Hrast Leaves the Ruling Coalition, Withholds Support from Minister Dalić

Member of Parliament for Hrast, Hrvoje Zekanović, announced on Wednesday at a press conference that his party is leaving the ruling coalition due to the announced ratification of the Istanbul Convention and is withdrawing from all positions in the ruling structure, which means that it will withhold support from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Martina Dalić, during the vote on the proposal for her dismissal.

>>> HRAST: HDZ has Sacrificed the Educational System for HNS Political Propaganda

Additionally, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Hrvoje Šlezak, and the advisor in the Ministry of Culture, Ladislav Ilčić, both from Hrast, will leave their positions. They will do this to confirm their credibility, Zekanović stated.

Although he is not a member, but has the support of Hrast, it has been learned that Matko Glunčić, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Education, who until recently was considered the Prime Minister’s candidate for the head of the Expert Working Group for the implementation of the curricular reform, may also resign, but due to opposition from HNS, he did not take over the ERS.

Zekanović stated that in politics and life there are “red lines that cannot be crossed,” and for Hrast, this is the fact that HDZ, as a Christian Democratic party, has moved towards liberalism and the left center with the ratification of the Istanbul Convention.

HDZ and SDP have the same stance on the Istanbul Convention, which is contrary to the Church, he said, and for him as a Christian Democrat, the Church’s stance is important. This was also shown by the “vox populi” at the recent protest in Zagreb, and he expects the same at the protest on Thursday in Split.

>>> Vrdoljak: The Coalition is Stable

Speaking about the officials from Hrast who are still in power, Zekanović emphasized that “the chairs are not important and that he will show the Croatian people that there are politicians for whom it can be guaranteed what they will do.”

He accused HDZ of being untrustworthy, claiming that their pre-election program did not include the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, which was confirmed to him by Ivana Maletić, who wrote the program.

When asked whether he would return the mandate to HDZ as a credible politician, on whose list he entered the Parliament, Zekanović replied that the real question is whether HDZ members will return their mandates.

He stated that Hrast members are showing that they are renouncing benefits, but he did not answer the question of what he is renouncing if he remains a member of Parliament.

With Zekanović’s departure, the ruling majority now counts 77 representatives, just one more than the minimum.