Like many places, Slovenia has struggled to keep up with the demand for medical supplies because of COVID-19. This includes, but is not limited to, ventilators. Machines that help severely ill patients breathe.

Several high-ranking Slovenian officials have been under scrutiny over recent events involving ventilators, including a contract to buy ventilators from a company with ties to prominent officials.

The contract has since been canceled. But the fallout has continued.

Hojs resigns in protest

Interior Minister Ales Hojs has resigned as a show of protest over recent police raids. The raids were in connection with the investigation into the later abandoned deal for the ventilators.

Among the sites raided was the home of Zdravko Pocivalsek. Pocivalskek, the minister of economic development and technology. He's been a key figure in Slovenia's struggle with the novel Coronavirus. Reuters reports that he's part of a team tasked with acquiring medical equipment.

At one point, Pocivalsek was taken into police custody.

Hojs, who says he wasn't notified in advance about the raids, is apparently very upset about the events. So much so that he has resigned from the Cabinet. He alleges that the raids were being politically motivated. Hojs also said that the acts were not 'in the service of the citizens.'

According to ABC, Ales Hojs is not the only high-ranking Slovenian official to resign over the matter. One of Hojs' last acts as the minister of interior was accepting the resignation of Anton Travner. Travner was the director-general of the police. Apparently neither Hojs nor Travner were notified about the raids beforehand.

Hojs and Pocivalsek are members of two different political parties

Both Ales Hojs and Zdravko Pocivalsek are members of the current Cabinet led by Prime Minister Janez Jansa.

Jansa took over the position earlier this year. It came following the resignation of Prime Minister Marjan Sarec. But it's not Jansa's first time as the prime minister. It's actually his third go-round in the position.

Hojs was appointed as the minister of the interior after Jansa became the prime minister this year. During one of Jansa's previous tenures as the prime minister, Hojs was the minister of defense. He is a member of the Slovenska demokratska stranka. Also referred to as the Slovenia Democratic Party. The party promotes a conservative and populist platform.

Pocivalsek been the minister of economic development and technology since 2014. Jansa is the third prime minister that he's held the post under. Following Sarec and Miro Cerar. Pocivalsek is a member of the Stranka modemega centra. Or the Modern Center Party, a center-left political party.