Ljubljana, 20 March (STA) – Slovenia will get the 11th government since independence on Wednesday as parliament is set to vote in the evening on the 14-member cabinet of Prime Minister-designate Ms. Alenka Bratušek. The new cabinet is expected to take over either very late on Wednesday or on Thursday morning.
Although some MPs of the Citizens’ List (DL) had some reservations to the party joining the coalition, the new government is expected to be backed by all 49 MPs of the new coalition – apart from the DL also Positive Slovenia (PS), Social Democrats (SD) and Pensioners’ Party (DeSUS).
It is moreover expected to by endorsed by three non-affiliated MPs as well as by the two representatives of the Hungarian and Italian minorities.
The new government is expected to continue many of the policies initiated by the outgoing government of Janez Janša, most notably keeping the bad bank and the Slovenia Sovereign Holding.
However, the coalition agreement lays out a shift away from austerity to stimulus, a case made by Bratušek as well as her ministers in hearings on Monday and Tuesday.