The prime minister of Slovenia, officially the president of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: Predsednik Vlade Republike Slovenije), is the head of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia. There have been nine officeholders since the country gained parliamentary democracy in 1989 (as well as two between 1945 and 1953, when the office was renamed "President of the Executive Council").
The prime minister of Slovenia is nominated by the president of the republic after consultation with the parties represented in the National Assembly. The candidate is then formally elected by a simple majority of the National Assembly. If no candidate receives a majority, a new vote must be held within 14 days. If no candidate receives a majority after this round, the President must dissolve the legislature and call new parliamentary elections unless the National Assembly agrees to hold a third round. If no candidate is elected after a third round, then the legislature is automatically dissolved pending new elections. In practice, since the appointee must command a majority of the National Assembly in order to govern, the appointee is usually the leader of the majority party in the National Assembly or the leader of the senior partner in the governing coalition. The National Assembly can only withdraw its support from a prime minister by way of a constructive vote of no confidence–that is, a motion of no confidence is of no effect unless a prospective successor has the support of a majority. The prime minister is also the president of the National Security Council.
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