Tihomir Orešković

Tihomir Orešković
Orešković in January 2016
11th Prime Minister of Croatia
In office 22 January 2016 – 19 October 2016
President	Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
Deputy	Tomislav Karamarko (January-June 2016) Božo Petrov (January-October 2016)
Preceded by	Zoran Milanović
Succeeded by	Andrej Plenković
Personal details
Born	1 January 1966 Zagreb, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia (now Croatia)
Political party	Independent
Spouse(s)	Sanja Dujmović
Children	4
Alma mater	McMaster University
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Tihomir "Tim" Orešković (Croatian pronunciation: [ˌtîhomiːr tîm ǒ'reːʃkoʋit͡ɕ]; born 1 January 1966) is a Croatian Canadian businessman who was the 11th^[1] Prime Minister of Croatia from 22 January 2016 to 19 October 2016.

Born in Zagreb, Orešković emigrated to Canada at a young age and spent most of his life there. He studied at the McMaster University and graduated chemistry in 1989 and finance and information systems in 1991. Before taking office as Prime Minister, Orešković served as CEO and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Pliva, head of financial management for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in Europe, and a Chief Financial Officer for Teva global generics business.

In the aftermath of an inconclusive parliamentary election held on 8 November 2015 and the ensuing 76 days of negotiations, Orešković was named as a compromise, non-partisan candidate of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Bridge of Independent Lists (Most) on 23 December 2015. He was formally named Prime Minister-designate on the same day by President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. Orešković formed the 13th Croatian Government made up of 2 deputy prime ministers and 20 ministers on 22 January 2016. As Prime Minister, Orešković introduced spending cuts to lower the public debt and budget deficit. However, his government was marked with tense relations between the two governing parties, resulting in a government crisis in May 2016. His cabinet lost a motion of no confidence in the Parliament on 16 June and early parliamentary election was called for September. Although Orešković considered participating in them together with Most, he announced that he will not run in the election but would rather return to the private sector. On 19 October 2016, Orešković was succeeded by the new Prime Minister Andrej Plenković from HDZ.

Early life and education

Orešković was born in Zagreb on 1 January 1966 to Đurđa and Dane Orešković. While he was still an infant, he moved with his parents to Hamilton, Canada.^[2][3] In 1989, he graduated with a degree in chemistry from McMaster University in Canada. In 1991, he graduated with a MBA in finance and information systems from the same university. Orešković is married to Sanja Orešković (née Dujmović), also from Zagreb, with whom he has two daughters and two sons.^[4]

Professional career

His professional career began in 1992 in the production of American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly where he held various functions in the field of finance and international business. His last position in the company was the position of Director for relations with the state administration and economic affairs.^[5]

After leaving Eli Lilly in August 2005, he continued his career in the Canadian pharmaceutical company Novopharm (now: Teva Canada), as VP of Business Development, Specialty Products and CFO. Orešković started working for Pliva in 2009 as chief financial officer for Eastern Europe, and in 2010 was appointed to the position of Chief Financial Officer for Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, Israel and Africa. Orešković holds dual Croatian and Canadian citizenship.^[6]

Political career

Orešković was contacted by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) several months before the 2015 parliamentary elections over a possible minister position in the new government.^[7] Following the parliamentary elections held on 8 November and the ensuring 76 days of negotiations during which a new Prime Minister could not be named, finally on 23 December 2015 it was announced that HDZ and Bridge of Independent Lists (Most) would name him as their compromise candidate for Prime Minister. On the same day President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović handed him the mandate to try and form a government in the next 30 days.^[5] Orešković, a self-described fiscal conservative and a centrist, started forming his cabinet with the two parties in January.^[8] He named his cabinet on 21 January 2016 and the Orešković Cabinet was approved through a vote of confidence from Parliament on 22 January, constitutionally the last possible date of Orešković's 30-day mandate during which he was to name a government.^[9]

Prime Minister (2016)

