HDZ president will have to make an important decision regarding Culture Minister Hasanbegović.
“Culture Minister Zlatko Hasanbegović will not go without a fight, there could be problems”, said a source from HDZ, adding that many in the party believe that he has been a good minister and that the results he has achieved at the elections confirm that, reports N1 on September 16, 2016.
Yesterday, Serbian national minority MP Milorad Pupovac said that he would not support a government which would include Hasanbegović, who is controversial due to his positions on the World War Two and other issues.
Minister Hasanbegović replied to Pupovac. “Pupovac will not be the one who will determine who the ministers in the next government are going to be. HDZ president Andrej Plenković will have a clear parliamentary majority with or without the three MPs which Pupovac controls.”
Hasanbegović added that Pupovac had a legitimate right to state his political demands, but that it was equally legitimate not to accept them. Asked to comment on Pupovac’s accusations that he was advocating for revisionist attitudes, Hasanbegović said that such slander was totally unfounded. Some of the national minorities’ MPs are expected to join Pupovac in the demand that Hasanbegović must not be a member of the cabinet. According to sources, Plenković himself also does not see Hasanbegović as a member of his government.
“I think it is impossible for Hasanbegović to stay in government”, said a HDZ source, adding that he did not believe there could be problems between HDZ president and Culture Minister. “I believe that this will be solved at a meeting of the party presidency. That is Plenković’s way of solving problems. And what could Hasanbegović possibly do? He will probably get another good position, maybe he will become the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture”, said the source.
However, Hasanbegović might not go so easily. “He will not go without a fight”, said a source. “There are rumours that he will request that Plenković publicly explains why he cannot be a minister.”
