Slovenia referendum rejects bill expanding parliamentary inquiry powers

Slovenian voters have narrowly rejected a government bill that would have expanded the powers of parliamentary inquiry commissions, in a binding referendum that dealt a setback to Prime Minister Janez Jansa's reform agenda. With 99% of votes counted, 51% of voters opposed the proposal and 49% supported it. The result came after a campaign in which opponents accused the government of pushing an authoritarian measure.

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The proposal would have required people summoned before parliamentary inquiries to appear immediately, without the right to challenge the summons in court until the commission had finished its work. Critics argued that this could have forced witnesses to disclose sensitive information and gave the state too much leverage over those called to testify. Supporters of the bill had presented it as a way to strengthen parliamentary oversight, but the referendum result indicates that a narrow majority of voters were unconvinced.

Turnout reached 53.7% of eligible voters, which was described as the highest ever recorded in a Slovenian referendum. That level of participation was notable because media and analysts had expected a low turnout. The result therefore carries added political weight, not only because the bill failed, but because it did so in a vote that drew unusually strong public engagement.

The defeat matters because it comes at an early stage in Jansa's effort to reshape the state and push through a broader reform agenda. Jansa, a nationalist politician, has also proposed cutting public-sector jobs and reducing funding for rights groups, moves that have drawn criticism from opponents. The referendum outcome suggests that his government may face stronger resistance when trying to advance contentious institutional changes.

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The vote also reflects a wider political divide in Slovenia over the balance between executive power, parliamentary scrutiny and judicial safeguards. Opposition figures had warned during the campaign that the country was facing a test of how resilient its democracy is. The dispute over inquiry powers became a proxy for broader arguments about whether the government was strengthening accountability or weakening protections for those called before lawmakers.

Jansa came to power after liberal politician Robert Golob failed to form a government despite his party's narrow victory in March parliamentary elections. That background helps explain why the referendum was seen as more than a technical vote on procedure. What remains unclear is how quickly the government will respond, whether it will try to revive the measure in another form, and how the result will affect the rest of its legislative programme.

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