ZAGREB, Nov 3, 2020 – Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Pedja Grbin said in parliament on Tuesday that the only way to avoid a lockdown in Croatia is with a systematic strategy, which the country does not have.
“We cannot avoid it spontaneously but with a systematic strategy, a model that will have checkpoints, transition times, a model that foresees how the situation will develop and an implementable operational programme…Is the government prepared to adopt and implement such a programme?” Grbin asked during Question Time in the Sabor.
He believes that Croatia does not need a new lockdown as that would be destructive, but it is necessary to talk and think about it considering that a number of countries have already gone into lockdown.
“There is no strategy. It does not exist. Measures are being adopted ad hoc, with the most stringent one being the ban on serving alcohol after midnight. There is talk of a tidal wave of patients but we do not have a strategy in case the numbers increase,” said Grbin.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic did not agree that there is no strategy. “You consider the strategy that we have been implementing since February as improvisation. That is not the case,” said Plenkovic.
“We will not fall into media and political traps that we are heading towards a lockdown and curfew that will restrict rights and cause economic damage that will not affect the dynamics of the disease spreading. We will avoid that and that is the objective of our policy,” said Plenkovic.
Asked by MP Bojan Glavasevic about the attack in St. Mark’s Square and the announced fight against hate speech and extremism, Plenkovic siad that the armed attack on Government House had crossed the line.
“Imagine that after the decapitation of that teacher in France and yesterday’s attack in Vienna certain political figures said that that occurred as a result of the general political situation and as a sign of rebellion,” said Plenkovic and added that a document is being prepared by the coordinating body for homeland security with a series of recommended measures in the fight against radicalisation and extremism.
Agriculture Minister Marija Vuckovic said that Croatia’s food supplies are not threatened during the epidemic, underlining that supplies are functioning well and production has been maintained.
