Slovenian local elections from 1994 to 2022 : dominance of non-partisan lists and mayors

Haček, Miro (author)

Elections to representative bodies are the basic tool for exercising power in democratic countries and the most recognizable external sign of democracy. Much ink has already been spilled about the institute of local elections and many scientific contributions have been written, which also applies to Slovenian local elections. In the analysis of the previous eight local elections, which have been held since 1994, the conclusion that local elections are somewhat underestimated and neglected compared to parliamentary elections is emphasized, as political parties have had lot less success at the local levels of authority. At the same time, it remains relatively unnoticed that local elections have a similar role and meaning to parliamentary elections, except that they are held on a significantly smaller territory, in significantly smaller communities and have a different substantive sign. However, local elections represent the most important influence of the inhabitants of the local community on the operation of the local self-government, therefore they represent the fundamental element of local democracy. In this article, we analyse the essential characteristics of the eight local elections in independent Slovenia so far, with an emphasis on the most recent elections, which took place in late November 2022.

• Language: English
• Keywords: lokalne volitve, politične stranke, Slovenija
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Geographic coverage: Slovenija
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: Str. 80-95
• Numbering: Vol. 16, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-143604
• UDC: 324(497.4)"1994/2022"
• ISSN on article: 1338-1385
• COBISS.SI-ID: 135875075
• Publication date in RUL: 03.01.2023

HAČEK, Miro, 2023, Slovenian local elections from 1994 to 2022 : dominance of non-partisan lists and mayors. Journal of comparative politics [online]. 2023. Vol. 16, no. 1, p. 80–95. [Accessed 10 April 2025]. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=143604

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of comparative politics
• Publisher: Department of Political Science, Center for Analysis of Administrative-Political Processes and Institutions, Alma Mater Europea-European Centre Maribor (AMEU-ECM)
• ISSN: 1338-1385
• COBISS.SI-ID: 29224285

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Slovenske lokalne volitve od 1994 do 2022 : kraljestvo nestrankarskih list in županov

Abstract

Volitve v predstavniška telesa so v demokratičnih državah osnovno orodje uresničevanja oblasti in najrazpoznavnejše zunanje znamenje demokracije. O institutu lokalnih volitev je bilo prelitega že mnogo črnila in tiskanih že mnogo znanstvenih ter strokovnih prispevkov, kar velja tudi za slovenske lokalne volitve. V analizi dosedanjih osmih lokalnih volitev, ki so potekale od leta 1994 naprej, bila velikokrat poudarjena ugotovitev, da so lokalne volitve napram parlamentarnim volitvam nekoliko podcenjene in zapostavljene, pa tudi mediji jih pogosto obravnavajo kot priročno sredstvo za ugotavljanje volilnega razpoloženja v času med zaporednimi parlamentarnimi volitvami. Ob tem je ostalo relativno neopaženo, da imajo lokalne volitve podobno vlogo in pomen kot parlamentarne volitve, le da se izvajajo na bistveno manjšem ozemlju, v bistveno manjših skupnostih in imajo drugačen vsebinski predznak; pomenijo pa najpomembnejši vpliv prebivalcev lokalne skupnosti na delovanje lokalne samouprave, zato predstavljajo temeljno prvino lokalne demokracije. V prispevku analiziramo bistvene značilnosti dosedanjih osmih lokalnih volitev v samostojni Sloveniji s poudarkom na zadnjih, ki so potekale novembra 2022.

• Keywords: lokalna oblast, nestrankarstvo

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P5-0206
• Name: Obramboslovje