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| - Slovenian conservative Prime Minister Janez Jansa survived an impeachment motion late on Wednesday, a month before the small Alpine nation takes on the EU's rotating presidency. The impeachment was backed by 42 lawmakers against 44 in the 90-seat parliament, failing to reach the absolute majority needed for it to be succesful. Had it succeeded, it would likely see the 62-year-old removed from office and snap elections called. Four centre-left opposition parties filed the motion in April, accusing Jansa of mismanaging the coronavirus crisis, such as by failing to acquire extra vaccine doses. They had also accused him of disregarding democratic institutions and violating press freedom -- attacking critical media and stopping the funding of the country's only news agency, STA. Jansa, who only briefly attended the impeachment debate, argued that his government had been succesful in dealing with the health and economic crisis. Dismissing the motion against him, he said it contained "so many absurd things that there is even no sense in answering to all of them". "We have a year of recovery ahead, a recovery that will be faster than in other EU member states and will get us to the pre-crisis position in a record time," he added. Slovenia, a nation of two million, has suffered a relatively high proportion of pandemic deaths compared to other EU countries. Jansa's poll ratings have slumped to their lowest point since he took office in March 2020. His centre-right coalition currently controls 45 seats in the 90-seat parliament, several MPs having left the government camp in recent months. This is the second time the fragmented centre-left opposition has failed to pass a no-confidence motion against him, their first attempt having fallen in February. Slovenia takes on the EU's rotating presidency in July, but thousands gather regularly in central Ljubljana accusing Jansa of undermining democratic institutions and calling for new elections. bk/jza/jj
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