Slovenian President Pirc Musar Will Not Give Mandate for Government Formation to Anyone

(Patria) - Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar informed the Slovenian public on Saturday that after consultations with political parties, she will not give anyone the mandate to form a government because no one has the support of the majority, and she will leave the procedure for electing a prime minister-designate to the National Assembly.

Her statement added that she does not wish to grant a mandate for the formation of a minority government and has referred the Slovenian parliament to take over the entire procedure.

Although she announced a few days ago that she would continue consultations after the first round, which did not show anyone having majority support in parliament, she announced on Saturday that she is abandoning this.

"I announce that I am concluding consultations on the candidate for the next prime minister. After consultations, I have determined that no one has received the support of the majority of deputies in the National Assembly."

"Therefore, I have informed the President of the National Assembly today that I am not proposing a candidate for prime minister," Pirc Musar stated.

No One Has Proven Majority Support

She explained her decision by the lack of mutual respect and trust during her consultations with parliamentary parties, assessing it as a bad sign for her cooperation with a potential new government.

Assessing that in the Slovenian political scene, "respect, honesty, and goodwill have too often given way to political calculations and short-term interests," and that "during the election campaign, one thing was heard, and after the elections, something completely different," she stated that she does not want to be part of such politics and called on parliament to take responsibility for the election of the prime minister.

In parliament, a prime minister-designate can be proposed by a club of deputies or ten deputies.

Forming a government requires a majority of 46 votes in parliament, and Pirc Musar had previously announced that she would not grant a mandate without proof of majority support for the prime minister-designate in parliament.

What do Golob and Janša say?

Prime Minister in technical mandate Robert Golob, president of the Freedom Movement, the relative winner of the elections, announced that he cannot gather sufficient support to form a government, while Janez Janša, president of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), keeps open the possibility of forming a government.

The Freedom Movement is the relative winner of the elections with 29 deputies, one more than SDS.

Janša announced on Friday that he will offer a coalition agreement to those in parliament who support the proposed amendments to the government law, which abolish and merge ministries, submitted by his party.

This is expected next week.

He also added that SDS will not form a government at any cost.

Janša, with the support of the pre-election coalition led by NSi (eight deputies), Democrats (six deputies), and Resni.com (five deputies), has more than the 46 deputies required for a majority in the Slovenian parliament, which has a total of 90 deputies.