Janez Jansa, leader of the right-wing nationalist Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) was elected Prime Minister by Slovenia's parliament on Friday.
Fifty-one members of parliament voted in favour of Jansa’s return to power, while 36 voted against, in a session attended by 87 of the 90 legislators.
Jansa’s SDS had come second to the liberal Freedom Movement (GS) of outgoing Prime Minister Robert Golob in parliamentary elections held on 22 March. However, Golob abandoned efforts to form a government after failing to secure enough coalition partners.
Jansa, aged 67, is an admirer of US President Donald Trump, and a close ally of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
He advocates a return to “Slovenian values,” including “traditional family” principles, and has pledged to cut government funding to NGOs he considers too political.
