LJUBLJANA, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Slovenia's mostly state-owned banks made pre-tax losses in 2012 of a more-than-expected 606 million euros ($814.25 million) due to higher provisions, Bank of Slovenia Governor Marko Kranjec was quoted as saying by national news agency STA on Thursday.

Net provisions for 2012 bad loans were 1.4 billion euros, compared with 1.2 billion in 2011, Kranjec told STA.

The banks, which are at the heart of the speculation that Slovenia will need a bailout later this year, made a joint pre-tax loss of 539 million euros a year before.

Last month Kranjec, who also sits on the European Central Bank governing council, told Reuters he expected the banking sector's 2012 loss to amount to 300-400 million euros.

No one at the Bank of Slovenia was immediately available for comment.

At the end of last year Slovenia's banks had about 7 billion euros, or about 20 percent of the country's GDP, in bad loans.

Slovenia is also struggling with a political crisis after the conservative government lost its majority last month over a corruption scandal involving Prime Minister Janez Jansa.

Jansa, who denied any wrongdoing, has refused to step down and the opposition, which now has a majority in parliament, has been unable to agree on a new prime minister.

President Borut Pahor will meet all parliamentary party leaders on Thursday to try to break the deadlock. Analysts expect an early election this year, the second in two years.

($1 = 0.7442 euros)

(Reporting by Marja Novak; Editing by Louise Ireland and Zoran Radosavljevic) Keywords: SLOVENIA BANKS/

(Marja.Novak@thomsonreuters.com)(Reuters Messaging: marja.novak.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)

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