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Aside from kick-starting economic growth, the coalition partners committed to step up the use of EU funds, reform public healthcare on the principle of solidarity and accessibility to all, boost Slovenia's economic independence through sustainable use of natural resources and create better prospects for youth.

To promote the effort, the coalition is creating an independent government office in charge of EU fund phasing, which will answer directly to the prime minister, as will the Youth Office, whose head will be proposed by young people through organisations involved in the Youth Council.

The four coalition partners also pledged for the government not to interfere in the minimum wage and not to raise or introduce new taxes or other levies, except if it agreed otherwise with the social partners. Pensions and pension allowances are to be kept at the present level.

In this way the government plans to boost economic development and welfare, two key priorities that PM Alenka Bratušek highlighted following the signing of the coalition agreement at the parliament building.

In a year since her coalition government took over "Slovenia has become a better country and its foundations are healthier... We look towards growth and into the future rather than the archives of the past," the PM said in a reference to the opposition Democrats' (SDS) demand for a referendum on the issue.

She listed normalisation of the political situation, efforts at fiscal consolidation and bank restructuring, as well as efforts for youth employment and the combat against corruption and tax evasion as the coalition's achievements.

The main priority now is according to her kick-starting growth through measures to boost competitiveness, improve the business environment, a green development policy, infrastructural projects and the creation of new jobs.

One of the main tasks is effective management of the Bank Asset Management Company (BAMC) in a bid to restructure and deleverage companies with the PM indicating potential changes to BAMC management should that prove necessary.

Despite the general satisfaction at having agreed priorities in spite of the differences, the DL and DeSUS in particular warned of the many decisions and reforms still ahead. The DL is concerned about the lack of reform drive in the agreement.

"Unless we take on reforms seriously...we'll be left hovering between heaven and hell as a country," DL president Gregor Virant said, referring to privatisation, health and labour market reforms and measures to boost competitiveness.

SD leader Igor Lukšič was more upbeat, underscoring the importance of political stability in the country, something that was echoed by DeSUS boss Karl Erjavec, who said that the coalition contract did not contain all the necessary solutions because the coalition was liberal as well as social-democratic.

He is happy about commitments concerning pensioners, expressing the hope that Finance Minister Uroš Čufer would read the coalition contract after he raised the possibility of changes affecting pensions this week.

The agreement's underlying commitment is to seek a balance between competitiveness- and solidarity-based state to break out of the deep financial, economic and social crisis faced by Slovenia, the EU and the world and to secure the country's sustainable development, which they plan to achieve through a dialogue.

The coalition further pledge to "act with tolerance, respect ethnic and other minorities and the different-minded", and not to bring up issues related to interpretation of recent history.

The agreement defines four elements that can make up a common vision of Slovenia's development as generating new value in raising the competitive edge, a functioning rule of law, solidarity as the groundwork for a multi-cultural civil society and a green development policy.

A top priority is a development-oriented economy, which is to be achieved based on a strategy of industrial development and creation of new jobs with the mid-term goal being 60,000 new jobs and 3% annual economic growth.

The coalition promise to create better prospects for the youth through development of accessible public education, systemic opening of new jobs, accessible housing and by enabling youth to participate in decision-making on all key development issues.

In a stance against private health and education, the agreement underscores that health and knowledge cannot become marketable commodities. They also plan to modernise healthcare and call for an effective and consistent justice system.