Il Nuovo Postiglione - Slovenian liberal Golob fails to form government

His announcement opens the door for runner-up Janez Jansa, an admirer of US President Donald Trump, to seek to form a coalition in the EU member of two million.

"We are looking forward to our work in the opposition," liberal Golob, 59, told reporters after meeting President Natasa Pirc Musar.

He added that he had not found a partner among centre-right parties to join his party and its allies to secure a parliamentary majority.

Golob's liberals won 29 seats last month, while the conservatives of three-time premier Jansa got 28 seats in the 90-seat parliament.

Jansa -- who had frequent run-ins with Brussels during his last stint as prime minister -- has pledged to restore "Slovenian values," such as the "traditional family," and "close the (state money) pipe" to NGOs deemed political parties.

- 'Most ideal for country' -

Jansa, 67, has publicly rejected any coalition talks.

On Monday, Jansa reiterated he was not in a rush to form a government while seeking to do what is "the most ideal for the country".

"The (Slovenian Democratic Party) SDS is not forming any government at the moment," Jansa told reporters after he also met Pirc Musar.

"This week we will concentrate on the constitution of the parliament, since that is on the agenda," he said, adding that, if needed, his party was "ready for new elections tomorrow".

Golob insisted on Monday that Jansa would form a coalition, saying he was "convinced that this coalition of fraudsters will not last long".

Although the SDS has denied any ongoing coalition talks, Christian-democrat Nova Slovenija and Jansa's former ally Anze Logar's Democrats -- who rejected on Friday any agreement with Golob -- have many common points with the SDS' programme.

Earlier this month, the parliament's inaugural session elected a lawmaker from anti-establishment Resnica party as speaker with the backing of Jansa's conservatives, Nova Slovenija and Logar's Democrats.

While Resnica party has rejected entering any coalition, Jansa may get its support after the SDS enabled the appointment of Resnica's leader as parliamentary speaker.

President Pirc Musar has to propose a prime minister designate to parliament within 30 days of its April 10 inaugural session.

If the candidate does not get a majority, the law sets a 10-day deadline for parties to propose a new candidate.

Golob, a former power company manager, was a political newcomer in 2022, when he topped the vote that year, propelled by anger over the Jansa government's crackdown on civil liberties.

Jansa has accused the Golob government during its last mandate of squandering money, behaving as if "money grew on trees" and sowing "chaos".

The last days of campaigning ahead of the March 22 vote were overshadowed by claims of foreign interference, with authorities probing whether Israeli company Black Cube was behind secretly recorded videos alleging graft in Golob's government.

A civil society group, together with an investigative journalist and two researchers, accused Black Cube over the videos, linking it to Jansa's party.

Jansa has admitted to having met a Black Cube official, but has denied being behind the videos.

C.Albano--INP