The ceremony will thereby be held on the same day that Borut Pahor will be sworn in in parliament as the country's new president.

Parliament Speaker Gregor Virant told commercial broadcaster POP TV that "it is probably really not appropriate to celebrate on a day when mass protests are under way", adding that the matter might also be complicated in terms of security.

Independence and Unity Day marks the declaration of the results of the 23 December 1990 referendum at which Slovenians opted for independence from Yugoslavia.