The prime minister of Slovenia, officially the president of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia (), is the head of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. There have been ten officeholders across fourteen periods in office since the country gained parliamentary democracy in 1989 (as well as two between 1945 and 1953, when the office was renamed "President of the Executive Council").
The prime minister of Slovenia is nominated by the president of Slovenia after consultation with the parties represented in the National Assembly. The candidate is then formally elected by a simple majority of the National Assembly. If no candidate receives a majority, a new vote must be held within 14 days. If no candidate receives a majority after this round, the President must dissolve the legislature and call new parliamentary elections unless the National Assembly agrees to hold a third round. If no candidate is elected after a third round, then the legislature is automatically dissolved pending new elections. In practice, since the appointee must command a majority of the National Assembly in order to govern, the appointee is usually the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly or the leader of the senior partner in the governing coalition. The National Assembly can only withdraw its support from a prime minister by way of a constructive vote of no confidence–that is, a motion of no confidence is of no effect unless a prospective successor has the support of a majority. The prime minister is also the president of the National Security Council.
Election The prime minister is elected by the National Assembly of Slovenia.
First round Following the parliamentary election new National Assembly meets at the constitutive session (usually around 2–3 weeks after election; the president of the republic convenes the session after receiving the official report on election from the State Election Commission), after which new parliamentary groups are officially formed. After all groups are formed (usually within few days), the president meets with leaders of the groups for consultations. During the consultations, the president tries to identify a candidate that could secure an absolute majority in the National Assembly (46 votes). After the consultations, the president can officially propose a candidate to the speaker of the National Assembly, this has to be done within 30 days after the constitutive session. Assembly takes vote on the candidate within 7 days, but not earlier than 48 hours after proposal. Candidate has to present his vision of his government before the National Assembly before the vote. When a prime minister is elected, the formation of a new government begins.
Second round If there is no prime minister elected, the second round will take place. After new consultations, the president can propose a new candidate or the same candidate again within 14 days of the first round vote. In the second round parliamentary groups and groups of 10 MPs can propose a candidate as well. Vote takes place no earlier than 48 hours from the proposal but not later than 7 days from it. If there are more candidates proposed, the National Assembly will first vote on the candidate proposed by the president, only if that candidate is not elected, The assembly will take votes on other candidates in the order of submission of the proposals. A prime minister is elected with absolute majority (46 votes). When a prime minister is elected, formation of a new government begins.
If the National Assembly once again fails to elect a prime minister, the president will dissolve the National Assembly and call a snap election, unless the National Assembly decides, within 48 hours from the vote, to hold a third round of election.
Third round In the third round, the prime minister is elected by a relative majority (majority of present MPs). Votes take place within seven days from the decision but not earlier than 48 hours. In the third round, the National Assembly first votes on all the candidates from the first and second round, and if none of the candidates receives a majority of votes, then it will vote on new proposals, first on the proposal by the president, then on the other in the order of submission. If a prime minister is elected formation of a new government begins, if not, the president dissolves the National Assembly and snap election takes place.
Oath of office The prime minister officially takes office after all of his ministers take oath of office before the National Assembly, following the election of government with a relative majority in the National Assembly. The prime minister takes the oath of office after his election.
The prime minister and other ministers take the same oath of office according to the Article 104 of the Constitution: "I swear that I shall uphold the constitutional order, that I shall act according to my conscience and that I shall do all in my power for the good of Slovenia."
List of prime ministers of Slovenia Preceding posts (prior to independence) Province within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) No. Name Term of office Political partyKing of Yugoslavia Took office Left office Prime Minister of Slovenes (1918–1919)Peter I 1 Jožef Pogačnik 31 October 1918 20 January 1919 Slovene People's Party Presidents of the Provincial Government (1919–1924) 2 Janko Brejc 20 January 1919 14 December 1920 Slovene People's Party 3 Leonid Pitamic 14 December 1920 19 February 1921 Independent 4 Viljem Baltič 19 February 1921 9 July 1921 Independent 5 Ivan Hribar 9 July 1921 3 December 1924 Yugoslav Democratic Party Governors of Drava Banovina (1929–1941) 6 Dušan Sernec 9 October 1929 4 December 1930 Slovene People's Party 7 Drago Marušič 4 December 1930 8 February 1935 Yugoslav National Party 8 Dinko Puc 8 February 1935 10 September 1935 Yugoslav Democratic PartyPeter II 9 Marko Natlačen 10 September 1935 16 April 1941 Slovene People's Party