The Croatian parliament on Wednesday evening passed a bill on the organisation and scope of state administration bodies with 85 votes in favour, 30 against and six abstentions.

Under the law, the new government will have 16 ministries, four fewer than the outgoing one.

The ruling majority said that this would improve the functioning of the government and ensure the implementation of the programme that Prime Minister-designate Andrej Plenkovic will present in parliament on Thursday.

The opposition said that the new organisation of the government was only of a cosmetic nature and would not necessarily lead to cost cuts, as well as that incompatible departments were joined.

The new cabinet will have 16 ministries, four fewer than the previous one, and the same number of central state offices because the former Central State Office for Sport is joined with the Ministry of Tourism, while a new one, the Central State Office for Demography and Youth, is established.

The ministries of foreign affairs, the interior, defence, finance, science, regional development and EU funds, agriculture, sea, veterans, and health remain unchanged, while the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development will cover the portfolios of the economy, energy, climate change and environmental protection.

The Ministry of Culture will also cover the media sector, and the Ministry of Labour will take over the portfolio of the former Ministry of Labour and Pension System as well as the portfolios of family affairs and social policy from the Ministry of Demography, Youth and Social Policy.

The Ministry of Physical Planning will include the portfolio of the Ministry of State Assets which ceases to exist, and the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Public Administration will be joined.