenian People's Party and Slovene Christian Democrats (SLS+SKD). NSi is a member of the European People's Party (EPP) and in the European Parliament its MEP Ljudmila Novak sits with the European People's Party Group.

Following the 2022 Slovenian parliamentary election, NSi is in opposition to the Golob government.

History

Establishment

In July 2000, Andrej Bajuk, by the time Prime Minister of a centre-right coalition government, and other centrist Christian democrats disagreed with the rest of the Slovenian People's Party (SLS+SKD) over the question of a new electoral system. While Bajuk wanted the National Assembly to abandon proportional representation, the SLS+SKD party voted against any changes. Therefore, Bajuk retired from the party and created New Slovenia as his Prime Ministerial vehicle. Other former members of the Slovene Christian Democrats opposed to the merger of SKD and SLS, followed the foundation appeal. In the October 2000 parliamentary election, the new party won 8.6% of the vote and eight seats. Thereupon, Bajuk resigned as Prime Minister and New Slovenia went into opposition.[9]

Since 2004

From 2004 to 2008, New Slovenia was part of the 8th Government of Slovenia, a centre-right coalition led by Prime Minister Janez Janša of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS).

The first European Parliament election with Slovenian participation in 2004 was won by New Slovenia which received 24% of the votes and secured two of the seven Slovenian seats.[10]

At the 2008 legislative elections, the party won only 3.4% of the popular vote and did not win any seats in the 90-seat National Assembly. After the elective failure of 2008, Bajuk announced his immediate resignation and retirement from politics. Ljudmila Novak succeeded him as party president.

At the 2011 Slovenian parliamentary election on 4 December 2011, it won 4.9% of votes, thus gaining four seats in the National Assembly.[11]

In the 2014 European election, NSi ran in a joint electoral list with the Slovenian People's Party, which received 16.6% of the vote and came in second place, returning 2 MEPs.[12]

The party received 5.5% of the vote in the Slovenian parliamentary election on 13 July 2014, and won five seats in parliament.[13]

At the 2018 Parliamentary election, NSi received 7.2% of electoral votes, which resulted in seven parliamentary seats.[14] The party was in opposition until March 2020, when it entered a centre-right coalition with the SDS, Modern Centre Party and Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia.[15]

NSi's Ljudmila Novak was elected as one of eight MEPs of Slovenia at the 2019 European election.[16]

In the 2022 parliamentary election, NSi secured 6.9% of the vote, gaining eight seats in the National Assembly.[17] It is currently in opposition.[18]

Ideology

New Slovenia has taken a Christian conservative position on some issues, advocating traditional social values and defending the position of the Catholic Church on moral questions.[19][20] The party is based on social conservatism,[2][19] and has also been opposed to same-sex marriage and adoption by same sex couples, although it does support (and it also voted for) the current legislation, which gives certain rights to registered same sex couples.

In economic issues, it is generally liberal, but it defends a social market economy. It is a pro-European party.[19]

In 2019, party leader Matej Tonin announced that the party would reposition itself in the political centre while refreshing its programme, reiterating its stated commitment to social market economy.[21]

Election results

National Assembly

Election Votes % Seats +/– Status
2000 93,247 8.66 (#6)
8 / 90
 Increase 8 Opposition
2004 88,073 9.09 (#4)
9 / 90
 Increase 1 Coalition
2008 35,774 3.40 (#8)
0 / 90
 Decrease 9 Extra-parliamentary
2011 53,758 4.88 (#7)
4 / 90
 Increase 4 Coalition 2012–13
Opposition 2013–14
2014 48,846 5.59 (#6)
5 / 90
 Increase 1 Opposition
2018 63,792 7.16 (#6)
7 / 90
 Increase 2 Opposition 2018–20
Coalition 2020–22
2022 81,794 6.86 (#3)
8 / 90
 Increase 1 Opposition

European Parliament

Election List leader Votes % Seats +/– EP Group
2004 Lojze Peterle 123,563 23.57 (#1)
2 / 7
 New EPP-ED
2009 76,866 16.58 (#3)
1 / 8
 Decrease 1 EPP
2014[a] 66,760 16.60 (#2)
1 / 8
 Steady 0
2019 Ljudmila Novak 53,621 11.12 (#4)
1 / 8
 Steady 0
2024 Matej Tonin 51,277 7.59 (#5)
1 / 9
 Steady 0
  1. ^ Run in a joint list with SLS.

Presidential

Election Candidate 1st round 2nd round Result
Votes % Votes %
2017 Ljudmila Novak 54,437 7.24 Lost
2022 Janez Cigler Kralj 38,113 4.37 Lost

Prominent members

References

  1. ^ "Mlada Slovenija". mladaslovenija.si. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2018). "Slovenia". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  3. ^ ""Pričakujemo, da bodo prenehali iz Ljubljane soliti pamet nam, ki živimo z Romi"". radio-odeon.com. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  4. ^ "NSi predlaga uvedbo zapornih kazni za mladoletnike". www.delo.si. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  5. ^ Fink-Hafner, Danica (2010), "Slovenia since 1989", Central and Southeast European Politics Since 1989, Cambridge University Press, p. 244, ISBN 9781139487504, retrieved 9 November 2011
  6. ^ "Slovenia - Europe Elects". europeelects.eu. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  7. ^ a b Susanne Jungerstam-Mulders (2006). Post-Communist EU Member States: Parties And Party Systems. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 215. ISBN 978-0-7546-4712-6. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  8. ^ José Magone (2010). Contemporary European Politics: A Comparative Introduction. Routledge. p. 457. ISBN 978-0-203-84639-1. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  9. ^ Day, Alan John; East, Roger; Thomas, Richard (2002), "New Slovenia – Christian People's Party", A political and economic dictionary of Eastern Europe, Routledge, p. 410, ISBN 9780203403747, retrieved 9 December 2011
  10. ^ Cox, John K. (2005), Slovenia: evolving loyalties, Routledge, p. 122, ISBN 9780415274319, retrieved 9 December 2011
  11. ^ "Republic of Slovenia Early Elections for Deputies to the National Assembly 2011: Election results". National Electoral Commission. 7 December 2011. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.
  12. ^ "EU volitve 2014 / 18".
  13. ^ "Predčasne volitve v državni zbor 2014". volitve.gov.si. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  14. ^ "Early election to the National Assembly 2018". volitve.gov.si. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  15. ^ "Slovenia president names center-right Janez Jansa as PM candidate". Reuters. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  16. ^ "National results Slovenia | 2019 Election results | 2019 European election results | European Parliament". European Parliament. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  17. ^ "Election to the National Assembly 2022". volitve.dvk-rs.si. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  18. ^ "Robert Golob elected prime minister". Slovenia Times. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  19. ^ a b c Zajc, Drago; Boh, Tomaž (2004), "Slovenia", The handbook of political change in Eastern Europe, Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 351, ISBN 9781840648546, retrieved 9 December 2011
  20. ^ Kuhar, Roman (2006), "Homosexuality as a Litmus Test for Democracy and Postmodern Value Orientations", Democratic transition in Slovenia: Value transformation, education, and media, Texas A&M University Press, p. 240, ISBN 9781585445257, retrieved 9 December 2011
  21. ^ "NSi Aims to Move to the Centre of Politics". www.total-slovenia-news.com. Retrieved 7 August 2019.