Slovenia's parliament met on Wednesday to appoint political newcomer liberal Robert Golob as prime minister after his party defeated conservative veteran Janez Jansa in a general election last month.
Golob's Freedom Movement (GS) party won more than a third of votes in the April 24 election after mass protests over the previous government's crackdown on civil liberties.
Critics accuse three-time premier Jansa of attacking media freedom and the judiciary and undermining the rule of law in his latest term in office in the small Alpine EU member of two million people.
"Voters have clearly decided they want to live in a normal state without permanent uncertainty," Golob said addressing the newly elected parliament.
His government's main objective was to bring "hope back to citizens" and make Slovenia "a state with social justice, solidarity and based on knowledge," he said.
The 55-year-old former power company manager is expected to be voted in by MPs later Wednesday to head a coalition government.
Together with the centre-left Social Democrats (SD) and leftist Levica party, the coalition has 53 seats in the 90-seat parliament.
Golob is expected to assume office in June after his ministers are also approved by parliament at a session to be called next week.
"During the summer we want to prepare for the two main challenges of the autumn: the energy crisis and a possible new wave of COVID-19," Golob said after he was nominated by President Borut Pahor on Monday.
GS and its two partners signed a coalition agreement on Tuesday that includes the adoption of bills to ensure media freedom.
Golob has also announced he would revise some of the outgoing government's latest moves, including a €340 million agreement to buy armoured vehicles from Germany.
"We will carry out politics aimed at unifying people... I want to be the prime minister of all voters, regardless of the party they voted for," Golob said, adding that, unlike his predecessor Jansa, he will avoid using hate speech or attacks against his adversaries.
GS won 34.5% of the vote in the April 24 polls, well ahead of Jansa's Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), which received 23.5%.