Borut Pahor elected Slovenia’s president

PanARMENIAN.Net - Slovenia's center-left former Prime Minister Borut Pahor became the country's fourth president Sunday, Dec 2, scoring a comfortable second-round victory despite his support for the government's unpopular austerity measures, AFP reported.

With 99.99 percent of ballots counted, Pahor had 67.44 percent of the votes, ahead of the incumbent Danilo Turk with 32.56 percent, the central electoral commission said.

The 49-year-old Pahor, who was backed by the centre-left opposition Social Democrats (SD), also received the votes of the center-right ruling parties in the second round.

Pahor was ousted as premier by a no-confidence vote in 2011.

"This victory is only the beginning of a new hope, a new time," Pahor said after exit polls earlier Sunday gave him victory. He was "overwhelmed" by the support he had received, he said.

Earlier, he had told reporters: "If I succeed, that result will send a strong message to Slovenian politicians that collaboration and unity are needed to overcome the (economic) difficulties."

Voter turnout in the second round however was 41.95 percent, the lowest ever at a presidential election since Slovenia declared independence in 1991.

Pahor became the favorite to take over the largely ceremonial presidential post after a surprise win in the first round on November 11, when he pushed Turk into second place.

Unlike Turk, he had defended the austerity measures introduced by Prime Minister Janez Jansa's centre-right government, arguing that there was no other option.

Slovenia, once seen as a star new member of the European Union, is suffering one of the deepest recessions in the eurozone. The problems with its banks have raised fears it may need a bailout.

The European Commission has predicted the country's output will shrink a painful 2.3 percent this year and 1.6 percent in 2013.