Slovenia’s parliament is set to begin the second round of the process for nominating a candidate for prime minister on May 6, after President Nataša Pirc Musar decided not to put forward a nominee in the first round.
The National Assembly will formally take note of the president’s decision at an extraordinary session on May 5. One day later, a 14-day period will begin during which a candidate for prime minister may be proposed not only by the president, but also by parliamentary groups or by at least ten members of parliament.
Pirc Musar announced over the weekend that she would not nominate a candidate in the first round, explaining that consultations with parliamentary groups did not show a clear majority behind any potential nominee. She also said she did not want to propose a candidate for a minority government without sufficient support.
Parliamentary Speaker Zoran Stevanović said he understood the president’s decision and did not see it as an obstacle to the continuation of government formation talks. He noted that the procedure is part of the country’s democratic process and follows clearly defined constitutional and parliamentary rules.
According to parliamentary procedure, voting on a candidate or candidates in the second round can take place no earlier than 48 hours and no later than seven days after the deadline for submitting nominations expires. If more than one candidate is proposed, parliament votes on each separately. Priority is given to a candidate proposed by the president, followed by candidates submitted in the order in which their nominations were filed.
If no candidate is elected, the National Assembly may decide to hold another vote for prime minister, again within a defined period.
At the same time, parliament is preparing for an extraordinary session on Wednesday, where lawmakers will discuss proposed changes to the law on government. The SDS party is seeking to reduce the number of ministries from the current 19 to 14, while keeping a minister without portfolio responsible for relations with Slovenians living abroad.
SDS leader Janez Janša has said that if the proposal is adopted, his party will send coalition negotiation guidelines to the parties that support it. However, he stressed that SDS would not form a government at any cost.
The session will also include debate on an intervention bill proposed by parties from the so-called third political bloc. The bill contains measures intended to respond to the expected crisis, including lower VAT on basic food products and some energy sources, as well as proposals related to small businesses, taxation, healthcare, pensions and long-term care.
The coming weeks are expected to be decisive for Slovenia’s political future, as parties test whether a new parliamentary majority can be formed or whether the country will face a prolonged period of uncertainty.
