Slovenia faces early polls after cabinet fails confidence vote

Slovenia, already battling with excessive public spending, was facing snap polls Tuesday after Prime Minister Borut Pahor's cabinet failed a confidence motion in parliament Tuesday, dpa rerported. The vote in parliament was called for the confirmation of five new cabinet ministers, appointed to replace those who left amid a crisis in the ruling coalition. Pahor and his Social Democratis clung to power months after they lost majority support, but finally succumbed when the confidence vote resulted in 36 votes for the coalition, 51 against. Pahor can delay the apparently inevitable elections for another month, during which the Social Democrats may propose another cabinet. Success is, however, unlikely, as Pahor's former allies also said that they see early elections as the only way out of the crisis. Polls are expected on December 4. Pahor's policies shattered on his government's failed attempt to push through an ambitious, money-saving pension reform. It was overwhelmingly rejected in a referendum.