On Tuesday, the Parliament voted 76 representatives of the ruling majority to appoint David Vlajčić (DP) as the new Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, as well as Deputy Prime Minister, with his successor also supported by Josip Dabro, who had previously conditioned his vote on the dismissal in Croatian Forests.
Despite opposition discontent, Vlajčić from the Homeland Movement received enough votes of support and was elected as the new minister.
For Vlajčić, who held the position of State Secretary in the Ministry of Construction prior to this appointment, 76 representatives of the thin ruling majority voted, with Dabro being the decisive 76th vote. 66 opposition representatives voted ‘against’.
– “I swear that I will perform the duties of a member of the Government conscientiously and honorably, respect the Constitution, laws, and legal order, and advocate for the overall progress of the Republic of Croatia,” read the oath text by the Speaker of the Parliament Gordan Jandroković, and Vlajčić took the oath for his new position.
First Thing – Croatian Forests
A clear message has been sent, and we will address this in the first days, Vlajčić stated after being voted in by the Parliament, speaking about the appointment of a new Management Board of Croatian Forests after the Government dismissed the current one.
– Regarding the Management Board of Croatian Forests, we are all aware of the Government’s decisions, a clear message has been sent, and we will address this in the first days. I took Josip Dabro’s messages seriously; the fact is that there are certain problems, and the Management itself has filed certain criminal charges, so I expect active engagement from it on this issue, Vlajčić said, discussing the appointment of a new Management Board after the Government dismissed the current one last week and the claims of his predecessor Dabro about a nest of crime in Croatian Forests.
He did not want to specify when he would propose a new Management Board or whom the DP would propose as the head of the Management Board.
– That is at the level of coalition partners – the presidents of the DP and HDZ. Names will be discussed, but only professional individuals capable of leading such a commercial company that manages essential strategic resources will be considered. I wouldn’t want to talk about deadlines now, but there is no reason to wait, he said.
Vlajčić on Dabro’s Videos: He Took His Political Responsibility
Vlajčić listed increasing food production, preserving rural areas, and modernizing production as strategic goals.
– I want to place special focus on young farmers and preserving family farms; we must not allow that engaging in agriculture and cultivating domestic land is less profitable than working as a waiter in a foreign country, he emphasized.
He is particularly pleased that he worked on the draft Law on Cemeteries as the chairman of the working group, which has been released for public consultation.
– Besides dealing with the removal of Chetnik monuments, the Law also leads to the regulation of procedures at cemeteries. All those facilities that were once erected to glorify aggression against the Republic of Croatia, regardless of whether they contain any inscriptions, will be removed, he stated, among other things.
He was not articulate regarding the videos of party colleague and predecessor Dabro that are emerging in the media, in which he is seen with several different types of weapons.
– Dabro has taken his political responsibility like perhaps no other politician in modern Croatia; I wouldn’t comment on anything, the investigation is ongoing. Regarding his work, he has made good moves in a short time, and that is a fact, Vlajčić emphasized.
Penava: Dabro Has My Trust, Majority is Stable
Considering that Dabro, after blackmailing the Government by stating that he would support the new minister as the decisive 76th vote in the Parliament only if the president of the Management Board of Croatian Forests was dismissed, which the Government ultimately did in recent days, and then Dabro voted for Vlajčić, the president of the DP Ivan Penava emphasized that the majority is stable.
– I couldn’t speak of any crisis; we have quality cooperation, regular meetings, exchange of information, views, and decision-making. Sometimes things happen in a day, and sometimes it takes longer. Respect is the only way to have a stable majority, and I believe that this coalition will last, he stated.
Despite the use of weapons, including a Kalashnikov, he said that he still has his support in the party.
– It is clear as day that he should not have done that, and he did it when he was not a minister, so he bears political responsibility. He stepped down on his own initiative and would not be the Secretary General of the DP if he did not have my trust, along with, of course, great disagreement with these videos. That behavior is not good, but he has paid the political price, he said.
