ZAGREB, May 28, 2019 – Mislav Kolakušić, whose is perceived by media as the biggest surprise of the European elections in Croatia on Sunday by winning a seat in the European Parliament, said on Monday he was partially satisfied with the election results, adding that he would run in the next presidential election in Croatia.
Announcing his decision to run for president, Kolakušić called on citizens to go to the polls and thus prevent a minority rule over the majority.
“Those who stayed home and who don’t think they need to do their civil duty have enabled this, so that they can whine later. People need to understand that without civil responsibility there can be no civil society,” Kolakušić told reporters adding however that turnout was five percent higher than in the last European election five years ago.
He said that Croatia was ruled by “a minority of 30 percent”, stressing that people need to develop civil awareness and go to the polls.
Asked how he planned to run the presidential election campaign and sit in the European Parliament, Kolakušić said he would attend parliamentary sessions but his office will prepare materials. He also said he would be an independent MEP as he did not want to take part in adopting decision that are mostly harmful for the Croatian people.
Reporters asked him to comment on his announcement that he would also be Croatia’s minister of the interior, justice minister and prime minister, which political analysts say is a characteristic of authoritarian states. Kolakušić said this was nonsense. Adding that ministers were part of the executive government and that they were chosen by the prime minister, namely whoever holds 76 seats in the Croatian Parliament.
Kolakušić said Switzerland, Norway and the Netherlands have a single ministry of justice and the police. Only Croatia has 26 ministries — 20 real and 6 fake, Kolakušić said.
There is no a single minister in Croatia who can realise their plan without the support of 76 deputies, which is why I need to have 76 hands because I don’t want to be summoning ministers and tell them what to do. I will so that myself. I will do the job of the prime minister on a voluntary basis and I will be receiving the salary of the Justice Minister, Kolakušić explained.
I expect to receive citizens’ support and in order to change anything I will need 600,000 votes. People will have a do-over at the next presidential election, Kolakušić said.
Asked whether he would be prime minister or president, Kolakušić said in the event of early election, he would be prime minister first.
The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the strongest opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) have won four seats each out of a total of 12 seats allotted for Croatia in the new European Parliament, according to the reports from the State Election Commission (DIP) after it counted ballots from 99.72% of polling stations when the voting for the EP ended in Croatia on Sunday evening
Thus, the HDZ candidates with the five-year MEP term will be Karlo Ressler, Dubravka Šuica, Tomislav Sokol and Željana Zovko, and the SDP will be represented by Biljana Borzan, Tonino Picula, Predrag Matić and Romana Jerković.
The Sovereigntists, the independent slate led by former judge Mislav Kolakušić, Živi Zid and the seven-party Amsterdam Coalition have each won one seat.
Other slates have not passed the election threshold of 5% of the vote.
More election news can be found in the Politics section.
