January 27 (SeeNews) - Slovenian prime minister Marjan Sarec said on Monday he is stepping down and called for early elections.
"With 13 members of parliament and with the current coalition and situation in the national assembly I cannot fulfil the people's expectations at this moment. I can however fulfil them after the elections," Sarec told a news conference. A video file with his speech was uploaded on the government's website.
His announcement came after local media reported earlier on Monday that finance minister Andrej Bertoncelj has submitted his resignation for professional reasons.
There was a major disagreement between health minister Ales Sabeder and Bertoncelj last week over whether and how to eliminate the supplementary health insurance in the country, broadcaster RTV Slovenije said. Sarec has reportedly backed Sabeder in the dispute.
Sarec said on Monday that adopting a legislation on eliminating the supplementary health insurance is a key change, which has been anticipated for 15 years now.
He also said that if early elections were to be called, he and economy minister and leader of social-liberal Modern Centre Party (SMC), Zdravko Pocivalsek, have already discussed the option to join forces and go to the polls together.
"I am hereby saying it publicly that we have held talks and that I am offering Zdravko Pocivalsek and the SMC party a partnership. I am also offering it to local lists, initiatives and all those interested in going with me to the polls where the people will tell us if they believe us or not," Sarec said.
According to the law, once the parliament accepts the prime minister's resignation, the Slovenian president has 30 days to give the mandate for forming a new government to another political party, RTV Slovenije said.
The report quoted the president of the national assembly, Dejan Zidan, as saying that potential early elections could take place in the second half of April.
Sarec's minority coalition cabinet of five parties was sworn in September 2018 as Slovenia's 13th government since the country's independence. It is the first minority government in the history of the country, formed after the centre-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) led by Janez Jansa won a snap vote in 2018 but failed to attract partners to form a cabinet.
Sarec's cabinet is made up of representatives of his centre-left LMS party, Pocivalsek's SMC, the Social Democrats (SD), the Alenka Bratusek Party (SAB) and the Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia (DeSUS).
The coalition holds 43 of 90 seats in Slovenia's parliament. It was voted into office with the support of 9 MPs from the Left party which has remained in opposition.