Barricades and ballots: exploring the trajectory of the Slovenian left

Abstract

This article traces the transformation of the new left in Slovenia from a protest movement into the political force United Left/The Left during the anti-establishment protest wave against the conservative government of Janez Janša (2012-2013). Through a triangulation of the protest event dataset and qualitative analysis, this piece shows that the new left combined anti-austerity and pro-democratic messages with growing economic and political grievances early on in the cycle of protest and seised the political opportunities that emerged after the collapse of the traditional left-wing forces, thus paving the way for the successful electoral turn.