The president of Slovenia, officially the president of the Republic of Slovenia, is the head of state of the Republic of Slovenia. The office was established on 23 December 1991 when the National Assembly passed a new constitution after the separation of Slovenia from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Five individuals have occupied the post of president of the Republic since Slovenia achieved its independence. The incumbent is Nataša Pirc Musar, Slovenia's first female president. The president's official workplace is the Presidential Palace in Ljubljana.

Election and term of office

The president is directly elected by universal adult suffrage for a term of five years. Any Slovenian citizen of legal age (18 or more) may run for President, but may only hold office for two terms. The president has no legally guaranteed immunity and may be impeached during their time in office.

Duties and functions

The president of the Republic is the highest representative of the Slovenian state, belonging neither to the legislative, executive, judicial, nor constitutive branches of state power. The president instead occupies a completely separate but coequal moderating branch by virtue of Article 102 of the Constitution. To this end, the president represents Slovenia abroad, fosters national unity at home, and exercises supreme command and control over the Armed Forces of Slovenia as commander-in-chief. In the performance of these functions, the president upholds the rule of law and, through their ongoing mediation and arbitration, guarantees the continuity and orderly operation of Slovenia’s democratic institutions. This stabilising and integrative role is in keeping with the president’s solemn oath taken at inauguration to “...uphold the constitutional order,…act according to my conscience and…do all in my power for the good of Slovenia”. The Constitution of Slovenia provides for a parliamentary system of government, whereby the presidency is a predominantly ceremonial institution with limited political power. Indeed, unlike in most parliamentary republics, the president is not even the ‘’nominal’’ chief executive. Rather, the executive authority of Slovenia is implicitly vested in the Government with the prime minister as its head. The Government is nevertheless obliged by the terms of its own standing orders to keep the president fully informed on matters of state, be they foreign or domestic. Moreover, the functions conferred on the president by the Constitution and subordinate statute law require neither the countersignature of the prime minister nor the advice of the Government to be effective. Thus, the powers and duties at the president’s disposal are generally exercised either in his or her complete discretion or, in the case of ministerial functions, in accordance with constitutional restrictions. According to the constitution, the president is the highest representative of the state. In practice, the position is mostly ceremonial. The president can appoint high ranking officials such as the head of the Central Bank of Slovenia, but they have to be confirmed by the parliament. Among other things, the president is also the commander-in-chief of the Slovenian Armed Forces.

Ministerial functions

Discretionary powers

List of presidents of Slovenia

Socialist Republic of Slovenia

Parties;

Republic of Slovenia

Parties;

Latest election

Footnotes