The 11th Government of Slovenia led by Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek was announced on 20 March 2013. It was the 11th cabinet of Slovenia. It has been formed after the parliament voted a no confidence vote to Janša's cabinet after SLS, DL and DeSUS left his coalition. On 27 February 2013 Alenka Bratušek was voted as the next mandatary and so became the first woman to do so in modern Slovenian history.[1][2]
Composition of the new government was quick as it needed to be, as Slovenia was in difficult economic and financial situation that was marked by mass 2012–13 Slovenian protests. Bratušek had most difficulties with finding the new financial minister as nobody was prepared to take responsibility for potential bankruptcy. More than twenty potential candidates have been named until Uroš Čufer finally accepted the position of the new minister.[3] He was confirmed as a minister, even though his candidature was believed to be suspicious as he used to be employed in the biggest national bank NLB, which was in big financial debts. The cabinet of Prime minister Bratušek stabilized the political and economical climate in Slovenia. Her mandate was full of interpellations and increasing number of unemployment and long saga regarding the Ministry of Health and its ministers.[4]
The number of ministries rose to 13, up from 12 in the preceding Cabinet of Janez Janša II. Senko Pličanič has returned to Ministry of Justice, where he was a minister in previous government.
Igor Maher resigned after five days. He was involved in a media accusation about the legal status of his real estates. Later after resignation all accusations were dismissed as he was able to clarify the status of all his properties. He was replaced by his party colleague Samo Omerzel.[5]
Minister Stanko Stepišnik backed down as he was involved in a conflict of interest at one of public tender. He was under suspicion of financing his own company. He was substituted with financial minister Uroš Čufer, until Metod Dragonja was named as a new minister.[6]
Minister of HealthTomaž Gantar surprisingly resigned on 25 November 2013. As he said he resigned, as there is no interest in changing the national health system, which is intertwined with lobbies and corruption. If he was not allowed to reform the system, he was not prepared to take the responsibility for all the patients.[7] Bratušek started looking for a new candidate and was supposedly in contact with known Slovenian surgeon Danijel Bešič Loredan. Later she decided to nominate Alenka Trop Skaza, who was later also confirmed as a new minister.[8] The saga did not end there, as Trop Skaza resigned just one month later. There were many theories why. One was supposedly her husband, as he was an owner of a company which dealt business with many public institutions. She could have resigned for the same reasons as her predecessor: there was no support for the reforms she announced at her inauguration. Her public statement was that she resigned because of "framing, lies, unjust criticism, that her and her family have received because of her position as a minister of health."[9] Bratušek had to find a new minister and was again supposedly in contact with Danijel Bešič Loredan, but in the end she decided to put the burden on her own shoulders and nominated herself as a minister, which she remained until the end of her mandate.
