Slovenian coalition talks to start on July 24 – leading SMC party

Miro Cerar (C), leader of the Stranka Mira Cerarja (Party of Miro Cerar), speaks at a news conference after parliamentary elections in Ljubljana July 13, 2014. REUTERS/Srdjan Zivulovic reuters_tickers

LJUBLJANA (Reuters) – Slovenia’s centre-left Party of Miro Cerar (SMC), which won the snap general election on July 13, will start coalition talks on Thursday, the party’s spokesman told Reuters on Tuesday.

Investors are keen to see the profile of the new coalition and whether it will favour privatisation and reforms.

The SMC needs at least one or two small parties to secure a majority in parliament and Cerar has said he hoped for a coalition with a majority large enough to enable him to implement reforms.

“The first round of coalition talks will start on Thursday,” SMC spokesman Gregor Jagodic said.

The SMC will hold talks with all parliamentary parties except the centre-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) whose leader is serving a two-year jail sentence for graft.

Slovenia, which narrowly avoided an international bailout last year, held the election after centre-left Prime Minister Alenka Bratusek resigned in May because she lost the battle for the leadership of the Positive Slovenia party.

(Reporting by Marja Novak; Editing by Louise Ireland)