Ljubljana (AFP) - Slovenians voted on Sunday in snap elections expected to put a political newcomer in charge of turning around the crisis-hit eurozone country as it struggles with debt and the fallout of corruption scandals.

The vote will be the second early election in three years in the country that was once a model member of the European Union, but which has been on a downward spiral since the 2008 financial crisis.

Miro Cerar, a renowned 50-year-old law professor, is tipped to win as disgruntled voters vent their anger with the established political system.

But analysts predict that any new government will not last long, spelling further instability for the nation of two million, which only narrowly avoided seeking an international bailout last year.

"People have largely lost their confidence in existing political parties... and know the only chance we have to recover from the crisis is that new people come," Cerar said after casting his vote in Ljubljana's well-to-do neighbourhood of Murgle.

"I hope people will recognise Slovenia's need for change and will give their votes to our party."

The latest polls gave his Miro Cerar Party (SMC), which he founded in June, some 31 percent of the vote.

The opposition centre-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) of ex-premier Janez Jansa, who began serving a two-year term for bribery last month, was predicted to garner 23 percent.

For many voters, Cerar, who helped draft Slovenia's first constitution in 1990 and has advised parliament on legal issues for more than 20 years, is a welcome alternative to squabbling politicians and shady dealings.

"I think political newcomers can bring new opportunities, in particular if the collaborate with other parties," Nina Pirnat, a woman in her 40s, said after casting her vote in central Ljubljana.

But Andrej, a small company owner who visited the same station, said he expected little change from a government led by Cerar, who he said received preferential media coverage.

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"His name was mentioned in every single debate... that is favouring a candidate and politics and media, in particular the public media, should not do that," he added.

- Another coalition -

Coming at the height of the summer holiday season, some have warned that Sunday's vote could see lower-than-usual turnout.

The date was set after prime minister Alenka Bratusek resigned in May, having lost the support of her centre-left Positive Slovenia (PS) party, and with main parties wanting to have a government in place before the autumn.

During Bratusek's year in office, Slovenia avoided a much-dreaded bailout and recapitalised its largest state-owned banks.

But public debt increased to 70 percent of gross domestic product in 2013, and little was done to halt the decline in quality of life for ordinary Slovenians amid crippling austerity measures and high unemployment.

Bratusek's newly-founded Alenka Bratusek Alliance (ZaAB) party is expected to get around four percent of the vote in Sunday's poll, just above the threshold needed to enter parliament.

Whoever wins Sunday's ballot will likely need to form a coalition with the pensioners' party DESUS -- currently third in the polls with 11 percent.

But observers have warned that more turmoil lies ahead for the former Yugoslav republic regardless of the results, with some already predicting fresh early elections in the near future.

Despite returning to growth this year, Slovenia remains under the close watch of the European Commission because of its weak corporate governance and high public debt, which tripled from 2008 to 2013.

Cerar has spoken out against a key privatisation drive, launched by Bratusek to reduce the country's massive debtload, in a move that has worried economic circles.

Some 1.7 million eligible voters are able to cast their ballots. Exit polls are expected soon after polls close at 7:00 pm (1700 GMT), with the first partial official results announced later in the evening.