ZAGREB, June 29, 2020 – Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Sunday he regretted that during its election campaign the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) was trying to undermine the credibility of the national coronavirus response team and the professionals involved in the team.
“It’s not good when politicians, quack doctors and specialists from other scientific disciplines start dispensing their advice rather than listen to those who helped us overcome the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak in February, March, and April,” Plenkovic said in response to questions from the press after meeting members and sympathisers of his HDZ party in the eastern city of Osijek.
“Right now we have a slightly increased number of infections, but like elsewhere in the world, in the time ahead we will need to balance between protecting public health and maintaining the economy and tourism,” he said.
“It should be recalled that thanks to the government’s efforts the entire healthcare system has been raised to a high level, protective equipment has been provided. All that has been done by the government of the HDZ and not the opposition, and we will continue to behave responsibly like that,” he added.
Asked to comment on Bosnian media reports about Bosnian citizens being denied transit through Croatia and that the Bosnian foreign ministry had announced reciprocal measures, Plenkovic said that the two countries should make maximum efforts to reduce the number of new coronavirus cases for the sake of the citizens of both countries.
“We will pursue the dialogue in that regard, and as soon as the epidemiological situation allows, we will lift those measures,” Plenkovic said.
