Croatian coalition unsteady after PM orders dismissal
CROATIE - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic yesterday sought to fire three cabinet ministers from a junior coalition partner in a row over the future of the finance minister, a move which puts the stability of the governing coalition into question. Plenkovic ordered the ministers from the Most party be removed after they failed to support the finance minister amid opposition demands for him to step down. However, Most rejected the sackings and their ministers must stay in place until replacements are appointed. “Plenkovic wants to remove three successful ministers who are getting results and keep a minister who objectively cannot remain in his position,” the Most leader Bozo Petrov told reporters. The opposition, led by the Social Democrats, had demanded Finance Minister Zdravko Maric step down due to what it called a lack of credibility in handling a financial crisis that hit Croatia’s biggest private firm, Agrokor. The government rejected the opposition’s demand at a cabinet session, but the Most ministers in charge of internal affairs, judiciary and energy and environment policy dissented. To get his way Prime Minister Plenkovic, from the conservative HDZ party, will either have to find new coalition partners, repair relations with Most, or dissolve the government and hold new elections.
Speaking later at a news conference, Plenkovic said he had sacked the Most ministers because they had damaged confidence between members of the cabinet. “The HDZ will ensure there is parliamentary majority to continue work of the government. We will make sure political stability remains,” he said. “You will see soon who will support the HDZ-led parliamentary majority.” (Reuters.com)