“A grave political mistake, I don’t know how that could have happened to him. He is an experienced politician, for him to go to a meeting and for it to end as it did. I will not go into the intentions of the gentleman who obviously lured him and Oroslavje mayor. In any case, this is a political mistake that should not have happened,” Plenković told a press conference after a meeting of the parliamentary majority.
Šimunić told the 24 Sata daily that the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) tried to buy him off offering him support at the local election in May and a position in the Medvednica Nature Park. Šimunić secretly recorded the conversation and the daily made it public.
Tušek confirmed that the recording was authentic, describing it as an attempt to discredit him and the party, adding that he jokingly exaggerated the possibilities of Šimunić’s engagement.
Plenković added that everything that was said during that meeting needs to be carefully analysed but based on Šimunić’s “oeuvre”, he cannot see what Tušek was supposed to to with him at that meeting and what sort of cooperation they could have agreed.
“I’m not certain if there are any grounds for accountability here, but seeing that this is about a recording, and that the conversation was conducted without any consultation with any one of us, radars do not work in holiday cottages, I can hardly believe something like that occurred,” said Plenković, adding that he did not see any link between the HDZ’s political platform and Šimunić.
With regard to public posts that are filled through public advertisements, which were mentioned in the conversation, Plenković said that he spoke briefly with Tušek and as far as he understood, his intention was not political bartering but that he jokingly exaggerated everything that could be done.
“It is evident that the gentleman led him with offside questions. This was done with aforethought to lure him into this situation. That is as clear as day,” said Plenković.
Plenković said that for him as party leader the major problem was how Tušek had allowed himself to be put into such a situation to even sit in the same room with Šimunić. “What was said there doesn’t mean anything in any case. The problem is that he was there in the first place,” said Plenković.
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