Ljubljana - Centre-left opposition groups have called on the government to either resign or seek a confidence vote, describing its decision to backtrack on two major bills as yet another proof that it no longer has a majority.

LMŠ leader Marjan Šarec said in the aftermath of the announcement on Thursday evening that the move was "pathetic".

"When I realised I did not have enough votes to govern normally ... I resigned and ended the agony. This government has opted for a different tactic."

Šarec said the government should either resign or seek a confidence vote so an early election can be held.

SAB president Alenka Bratušek said the events showed the government did not have enough support any more.

"After a disastrous Sunday and week for this coalition, it would have been right the prime minister sought a confidence vote in connection with the demographic fund
bill or a different law," she said.

Left president Luka Mesec lambasted the government for accusing the opposition and the media for the heated political atmosphere. He said the only thing that could calm down social tensions was an election.

Janja Sluga, the head of the group of unaffiliated MPs, described the government's decision as cowardly. "It was obvious another fiasco would happen and the government got scared."

All opposition leaders also criticised the government's new policy on the epidemic - no more lockdowns and increasing reliance on Covid certificates for access to more and more services - even as some acknowledged the decision to avert lockdowns was correct.

Sluga regretted the way the decision had been communicated, noting that the government should have put a positive angle to that and do "everything possible to maximise the vaccination rate".

In a similar vein, Matjaž Han, the deputy group leader for the SD, criticised the government's decision to end free testing.

"If we've learnt anything in the past year and a half, it's to not threaten people or punish them. And now that the situation is calming down a bit, we're doing just that."

Mesec said the change made sense as lockdowns were useful only until vaccines had become widely available. "Now the vaccine is here and there's enough of it. The government's key job is to encourage people to get vaccinated."

Bratušek said the government had "completely messed up" management of the epidemic, which was why the people no longer trusted it.

She agrees that the people must take responsibility by getting vaccinated, but it is irresponsible of the government to say that "the people should take care of everything. We don't need a government like that."