TIRANA – Croatia’s parliament has voted in a new government under the former prime minister Andrej Plenkovic, head of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).
After a debate that lasted the whole day, the Croatian 151-seat parliament on Thursday evening gave a vote of confidence in Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and his second cabinet. Thus, 76 MPs, who make up the ruling majority, voted for the new government, and 59 voted against, with no abstentions.
The new coalition government consists of the HDZ, two liberal formations and eight national minority MPs, BalkansInsight reported.
Plenkovic said in his address to the parliament that his cabinet would immediately get to work and that he offered dialogue to the Opposition, HINA news agency said on Friday.
“We, as a parliamentary majority and the government, will endeavour to implement our programme in the next four years to the benefit of all Croatian citizens in the homeland and all those live outside Croatia,” said Plenkovic after his second cabinet won confidence in the parliament.
He said that he offered dialogue to the Opposition and noted that some Opposition leaders “obviously misunderstood (his invitation for talks) a few days ago.”
“Nevertheless, we will have new opportunities,” he added.
A majority of the Opposition clubs said in their concluding addresses before the vote on the new government that they would offer harsh but constructive criticism./argumentum.al