Čufer said that the mission will focus on Slovenia's efforts to fix its ailing banks and restructuring overindebted companies as well as to consolidate public finances and improve corporate governance.

Speaking after Thursday's cabinet session, the minister said that he expects a positive assessment of Slovenia's efforts on these issues. Slovenia is taking quick steps on all fronts, he said.

This was shared by representatives of the coalition Social Democrats (SD), who think that IMF officials will find that the situation is better than even Slovenians themselves think it is.

SD leader Igor Lukšič said that the IMF officials should be satisfied with what they find and warned that the biggest disservice to Slovenia is being done by individual ministers and party leaders who are trying to destabilise the government.

This was echoed by Agriculture and Environment Minister Dejan Židan, who thinks that the IMF "will probably assess our efforts better than we have assessed them".