Milanović: Sometimes you miss, sometimes you hit

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and president of the SDP, Zoran Milanović, emphasized in today’s interview with the Rijeka Novi list that he has drawn lessons from the recent local elections, some of which are good and some bad, but that he would do almost everything related to local elections the same way again.

“Sometimes you miss, sometimes you hit where you might not have expected,” said Milanović.

Giving a general assessment of the local elections, Milanović stated that he is encouraged by the SDP’s election results in the first part of the mandate, in the context of a severe economic crisis, and that it gives him faith that they are on the right path. “As after the parliamentary elections, I perceive these results as a general support from the citizens of Croatia,” said Milanović.

When asked what he can expect from the HNS with a new awareness of its own strength, given that this party has previously blocked laws, Milanović assessed that the HNS is a very good partner. He noted that this is a state of calm, compared to the traumatic experiences of the SDP from Račan’s government.

 He did not want to comment on the relations within the HDZ, emphasizing that he has said everything he had to say about that party. Zoran Milanović, speaking about the difficult economic situation, reiterated that Croatia is not an isolated country and that it depends on foreign inputs. “The path we have chosen is to speak truthfully about the situation, not to beautify reality,” he said, adding that the government cannot create jobs but creates conditions for it. 

The Prime Minister emphasized that this government is pro-business and thus promotes Croatia and tries to attract capital. However, we are still perceived in the world more as a corrupt and backward country, certainly not because of me and my government. Perception is hard to change; it can easily be spread through evil, foolishness, and excesses, and that happens overnight. There are still certain stereotypes about Croatia. We are trying to change them, he emphasized, expressing his belief that this government can pull the country out of the crisis.

He stated that he is often a target of attacks more than other previous prime ministers because he does not make deals and does not bribe people, does not tell them what they want to hear but what we all have to face.

Regarding the request for a referendum by the civil initiative In the Name of the Family on the constitutional definition of marriage and when asked if he would call on citizens to vote against it, Milanović said that he does not understand that initiative and does not know what it is for. He added that the referendum itself is under the jurisdiction of the Croatian Parliament.

When asked if he is afraid of ‘that conservative revolution in Croatia’, the Prime Minister said that it is not a revolution but an attempt that is common around the middle of the mandate of left-liberal governments in Croatia to ideologically divide and fracture society.