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Borut Pahor wins Slovenia’s presidential election

Borut Pahor, former Slovenian prime minister, has won an emphatic victory in the country’s presidential run-off election.

With almost all votes counted, Borut Pahor polled 67% to incumbent President Danilo Turk’s 33% in a poll following days of protests over the economy and alleged government corruption.

On Friday a number of people were injured as protesters clashed with police in the capital Ljubljana.

Slovenia is facing one of the eurozone’s deepest recessions.

The country’s economy has shrunk more than 8% since 2009.

Thirty-three people were charged with public order offences after the trouble in Ljubljana, police said.

Borut Pahor, former Slovenian prime minister, has won an emphatic victory in the country's presidential run-off election

Borut Pahor, former Slovenian prime minister, has won an emphatic victory in the country’s presidential run-off election

A protest that attracted thousands of people earlier in the week in the second city, Maribor, also turned violent.

Polls across Slovenia opened at 07:00 local time and closed at 19:00.

Commenting on the recent protests in the country, Borut Pahor told the Associated Press that the demonstrations “signal a lack of confidence” in government institutions.

Many protesters are angry at what they describe as harsh austerity measures being implemented by the current centre-right government.

They also accuse the government of corruption – a claim denied by the authorities.

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