Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Sarec talks to the press Monday in announcing his resignation and calls for a new election. Photo by Igor Kupljenik/EPA-EFE

Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Sarec resigned Monday and called for a new election in hopes of breaking a political logjam in his country.

Sarec said in his resignation his minority government can't pass legislation with its current lawmakers. Finance minister Andrej Bertoncelj also resigned.


"With 13 [Parliament members] and this coalition I cannot fulfill people's expectations at the moment," Sarec said at a news conference. "People on the ground should say whether they trust me or not."

Sarec said even though polls show a 50 percent support for his government, a snap election would confirm if those approval ratings are accurate.

"I have acted professionally and transparently all the time, striving for measures to increase the well-being of all generations of our people and medium-term financial sustainability," Sarec said.

Slovenian President Borut Pahor must first approach other parties to see if they can form a working coalition in Parliament. Sarec's liberal coalition pushed a right-wing party out of favor after winning the majority of votes in 2018.

Zdravko Pocivalsek, of the Modern Center Party, said Sarec's resignation does not guarantee there will be a new election. Sarec said, though, it would be the fairest way to form a new government.