Looking back at the period when the party was founded, Tonin said in his message that the NSi founders "decided to change Slovenia forever", by creating a Christian Democratic party.

The NSi has since evolved into a modern centrist western European Christian Democratic party, according to Tonin. "We put people and concern for their well-being in the centre. We are committed to freedom, justness, safety and respect for human dignity," he listed.

Arguing against "new faces and instant saviours", he said traditional parties with a clear manifesto and well known team would be crucial for Slovenia's future.

Tonin also pointed to the achievements of NSi ministers in this government, highlighting efforts to improve the status of soldiers and army equipment, social policies introduced during the coronavirus epidemic, and modernisation of road and rail infrastructure.

Among the key challenges he listed access to healthcare, demographic challenges, border protection and judiciary.

The NSi received a number of congratulation notes from domestic as well as foreign figures on today's occasion, including from European People's Party (EPP) president Donald Tusk and EPP group leader in the European Parliament Manfred Weber.

Tusk tweeted that for 20 years, the NSi has "worked tirelessly to deliver stability & prosperity to the Slovenian citizens and defend our shared Christian Democratic values", while Weber said he was looking forward to the party's good work continuing in the coming years.

Moreover, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz congratulated the NSi on two decades of dedicated work for a successful Slovenia.

The NSi was founded in August 2020 after a split in the SLS+SKD, the predecessor of the People's Party (SLS). It made it to parliament in the October 2000 election, winning eight MPs. In 2004, nine NSi MPs were elected.

The NSi has seven MPs in the current parliament and three ministers in the current government.

The party's first president was Andrej Bajuk, while Tonin was preceded by Ljudmila Novak between 2008 and 2018.