Lawyer Natasa Pirc Musar, favorite to win in the second round of the Slovenian presidential elections

MADRID, 13 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Lawyer Natasa Pirc Musar is the favorite to win in the second round of the presidential elections held this Sunday in Slovenia under the promise of defending the rule of law against Anze Logar, a former ally of the former right-wing prime minister, Janez Jansa. and former foreign minister, who has seen his options shrink substantially since the first round.

Pirc Musar, who also served as the head of Slovenia's Information watchdog and has advocated for LGBTQ rights, leads the polls with 51.7 percent support according to a Mediana poll published by 'Delo' newspaper. on Thursday and picked up by Bloomberg.

Logar, winner of the first round, has fallen behind with 44.6 percent, a gap that will be difficult for him to overcome unless the turnout is unusually low. The united front of the opposition, which has poured all its support into Musar, has partly caused its collapse in the polls.

In his law practice, Pirc Musar, 54, has worked for former US first lady Melania Trump, born in Slovenia and a citizen there, when she sued a tabloid in a libel case that settled for an undisclosed amount. The presidential candidate was also part of the team hired to protect the legal and trademark interests of the former first lady.

A victory would extend the unbroken string of presidential victories by leftist candidates dating back to the formation of the Balkan state in 1991. It could also bolster Prime Minister Robert Golob, who took power after this year's general election on the promise of reverse sweeping changes by Jansa, who gave his allies greater influence in the courts and state media.

While the president is commander-in-chief of the military and appoints constitutional judges, central bank governors and high-ranking diplomats, the role is largely ceremonial. Most decisions are ultimately made by the Prime Minister and his cabinet and approved by Parliament.