Croatia lawmakers approve new ministers after resignation

ZAGREB, Croatia – Croatia’s lawmakers have elected a new economy minister after the previous one resigned over allegations of conflict of interest during the restructuring of the country’s largest private company.

Lawmakers approved Darko Horvat to the post Friday with 77 votes in favour. Most opposition members of the 151-seat parliament boycotted the vote.

Horvat’s predecessor, Martina Dalic, resigned earlier this month after an online news portal published her private email exchanges with legal and financial experts she consulted while drafting an emergency law to save Agrokor from bankruptcy.

Some of the experts were later hired for huge fees when the government took over the company, prompting the conflict-of-interest claims by the opposition.

Dalic also had served as the deputy prime minister. Lawmakers approved Agriculture Minister Tomislav Tolusic for that post.