The bill is to regulate the implementation of the fiscal rule, which Slovenia enshrined in its Constitution in 2013. The government wants to introduce a transition period under which the rule would be fully implemented by 2019.

While the coalition parties support the motion, the opposition United Left (ZL) opposes the fiscal rule and the implementation bill.

The opposition Democrats (SDS) on the other hand are not happy with the transition period, believing the rule should be implemented immediately.

"The debate and the forming of positions will probably take quite some time," SDS head Janez Janša said as he came out of a meeting with Prime Minister Miro Cerar and Finance Minister Dušan Mramor on Friday. His party was to try to form a position by today.

The opposition Bratušek Alliance (ZaAB) decided on Monday that it would support the bill at first reading, while New Slovenia (NSi) requested additional explanations from the government before the vote scheduled for Friday.

The ZaAB and NSi said after their meetings with the prime minister and the finance minister on Friday that the most recent government's proposal came closer to their positions.

This is not the first time the National Assembly is discussing a fiscal rule implementation bill. Two similar motions have been filed in legislative procedure by the SDS in the past but were both voted down.