Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Wednesday that his cabinet was working on the reform of the healthcare system in which a set of changes had already been made, and that better management of resources was crucial for public healthcare.

The solution to the reform should be sought by elaborating an organisational and financial scheme of the entire health system, Plenkovic said after the government meeting.

He recalled that Health Minister Vili Beros stepped into office when the COVID-19 pandemic was declared. Asked whether he had given a a deadline to the minister to prepare documentation necessary for the overhaul of public healthcare, Plenkovic said that, now that more and more people are getting vaccinated (against coronavirus), and the number of new cases and hospitalisations is falling, the minister, his team and the whole government have more time and room for reform moves in the healthcare.

State of affairs in ruling coalition

Earlier on Wednesday, Beros survived a no-confidence vote initiated by 41 Opposition lawmakers, with 57 MPs in the 151-seat parliament voting for the minister’s dismissal, while 75 MPs voted against, and one abstained.

The abstention came from Natalija Martincevic, the sole parliamentary deputy of the Reformists, a junior partner in the ruling coalition.

The Reformists’ leader, Radimir Cacic, who was Varazdin County prefect, was unseated by the HDZ candidate Andjelko Stricak in last Sunday’s runoff election.

This change is perceived as a possible stumbling block for further cooperation between Cacic’s party and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in the parliamentary majority.

However, both Plenkovic and HDZ whip Branko Bacic today ruled out any disturbances.

Plenkovic said that the government and the HDZ had not flouted the coalition agreement, and that before the local elections they had also agreed that the outcome of the local polls would not affect the parliamentary majority.

Cacic said after the elections that his party would support the government as long as it pushed for some top-priority development projects in Varazdin County.

MP Martincevic said today that the Reformists would cease supporting the cabinet if the local HDZ opted for cooperation with Ivan Cehok and his councillors in the county assembly, as there are currently four indictments against Cehok and her party found cooperation with such a person unacceptable.