Pametno is trying to present itself as a more liberal version of MOST.
“Our party is based on two pillars, namely our values and our programme”, said Marijana Puljak, the president of Pametno (Smartly) party, on Thursday at the presentation of its electoral manifesto under the slogan “Let’s Pivot Croatia”. She pointed out that the basic values of the party were principles of liberal democracy such as human rights, protection of the rights of all minorities, the women’s right to choose, anti-fascism and secularity, with respect for the rights of religious communities, reports Jutarnji List on August 11, 2016.
“These are the values which in the last six months have been seriously called into question in Croatia”, said Puljak. She pointed out that their manifesto was an improved and thoroughly elaborated version of the programme that the party presented on the eve of parliamentary elections in 2015. That manifesto was voted by some independent analysts as the best electoral programme in 25 years of democracy in Croatia.
Among about a hundred pages of the manifesto, the largest chapters are devoted to education, reform of public administration and local self-government system, and economy. “Education is the foundation of our programme. We are the only ones who have always maintained that it must also be the foundation of our society. We have given our complete support to the comprehensive curricular reform under the leadership of Boris Jokić and his team”, said Ivica Puljak, the party secretary. He stressed that Pametno was committed to introducing five regions and 123 cities and municipalities, instead of the current 556 cities and municipalities, and 20 counties and the City of Zagreb.
Pametno is also advocating for measures which would encourage economic growth and strengthen fiscal responsibility. “We are committed to a simple, stable and equitable tax system, while the Tax Administration should become a service friendly to all citizens”, said party vice-president Maja Vehovec, who announced possible changes in income tax rates, the increase in non-taxable part of salary up to 3,600 kuna, and a single 20 percent rate of income tax for citizens earning up to a million kuna a year, while those earning more would pay 40 percent tax.
Pametno will have its candidates in all parliamentary constituencies, and it will submit its candidate lists to the State Election Commission on Saturday.
Pametno is trying to position itself as an alternative to two major parties, HDZ and SDP, but with a much more liberal worldview than the one which is advocated by MOST. However, latest polls put the party far below the five percent threshold needed to enter Parliament in any of the ten constituencies.
