Slovenia🏛️ PoliticsLean Progressive9/2/2026

The initiators of the referendum on local elections announced the withdrawal of the initiative

Pobudniki zakonodajnega referenduma o noveli zakona o lokalnih volitvah so napovedali umik pobude, da bi se izognili političnemu obračunavanju glede vprašanja statusa tujcev v Sloveniji. Obrtniki in kulturni organizaciji, ki so podpisali pobudo, menijo, da bi lahko umik pomagal opozicijskim strankam, kot so Gibanje Svoboda, SD in Levica, da zahtevajo ustavno presojo novega zakona. Ustvarili so predlog za razpis posvetovalnega referenduma o istem vprašanju, kar je povzročilo kritiko od strane zakonodajne službe in strokovne javnosti. Pobudniki trdijo, da odvzema volilne pravice na lokalni ravni ni mogoče ločiti od širše ksenofobne politike, ker nedavne spremembe zakona o tujcih otežujejo dostop do jezikovnih tečajev in zaostrujejo zahteve glede znanja jezika.

Groups advocating for minority communities in Slovenia have announced they will withdraw their initiative for a constitutional referendum on proposed amendments to the law on local elections, citing concerns over political conflict surrounding the status of foreigners in the country. The decision comes amid growing tensions over recent legislative changes that restrict voting rights for non-citizens, particularly those with permanent residency permits. The groups, which include cultural associations representing Albanian, Bosnian, and Serbian-speaking communities, stated that they would continue to oppose the new law but would pursue legal challenges through constitutional channels rather than push forward with the referendum. They emphasized that withdrawing the initiative was intended to avoid turning the debate into a political showdown over whether there are too many foreigners in Slovenia. According to statements released by several civil society organizations, all procedures related to requesting a constitutional referendum were carried out correctly and in a timely manner. However, after parliamentary recess, coalition parliamentary groups together with the party Resnica Julija submitted a proposal for a consultative referendum on the same issue. This move has been met with criticism from the groups, who noted that both the legislative service of the National Assembly and broader legal experts have viewed the proposal negatively. Despite this, the groups believe the coalition sees significant value in holding a referendum on the issue. They described the situation as “the least unusual,” adding that continuing with the process would lead to two referendums on nearly identical issues, potentially shifting the focus from the loss of voting rights to a political argument about the number of foreigners in the country. They stressed that the withdrawal of the referendum initiative does not mean they no longer oppose the law, but that they will challenge its constitutionality through legal means. The groups expressed concern that the new law’s provisions make it harder for foreigners to access language courses, increase requirements for language proficiency, complicate family reunification processes, and raise the minimum income needed for survival. These changes, they argue, will not help foreigners learn Slovenian faster or integrate more successfully into society, placing additional burdens on language schools and administrative units. A detailed explanation of the decision will be presented at a press conference on Monday outside the National Assembly building. Representatives from opposition parties including Gibanje Svoboda, SD, and Levica will participate in the event. While the groups could have started collecting signatures for a future constitutional referendum from September 1, the deadline for gathering them would be October 5. The withdrawal of the referendum initiative may allow opposition parties such as Gibanje Svoboda, SD, and Levica to request a constitutional review and temporary suspension of the law. Because the law has not yet been published in the official gazette due to the active referendum campaign, the opposition has not yet approached the Constitutional Court. The amendments to the law, passed by the National Assembly in mid-June, strip voting rights from citizens of other countries who hold permanent residence permits and have registered a permanent address in Slovenia. The proposals were introduced by SDS, the trio NSi, SLS, and Fokus, along with Resnica Julija, and supported by Democrats. Opposition came from Gibanje Svoboda, SD, Levica, and Vesna.

