It came into existence in 1991, replacing the "Club of Slovenian Local Councillors" (Slovene: Klub slovenskih občinskih svetnikov, German: Klub der slowenischen Gemeinderäte), which had existed as an initiative of local Slovenian party lists from various local councils.

Slovenian party lists have regularly contested elections in Carinthia since 1950.

Therefore, on both Land and national levels, the EL has tended to participate in electoral unions (sometimes with the Greens, sometimes with the Liberal Forum).

It has councilors in several local councils in the bilingual region of Carinthia.

Since March 2009, the municipality of Eisenkappel-Vellach (Slovene: Železna Kapla-Bela) is run by a mayor of the EL.