In the interpellation, the opposition demands an urgent reform of the system so that it can be ready to respond to natural disasters as promptly as possible. They claim the government failed to act in a coordinated fashion during last year’s earthquakes in Zagreb and Sisak-Moslavina County and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Interior Minister Davor Božinović said the government recommended that parliament reject the interpellation “because it doesn’t contain well-founded reasons for adopting any of the conclusions proposed.”
He said that as soon as the earthquakes occurred in March and December, the government took a prompt, professional and efficient approach to the challenges due to which a disaster was declared in the affected area.
Also, he said, the government and the relevant state administration bodies, in coordination with the national COVID-19 response team, prepared the state in time and properly for the special circumstances caused by the pandemic.
“Managing the system… has fully focused on preserving people’s health and preventing the epidemic from spreading uncontrollably.”
Božinović said that “after years of neglect”, the civil protection system “has progressed during the two terms of this government, materially, in terms of infrastructure and professionally.”
This is the first government, he added, “to have built awareness of the need to continuously and systematically enhance the system.”
He said the Interior Ministry, which coordinates the civil protection system, had written several key documents for quality decision making that should serve as the basis for further development and disaster risk reduction.
The lessons learned, Božinović said, “will be used to boost our country’s resilience in managing all future crises, threats and dangers to the health and security of all Croatian citizens.”
At today’s meeting, the government also adopted a conclusion authorising Health Minister Vili Beroš to sign an order for Moderna’s COVID vaccine.
He said the basis for the conclusion was an agreement between Moderna and the European Commission on the purchase of an additional 150 million doses.
