Mesić: The Government Needs to Start Fighting the Growing Crisis More Decisively

President Stjepan Mesić today from Požega urged the Government of the Republic of Croatia to start fighting the growing crisis and recession more quickly and decisively. The president made this statement after touring the facilities of the Požega wood processing company “Spin Vallis”, which has canceled about 40 fixed-term contracts in the past three months due to the crisis.

"The state must provide frameworks and monetary and fiscal policies to help such companies što recover as soon as possible and start creating new jobs and investing," said President Mesić. It is easy to fall into a crisis and recession, but it is difficult to get out, and therefore it is important for the government to implement the right measures as we are over-indebted and the number of unemployed is too high, Mesić added. He emphasized that it is now necessary to apply as much as possible foreign experiences and own knowledge and to make the right decisions. He was surprised, he said, that the proposal for anti-recession measures from the Economic Institute was "so easily rejected since it was proposed by experts". Therefore, he hopes that this proposal has not been completely discarded, but that it will still be discussed and that what can help the Croatian economy will be applied. The most effective measures should be introduced regardless of where they come from – from expert circles, from universities, or from the opposition, believes President Mesić. In a conversation with journalists, he also commented on other topics. He believes that the investigation into the so-called secret accounts is taking too long.

Although, he says, he does not comment on first-instance verdicts, he referred to the recently pronounced acquittals in the case of General Ljubo Ćesić Rojs and "the little maestro". "It is not good for those involved in preparing the indictment material for their actions to fail, but I never comment on first-instance verdicts, so I will not now. In any case, for me, it is irresponsible for someone to be in custody for so long, and in the end, they are held accountable for one roast, while those who took entire factories have never even seen what custody looks like," said President Mesić. When asked whether he expects a reaction from Prime Minister Ivo Sanader regarding his statement on the second pension pillar, Mesić replied that no one has reason to be angry. "If the second pillar needs to be abolished now, people need to be explained why and how to do it.

The Prime Minister did not provide a concrete proposal. He still claims that it is one of the solutions offered, but a discussion needs to be held about it," added Mesić. During his stay in Požega, Mesić also met with the youngest residents of Požega and their parents, thus supporting the city’s pronatalist policy, which has been giving parents of newborns 1,000 kuna for seven years. He also visited the Home for the Elderly and Infirm, and celebrated Valentine’s Day for the seventh consecutive year in the company of about two hundred Požega couples who have already celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. (Hina)