Slovenian voters will go to the polls on October 11 to vote in four referendums, including one concerning the local voting rights of foreign nationals with permanent residence in the country.
The referendum has drawn particular attention because it concerns citizens of non-EU countries, many of whom come from the former Yugoslav republics. Under rules introduced in 2002, non-EU nationals who had maintained permanent residence in Slovenia for at least five years were eligible to vote in local elections.
That long-standing practice was changed in June, when the parliamentary majority amended the relevant legislation and formally removed the voting right from this group of foreign residents.
The decision prompted strong political and legal reactions, including two requests for constitutional review and two initiatives calling for a referendum on the issue.
Of the four referendums scheduled for October 11, only one is legally binding. The other three, including the vote on the political rights of foreign residents, are consultative.
Ahead of the vote, Slovenia has held a public debate involving the registered campaign organizers.
Opposition parties argue that the growing number of foreign residents eligible to vote has reduced the influence of Slovenian citizens in local elections. They maintain that political rights should be acquired exclusively through naturalization and obtaining Slovenian citizenship.
Representatives of the governing coalition and non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty International, have taken the opposing position. They argue that removing voting rights from long-term residents amounts to political exclusion and marginalization of people who have lived and worked in Slovenia for years and contributed to local communities through taxes.
The referendum will determine whether the recently introduced restrictions remain in place. The outcome will also indicate whether thousands of permanent foreign residents will continue to be excluded from participating in local elections in the communities where they live.
