President Launches Talks on PM-Designate
Pahor will meet the Democrats (SDS) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) on Tuesday, before he wraps up the talks with meetings with the Social Democrats (SD), United Left (ZL), New Slovenia (NSi), the Alliance of Alenka Bratušek (ZaAB) and both minority MPs on Wednesday.
After the 1 August inauguration of the National Assembly, the president has 30 days to nominate a PM-designate. He is expected to put forward Miro Cerar, who has been in coalition talks with DeSUS, SD, NSi and ZaAB.
If the outlines of the new coalition are clear enough, Pahor could nominate the PM-designate on 18 August, so parliament could take the vote on 22 August, Pahor said after meeting Speaker Milan Brglez last week.
Considering the prescribed deadlines, Pahor said that such a scenario would enable parliament to take a vote on the government line-up in mid-September.
Cerar is meanwhile not expected to resume coalition talks until later this week, after the potential partners have studied a new draft coalition contract, which he plans to put forward by Tuesday.
Nevertheless, the SMC may meet NSi officials as early as Monday morning in a bid to iron out conceptual differences that have moved the party away from the emerging coalition last week.
According to SocDem deputy group leader Matjaž Han, Cerar may also meet SocDem leader Dejan Židan for informal talks on Monday.