DeSUS leader Erjavec told the press that PM Janez Janša has already been notified of the resignations, which will include those by state secretary in Janša's office Janez Ujčič and Health Ministry secretary Brigita Čokl.

Ljubo Jasnič, also of DeSUS, already resigned as state secretary in the PM's office at the end of January.

DeSUS announced it was leaving the coalition at the beginning of February, setting 22 February as the date for the withdrawal of its officials from government posts. Parliament is expected to be officially notified of the resignations at the session scheduled for early March.

Erjavec said today that it was not DeSUS who "rocked this government's boat", arguing that the blame for its collapse lies exclusively with Janša, who failed to resign after the Corruption Prevention Commission concluded that he violated the country's office-holder integrity legislation.

In leaving the coalition, DeSUS is following in the footsteps of the Citizens' List (DL), which did so on 23 January. The People's Party (SLS) is also expected to exit the Janša-led government in March, leaving the SDS and New Slovenia (NSi) as the lone remaining partners.

The move moreover comes as opposition parties and former coalition partners are continuing talks on forming a new government coalition, possibly with Positive Slovenia (PS) head Alenka Bratušek as Janša's successor.