Voters are going to the polls on Sunday with incumbent Borut Pahor favourite to win a second term.
The people of Slovenia are voting in a presidential election with the incumbent Borut Pahor aiming for a second five-year term.
ADVERTISEMENTOpinion polls suggest he will win most votes; the question is whether he can gain the 50 percent required to avoid a second round.
Among eight challengers, his most likely rival in a run-off is the centre-left mayor of Kamnik.
The post is largely ceremonial although the president does have some clout, being head of the armed forces and with the power to make key appointments.
The vote is seen as a guide to potential support for parties at a general election due next year.
Slovenia’s economy is currently growing faster than the eurozone average – wages are rising although youth unemployment remains high.
Pahor is running as an independent and says his main task is to bring people together.
He used to lead the centre-left Social Democrats and was prime minister for four years from 2008. After the financial crisis the country managed to avoid an international bailout.
A former fashion model, his campaign included 25 days walking hundreds of kilometres around the country.
As Slovenians wake up to vote today, a piece by Bloomberg on the ‘Instagram President’. With some comments from me: https://t.co/zfVt7Kspfb
— Otilia Dhand (@otiliasimkova) October 22, 2017
EXCLUSIVE: #Slovenia Vows to Remain Part of Core After Europe’s Reboot – Bloomberg https://t.co/IXuXKJVCrk
— Balazs Penz (@BalazsPenz) August 25, 2017