Still, Deputy Prime Minister demands faster reforms.
Deputy Prime Minister and MOST president Božo Petrov said that MOST, if reforms do not take place, was ready to leave the government, reports HRT on May 16, 2016.
“The government is stable and it will survive. We have the majority and the there will be no ruling coalition reshuffle. I am not interested in Zoran Milanović and SDP. Based on how they behaved during coalition negotiations in December, it is clear that there will not be any reshuffle with them. The only possibility are new elections, but I hope that both major parties will ultimately accept what we had agreed on at the very beginning and that they will be responsible and do the jobs they are being paid to do”, said Petrov in an interview with Croatian Radio Television on Sunday evening.
He also stressed that MOST demanded that reform implementation must finally begin. “We want the reform package to be implemented, we want more work and less blockages. Since people in MOST do not have politics as their only profession, it would not be a problem for us to leave the government.”
As for Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković and First Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Karamarko, Petrov said that communication existed and added that he was only interested in who will present more initiatives and proposals. “Do not ask me about relationships, communication exists”, said Petrov.
He accused the media they were more concerned with what MPs from minor parties like Milivoj Špika or Pero Ćorić say, because the media is only interested in scandals. The reforms have started and they are positive, said Petrov, and the key is for major reforms to be launched in the autumn. That will be a real test which awaits this government.
“The media is more concerned with the issue of communication between parties”, he said, expressing disbelief that more importance was not given to the fact that some reforms had already started – in the judiciary, the Labour Ministry, in public procurement system and agriculture. “Major reforms will begin in autumn”, said Petrov.
He confirmed that the majority in Parliament still existed, but admitted there was an issue of individual responsibility of certain MPs.
When asked why he insisted on arbitration proceedings with regards to INA, Petrov said that, according to information available to him as Deputy Prime Minister, any other decision would harm the national interest. MOST will certainly not allow that, he concluded.