Prime Minister Orešković and his wife Sanja at the audience with Pope Francis, April 6, 2016

The 13th Government of Croatia was approved by 83 MPs, 61 voted against and 5 abstained during the confirmation vote. Orešković's government included two Deputy Prime Ministers: Tomislav Karamarko, president of HDZ, who is the first deputy, and Božo Petrov, president of Most.^[10] Orešković's main tasks were to cut the public debt and bring investors to Croatia that had just emerged from a six-year recession. Orešković said that his government will achieve a GDP growth of above 3%, reduce the public debt below 80%, cut the unemployment rate to 14% and raise the country's credit rating. His plan included the privatization of non-strategic assets, more investments in tourism, energy and infrastructure, taxation of unused property and increased use of EU funds.^[9][11]

His government faced its first political challenge with the resignation of the Minister of Veterans Affairs Mijo Crnoja, only 6 days into his term, on 28 January 2016.^[12] His replacement, Tomo Medved was appointed as minister on 21 March 2016.^[13]

On 13 March, the Parliament adopted the 2016 state budget. The budget projected a deficit below 3% in 2016, GDP growth of 2% and the reduction of public debt from 86.9% to 86.8% of GDP.^[14][15] In mid April, the IMF increased the Croatian GDP growth forecast for 2016 from 1% to 1.9%.^[16] In the first quarter of 2016, revenues to the budget increased for 3.7%, and expenditures decreased by 6.5%.^[17] GDP growth was 2.7%.^[18]

In June, Orešković and Economy Minister Tomislav Panenić signed contracts for onshore hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation with oil companies including INA and Vermilion Energy, worth €88 million. In case gas and oil is found in the exploration fields, located in Slavonia, it is estimated that revenues to the state budget would be between around €600 million (3,4 billion HRK) and €900 million (6,8 billion HRK) yearly. Orešković announced the first stage implementation of the Adria LNG terminal on Krk, the Križevci-Dugo Selo railway project worth €200 million, and the Pelješac Bridge worth €430 million. A new public procurement bill was adopted by the government, that replaced the lowest price criterion with the economically most favourable offer.^[19][20]

At the end of June, public debt was 3.9 billion HRK lower than at the end of 2015. June was also the fourth consecutive month of an annual decline of public debt.^[21] Budget deficit fell by 5.1 billion HRK in the first six months of 2016, making up 0.7% of GDP.^[22] GDP growth reached 2.8% in the second quarter.^[23]

Government crisis

Orešković's government had been plagued by tensions between HDZ and Most, the two governing parties, particularly over the INA, Croatia's national oil company, and the Ministry of the Interior.^[24] They culminated in the conflict of interest affair labeled The Consultant affair (Afera konzultantica), when it was revealed that Tomislav Karamarko's wife had business contacts with a consultant of the Hungarian oil company MOL, which is a subject of an arbitration processes with Croatia over INA. As a result, a vote of no confidence in Karamarko was initiated by the opposition in the Croatian Parliament and Božo Petrov asked for Karamarko to step down, which the latter refused to do.^[25][26]

In an attempt at a compromise solution to the growing crisis, on 3 June Orešković called on both Karamarko and Petrov to resign their posts for the sake of stability of the country. Petrov was ready to do so, while Karamarko's HDZ in return initiated a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister and started forming a new majority in the Parliament. Petrov's party continued to support Orešković and asked for the resignation of Karamarko.^[27][28][29]

On 15 June the Commission for determining conflicts of interest determined that Tomislav Karamarko had been in a conflict of interest in the Consultant affair and Karamarko tended his resignation as Deputy Prime Minister while vowing to challenge the ruling at the Constitutional court. The following day the confidence vote in Parliament took place and resulted in the fall of Orešković's government by a vote of 125 MPs in favour, 15 against and 2 abstentions. Both the Croatian Democratic Union and most of the opposition voted in favour, while the Bridge of Independent Lists voted against.^[30] The collapse of Orešković's coalition government led to the dissolution of parliament on 15 July 2016 and early elections in the second half of 2016. Orešković considered participating in the election together with Most, but decided that he will leave politics for a brief period.^[31]

