ZAGREB, 24. DEC. 2015 – Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic named pharmaceutical company director Tihomir Oreskovic as prime minister designate, signalling an end to the post-election political stand-off. Grabar Kitarovic named Oreskovic, a non-party candidate with a business background in the pharmaceutical industry, as prime minister designate. In a move to end the political stand-off that has continued since parliamentary elections in November, Oreskovic was nominated by the centre-right Patriotic Coalition, led by the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, and the kingmaker party, the Bridge of the Independent Lists, MOST, BIRN reported. Grabar Kitarovic announced she was giving Oreskovic a mandate to form the next government after Patriotic Coalition and MOST leaders delivered supporting signatures from 78 of Croatia’s 151 MPs. “I shall put use all my knowledge and efforts to form a quality government. I invite the parliamentary majority and the opposition to join us,” Oreskovic said. “We are all here to serve the Croatian [people] and our only goal is to work together so that tomorrow is better than today,” he added. If he is confirmed as premier by parliament, he will become the first PM since independence who is not from one of the country’s two main parties, the HDZ and the Social Demmocratic Party, SDP – as well as the first non-politician to hold the position. According to the constitution, Oreskovic will now have 30 days to form a government which has the support of the majority of parliament. After these 30 days have expired, the president can offer him another 30 days to complete the job if necessary. Oreskovic, 49, from Zagreb, lived for a long period of time in Canada, where he graduated in chemistry in 1989 from McMaster University, where he also received an MA in finance and information systems in 1991. He started working for pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly in Canada in 1992, then moved to another Canadian pharmaceutical company, Novopharm, where he focused on business development and finances. After Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva, the owner of Novopharm, bought the biggest Croatian pharmaceutical company, Pliva, Oreskovic moved back to Croatia in 2009, becoming Pliva’s chief financial director for Eastern Europe. He was promoted to chief financial director for Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, Israel and Africa in 2010. The actually new Croatian PM was then named chair of Pliva’s executive board in 2012, and subsequently promoted as chief financial director of Teva Europe in 2014. Oreskovic was initially proposed by the Patriotic Coalition, and on Wednesday MOST gave its support as well. The Patriotic Coalition won 59 seats in parliament, while their biggest opponents, the centre-left coalition Croatia Grows, which led the outgoing government, won 56 seats. MOST became kingmaker with its 19 MPs, which was later reduced to 15, because some MPs were expelled or left the party. Over the 44 days since the elections, MOST has pushed for a national unity government and a non-party candidate for prime minister. After quitting negotiations with Croatia Grows on Tuesday, MOST finally sided with the Patriotic Coalition.
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