It was “a political move by a group of Italian Socialists,” he told the press, adding that official visits were arranged via the European Parliament and that this was not the case this time.
“The main rule is to respect the legal climate of the country you go to. There was neither an official delegation here nor was Croatian law respect. It turns out that it was arranged by the Socialists with Croatia’s SDP (Social Democratic Party),” Plenković said.
Interior Minister Davor Božinović was right to ask “whose national interests do SDP members in the EU parliament protect? Are they the interests of a third party or should they be Croatian interests,” he added.
Plenković said such behaviour was unacceptable and contrary to all norms, adding that this week he would contact the European Parliament leadership to clear this up.
Tomislav Okroša to replace Miroslav Tuđman as MP
Speaking to the press after a meeting of his HDZ party’s Presidency and National Council, he said Tomislav Okroša would replace Miroslav Tuđman in the Croatian parliament. HDZ MP Tuđman died on Sunday.
He said a memorial service for Tuđman was expected to be held on Thursday and that parliament would commemorate him on Friday, adding that a proposal would be made to postpone until Friday the voting scheduled for Thursday – on the post-earthquake reconstruction law, the national development strategy, and the exclusive economic area in the Adriatic.
More than enough vaccine doses ordered
Speaking of the procurement of COVID vaccines, Plenković said that as an EU member state, Croatia must respect procedure and that the European Medicines Agency would be an additional filter for the reliability and safety of vaccines. “That’s why the procedure, which is common, is going slowly.”
Plenković said Croatia had ordered more than enough doses, enough to vaccinate the whole population and even additional quantities.
He added that the EU had mechanisms for insisting that pharmaceutical companies adhere to their commitments in time.
Bridge copying idea of guild which wants to topple Chamber of Commerce
The prime minister also commented on the Bridge opposition party’s initiative for abolishing mandatory membership in the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), saying it was demagogic and that “they are essentially copying the idea of another guild which wants to topple the HGK.”
