Plenković Hires Former SDP Minister
Davorko Vidović becomes special adviser to Finance Minister Tomislav Ćorić. Analysts interpret the PM's move as a continuation of HDZ's expansion toward the political center and absorption of the left.
Davorko Vidović becomes special adviser to Finance Minister Tomislav Ćorić. Analysts interpret the PM's move as a continuation of HDZ's expansion toward the political center and absorption of the left.
The appointment of Davorko Vidović, former SDP Minister of Labor, as special adviser to Finance Minister Tomislav Ćorić was officially confirmed on Saturday. The news, first reported by the weekly 7dnevno in early August, sparked strong reactions and raised questions about the direction in which Prime Minister Andrej Plenković is leading HDZ.
In an interview with Hina, Vidović confirmed he is taking on the advisory role, emphasizing that it was the Prime Minister himself who proposed him for the position. "I haven't sold myself to HDZ," Vidović said, dismissing criticism from some former left-wing colleagues and adding that after turning 70, he no longer has the ambition to engage in active politics.
The Ministry of Finance announced that Vidović will receive a monthly gross amount of €1,417.23 for his advisory work on public finances. Vidović stresses that he views his new position as purely professional, based on his years of expertise in the pension and social systems. He explained that he will not have his own office and will carry out the work mainly through consultations and occasional visits to the Ministry of Finance.
Vidović described Plenković's move itself as "political wisdom" in an interview with 7dnevno, assessing that the Prime Minister is showing readiness to cooperate with experts regardless of their party background. He also revealed that Plenković made the offer during a reception after Statehood Day, while he stepped out for a cigarette.
A commentary by the portal Hrvatska uživo assesses that the appointment carries a strong political message, especially toward voters on the right side of the spectrum. "Plenković is no longer trying to make HDZ just the dominant party of the Croatian right. He is trying to turn HDZ into the dominant party of the Croatian political center," the analysis states.
The key question raised is what specific competencies make Vidović necessary to the Finance Minister. "If there is a convincing professional answer, the government should offer it to the public. If there isn't, it's hard to avoid the impression that this smells much more like political horse-trading than some sudden triumph of expertise over politics," reads the text from Hrvatska uživo.
Plenković's HDZ, it is assessed, increasingly looks like a large center party that takes people and policies from both sides of the ideological spectrum as needed. "And the message to the right could be brutally simple: we no longer need you," concludes Hrvatska uživo.
On the same day Vidović's appointment was confirmed, Prime Minister Plenković was in the Neretva Valley. Ahead of the 29th Lađa Marathon, he met with representatives of the Neretva Boatmen's Association. "This unique event has grown over nearly three decades into one of the largest amateur sporting events in this part of Europe," Plenković posted on social media.
This year's Marathon features 31 teams with approximately 400 rowers from all parts of Croatia. The Prime Minister announced continued strong government support for this event, which preserves the heritage and identity of the Neretva Valley.
In Metković, a working meeting was also held with Dubrovnik-Neretva County Prefect Blaž Pezo and the mayors of Metković, Ploče, and Opuzen, Dalibor Milan, Ivan Marević, and Ivan Mataga. Topics of discussion included the completion of the agglomeration project, the irrigation system in Donja Neretva, and connecting Metković to the Croatian motorway network.
