The four parties had signed a coalition agreement last Tuesday and President Borut Pahor put forward Janša as PM-designate on Wednesday.

The news coalition currently has 48 seats in the 90-member legislature but SMC MP Jani Möderndorfer announced he would not vote for Janša today.

The SDS head needs at least 46 votes to start his third term as prime minister.

An eight-hour debate is planned before the vote starting in the morning.

Because of speculation that some MPs of the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) might vote for Janša's appointment, the deputy group decided not to take the ballots to dispel any doubt.

Support to Janša has meanwhile been voiced by MP of the National Party (SNS) Jani Ivanuša, but it is unclear how the other two SNS deputies will vote.

The Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD) and the Left announced they would vote against.

Speaker Dejan Židan announced he would step down as soon as Janša was appointed to give room for a parliamentary speaker from the ranks of the new coalition.

Based on an agreement among the new coalition parties, the SMC will put forward his successor. According to unofficial information, this will most likely be SMC deputy group head Igor Zorčič.

If elected PM-designate, Janša will have 15 days to nominate his cabinet, whereupon ministerial hearings will start.