The leader of the Zivi Zid party, Ivan Vilibor Sincic, said on Sunday that Croatia's departure from NATO and the European Union had been part of the programme of this parliamentary opposition party since its outset.

“Now those in Europe are very afraid that so-called populists will take over the European Parliament at the next election. We have never seen Europe as a community that will help us when we need help and whom we will help when they need help, but we have seen it as a group of alienated bureaucrats where corporations and banks wield strong influence and where there is very little democracy,” Sincic told Hina in an interview.

“There is a huge democratic deficit surrounding the European Commission. Europe has huge problems, not only because of migration, but also because of mutual relations, the euro crisis, etc. From Croatia’s point of view, Europe has done more damage than good to Croatia. We are a country on Europe’s periphery, Europe has got human and economic resources from us and we have got much less in return,” he said.

Asked about Zivi Zid’s image as a protest and populist party, Sincic said they indeed are an “anti-establishment party and that is part of our ideology.”

“We are against the existing political system that has led the country so far, the (ruling) HDZ and the SDP and their satellites, which have taken turns in conducting similar or the same policies. This old system, which operates in a similar way, is an obstacle to Croatia’s progress. Until the SDP and the HDZ lose their influence or completely disappear, Croatia will not be able to reform itself because they are the main obstacle to change,” he added.

Sincic said that his party was preparing for the European Parliament election, due in May 2019.

“I am glad to see movements and parties emerging across Europe that question the present structure of the EU and its survival. We have been invited to visit the European Parliament in Strasbourg in early October by one of the vice-presidents of the European Parliament, Mr Fabio Massimo Castaldo, an Italian from the Five Star Movement, a party that is ideologically very close to us. We will talk about Europe’s future,” Sincic said.

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