While 35.9% of the respondents said they would back the law and 26.3% said they would not, the referendum battle is open, as 20.9% remain undecided, the daily suggests.

The poll, carried out by pollster Delo Stik on 29 February and 1 March among 504 respondents, suggests that Slovenians are well acquainted with the law, with 60% of the respondents claiming they know the contents.

The law is mostly backed by the supporters of the opposition SocDems (63%) and Positive Slovenia (49%), as well as by those with higher education (51%) and by women (41%).

On the other hand, just over half of the supporters of the ruling Democrats (SDS) oppose the law, as well as a majority of the supporters of the coalition People's Party (SLS) and New Slovenia (NSi).

The respondents were also quizzed whether they believe that the government, the unions and the employers will succeed in finalising a social pact until 20 June, with 52.7% of the respondents claiming they would not and 40.2% claiming they would.

Almost two thirds of Slovenians moreover do not believe that PS head Zoran Janković's leaving parliament, should he be elected Ljubljana mayor in by-elections, will weaken the opposition, the poll suggests. On the other hand, 28% believe that it will.

Quizzed about the contentious transfer of the prosecution service to the Interior Ministry, which is led by the SDS, a vast majority of the respondents (68.8%) said they found the move acceptable, while almost a quarter (24.4%) said it was not.