Newly elected parliament speaker Urska Klakocar Zupancic poses for photos after the first session of the new Slovenian parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on May 13, 2022. A new Slovenian parliament, elected at the general election on April 24, held its first session on Friday and for the first time in the country's history elected a female parliamentary speaker. Urska Klakocar Zupancic, a former judge, was elected to the post of the speaker in a secret vote with 55 votes against 25. (Photo by Zeljko Stevanic/Xinhua)
LJUBLJANA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A new Slovenian parliament, elected at the general election on April 24, held its first session on Friday and for the first time in the country's history elected a female parliamentary speaker.
Urska Klakocar Zupancic, a former judge, was elected to the post of the speaker in a secret vote with 55 votes against 25.
"The state of law is the highest postulate of a democratic state and has to always, always remain intact," Zupancic told the parliament after being elected.
"After over 30 years of independence I take a position of the head of parliament as the first woman to do so and maybe that is the first indication of changes which our state needs very much," she added.
Zupancic is a member of the center-left Freedom Movement (FM) which won a landslide victory at the general election, holding 41 out of 90 parliamentary seats.
That is the highest number of seats for a party since Slovenia's independence in 1991.
The FM is expected to ink a coalition agreement with two smaller parties: the center-left Social Democrats, which holds seven seats, and the Left with five seats, on Saturday. The new government, which is expected to be led by Robert Golob, the head of the FM, is likely to take over on June 3, replacing the outgoing center-right government of Prime Minister Janez Jansa. ■
Members of the Slovenian parliament pose for group photos after the new parliament's first session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on May 13, 2022. A new Slovenian parliament, elected at the general election on April 24, held its first session on Friday and for the first time in the country's history elected a female parliamentary speaker. Urska Klakocar Zupancic, a former judge, was elected to the post of the speaker in a secret vote with 55 votes against 25. (Photo by Zeljko Stevanic/Xinhua)
Newly elected parliament speaker Urska Klakocar Zupancic poses for photos after the first session of the new Slovenian parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on May 13, 2022. A new Slovenian parliament, elected at the general election on April 24, held its first session on Friday and for the first time in the country's history elected a female parliamentary speaker. Urska Klakocar Zupancic, a former judge, was elected to the post of the speaker in a secret vote with 55 votes against 25. (Photo by Zeljko Stevanic/Xinhua)
Newly elected parliament speaker Urska Klakocar Zupancic (L) addresses deputies during the first session of the new Slovenian parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on May 13, 2022. A new Slovenian parliament, elected at the general election on April 24, held its first session on Friday and for the first time in the country's history elected a female parliamentary speaker. Urska Klakocar Zupancic, a former judge, was elected to the post of the speaker in a secret vote with 55 votes against 25. (Photo by Zeljko Stevanic/Xinhua)
Newly elected parliament speaker Urska Klakocar Zupancic poses for photos after the first session of the new Slovenian parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on May 13, 2022. A new Slovenian parliament, elected at the general election on April 24, held its first session on Friday and for the first time in the country's history elected a female parliamentary speaker. Urska Klakocar Zupancic, a former judge, was elected to the post of the speaker in a secret vote with 55 votes against 25. (Photo by Zeljko Stevanic/Xinhua)
