Slovenian Health Minister Tomaz Gantar resigned Friday over tensions within the ruling coalition prompted by Prime Minister Janez Jansa's handling of the health crisis and attacks on the media.
Gantar's resignation came a day after his party DESUS, which represents the country's pensioners, quit the four-party coalition led by Jansa.
The party accuses Jansa of using the coronavirus pandemic to attack critical media and strengthen his control over state institutions in the mould of his ally, nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Even while in coalition, DESUS had joined the opposition in its criticism of Jansa's actions, including the suspension of funding for public news agency STA earlier this month.
Jansa's coalition still controls 47 out of 90 seats in parliament, but Slovenian media have been speculating that several MPs from another junior coalition partner, the Modern Centre Party (SCM), could also join the opposition in the following days.
Karl Erjavec, the head of DESUS, explained the party's decision on Thursday by saying: -We don't want the 'Orbanisation' of the state or the introduction of an autocratic system.-
He added the party would support an opposition plan to hold a parliamentary vote of no confidence in Jansa's government.
Jansa has announced he would temporarily take over the post of health minister.
Gantar's resignation comes as Slovenia, which was spared the worst of the first wave of the pandemic, battles a harsh second wave.
The Alpine state of two million has suffered 2,270 deaths and has one of the highest coronavirus death rates in the European Union.
Earlier this month, Gantar and Jansa had been at loggerheads over virus policy, with Gantar proposing a total two-week shut-down of the country to stem infections.
Jansa rejected this, saying a halt to industry would be devastating for Slovenia's export-oriented economy.
Despite health experts' warning against easing virus restrictions, earlier this week the government allowed a temporary re-opening of some shops and businesses until Christmas.
