This article gives an overview of liberalism in

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

. It is limited to

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

parties A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ means a reference to another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it isn't necessary so that parties labeled themselves as a liberal party.

History

After the independence of Slovenia former young socialists claim to have restarted the liberal tradition of former

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. Their organized liberalism became a major political force. The Liberal Democracy of Slovenia (''Liberalna demokracija Slovenije'', becomes a member of the LI and the ELDR) and profiles itself as a left of center liberal party. Others argue that there have been no liberal parties in Slovenia since independence in 1991. They say that claims of the former communist youth (ZSMS) and LDS that they represent liberal parties with liberal doctrines are political propaganda and that facts demonstrate that both ZSMS and LDS followed socialist and anti liberal policies.

From National Party of Carniola to Democratic Party

*1894:

Ivan Tavčar Ivan Tavčar () (28 August 1851 – 19 February 1923) was a Slovenian writer, lawyer, and politician. Biography Tavčar was born into the poor peasant family of Janez and Neža née Perko in the Carniolan village of Poljane near Škofja Loka ...

led the Young Slovenes to establish the National Party of Carniola (''Narodna stranka za Krajnsko''). In

Gorizia Gorizia (; sl, Gorica , colloquially 'old Gorizia' to distinguish it from Nova Gorica; fur, label= Standard Friulian, Gurize, fur, label= Southeastern Friulian, Guriza; vec, label= Bisiacco, Gorisia; german: Görz ; obsolete English ''Gori ...

related groups formed the National Progressive Party in 1900 *1905: The Carniolan party is renamed National Progressive Party (''Narodno napredna stranka''). In Upper Styria related groups formed the

National Party of Styria National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

(''Narodna stranka za Štajersko'') *1918: The three party merged into the

Yugoslav Democratic Party The Yugoslav Democratic Party, ''State Party of Serbian, Croatian and Slovene Democrats'' and Democratic Party, also known as the Democratic Union was the name of a series of liberal political parties that existed in succession in the State of S ...

(''Jugoslovanska demokratska stranka'') *1919: The party merged with Serbian and Croatian into the pan- Yugoslav more or less liberal State Party of Serbian, Croatian and Slovene Democrats (''Državnotvorna stranka demokrata Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca''). Some of the Slovene liberals did not join JDS and founded Independent Agrarian Party (''Samostojna kmetijska stranka'') and National-Socialist Party (''Narodno-socialistična stranka''). Except the name, the latter did not have much in common with German Nazis and could have been described as a social liberal party. *1919: The party is renamed into the Democratic Community (''Demokratska zajednica'') *1920: The party is renamed into the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

(''Demokratska stranka''). Leader is

Ljubomir Davidović Ljubomir Davidović (24 December 1863 – 19 February 1940) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who served as prime minister (1919–1920 and 1924) of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later called Yugoslavia). Biography Davidovi ...

*1924: A faction, including the majority of prominent Slovene liberals formed the Independent Democratic Party (''Samostojna demokratska stranka''), mainly active in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

, Bosnia,

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...

and Slovenia *1929: After the royal coup, all parties were banned. *1931: Slovene liberals leaders joined the government party (''Yugoslav Radical-Peasant Democracy'' - ''Jugoslovenska radikalno-kmečka demokracija''), from 1934

Yugoslav National Party The Yugoslav National Party ( sh, Jugoslavenska nacionalna stranka, Југославенска национална странка, JNS; sl, Jugoslovanska nacionalna stranka), established as Yugoslav Radical Peasants' Democracy ( sh, Jugoslavensk ...

(''Jugoslovenska nacionalna stranka''). *1935-1941: JNS was in opposition. *1941-1945: Following the

Axis occupation of Yugoslavia World War II in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia began on 6 April 1941, when the country was swiftly conquered by Axis forces and partitioned between Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and their client regimes. Shortly after Germany attacked the U ...

, political parties were dissolved but continued activities in underground. Facing the communist insurgence, Slovene liberals co-founded the underground national organization Slovene Covenant (''Slovenska zaveza''). *1945: All democratic parties were dissolved and banned.

From ZSMS-Liberal Party to Liberal Democracy of Slovenia

*1989: The Socialist Youth League of Slovenia (abbreviated ZSMS) changes its name into Za Svobodo Mislecega Sveta (For the Freedom of a Thinking World) and is shortly after reorganised into the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

(''ZSMS - Liberalna stranka'') *1990: The party is renamed into the Liberal Democratic Party (''Liberalno demokratska stranka'') *1994: The party merged with the ⇒ Democratic Party, a faction of the ''Slovenian Greens and the ''

Socialist Party of Slovenia The Socialist Party of Slovenia ( sl, Socialistična stranka Slovenije, abbreviated SSS) was a political party in Slovenia. It was founded in 1990, as the successor of the Socialist Union of Working People of Slovenia (which in January 1990 had brok ...

'' into the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia (''Liberalna demokracija Slovenije''), led by

Janez Drnovšek Janez Drnovšek (; 17 May 1950 – 23 February 2008) was a Slovenian liberal politician, President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia (1989–1990), Prime Minister of Slovenia (1992–2002, with a short break in 2000) and President of Slovenia (2 ...

From Slovenian Democratic League to Democratic Party

*1989: Oppositionals established the Slovenian Democratic League (''Slovenska demokratična zveza'') *1991: The party is renamed

(''Demokratska Stranka''), led by

Dimitrij Rupel Dimitrij Rupel (born 7 April 1946) is a Slovenian politician. Early life and education Rupel was born in Ljubljana, in what was then the PR Slovenia, into a bourgeois family of former anti-fascist political emigrants from the Julian March (hi ...

