Ivan Paladina is construction minister candidate

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Monday the candidate for the minister of physical planning, construction and state assets was Ivan Paladina, a former president of the IGH Institute's management board and chief advisor in the Croatian Postal Bank.

If the coalition partners support the nomination tomorrow, it will be sent to parliament, Plenković told the press after a meeting of the HDZ party's Presidency and National Council.

Paladina has managerial experience and was also in the construction sector, he said. "We need fresh and new energy. He is young but has plenty of experience and I think he will be an added value to the government's work."

Plenković said Paladina was not a member of the HDZ but that he was among the people who supported the party.

Regarding information that in his career Paladina had contacts with Russian investors, he said it did not mean that he advocated Russian interests. "He hasn't had anything to do with Russian companies in four or five years and he will explain to the public and the parliamentary committee everything that needs explaining."

As for Paladina's stakes in the Kupari project, Plenković said there were ways for office-holders to recuse themselves so there was no conflict of interest and that he saw no problem there.

He recalled that the coalition partners rejected his first proposal that Stjepan Čuraj of the HNS party become the new minister. "The partners then said that they would support anyone the HDZ proposed," he said, adding that he expects them to support Paladina's nomination tomorrow.

Asked if Labour Minister Josip Aladrović was still a minister, Plenković said that he was and announced amendments to the Government Act in order to rescind the provision on ministers' immunity from prosecution.

That's a relic from the past and we want it removed. We wish to say that those who are given confidence are given it not to do something illegal and that someone is guilty only if proven in court, he added.

Plenković said "there are other more serious crimes which DORH (State Attorney's Office) has not fully investigated nor taken appropriate action" which, he added, are more important for the functioning of the state and have a bigger state interest.

Asked if the state attorney-general and the head of the USKOK anti-corruption office would have to at least resign if the accusations against the ministers were dismissed, Plenković said he would talk about that if it happened.

"That would be a disaster for the Croatian judiciary as well as for DORH and USKOK. Then we'd have a much bigger problem."

"If a government member is not proven guilty, that's a huge problem, not for the government's reputation, but a systemic problem," he explained.

Text: Hina

News