New speaker thinks seemingly impossible coalitions may still be formed

"If it's possible that I became speaker, it's possible that a certain kind of unexpected coalition could be formed which today might seem like a mission impossible," Tonin said in an interview with the STA.

Tonin was put forward as candidate for speaker at last week's maiden session of parliament by the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the Social Democrats (SD), the Modern Centre Party (SMC), Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) and the NSi.

He was backed by 80 MPs in a secret ballot. Only the Left denied him support.

Tonin told the STA he was surprised by the appointment, "not least because it was a set of incredible circumstances."

He said he had been invited to a meeting of the five left-leaning parliamentary parties forming an alliance around Marjan Šarec, the election runner-up, about an hour before the start of the National Assembly...