Changes in the Party System (1989–2022)

Based on the indicators presented in Chapter 5 , four changes to the party system in Slovenia are revealed: the transitional party system (1989–1991); the consolidation of the first party system based on the 1991 constitution (1992–2000 elections); the destabilization of the first party system (2004–2008 elections); and the continuous radical renewal of the party system (2011–2022 elections). A comparative analysis of these four changes in the party system shows that party system fragmentation has been a constant characteristic. While the party system had become institutionalized during the 1990s, its deinstitutionalization started after the 2000 elections and radically intensified after the 2011 elections. Similarly, polarization was already increasing after the 2000 elections. The radical short-term decline in Slovenia’s democracy (2020–2021) cannot be explained without taking other factors into account.