The Eight Government of the Republic of Croatia () was the second of two Croatian Government cabinets led by Prime Minister Ivica Račan. It was announced on 30 July 2002 and its term ended on 23 December 2003. Račan's second cabinet was formed after Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) and Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) had decided to leave the ruling six-party coalition. The cabinet was succeeded by Cabinet of Ivo Sanader I, following the centre-right Croatian Democratic Union's return to power in the 2003 parliamentary elections.
Parties included in the government: Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP) Croatian People's Party (HNS) Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) Party of Liberal Democrats (Libra) Liberal Party (LS)
Motions of confidence Vote on the confirmation of the 8th Government of the Republic of Croatia Ballot 30 July 2002 Absentees Required majority 76 Yes votes out of 151 votes(Absolute majority of the total number of Members of Parliament) Yes No Abstentions Sources:Zapisnik dvadesetćetvrte izvanredne sjednice Hrvatskoga sabora Sabor (in Croatian)
Party breakdown Party breakdown of cabinet ministers (23 December 2003): Social Democratic Party 15 Croatian Peasant Party 4 Libra 2 Croatian People's Party 2 Liberal Party 1
Changes from Cabinet of Ivica Račan I Following the exit of IDS (in June 2001) and HSLS (in July 2002) from the ruling coalition, the cabinet was reconstructed. IDS only had one seat in the cabinet which had already been taken over by SDP. As for seven HSLS members of government (six ministers and one deputy prime minister), they were replaced either by members of SDP or by politicians from HSLS' splinter party Libra (Party of Liberal Democrats) which was formed by former HSLS members who decided to support the government rather than follow HSLS president Dražen Budiša's decision to leave the coalition and move into opposition. A third liberal party LS (Liberalna stranka), which had been established in 1997 by Vlado Gotovac as an earlier offshoot of HSLS, also chose to support the ruling coalition and gained one seat in the cabinet.
Goran Granić (ex HSLS, now Libra) returned to the post of Deputy Prime Minister after four months (Granić was Deputy Prime Minister from January 2000 to March 2002, when he was replaced by his party leader Dražen Budiša who held the post from March to July that year). The number of Deputy Prime Ministers was expanded from three to four, with Ante Simonić (HSS) appointed as the fourth deputy. Along with three seats HSS already had in the previous cabinet, this increased their presence to four cabinet members. Željka Antunović (SDP) continued to serve as Deputy PM, but also took on the post of defence minister, replacing Jozo Radoš (ex HSLS). Although Radoš had also left HSLS and joined the newly formed Libra, he resigned from his post to pave the way for Antunović. Roland Žuvanić (ex HSLS, now Libra) replaced Mario Kovač (HSLS) as Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Communications. Božo Kovačević (ex HSLS, now LS) kept his post as Minister of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning, but was replaced in July 2003 by Ivo Banac (LS). Hrvoje Kraljević (HSLS), Minister of Science and Technology, was replaced by Gvozden Flego (SDP). Hrvoje Vojković (HSLS), Minister of Economy, was replaced by Ljubo Jurčić (SDP) Gordana Sobol (SDP) was appointed Minister without portfolio
List of ministers and portfolios Some periods in the table start before the cabinet's inauguration, when the minister listed was appointed to the post in the preceding Cabinet of Ivica Račan I (27 January 2000 – 30 July 2002).
MinisterPartyPortfolioPeriodIvica RačanSDPPrime Minister27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Goran GranićLibraDeputy Prime Minister30 July 2002 – 23 December 2003Ante Simonić HSSDeputy Prime Minister30 July 2002 – 23 December 2003Slavko Linić SDPDeputy Prime Minister27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Željka Antunović SDPDeputy Prime Minister27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Minister of Defence30 July 2002 – 23 December 2003Andro Vlahušić HNSMinister of Health22 November 2001 – 23 December 2003Davorko Vidović SDPMinister of Labour and Social Welfare27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Mato Crkvenac SDPMinister of Finance27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Antun VujićSDPMinister of Culture27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Božidar PankretićHSS Minister of Agriculture and Forest Management27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Ivica PančićSDPMinister of Veterans' Affairs27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Tonino PiculaSDPMinister of Foreign Affairs27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Neven MimicaSDPMinister of European Integration28 September 2001 – 23 December 2003Roland ŽuvanićLibraMinistry for Maritime Affairs, Transport and Communications30 July 2002 – 23 December 2003Pave Župan-RuskovićSDPMinister of Tourism27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Ingrid Antičević-MarinovićSDPMinister of Justice, Public Administration and Local Self-government28 September 2001 – 23 December 2003Božo KovačevićLSMinister of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning27 January 2000 – 18 July 2003Ivo BanacLS18 July 2003 – 23 December 2003Radimir ČačićHNSMinister of Public Works, Construction and Reconstruction27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Gvozden FlegoSDPMinister of Science and Technology30 July 2002 – 23 December 2003Vladimir StrugarHSSMinister of Education and Sports27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Šime LučinSDPMinister of the Interior27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Ljubo JurčićSDPMinister of Economy30 July 2002 – 23 December 2003Željko PecekHSSMinister for Crafts, Small and Mid-sized Entrepreneurship27 January 2000 – 23 December 2003Gordana SobolSDPMinister without portfolio30 July 2002 – 23 December 2003
References
External links Official website of the Croatian Government Chronology of Croatian cabinets at Hidra.hr