Slovenian PM resigns, calls for snap election

ZAGREB - Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Sarec on Monday announced his resignation and called for a snap election in the European country, the official news agency STA has reported.

During a press conference in the capital Ljubljana, Sarec said he was resigning as he was unable to achieve his aims within the current form of the minority government.

"With 13 MPs and this coalition, I can not fulfill the expectations of the people at the moment, but I can fulfil them after elections," STA quoted Sarec as saying.

His resignation comes after Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj stepped down earlier on Monday over differences regarding health insurance.

Marjan Sarec, a former comedian and actor, won the 2018 election as leader of the Marjan Sarec List (MSL) party. After forming a coalition government with four other parties -- the Social Democrats, Modern Centre Party, Alenka Bratusek Party and the Democratic Party of Pensioners -- the government won the endorsement of the Left Party, which pledged to support it in parliament.

However, in November 2019, the Left Party decided to break off cooperation after parties in the coalition government rejected its proposal for canceling additional health insurance in the country.

The ruling center-left minority coalition led by Sarec held only 43 of 90 seats in parliament after losing the support of the Left Party in November.

According to the latest poll by the private broadcaster POP TV, the Marjan Sarec List ranked first with a supporting rate of 15.1 percent, followed by the opposition Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) with 14.1 percent. The coalition formed by the Social Democrats (SD) and the Left Party both ranked in third place, with 7.2 percent.