The party respects Pahor's constructive and positive attitude, and see him as a moderate candidate of the political centre although he belongs to the left-leaning opposition Social Democrats (SD).

Virant thus stressed that the party was deciding on Pahor as an individual candidate and not based on his party, adding that Pahor's views were sometimes even closer to those of the DL than of the SD.

Pahor supports reforms, including those of the current government, according to Virant, who believes Slovenia needs a president who will back the necessary reforms.

Furthermore, Virant underlined Pahor's innovative hands-on campaign and his personal integrity, noting that he had never been a destructive politician.

The announcement came after Pahor met with the DL and stressed that the party's endorsement was an inspiration to him and proof for his "underlying belief that together we are stronger".

It is exactly the differences that underline the moral and political obligation to overcome these differences, Pahor said, arguing that such cooperation was new on the Slovenian political stage.

Pahor will run for president in the 11 November election as the candidate of the SD and has already gathered over 3,000 signatures needed to complement the endorsement. However, he has not yet filed his candidacy.

He will be running against incumbent President Danilo Türk, who has already filed his candidacy with the support of citizens, and was also endorsed by the biggest opposition Positive Slovenia (PS) and the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS).

Also a strong candidate in the race is MEP Milan Zver, who is running with the support of the senior coalition Democrats (SDS) and junior coalition New Slovenia (NSi).

The only parliamentary party not to have endorsed anyone is now the People's Party (SLS), whose president Radovan Žerjav has however said the party would not give explicit support to any candidate unless they put forward their own.