In Slovenia

Ljubljana – Speaker Igor Zorčič and the head of the Modern Centre Party (SMC) deputy group Janja Sluga said they would not take part in yesterday’s session of the SMC council, pointing to alliances party leader Zdravko Počivalšek was forging behind the scenes. The council’s meeting meanwhile ended with the party closing ranks around Počivalšek.

Ljubljana – Former Health Minister Tomaž Gantar has left the Pensioners’ Party (DeSUS). Gantar, who also served as a party vice-president, announced the decision at a session of the DeSUS executive committee on Thursday. He told the STA he had been waiting for a proposal to consolidate the party, but given the developments he realised he had enough.

Ljubljana – Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti survived on Thursday a vote of no-confidence mounted by the centre-left opposition over several grievances, including his inaction during the epidemic and attitude to the self-employed and public media. 43 MPs voted to oust him, three fewer than needed for dismissal.

Ljubljana – Coalition SMC leader Zdravko Počivalšek plans to have a word with Prime Minister Janez Janša to discuss what he considers Janša’s offensive remark about the Modern Centre Party (SMC) he made on Monday while responding to a question from SMC MP Janja Sluga in parliament.

Ljubljana – Janez Cigler Kralj remains labour minister as the opposition-sponsored motion of no confidence was defeated by 44 votes to 38 in the small hours of Friday. The National Assembly was thus eight votes short of voting him out of office.

Brdo pri Kranju – Health experts urged politicians on Wednesday to tackle the Covid-19 epidemic as a united front, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said after a meeting at Brdo pri Kranju hosted by President Borut Pahor. Pahor and Prime Minister Janez Janša assessed the meeting, the kind of which are to be held once a month, as useful.

Ljubljana – Simona Kustec is staying on as education, science and sport minister as the National Assembly was eight votes short of voting her out of office. 38 MPs voted for her dismissal, while 41 opposed it after a 16-hour debate, which started on Monday and ended just after midnight.

Ljubljana – Health Minister Janez Poklukar has shot to the top of popularity ratings of politicians in a poll commissioned by the newspaper Delo, to replace President Borut Pahor after nearly nine years on top.

Delo notes that the public appears to have high expectations for Poklukar, the doctor who took over as health minister on 23 February.

Ljubljana – Democrats (SDS) president and Prime Minister Janez Janša has announced in a letter to the party membership that the party will work in realising the commitments from the coalition agreement, and he expects the same from partners. The mechanism of coordination does not allow soloing and the SDS will not allow this, he added.

Ljubljana – Matej Tonin, the leader of the Christian democratic party New Slovenia (NSi), argued strong internal democracy in the party as he responded on Friday to scathing criticism expressed by the party’s former leader, MEP Ljudmila Novak.