The first to meet Pahor as the three-day consultation on whether the formation of a new coalition is possible or a snap election should be called started on Tuesday was Krivec, who reiterated that Janša was the best candidate and "everything else is speculation."

He noted that the largest parliamentary party, with 26 deputies in the 90-member National Assembly, had invited all parties for talks on Friday, after which it would be clear what should be done next.

"It is about exchanging views about the current situation", Krivec said, adding that the SDS was still open both to the formation of a new government and a snap election.

Asked whether Janez Janša remained the only option for prime minister for the SDS, he said this "depends on the parties which will come to talks. He is the best candidate for us, and everything else is speculation."

Brane Golubović, the head of the second largest deputy group with 13 MPs, meanwhile told the press after meeting Pahor that the LMŠ wanted a snap election, reiterating that the party would not respond to the SDS's invitation.

The LMŠ believes that now is the right time for an election. "We have a two-year budget, the state is stable. If an election is held soon, a government could be formed by the summer," he added.

Golubović argued the rejection of the SDS by saying that the party's politics had not changed compared to the post-2018 election period when the LMŠ was forming a minority coalition.

Asked about other parties being it talks with Janša, he said that "when a snap election becomes the main motivator for cooperation, it is time for a snap election."

The Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) meanwhile continues to promote its idea of a "project government" that would be in office until electoral legislation is reformed, and other key pieces of legislation passed.

Party president Alenka Bratušek said that choosing only between a snap election and an SDS-led government was not in the national interest, adding that all parliamentary parties bar the SDS were invited to talks.

But Golubović said today there was no need to attend talks with Bratušek either as the SAB proposed a one-year project government. New election would be held in that case just ahead of Slovenia's EU presidency, which would be "irresponsible."

Rejecting both the SDS and the SAB is also the position of the National Party (SNS), whose president Zmago Jelinčič said that the party would not "kneel in front of anyone's door".

Aleksandra Pivec, the president of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), meanwhile said that the party would talk both with the SDS and the SAB, but it was hard to tell which option was more realistic as many issues remained open.

Pivec, who recently took over the party presidency, said that DeSUS was inclined the most to a snap election. "But at the same time we will attending talks on any option to form a government that is put on the table."

The Social Democrats (SD) will not attend the talks with the SDS as, according to SD president Dejan Židan, centre-right governments failed to bring progress in Slovenia, while it will attend talks with the SAB, if invited.

"But the problem is not the SD. We need a clear position from the Left and LMŠ," he said while expressing scepticism about a new centre-left coalition, and calling on the parties "to do what voters want from us - a snap election."

The Left said later in the day it had rejected Janša's call, and that it was yet to decide on Bratušek's invitation, while the Modern Centre Party (SMC) said it would attend Friday's talks with the SDS.

Matej Tonin, the head of New Slovenia (NSi), said on Monday that the party would not be exclusive and would talk to everybody.