Slovene PM Says May Resign After Presidential Vote

The comments, the first by Jansa after Sunday´s victory of leftist Danilo Turk, shocked the small but wealthy European Union member.

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa said on Tuesday his conservative government might quit after leftist Danilo Turk was elected president of the small but wealthy European Union member in a runoff vote at the weekend.

"The situation will be analysed but I can say now that all options are open, including the government's resignation," the national STA news agency quoted Jansa as saying in Ormoz, a town in northeastern Slovenia. The comments were his first in public since Turk's election victory on Sunday.

"The circumstances are making the work of the government difficult ... and particularly difficult in preparing for the EU presidency, a task that is extremely strenuous for the government," Jansa was quoted as saying.

Slovenia will take over the rotating presidency of the EU on Jan. 1, 2008.

A government official who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity said Jansa's comments did not necessarily mean the government would step down.

"This was not an announcement that the government will resign, it is just one of the possibilities. And this is not just due to the election result, but to the general situation in Slovenia," the official said.

Turk, an independent backed by three opposition centre-left parties, convincingly beat conservative Lojze Peterle, supported by Jansa, on Sunday.

The government suffered another setback in a parallel referendum vote, with 71 percent of voters rejecting its proposal for 35 percent of a top local insurer to be managed by state investment fund KAD.

Analysts said the two votes showed the public was turning away from the centre-right government, perceived as doing too little to contain inflation that has risen steadily since Slovenia joined the euro zone in January.

But Jansa complained on Tuesday the opposition had focused on "slandering the government" just before Slovenia's first EU presidency. "The EU and the rest of the world got messages that made the situation in Slovenia seem like Belarus or a similar country," STA quoted him as saying.

Borut Hocevar, editor at Zurnal 24 daily, said Jansa's comments were intended to soften opposition to his government, adding the question remained "if Jansa is being serious".

"If if came to this (resignation), this would hurt Slovenia's international reputation, its rating," Hocevar said.

"It is difficult to imagine any serious politician would be willing to take over the government less than two months before the (EU) presidency."