Slovenia's health minister, Samo Fakin, stepped down on March 8, for health reasons. Fakin is the fourth minister to resign from the Slovenian minority government, raising concerns about its stability.

He served under Prime Minister Marjan Sarec, who formed a minority government comprising his eponymous List of Marjan Sarec (LMS) together with the Social Democrats (SD), the Modern Center Party (SMC) of former prime minister Miro Cerar, the Alenka Bratusek Party (SAB) and the Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia (DeSUS).

The fragmented coalition of small parties led by a former journalist and comedian came together as much to block the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), which won the general elections last year, from forming a government as from common policies or ideology, with questions being raised about its stability from the outset. 

Sarec told the press on March 8 he would inform the public about the new holder of the health minister post in the coming days, STA news agency reported. 

Fakin has been on sick leave since February 18. Sarec said that Fakin’s illness was “nothing that can’t be treated, but things have piled up. He suffered an extended bout of bronchitis followed by pneumonia,” according to STA.

Fakin resigned just days after environment minister Jure Leben quit the government at the end of February. Leben quit his post after allegations that he was involved in a possible misuse of funds related to a railway project. At that time, Leben served as a state secretary in the infrastructure ministry. 

Previously, culture minister Dejan Presicek stepped down in January and development minister Marko Bandelli resigned in November last year.