European Parliament - the EU's only directly elected body

As a member of the European Union, Slovenia has the right and duty to participate in the work of all EU bodies, but participation in the European Parliament is different from participation in other EU bodies, as the European Parliament is the only directly elected EU body.

The distribution of seats is laid down in the European Treaties. It takes account of the size of each country's population, with smaller countries getting more seats than if strict proportionality applied. Following the European Council's decision on the composition of the EP for the parliamentary term 2024-2029, the Republic of Slovenia has gained one more seat, bringing its total to nine.  European Parliament Members from Slovenia are elected directly, on the basis of universal and equal suffrage by secret ballot for a term of five years.

The right to vote

Every citizen of the Republic of Slovenia who has the right to vote for a Member of the National Assembly has the right to vote and to stand as a candidate for the European Parliament. The right to vote for and to stand for election as a candidate for the European Parliament also pertains to citizens of other EU Member States who have a permanent residence permit and registered permanent residence in the Republic of Slovenia. He or she must be 18 years of age on the day of the vote and be entered in the voting rights register.

The right to vote of Slovenian citizens and the right to vote of EU citizens are fully equivalent, and cover both the right to vote and the right to stand for elections.

On 30 January 2024, the National Assembly unanimously adopted an amendment to the National Assembly Election Act, abolishing the revocation of the right to vote. In accordance with the new arrangement, when a person is placed under guardianship, the court will no longer decide on the deprivation of the right to vote and to stand for elections. All adult citizens of the Republic of Slovenia have the right to vote. The new arrangement will already be in place for this year's European Parliament elections.

Citizens of EU Member States are informed here about the conditions and detailed arrangements for exercising the right to vote and right to stand for elections in Slovenia.

Standing for election

Candidates may be nominated by political parties and by voters. Each list of candidates may include a maximum number of candidates equal to the number of seats in the European Parliament that Slovenia holds. Each gender must be represented on the list of candidates by at least 40%. The entire nomination procedure takes place before the National Electoral Commission. 

Although the main candidates are linked to national political parties, most MEPs join supranational political groups once they are elected. Political parties at European level are composed of national parties and individuals and are represented in several Member States. They are organised into political groups in the European Parliament, composed of like-minded parties. Slovenian legislation therefore allows for the political links between national political parties and political parties at European level to be indicated on ballot papers and in the electoral campaign in the European Parliament elections.

Determination of election results

MEPs are elected through the proportional representation system with preferential votes. The seats are not divided according to the order in which the candidates appear on the list of candidates, but the candidates who obtain the highest number of preferential votes are elected from each list. Preferential votes for individual candidates are taken into account if the number of preferential votes allocated to an individual candidate exceeds the quotient calculated by dividing the number of all votes cast for a certain list by two times the number of candidates on the list. If, in line with this rule, not as many candidates are elected as there are seats to be allocated to an individual list, candidates are elected to the remaining seats on this particular list according to the order of candidates on the list of candidates.

Constituencies

The territory of the Republic of Slovenia is considered one constituency.

Organisation of elections

The provisions of the law governing elections to the National Assembly apply mutatis mutandis to the organisation and work at polling stations, to voting and to the determination of the result of the vote, unless otherwise provided by the Election of Members of the European Parliament from the Republic of Slovenia Act.

Voters have a choice of voting methods and alternative voting dates. In Slovenia, they can vote at a regular polling station, at so-called OMNIA polling stations outside their district of residence, by post, at diplomatic and consular missions abroad and at home in case of illness. Voters may also vote early for three days on the Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday before the Sunday set as the voting day.

Protection of the right to vote

The National Assembly confirms the election of MEPs. An appeal may be lodged against the decision of the National Assembly with the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia.

In accordance with the Election of Members of the European Parliament from the Republic of Slovenia Act (ZVPEP) and the National Assembly Election Act (ZVDZ), the National Electoral Commission ensures the legality of elections and the uniform application of the provisions of the above-mentioned laws relating to electoral procedures, coordinates the work of the constituency electoral commissions and district electoral commissions, and provides them mandatory instructions on the application of the ZVDZ and oversees their work, prescribes the forms for the application of the ZVDZ and also performs other tasks set out in Article 37 of the ZVDZ.

The European and national cooperation network on elections and the Ministry of Public Administration as the coordinator of the national cooperation network on elections

In order to ensure free and fair elections, the European Commission encourages Member States to set up a national cooperation network on elections of the authorities responsible for elections, cybersecurity, data protection, law enforcement and to designate a contact point for participation in the European cooperation network on elections (European cooperation network on elections - European Commission) in order to ensure a rapid exchange of information. Since December 2018, the Ministry of Public Administration has been the coordinator of the national cooperation network on elections, which also includes representatives of the National Electoral Commission, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the Internal Affairs Inspectorate, the Government Communication Office, the Government Information Security Office, the Information Commissioner and the Court of Auditors. Cooperation will also be strengthened in the framework of the national cooperation network on elections ahead of the 2024 elections.