The son of one of Slovenia’s greatest ever sportsmen faces an Olympic task in turning around the small alpine nation’s struggling economy after winning Sunday’s general election.<br /><br />Miro Cerar only formed his small party of academics and entrepreneurs a few weeks ago, as corruption scandals tarnished mainstream parties.<br /><br />The 50-year-old lawyer is hostile to the big privatisation targets the EU says are necessary for a long-term economic fix, such as the country’s main airport and a state telecoms firm. <br /><br />Now he says Slovenia will follow the EU’s recommendations to beat the crisis, but by looking for the most appropriate means to comply.<br /><br />Cerar, who has begun talks with potential coalition partners, says his own privatisation programme will be in place this year. <br /><br />Reaction to the victory of his novice centre-left party has been sceptical. <br /><br />“The infernal mandate”, ran one headline. Cerar has to deal with an explosion of public debt after billions were poured into Slovenia’s banks to keep them afloat.<br /><br />“It remains to be seen whether Cerar’s party will be able to do anything different… because the economy is simply always the same. It is a question of what can they do” said one Ljubljana resident.<br /><br />“It seems like a small step forward, but otherwise I do not expect any changes in the current policies. I think that in all areas the policies will continue as they were until now,” said Uros Pirnat, an engineer from the capital.<br /><br />Slovenia was once a model eurozone country. But the crisis hit exports badly, and exposed a failure to reform and reckless behaviour by the banks.<br /><br />The ensuing turmoil has seen three governments in as many years, and the EU step in with a last-ditch reform package.
