By: Dr Metod Berlec
In this issue of Demokracija, we devote special attention to Super Referendum Sunday. This Sunday, 11 October 2026, voters will cast ballots in four referendums: one legislative referendum and three consultative referendums. In other words, we will be deciding on four questions. First, whether to approve the amendment to the Parliamentary Inquiry Act (ZPPre-B). Second, whether we support abolishing the mandatory licence fee that funds the programmes of RTV Slovenia. Third, whether the right to receive social assistance should, for able-bodied individuals who face no objective barriers to employment, be conditional upon their active participation in community service. And fourth, whether the right to vote in local elections in Slovenia should be reserved for citizens of the Republic of Slovenia and of other European Union member states, but not extended to citizens of third countries who are not Slovenian citizens. In short, we will be deciding on parliamentary inquiries, the abolition of the RTV licence fee, the linking of social assistance to community service, and voting rights in local elections.
The upcoming referendums are not just another vote, but an opportunity for citizens to clearly express what kind of Slovenia we want. Do we want to move in the direction of development and progress advocated by the governing coalition, or in the direction of standing still, as advocated by the left-wing opposition together with the so-called NGOs? That is why every vote will matter.
A “YES” vote in the referendum on amendments to the Parliamentary Inquiry Act signifies support for more effective parliamentary oversight and greater political accountability. A “YES” vote in the referendum on the conditions for receiving social assistance signifies support for the principle that people have duties as well as rights. A “YES” vote on the abolition of the mandatory RTV licence fee represents a demand for greater accountability and transparency in the financing of the public broadcaster, as well as a demand for objective reporting. A “YES” vote on voting rights in local elections expresses the view that decisions regarding the governance of municipalities should be made by citizens of the Republic of Slovenia and European Union member states, rather than by citizens of third countries. In short, these are important issues. Therefore, on Sunday, let us go to the polls and vote with the understanding that those who do not decide leave the decision to others. They leave decision-making to networks operating behind the scenes.
A fourfold referendum “YES” vote would be a strong statement in favour of dismantling the post-communist network, the so-called deep state. This is described as an informal network of influential individuals within state institutions, the bureaucracy, the judiciary, the economy, and the media who maintain significant influence over the governance of the country. Put simply, if the elected government (currently Janša’s government) is what we see on the surface, then the “deep state” is the informal power structure in the background, allegedly seeking to influence decisions regardless of election results. That is why the last party leader of the former communist regime has predictably spoken out in defence of the status quo and the achievements of the revolution. A “YES” vote would support investigations into clientelist, corrupt, and mafia-like dealings by the so-called “privileged elite”, that is, structures originating in the former communist system that survived the transition period or were regenerated within it. It would also support investigations into controversial business practices, such as those allegedly associated with Robert Golob in the case of Gen-I, and would represent a vote for a democratic, European, and just Slovenia.