*1994: Most of the party merged into the ⇒ Liberal Democracy of Slovenia. A faction continued under the label

Democratic Party of Slovenia The Democratic Party of Slovenia ( sl, Demokratska stranka Slovenije) is an extra-parliamentary centrist political party in Slovenia. It was established in March 1994, when the majority of the then existing Democratic Party ( sl, Demokratska stra ...

(''Demokratska stranka Slovenije'')

Zares, Positive Slovenia and Alliance of Alenka Bratušek

*2004:

Active Slovenia Active Slovenia (''Aktivna Slovenija'') was a political party in Slovenia. The party was founded in 2004 and won 3.0% of the popular vote and no seats in the National Assembly at the parliamentary election in 2004. Foundation The party was formed ...

(''Aktivna Slovenija'') split from

Youth Party of Slovenia Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. Yout ...

. *2006: Zoran Janković founded Zoran Janković List (''Lista Zorana Jankovića''). *2007:

Zares Zares – Social Liberals ( sl, Zares – socialno-liberalni) was a social-liberal political party in Slovenia. Its first president was Gregor Golobič, former Secretary General of the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia and former close advisor to ...

split from ⇒ LDS and merged with Active Slovenia. *2011: Zoran Janković founded

Positive Slovenia Positive Slovenia ( sl, Pozitivna Slovenija, PS) was a centre-left political party in Slovenia, following April 2014 led by founder Zoran Janković. The party was founded under the name ''Zoran Janković's List – Positive Slovenia''. It wa ...

(''Pozitivna Slovenija'') which also join LDS and Zares members *2014: Alenka Bratušek split from PS and founded Alliance of Alenka Bratušek (''Zavezništvo Alenke Bratušek'') *2015: Zares dissolved *2016: ZaAB is renamed Alliance of Social Liberal Democrats (''Zavezništvo socialno-liberalnih demokratov'') *2017: ZaSLD is renamed

Party of Alenka Bratušek The Party of Alenka Bratušek ( sl, Stranka Alenke Bratušek, SAB) was a political party in Slovenia. The party was founded on 31 May 2014 as the Alliance of Alenka Bratušek (, ZaAB). The party was formed by Alenka Bratušek, who resigned as Pr ...

(''Stranka Alenke Bratušek'') *2022: SAB merged into ⇒ the Freedom Movement.

Civic List

*2011: Gregor Virant founded

Gregor Virant's Civic List Civic List ( sl, Državljanska lista, DL) is an inactive classical liberalism, classical-liberal extra-parliamentary list of political parties in Slovenia, political party in Slovenia, led by Gregor Virant. LGV won 8.37% of the vote at the early ...

(''Državljanska lista Gregorja Viranta'') *2012: LGV is renamed Civic List (''Državljanska lista'')

Modern Centre Party, Concretely and Freedom Movement

*2014:

Miro Cerar Miroslav Cerar Jr. (, known as Miro Cerar ;) is a Slovenian law professor and politician. He was Prime Minister of Slovenia, leading the 12th Government. He served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the 13th Governmen ...

founded Party of Miro Cerar (''Stranka Mira Cerarja'') *2016: This party is renamed

Modern Centre Party The Modern Centre Party ( sl, Stranka modernega centra, SMC) was a social-liberal political party in Slovenia led by Minister of Economical Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek, who succeeded former Prime Minister and former Minister ...

(''Stranka modernega centra'') *2018: Miro Cerar left the SMC after joining the

14th Government of Slovenia The 14th Government of Slovenia was formed following the resignation of Prime Minister of the 13th Government Marjan Šarec in January 2020. Janez Janša of Slovenian Democratic Party formed a coalition with Modern Centre Party, New Slovenia, ...

*2021: Former SMC member Jure Leben founded

Green Actions Party The Freedom Movement ( sl, Gibanje Svoboda, GS) is a social liberal and green liberal political party. It was founded on 26 January 2022, as the successor of the Party of Green actions ( Z.DEJ). At the January congress, Robert Golob was elected ...

(''Stranka zelenih dejanj''). *2021: The party merged with the ⇒

Economic Active Party An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the ...

into the

Concretely Concretely ( sl, Konkretno) is a liberal political party in Slovenia led by former Minister of Economical Development and Techonolgy Zdravko Počivalšek. Founding congress took place on 4 December 2021 in Celje. Concretly is a result of a mer ...

(''Konkretno''). *2021: Igor Zorčič split from SMC and founded Liberal Democrats (''Liberalni demokrati''). *2022: Green Actions is renamed Freedom Movement (''Gibanje Svoboda'').

List of Marjan Šarec

*2014:

Marjan Šarec Marjan Šarec (born 2 December 1977) is a Slovenian politician, actor and comedian who served as prime minister of Slovenia from 2018 to 2020. He has served as the minister of defence in the government of Prime Minister Robert Golob since 1 June 2 ...

founded

List of Marjan Šarec The List of Marjan Šarec ( Slovene: ''Lista Marjana Šarca'', LMŠ) was a political party in Slovenia led by former Prime Minister Marjan Šarec. It merged into the Freedom Movement in the aftermath of the 2022 elections. History Marjan Šare ...

(''Lista Marjana Šarca'') *2022: The party merged into ⇒ the Freedom Movement.

Liberal leaders

Anton Rop Anton Rop (born 27 December 1960) is a Slovenian politician. Currently, he is a vice-president of European Investment Bank. He was Prime Minister of Slovenia, from 2002 to 2004. Until 2005 he was also the president of the Liberal Democratic Par ...

* Alenka Bratušek *

Robert Golob Robert Golob (born 23 January 1967) is a Slovenian businessman and politician, serving as Prime Minister of Slovenia and leader of the Freedom Movement since 2022. Early life and education Golob obtained his PhD in electrical engineering at ...