Borut Pahor won the second round of the Presidential Elections on Sunday, beating the Mayor of Kamnik, Marjan Šarec, to get a second and final term in office. Turnout was at a record low, at an estimated 42%, perhaps because both men were of the centre or centre left, with none of the many right-wing and female candidates making it passed the first round, although the SDS and NSi did encourage their supporters to vote for the incumbent.
That the election went to a second round at all was something of a surprise, as the role of President is essentially ceremonial in Slovenia, and one that Pahor looks good playing. While the need for a runoff election may have rattled the career politician and Instagram star, Šarec, a former comedian, was unable to muster much enthusiasm among potential supporters. In the event, Pahor got around 53% of the votes cast, up from 47 in the first round, leaving Šarec with 47%, up from 25.
With the occupant of the Presidential Palace (Predsedniška palača) now decided until 2022, the next big event in the political calendar is the Parliamentary Elections, which must be held by July 2018.
