Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has helped repel the illiberal tide in Central and Eastern Europe and encouraged centrist restructuring.
The heavy defeat in the election of Janez Jansa, prime minister three times already, last weekend in Slovenia was the latest failure for populist politics.
Although formed only in January, Robert Golob’s liberal, green Freedom Movement won 41 of the 90 seats in the Slovenian parliament. Voters, tired of Jansa’s authoritarianism, left his 27-seat Slovenian Democratic Party.
The loss of Jansa is another obstacle for Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister, and his dream of building an illiberal bloc that could change the course of the European Union.
President Putin has tried to encourage this effort as part of a boost
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