Ljubljana - Responding to the government's decision to pull out of the Boxer defence deal, opposition SDS leader Janez Janša has raised the possibility of filing an ouster motion against Defence Minister Marjan Šarec. Reportedly, the SDS is also discussing taking the same step against Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon.

The decision to rescind an agreement on the purchase of 45 Boxer armoured personnel carriers from the OCCAR programme is "ripe for an ouster motion and prosecution of the minister", said Janša, under whose government the deal was sealed.

This is a "direct threat to national security" and taxpayers' money, he wrote on Twitter on Thursday evening, not long after the decision was made public.

The agreement, worth in total some EUR 343 million, was signed in mid-May by Matej Tonin, the previous defence minister and the head of New Slovenia (NSi), when it was already clear that both the Democrats (SDS) and NSi had lost the April general election.

The Defence Ministry has now been tasked to come up with an alternative solution by the end of the year to secure a medium-sized battalion battlegroup.

In the wake of the pull-out, Slovenia could be subject to a contractual fine of some EUR 70 million, said Šarec, adding that this would be a matter up for negotiation.

Nova24TV.si, a news portal affiliated with the SDS, has reported that in addition to the ouster motion against Šarec, the SDS is also discussing another against Fajon. According to the party, the foreign minister "has abused the diplomatic network" to help collect signatures of support for presidential candidate Nataša Pirc Musar.

Recently, the Foreign Ministry launched an internal inquiry against Ambassador to the US Tone Kajzer, who is suspected of having leaked an internal cable to Janša.

The screenshot of the cable that Janša posted on Twitter revealed internal instructions to embassies to publish the address where voters can send the signatures.

The inquiry showed that Kajzer leaked the internal cable and the government asked President Borut Pahor on Thursday to recall Kajzer, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The SDS or its media allies have also been hinting at ouster motions against Interior Minister Tatjana Bobnar and Health Minister Danijel Bešič Loredan. Based on unofficial information, at least one such motion may be filed soon.

The Social Democrats (SD), the party of Foreign Minister Fajon, said in a statement on Friday afternoon that its ministers will address interpellation motions if and when they are filed.