SocDems to Set New Course Under Old Leadership?
With no competition, the 47-year-old veterinarian, who has been interim leader since late May, is all but certain to secure the post of full-fledged leader when 294 party delegates take a vote barring an on-the-spot challenge.
One of the most popular politicians in the country, an image he has built serving his third term as agriculture minister, Židan hopes to restore the party's former glory.
He entered politics in 2010 as he joined the Borut Pahor government, having served since 2007 as chairman of Panvita, one of the biggest food groups in Slovenia.
In addition to cementing Židan's leadership, the party will also seek to fully carve out its platform as it seeks to regain ground against new political forces who appeared left of centre in the aftermath of the anti-establishment protests from two years ago.
Party officials have said in recent days that they want to secure a course that is well left of neoliberal policies of austerity and unbridled privatisation of state assets. At the same time they want the party to be closer to centre than the opposition radical left represented by the United Left (ZL), which they say say stands for little more than left-wing populism.
In addition to confirming the three-term agriculture minister for leader, the party will also vote on two deputy leaders, a race that features competition and which could well give a more precise indication of where the party is headed.
Vying for the posts are former TV reporter and MEP Tanja Fajon, who has become the young face of the party of late, former MEP Mojca Kleva Klekuš, influential Velenje Mayor Bojan Kontič, the current deputy leader, and Defence Minister Janko Veber.
One deputy leader post is reserved for a woman. Most eyes are meanwhile expected to be on the battle between Kontič and Veber, as the former is thought to represent the more leftist old party guard and the latter a more moderate younger generation.