site.btaCroatian Government Survives No-confidence Vote over Corruption Scandal

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic survived Friday a vote of no confidence in his government over a corruption scandal involving the former health minister, Croatian media reported. 

The motion for the vote was tabled by the largest opposition formation, the Social Democratic Party, over the involvement of ministers and representatives of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in a series of corruption cases in recent years.

At the Friday sitting, 76 MPs did not support the vote of no confidence, 64 were in favour.

For the vote to pass, the opposition needed 76 votes in total, the Index news website said. 

In the latest corruption scandal in the country last month, former Health Minister Vili Beros was arrested and EPPO, the European prosecutor's office, accuses him of accepting bribes. Croatia's chief prosecutor Ivan Turudic initially said Beros was accused of influence peddling in an investigation led by Croatia's anti-corruption office. Turudic then added the accusation of accepting bribes from a separate investigation led by EPPO. Beros has denied any wrongdoing. He was fired on November 15 when he was arrested and detained for a month while the Croatian investigation was ongoing, but was released 10 days later after all witnesses in his case were questioned.

Plenkovic commented Friday as quoted by that Croatian television HRT, that the no-confidence motion was unlikely to pass and that the parliamentary majority in Croatia was stable.

He confirmed that the arrest of Beros was an unpleasant affair which had shocked the HDZ more than the opposition. He added that the government was determined to investigate the case to the end and gave its unreserved support to the prosecuting authorities.