Health minister replaces state reps at health insurers

The new health minister, Tomas Julinek has begun replacing state representatives on the boards and supervisory boards of the country's health insurance companies, a move that has provoked criticism from his predecessor David Rath. Mr Julinek has, for example, appointed his own nominees as members of the board at the largest insurer the VZP, and on three boards out of the country's eight employee insurers. The replacement of state representatives on the remaining five boards is expected soon. Mr Rath has called the replacement of officials a "display of arrogance of power" on the part of the Civic Democratic Party.

Appointed last week, the minority cabinet is not guaranteed to win a vote of confidence in the lower house: along with the other centre-right parties it can rely at most on 100 votes in the 200-member chamber. The former health minister has indicated the shake-up of personnel could destabilise health insurers in the long run, if the government falls and another is named in its stead. In Mr Rath's view, this will lead to yet another round of dismissals. Others have called the new minister's move "standard" procedure.