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The names are eagerly awaited because the two key governmental departments have been operating without a minister for more than two months.

According to the coalition agreement, the health department belongs to DeSUS, while the economy department belongs to the PS.

Erjavec and PM Alenka Bratušek did not rule out the possibility of their parties' swapping the departments, but would not go into details yet after the meeting late on Monday.

Meanwhile, Matjaž Han of the coalition Social Democrats (SD) said the party had been urging DeSUS and the PS to fill the vacant ministerial posts as soon as possible "but that's as much as we can do".

Further talks will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday within both parties, Erjavec said and added that a final decision would be announced on Thursday evening.