Zoran Janković's centre-left Positive Slovenia party likely to form coalition with outgoing Social Democrats
The centre-left mayor of Slovenia's capital Ljubljana won a narrow victory in a parliamentary election on Sunday, making the outgoing Social Democrats the latest casualties of the eurozone crisis.
The defeat for prime minister Borut Pahor was expected, but the victory for mayor Zoran Janković's Positive Slovenia party marks an upset after weeks of opinion polls predicting a comfortable win for centre-right ex-prime minister Janez Janša.
With over 99% of votes counted, Janković's party was leading with 28.5%, which would represent 28 seats in the 90-seat parliament. Janša's Slovenian Democratic Party was on 26.3% with Pahor's Social Democrats on 10.5%.
Janković, who managed Slovenia's largest food retailer Mercator before becoming mayor of the capital in 2006, will have to seek coalition partners, and Pahor said his party was ready to talk.
"We are open for dialogue," the outgoing prime minister told Pop Television. "We have to think of the future of this country."
Analysts predicted a coalition of Janković, the Social Democrats, the centrist Civic List of Gregor Virant and the pensioners party Desus.
Janković has previously ruled out a coalition with Janša's Slovenian Democratic Party, which is likely to have 26 seats in the new parliament.
"I will not talk about coalitions now," Janković said. We will sit down to talk about it tomorrow and then start talks with other parties."
The coalition faces a challenge in turning around Slovenia's economy, which is sliding into new recession and risks a further credit rating downgrade.
Economic woes in neighbouring Croatia, which will join the EU in 2013, also saw the ruling HDZ ousted in an election on Sunday.