Plenković’s Community of Infallible People

It is often heard that with the transitional return to multipartyism and capitalism, the old system of values has been abandoned, and a new one has not been established. This is, in fact, not true. It is true that there are no formally accepted or consensus-agreed commandments, but practice has given rise to an unwritten system of values. If a scientist were to one day endeavor to articulate the rules of today’s value system, they would certainly have to place the rule: ‘Never admit that you are guilty!’ very high on the list.

The latest example is the three-day extraordinary session of the Parliament convened at the request of the opposition by the President of the Republic, Zoran Milanović. Along with the strike in the judiciary, the impetus was the gas affair in which HEP purchased gas expensively from INA, and then, due to having large surpluses, sold it at bargain prices to private companies, primarily to PPD. Milanović proposed a conclusion that within fifteen days it should be determined which institutions and individuals are responsible for the financial damage caused to HEP. The ruling party rejected such a conclusion and adopted another one. In which, of course, guilt is not mentioned. It only states that the Government is taking all necessary measures to ‘determine the circumstances’.

We are all infallible

There are many supporters of the rule that guilt should never be admitted. But considering that value systems are most often decisively shaped by the political elite, it could be said that in the last seven years, during which he has been in power, the greatest promoter of infallibility is the President of the HDZ and Prime Minister, Andrej Plenković. From his mouth publicly, as even deep ‘googling’ has shown, the sentence: ‘I am guilty for this and that’ has never emerged. Even in situations where it was quite obvious that he bears responsibility for the selection of the wrong personnel. For example, in the midst of the affair surrounding Josipa Rimac, Plenković stated: ‘I did not make a mistake by appointing Rimac to the Ministry of Administration.’ The furthest he went in a possible admission of guilt was the dismissal of Gabrijela Žalac, when he concluded in a style that ‘it is not important now whether I made a mistake’.

O. K., it is an old political rule to avoid situations where a politician admits mistakes. But that does not mean that they should never say it. The messages that the top person sends descend from the top to the bottom of the state apparatus. So then no one, down to the employee at the counter, admits that they have made a mistake in anything. If the Prime Minister is infallible, then I am infallible too!

What does this look like in practice? For example, a storm of all storms is approaching. Meteorologists issue a red alert. The civil protection system remains silent. Sirens do not sound, SMS messages are not sent by the praised and highly paid system. The storm devastates a large part of Croatia, and the Director of Civil Protection, Damir Trut, states that the alert was orange. It turns out that he made a serious mistake and – no one says anything. Because directors do not make mistakes!

Examples pile up daily. From banal to dramatic. A high school graduate warns the exam question setters who claim that USKOK is a government office. There is no one to blame for the embarrassment. Nor for the incorrect statement that Istanbul is the capital of Turkey. The setters are infallible! Then, in the healthcare system, patients find themselves in a situation where they cannot pick up their medications because the system is not working again. Who is to blame? No one! A practice has been created in which this is normal.

Everything is according to regulations

More examples? Media begin to receive reports that Minister Mario Banožić and the daughter of the Speaker of the Parliament, Gordana Jandroković, Klara Jandroković, quickly received the necessary papers during the strike of court officials. Does anyone admit guilt? Of course not. When it comes to property registration, the explanation is that urgency is within the scope of the lowest clerk.

It is not said that he went in order, but that it is his assessment. The clerk, of course, is not afraid that he will suffer due to the intervention of superiors. If those above are infallible, then he is sinless too.

How far does the mantra of infallibility go, perhaps best illustrated by the reaction of the captain of a yacht whose vessel collided with another ship and killed a man. His first thought was where his ten thousand euro jacket was. When he was told that he should first think about the deceased man, the captain responds with surprise that ‘he is not guilty’.

If someone does slip up and admit guilt, they become the subject of ridicule. Just like the Međimurje County Prefect Matija Posavec, caught receiving a miserable ten thousand kuna. A more experienced politician told him the next day that he should have just said he was not guilty because that ten thousand kuna was a donation for the party.