A Mayoral by-election is to be held in Ljubljana on Sunday 25 March 2012.

On 4 December 2011, Mayor to date Zoran Janković and his party (Positive Slovenia) took part in pre-term elections to the Slovenian National Assembly. The party took 28.51% of the popular vote and became the largest single party in the Assembly, with Zoran Janković becoming an MP. As having a seat in Parliament is incompatible with being Mayor, at midnight on 21 December 2011 Zoran Janković stood down from his position as Mayor of Ljubljana. Therefore, a Mayoral by-election will be held in Ljubljana on Sunday 25 March 2012.

There are eight candidates standing to be the new Mayor of Ljubljana. The following, in alphabetical order, is a list of those who have declared their candidacy:

• Jože Drnovšek – Naprej Slovenija (Forward Slovenia)
• Matjaž Glavan – Slovenska ljudska stranka (Slovenian People’s Party)
• Zoran Janković – Pozitivna Slovenija (Positive Slovenia)
• Jože Jarh – Stranka enakopravnih dežel (Regional Equality Party)
• Miha Jazbinšek – Zeleni Slovenije (Greens of Slovenia)
• Mojca Kucler Dolinar – Nova Slovenija - Krščanska ljudska stranka, (New Slovenia – Christian People’s Party, standing with the support of the Slovenian Democratic Party)
• Vito Rožej – ZARES (Social Liberal Party)
• Gregor Škerl – Stranka Humana Slovenija (Humane Slovenia Party)

In this Mayoral by-election, the people of Ljubljana will vote only for a new Mayor, while the parties and members of the Ljubljana City Council remain the same. Therefore, the City Council will continue to comprise as at present Zoran Janković’s List (Positive Slovenia) 25 councillors, Slovenian Democratic Party 9 councillors, Social Democrats 4 councillors, New Slovenia – Christian People’s Party 2 councillors, Greens of Slovenia 2 councillors, Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia 2 councillors and in Liberal Democracy of Slovenia 1 councillor.