Socialist Republic within the SFR Yugoslavia (1945–1990) Portrait Name Term of office Political party Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia 1 Boris Kidrič 5 May 1945 June 1946 Communist Party of Slovenia 2 Miha Marinko June 1946 1953 Communist Party of SloveniaLeague of Communists of Slovenia Presidents of the Executive Council (2) Miha Marinko 1953 15 December 1953 League of Communists of Slovenia 3 Boris Kraigher 15 December 1953 25 June 1962 League of Communists of Slovenia 4 Viktor Avbelj 25 June 1962 1965 League of Communists of Slovenia 5 Janko Smole 1965 1967 League of Communists of Slovenia 6 Stane Kavčič 1967 8 November 1972 League of Communists of Slovenia 7 Andrej Marinc 27 November 1972 9 May 1978 League of Communists of Slovenia 8 Anton Vratuša April 1978 July 1980 League of Communists of Slovenia 9 Janez Zemljarič July 1980 23 May 1984 League of Communists of Slovenia 10 Dušan Šinigoj 23 May 1984 16 May 1990 League of Communists of Slovenia Party of Democratic Renewal
Prime Ministers of the Republic of Slovenia Legend:
Social democrats
Social liberals
Christian democrats
National conservatives Portrait Name Term of office Political party Government coalition National Assembly President 1 Lojze Peterle 16 May 1990 14 May 1992 SKD I SKD–SDZ–SLS–SDSS–ZS M. Kučan 2 Janez Drnovšek 14 May 1992 25 January 1993 LDS II LDS–DS–SDS–SSS–ZS–ZLSD 25 January 1993 27 February 1997 III LDS–SKD–SDS – 1 27 February 1997 7 June 2000 IV LDS–SLS–DeSUS 2 3 Andrej Bajuk 7 June 2000 30 November 2000 SLSNSi V (2) Janez Drnovšek 30 November 2000 19 December 2002 LDS VI LDS–SLS–DeSUS–ZLSD 3 4 Anton Rop 19 December 2002 3 December 2004 LDS VII LDS–SLS–DeSUS–ZLSD 5 Janez Janša 3 December 2004 21 November 2008 SDS VIII SDS–NSi–SLS–DeSUS 4 6 Borut Pahor 21 November 2008 10 February 2012 SD IX SD–DeSUS –LDS–Zares 5 Danilo Türk (5) Janez Janša 10 February 2012 20 March 2013 SDS X SDS–NSi– 6 7 20 March 2013 18 September 2014 PSZaAB XI PS–DeSUS–DL–SD–ZaAB B. Pahor 8 Miro Cerar 18 September 2014 13 September 2018 SMC XII SMC–SD–DeSUS 7 9 Marjan Šarec 13 September 2018 13 March 2020 LMŠ XIII LMŠ–SD–SMC–SAB–DeSUS, 8 (5) Janez Janša 13 March 2020 1 June 2022 SDS XIV SDS–SMC–DeSUS –NSi, 10 Robert Golob 1 June 2022 4 June 2026 GS XV GS –SD–Levica 9 (5) Janez Janša 4 June 2026 Incumbent SDS XVI SDS–NSi–Demokrati.–SLS–FOKUS, 10
Statistics Prime Minister Date of birth Age at inauguration Time in office Terms Age at retirement Date of death Longevity 1 Peterle, AlojzAlojz Peterle (5 July 1948) 1 Living (living) 2 Drnovšek, JanezJanez Drnovšek (17 May 1950) 2 3 Bajuk, AndrejAndrej Bajuk (18 October 1943) 1 4 Rop, AntonAnton Rop (27 December 1960) 1 Living (living) 5 Janša, JanezJanez Janša (17 September 1958) 4 Incumbent Living (living) 6 Pahor, BorutBorut Pahor (2 November 1963) 1 Living (living) 7 Bratušek, AlenkaAlenka Bratušek (31 March 1970) 1 Living (living) 8 Cerar Jr., MiroslavMiro Cerar (25 August 1963) 1 Living (living) 9 Šarec, MarjanMarjan Šarec (2 December 1977) 1 Living (living) 10 Golob, RobertRobert Golob (23 January 1967) 1 Living (living)
Timeline
Deputy prime minister Deputy prime minister is an unofficial title given to certain ministers in the government (usually leaders of coalition parties other than that from which prime minister comes). Deputy prime minister does not have any additional duties to those that come with the office of minister. There are usually multiple deputy prime ministers in each government.
List of deputy prime ministers GovernmentDeputy Prime MinistersTook officeLeft officePrime MinisterNamePartyOther functions in the governmentI Lojze PeterleMitja MalešičNone; responsible for social activities16 May 199014 May 1992Jože MencingerNone; responsible for economy16 May 19908 May 1991Andrej OcvirkNone; responsible for economy8 May 199114 May 1992Leopold ŠešerkoNone; responsible for environment and regional development16 May 199014 May 1992II Janez DrnovšekJože Pučnik SDSSNone14 May 199225 January 1993Herman RigelnikLDSNone14 May 199225 January 1993Viktor ŽakeljLDSNone14 May 199225 January 1993IV Janez Drnovšek Marjan PodobnikSLS 27 February 199715 April 2000X Janez JanšaRadovan ŽerjavSLSMinister of Economic Development and Technology10 February 201025 February 2013Karl ErjavecDeSUSMinister of Foreign Affairs10 February 201022 February 2013Ljudmila NovakNSiMinister without portfolio for Slovenians Abroad10 February 201020 March 2013XI Alenka BratušekDejan ŽidanSDMinister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food20 March 201318 September 2014Gregor VirantDLMinister of the Interior and Public Administration20 March 201318 September 2014Karl ErjavecDeSUSMinister of Foreign Affairs20 March 201318 September 2014XII Miro CerarBoris KoprivnikarSMCMinister of Public Administration18 September 201413 September 2018Karl Erjavec DeSUSMinister of Foreign Affairs18 September 201413 September 2018Dejan Židan SDMinister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food18 September 201413 September 2018XIII Marjan ŠarecAndrej BertonceljLMŠMinister of Finance13 September 201813 March 2020Jernej PikaloSDMinister of Education, Science and Sport13 September 201813 March 2020Miro CerarSMCMinister of Foreign Affairs13 September 201813 March 2020Alenka BratušekSABMinister of Infrastructure13 September 201813 March 2020Karl Erjavec DeSUSMinister of Defence13 September 201813 March 2020XIV Janez JanšaZdravko PočivalšekSMCMinister of Economic Development and Technology13 March 20201 June 2022Matej ToninNSiMinister of Defence13 March 20201 June 2022Aleksandra PivecDeSUSMinister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food13 March 20205 October 2020XV Robert GolobTanja FajonSD Minister of Foreign and European Affairs1 June 2022IncumbentLuka MesecThe Left Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities1 June 2022IncumbentDanijel Bešič LoredanGS Minister of Health1 June 202213 July 2023
See also Government of Slovenia President of Slovenia
References