Slovenian prime minister ousted

Slovenia’s parliament ousted prime minister Janez Jansa and his conservative government and named an opposition financial expert as his replacement.

The vote 55 for and 33 against in the 90-seat legislature appointed Alenka Bratusek as prime minister designate – the first female to lead Slovenia’s government since its secession from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Two of the politicians abstained from voting yesterday.

Mr Jansa’s government, which was elected a year ago, fell apart when three of his coalition parties left the cabinet after the state anti-graft watchdog accused the prime minister in January of corruption by failing to declare 210,000 euro (£182,000) of his personal assets.

The government’s ousting comes amid economic turmoil in the small European Union nation.