An opposition liberal party has convincingly won a parliamentary election in Slovenia, according to early official results.

It is seen as a major defeat for populist Prime Minister Janez Jansa, who was accused of pushing the small European Union country to the right while in office.

The Freedom Movement won nearly 34% of the votes compared with the ruling conservative Slovenian Democratic Party with around 24%, the state election authorities said after counting over 90% of the ballots.

Trailing behind the top two contenders were the New Slovenia party with 7%, followed by the Social Democrats with more than 6% and the Left party with 4%.

The results mean that the Freedom Movement, a newcomer in the election, appears set to form the next government in a coalition with smaller leftist groups.

The party leader addressed supporters via a video message from his home because he has Covid-19.

“Tonight people dance,” Robert Golob told the cheering crowd at the party headquarters. “Tomorrow is a new day and serious work lies ahead.”

Mr Jansa posted a message to supporters on Twitter, saying only “thank you for your vote.”

Mr Jansa, a veteran politician, became prime minister a little over two years ago after the previous liberal premier resigned.

An admirer of former US president Donald Trump, Mr Jansa had pushed the country toward right-wing populism since taking over at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reflecting strong interest in Sunday’s election, turnout was higher than usual — more than 64% of Slovenia’s 1.7 million voters cast their ballot, compared with 52% in the previous election in 2018.

Mr Golob, a US-educated former business executive, came out as a frontrunner shortly after entering the political scene. The Freedom Movement party has advocated a green energy transition and sustainable development over Mr Jansa’s nation-centred narrative.

Liberals had described Sunday’s election as a referendum on Slovenia’s future. They argued that Mr Jansa, if re-elected, would push the traditionally moderate nation further away from “core” EU democratic values and toward other populist regimes.

Opinion polls ahead of the vote had predicted that the leading parties would be locked in a tight race.

Mr Jansa’s SDS won the most votes in an election four years ago, but couldn’t initially find partners for a coalition government. He took over after lawmakers from centrist and left-leaning groups switched sides following the resignation in 2020 of liberal prime minister Marjan Sarec.

Mr Jansa, in power, faced accusations of sliding toward authoritarian rule in the style of his ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

He came under EU scrutiny amid reports that he pressured opponents and public media, and installed loyalists in key positions for control over state institutions.

The Freedom House democracy watchdog recently said that “while political rights and civil liberties are generally respected (in Slovenia), the current right-wing government has continued attempts to undermine the rule of law and democratic institutions, including the media and judiciary”.