Slovenia's parliament approves Jansa's centre-right government

LJUBLJANA, June 4 - Slovenia's parliament on Thursday approved Prime Minister Janez Jansa's centre-right government, which has pledged tax cuts, targeted spending and an anti-corruption drive.

Jansa, a pro-Trump populist who secured a fourth term after an inconclusive March election, said the cabinet would represent the whole country, with ministers drawn from different generations and across Slovenia.

Slovenia had been led for the past four years by a liberal government under Robert Golob, who narrowly won the election but failed to form a majority coalition.

FIVE-PARTY COALITION

Lawmakers backed the 15-member cabinet by 49 votes to 30. Most ministers are from Jansa's SDS party, with others from coalition partners NSi, Democrats and Focus. The SLS party, the fifth partner, did not get a ministerial post.

The five-party coalition holds 43 seats in the 90-seat parliament and is also supported by the right-wing Resnica party which has not formally joined the government. Deputies representing national minorities also backed the cabinet.

In a speech to parliament, Jansa praised the ministers as experienced executives and pledged to cut what he called "record-high taxes" and a large bureaucracy compared with other European countries. He also vowed to tackle corruption and devolve more powers to local governments.

Jansa said he would invite opposition parties next week to join a partnership to help draft key legislation.

"A hand is offered," he told lawmakers. "But it takes two to cooperate, and it will depend on you how many there will be."

Analysts say Jansa's government is likely to shift foreign policy away from the previous administration, which recognised a Palestinian state and imposed travel bans on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and two of his far-right ministers. REUTERS