January 29 (SeeNews) - Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenkovic said he will nominate Vili Beros, assistant to the health minister, as health minister to replace Milan Kujundzic.
Beros is an insider to the healthcare system and could quickly take over his new responsibilities, Plenkovic said in a statement on Tuesday, shorty after dismissing Kujundzic over a property scandal.
Apart from seeking ways to finance the loss-making health system, the new minister will also have to focus on the international health crisis linked with the coronavirus, Plenkovic said.
The change in the cabinet lineup comes just several months ahead of Croatia's general elections, due to take place in the autumn.
Public support for Plenkovic's cabinet was shaken earlier this month when the candidate of the central-left opposition party SDS, Zoran Milanovic, won the presidential election, defeating incumbent president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic backed by Plenkovic's centre-right HDZ.
According to latest opinion polls, SDP has become the favourite to win Croatia's 2020 general election for the first time since HDZ came to power four years ago.