The main purpose of the meeting, which brought together Prime Minister Janez Janša and other coalition party leaders, heads of coalition deputy factions and MPs, was to find a way to close the budget for the coming two years after coalition parties raised objections to the currently proposed increase in the VAT rate for select goods and services, including print media.

After the meeting, statements were only made by Radovan Žerjav of the People's Party (SLS), Karl Erjavec of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and Ljudmila Novak of New Slovenia (NSi), who were cautious in their comments about the potential alternatives to the VAT motion, which was passed at first reading at the National Assembly today.

Erjavec said he was reassured by PM Janša that pension adjustment would continue, so he expected no problems in that respect. Asked about the response of the Finance Minister Janez Šušteršič, Erjavec said that the minister "is insisting on his old positions so that he's really tiresome".

The agreement on taxes was that "we're making changes but need to agree them first... Basically, the legislative motion won't be as it is now".

Žerjav said that the consensus over new taxes was that the coalition would examine the proposals presented today and that based on that further decisions would be taken.

Novak said the proposals were many, but said that more would be said on the subject by Finance Minister Janez Šušteršič, who would examine the proposals.

Alternatives to the proposal to replace the 8.5% VAT rate for print media and several other goods and services with the general 20% rate reportedly include the introduction of a crisis tax to be paid as a percentage of the amount of personal income tax.