Slovenia's parliament began debates Wednesday to confirm the new centre-left government headed by prime minister designate Alenka Bratusek. The 13-member cabinet, which Bratusek announced last week, will likely be approved given her coalition's majority in parliament. "Stability, confidence, growth and positive effects, that is the bottom line of our deal to form this government," Bratusek told lawmakers ahead of the vote, which was expected in the evening after a nine-hour debate.

Slovenia's prime minister designate scrambled Thursday to find ministers for her new centre-left government, including to run the troubled euro member's finances, as commentators warned that the crisis was far from over. Alenka Bratusek announced late Wednesday the signing of a coalition agreement two weeks after the centre-right premier Janez Jansa was ousted in a confidence vote following weeks of protests and political turmoil.

Slovenia's centre-left prime minister designate Alenka Bratusek said Wednesday she had reached an agreement to form a coalition government with three other parties. "The political crisis in our state is obviously over," Bratusek, who will be the first woman to hold the post, told journalists after a council of her Positive Slovenia party (PS) agreed to sign the coalition agreement with three other parties, giving them a parliamentary majority. "I promise a period of collaboration, negotiations and searching for positive solutions will begin today."

By Marja Novak LJUBLJANA, March 9 (Reuters) - Thousands of Slovenians protested against corruption and the political elite in the centre of Ljubljana on Saturday, demanding a snap election after the conservative government of Janez Jansa was ousted last week. Slovenia is struggling to avoid an international bailout, and parliament last week nominated budget expert Alenka Bratusek of the centre-left Positive Slovenia to form a new government.