Mussomeli reportedly had met all party leaders in Slovenian legislature over the ongoing coalition talks.

Local commercial broadcaster POP TV quoted the ambassador as saying that it would be nice if a coalition representing the majority, if not all Slovenians, could be formed.

The government and political circles of Slovenia said that Mussomeli had "trespassed the basic rules and the boundaries of his term as a diplomat."

In response to the media reports, Slovenian President Danilo Turk and outgoing Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar labeled Mussomeli's words and actions as "unnecessary and inappropriate."

Boris Frlec, former Slovenian foreign minister, and Jozef Kunic, head of the Slovenian Foreign Policy Association, also criticized Mussomeli's actions as "inadmissible" and "detrimental to Slovenia's international reputation."

"I wonder whether the ambassador should be sent to a diplomatic practice course. Meddling in the internal affairs of a country where you are a guest as an ambassador is inappropriate and unacceptable," the STA quoted Frlec as reporting.

Vinko Gorenak, deputy of the Slovenian Democrats, said "we will form coalitions in Slovenia on our own and not with the U.S. ambassador."

Mussomeli insisted he was misunderstood.

But, the degree of denunciation and protests of Slovenians against the U.S. ambassador is gaining in scope and strength through newspapers and broadcasting services of this country.