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Source documentRTV Slovenija (MMC)

3 reports

RTV Slovenija (MMC)State / PublicConservativeFactual 85Objective 759/2/2026

With the entry into force of the amendments to the law on local elections, third-country nationals without the right to vote

Slovenija je vključila spremembe zakona o lokalnih volitvah, ki odvzema volilno pravico državljanom tretjih držav, ki imajo dovoljenje za stalno prebivanje in prijavljeno prebivališče. 11. oktobra bo državljani na posvetovalnem referendumu odločali o nadaljnji uporabi tega zakona. Opozicija, vključno z Gibanjem Svoboda, SD-jem in Levico, je proti spremembam in napovedala vložitev zahteve za ustavno presojo, ker menijo, da odvzem pravic, zagotovljenih pred 24 leti, ni ustavnopravno. Parlamentarna zakonodajno-pravna služba je ocenila, da je nova rešitev ustavnopravno sporna, ker posega v načelo zaupanja v pravo. Tudi obstaja vprašaj o izvedljivosti sprememb za letošnje lokalne volitve, ki bodo 15. novembra.

Bias read (Conservative): Artikel opisuje zakonske spremembe, ki odvzema volilno pravico tujcem, kar je politično kontroverzno stvar. V artikelju se poudarja, da so spremembe predloga desničarskih strank, kot so SDS, trojček NSi, SLS in Fokus, ter Resni.ci. Opozicija, vključno z levico, je proti spremembam. Artikel tudi poud

Why factuality (85): The article provides clear information about the new law regarding local elections and the upcoming referendum. It states the date of the referendum and the parties involved, including those who supported and opposed the changes. It also mentions the legal concerns raised by the parliamentary legal

Why objectivity (75): This article maintains a more neutral tone, presenting both sides of the debate without overt bias. While it highlights the legal concerns, it does not frame them as a strong critique or endorsement of any particular position. The language is more objective and less emotionally charged than the prev

N1 SlovenijaIndependentProgressiveFactual 75Objective 658/30/2026

The campaigners are withdrawing their initiative to hold a referendum on local elections.

Pobudniki referenduma o noveli zakona o lokalnih volitvah so napovedali umik pobude, ker se želijo izogniti političnemu obračunavanju glede statusa tujcev v Sloveniji. Zakonu še vedno nasprotujejo, a nameravajo njegovo spornost nasloviti po ustavnopravni poti. Koalicijske poslanske skupine so vložile predlog za razpis posvetovalnega referenduma o istem vprašanju, kar so v nevladnih organizacijah ocenili kot negativno. Pobudniki menijo, da bi se z razpisom referenduma znašli pred dvema referendumoma o skoraj enakem vprašanju, kar bi spremenilo razpravo o odvzemu volilne pravice v politično obračunavanje o statusu tujcev. Odločitev bo predstavljena na novinarski konferenci pred poslopjem DZ.

Bias read (Progressive): Artikel naglasuje nasprotje zakonu, ki otežuje dostop do tečajev slovenščine in zaostrjuje zahteve glede znanja jezika, kar se interpretira kot ksenofobna politika. Pobudniki so izrazili prepričanje, da odvzema volilne pravice ni ločena od širše ksenofobne politike, kar kaže na levi orientacijo. Prv

Why factuality (75): The article accurately reports that proponents of the referendum on local elections have announced withdrawal from the initiative to avoid political accountability over the issue of foreign citizens' status. It mentions the legal process was followed properly and that they will pursue constitutional

Why objectivity (65): The tone remains relatively neutral, but there is a slight editorializing when mentioning 'najmanj nenavaden' (least unusual) and the implication that the opposition expects much from the referendum. The article also uses emotionally charged language such as 'politično obračunavanje' (political reck

MladinaIndependentProgressiveFactual 75Objective 658/29/2026

The initiators of the referendum on local elections announced the withdrawal of the initiative

Bias read (Progressive): Artikel kritizira politično obračunavanje glede statusa tujcev in poudarja negativne posledice novega zakona o tujcih, kar kaže na levičarsko pozicijo. Pobudniki so izrazili podporo za ustavno presojo in izražali zaskrbljenost glede ksenofobne politike, kar je pogosto značilno za levičarske stališča

Why factuality (75): This article mirrors the content of the first article closely, reporting the same facts about the withdrawal of the referendum initiative and the reasons behind it. It confirms the legal process was followed and includes similar quotes from non-governmental organizations. There is no significant dev

Why objectivity (65): Similar to the first article, this version has a slightly biased tone with expressions like 'veliko obeta' and references to 'najmanj nenavaden' which suggest a judgmental stance. The language used implies criticism of the coalition's actions, even though it does not explicitly take sides.

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The initiators of the referendum on local elections announced the withdrawal of the initiative

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