Jumping on the New Party Bandwagon: The 2022 Elections and the Development of Party Politics in Slovenia

New political parties can sometimes achieve remarkable election results. The 2022 parliamentary elections in Slovenia highlight that while anti-corruption, competence and newness appeals contributed to Freedom Movement’s ability to win over a third of the vote, its victory owed much to tactical voting. Data from a specially commissioned survey conducted immediately after the election highlights that voters jumped on to the new party bandwagon as the best vehicle to defeat the incumbent prime minister’s party. Voters’ tactical choice helps explain not just the appeal of new parties and the continuation of the new party subsystem in Slovenia, but also the wider instability of party politics in Central and Eastern Europe and beyond.