See also

• Cabinet of Tihomir Orešković

References

1. "Analizirali smo prva dva mjeseca nove Vlade: što su Orešković i ekipa napravili dosad?". vijesti.rtl.hr (in Croatian). 23 March 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
2. "Otac Dane u Zagrebu je oženio Međimurku Đurđu. Dok je Tihomir još bio beba, preselili su se u Hamilton". jutarnji.hr (in Croatian). 27 December 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
3. "Orešković slavi dvostruko: Dočekao Novu godinu i rođendan". Index.hr. 31 December 2015.
4. "Croatia's first prime minister from the emigrant communities". Croatian Heritage Foundation. 1 February 2016.
5. "Tihomir Orešković to Be Named as Croatian Prime Minister-Designate". Total Croatia News. 23 December 2015.
6. "Kanadski državljanin s prebivalištem u Nizozemskoj: Tko je Tihomir Tim Orešković?". Index.hr (in Croatian). 19 December 2015.
7. "HDZ, Bridge propose Tihomir Oreskovic as PM-designate". EBL News. 23 December 2015.
8. "Oreskovic says is fiscal conservative, political centrist, will choose cabinet after New Year". EBL News. 31 December 2015.
9. "Croatian parliament approves new centre-right cabinet, focus on economy". Reuters. 22 January 2016.
10. "New Croatian PM Oreskovic takes office". EBL News. 23 January 2016.
11. "Croatia MPs vote in new cabinet amid economic, migrant crises". Yahoo. 23 January 2016.
12. "Croatian minister for war veterans quits after six days". Reuters. 28 January 2016.
13. "Tomislav Medved is the New Veterans Affairs Minister". Total Croatia News. 15 March 2016.
14. "Government adopts draft 2016 budget". EBL News. 10 March 2016.
15. "Parliament adopts 2016 state budget". EBL News. 13 March 2016.
16. "IMF Nearly Doubles Estimate of Croatia's GDP Growth". Total Croatia News. 12 April 2016.
17. "Budget revenue +3.7%, expenditure -6.5% in Q1". EBL News. 25 May 2016.
18. "Croatia's GDP growth speeds up to 2.7% y/y in Q1". SeeNews. 31 May 2016.
19. "Contracts signed with INA, Vermilion Energy on onshore hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation". EBL News. 10 June 2016.
20. "Government steps up preparations for LNG terminal". EBL News. 8 June 2016.
21. "HNB: Public debt at end June HRK 285.7 bln". EBL News. 3 October 2016.
22. "Budget gap reduced by 5.1 bn kuna in H1". EBL News. 23 July 2016.
23. "Statistical office confirms 2.8% GDP growth in Q2". EBL News. 7 September 2016.
24. "Is Further Cooperation between HDZ and MOST Possible?". Total Croatia News. 8 May 2016.
25. "Croatian government rejects no-confidence vote against deputy PM". Reuters. 27 May 2016.
26. "Majority in gov't back Karamarko, Bridge ministers against". EBL News. 27 May 2016.
27. "Karamarko: I'm not resigning, Oreskovic no longer enjoys HDZ's trust". EBL News. 3 June 2016.
28. "MOST: We Support Prime Minister Orešković, HDZ Should Show Us Its "Majority"". Total Croatia News. 9 June 2016.
29. "Prime Minister Orešković: I Will Not Resign, I Will Defend Myself in Parliament". Total Croatia News. 10 June 2016.
30. "Croatia government falls as PM loses no-confidence vote". Al Jazeera. 16 June 2016.
31. "Oreskovc says will not run in snap election". EBL News. 15 July 2016.

External links

• Media related to Tihomir Orešković at Wikimedia Commons