He told the press in parliament that the talks were progressing as usual in coalition building, with the second round, which moves to content, usually being the toughest and decisive step.

Janša said all potential partners, meaning the SDS, the fellow centre-right New Slovenia (NSi), the Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), had put forward their priorities and that the result was encouraging.

"It testifies to a certain maturity that all the parties participating in the talks see some of Slovenia's key priorities or current problems in a very similar way," he said.

The problem, as usual, are the financial effects, Janša added, saying the SDS's finance committee was presently calculating the financial impact of everything proposed.

Janša's quick assessment is that there will not be enough funds for the entire wishlist and that priority will have to be given to things that will bring in more money, which will in turn allow for the funding of proposals that are out of reach in the coming two years.

He said three meetings of the heads of parties participating in the talks had been held so far. Expert teams on all sides have been working hard, and coordinating the content will take some more time.

Janša said that "all parties bar the SDS are undergoing certain internal dynamic processes that we are not interfering in". "This also needs its time. If everything comes together in the end, we will be able to put together a coalition, otherwise not."

Janša is convinced he would receive the mandate to form a new government in parliament immediately, "but we're not interested in this".

"We're only interested in a composition capable of solving problems and of persisting long enough to prevent us heading to elections every two years," he said, while repeating the SDS was also ready for a snap election.

Janša, who said he would insist that all the heads of parties in the coalition also serve as ministers, indirectly rejected the possibility of anyone but him assuming the role of prime minister.

He is "willing to back anyone who received more votes in the election" than him. Janša received the highest number of votes among all candidates for MP, 7,020.

The statement for the press meanwhile also featured a curious comment to a question about the agenda of an SDS meeting scheduled for Saturday posed by a reporter of left-leaning daily Dnevnik.

"We will discuss the editorial policy at Dnevnik... Since you are interfering in our party, we'll also interfere in your editorial policy, we live in a free country after all," Janša said in what appeared to be a joke.