Slovenian member of the European Parliament Romana Tomc has been elected one of ten vice-chairs of the European People's Party faction in parliament after making it clear that she plans to act as the conservative wing of the group.

Tomc, a member of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) who secured her third consecutive MEP term in the recent EU election, was elected with 141 out of 170 valid votes, the sixth highest number of votes for a vice-chair, on 19 June.

"I'm very happy with this result and the trust of the entire group. The result shows that we enjoy tremendous support," she said.

"This is also because I made it very clear in my speech ... that I want the EPP to remain on the side from where it has received the most votes," she said, adding that she would be a "clear conservative wing" of the EPP Group.

The SDS won the EU election in Slovenia and will have four of Slovenia's nine MEPs, after having campaigned on a law-and-order and anti-migration platform that puts it to the right of many EPP member parties.

Party leader Janez Janša, a close ally of Hungary's Viktor Orban, has been vocal about trying to steer the EPP more towards the right and the party opposes a repeat of the current loose coalition in which conservatives work with liberals and social democrats.

He has called for a coalition of the EPP and one right and one left party instead.

"The EPP forming a coalition with just left-leaning parties could be a path to a defeat ... in the long-term. The SDS insists on a well-balanced coalition that will be capable of leading EU policy wisely to the benefit of our people's safety and prosperity," he said.

The SDS also opposes giving Ursula von der Leyen another term at the helm of the European Commission.

Congratulating Tomc on X, Janša wished her "a lot of success in turning this large ship in the right direction".