PM Alenka Bratušek has temporarily taken over as health minister after Alenka Trop Skaza stepped down almost three weeks ago. Bratušek will run the Health Ministry until the planned vote of confidence in parliament.
"Until the confidence vote, I'll run the [health] department myself," the prime minister wrote on her twitter profile late on Sunday evening.
The prime minister had until today to send a proposal for a new minister to parliament for approval.
She also had the option of appointing one of the ministers to stand in or take over the department for a limited period of time herself.
It is however not yet known when the confidence vote will be held.
Some pundits speculate it would be held before the 25 April congress of her Positive Slovenia (PS).
At the congress, Bratušek is expected to be challenged for party presidency by Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković; his victory could bring an end to the government.
In recent days, the name of Health Ministry State Secretary Nina Pirnat has emerged as a potential candidate for health minister.
Pirnat confirmed on Thursday she was willing to assume the office, but it was unclear whether she enjoyed support among coalition parties.
One of the obstacles to her nomination might be her membership of the coalition Social Democrats (SD).
Since the health department belongs to Bratušek's PS, Pirna
t's party membership could mean that coalition partners might have to swap departments to keep the agreed ministerial quotas.
Still, the SD deputy group head Matjaž Han does not see it as a problem, saying that if Pirnat proves to be a candidate for the job, she would be the PS's nominee.
Outgoing Health Minister Trop Skaza resigned on 24 March due to what she said were attacks and pressure over her plan to introduce a single-payer system of health insurance.
Source: Slovenia Times
