Contrary to expectations that he would run as a candidate of MOST, the outgoing Prime Minister will not take part in the elections.
In an interview with Večernji List which will be published on Saturday, Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković has announced that he will not take part in early parliamentary elections in September.
In Croatia, things really can change overnight. Just a day before, when Večernji List was preparing for an interview with Tihomir Orešković, the current Croatian Prime Minister, it seemed almost certain that he would use the interview to launch his political campaign for parliamentary elections as a candidate of MOST. There was also an option of cooperation with HDZ, but it was clear that his cooperation with MOST would bring significantly greater synergy than cooperation with HDZ. Also, the wounds that have marked the relationship between HDZ and Orešković were still fresh.
However, in the interview Orešković sent an unexpected message – he will not enter electoral politics, he will not run in the elections, and he will not be a candidate. He was surprised that journalists were so surprised with his decision. Especially when they told him that many considered his involvement to be the key element which could prevent the domination of left-wing parties.
According to polls, he is very highly regarded by the public and many people wanted to see him as a candidate. Political analysts also expected he would run.
“I am pleased with the polls because it means that people have recognized the will and effort I have invested in this job. I have felt their support through the contacts that I had with people wherever I went, and this support has helped me to more easily get through some difficult moments. People may have recognized that I was different; I was not part of the system. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who gave me their support. The public wants changes that would enable Croatia to be more developed, and these are precisely the changes that I have advocated. However, the resistance of party structures was too strong. We are not yet politically mature for changes that I believe Croatia needs, so I will not be directly politically active in the upcoming parliamentary elections. For now”, said the Prime Minister.
“I have thought a great deal about whether I should get involved in politics, the decision was not easy and in the end there were several key factors. I am a little bit disappointed that unfortunately we did not take advantage of the opportunity to change some things in Croatia. I have left a secure and well-paid job in order to do something, to help my people. I came from the business world, and I have in my DNA creating value. I do not have a strong party base that would support changes. However, I would not say that this is my permanent withdrawal from politics. It is more a temporary goodbye. In addition, there are also family reasons – my family is paying a high price. Together with me they have accepted this huge challenge, but unfortunately I could not fulfill my plan. It might be different if the balance of power in Croatian politics changes and resistance to reforms disappear”, concluded the Prime Minister
