Alem Maksuti

Fresh Start

A woman walks past electoral posters on her way to a poling station in Arce, Pri Velenju, Slovenia, 24 April 2022. Slovenia holds its Parliamentary elections to name a new Government and Parliament for next four years. EPA-EFE/ANTONIO BAT

Wrong Direction

The House of the National Assembly in Belgrade, Serbia, 28 April 2020. EPA-EFE/ANDREJ CUKIC

Serbia's existing legislation on access to information provides a good framework - at least in theory - for those seeking to hold government to account. In practice, of course, it is routinely undermined and ignored by authorities determined to undermine transparency.

After Slovenian MPs failed to approve the agenda for a week-long parliamentary session on Monday, the opposition renewed its call for early elections.

"Calls for parliamentary elections will be more frequent and louder," political scientist Alem Maksuti told BIRN.

The failure of government parties in Slovenia on Tuesday to dismiss as parliament speaker Igor Zorcic - although he is no longer in the ranks of the ruling coalition - has encouraged the opposition to call for snap elections.

The council of the Slovenian Pensioners' Party, DeSUS, voted on Thursday to leave the right-wing coalition led by Janez Jansa of the Slovenian Democratic Party, SDS, and back new party leader Karl Erjavec as a candidate for the post of prime minister-designate.