Public Administration Minister Lovro Kuscevic on Thursday rejected criticism from the Opposition that Labour and Pension System Minister Marko Pavic used budgetary funds for advertisements against unions' retirement referendum petition.

Kuscevic insisted that the Croatians must be informed about the truth about the pension reform and about scenarios in the event that the referendum against the pension reform succeeded.

“It is important that our citizens know the real truth about the pension reform, and what will happen if the referendum succeeds. I doubt that Minister Pavic is funding this by means from the state budget. I believe that this is within the framework of some European Union project where there are funds for the visibility of projects,” Kuscevic told reporters who asked him to comment on the criticism that public money was spent on “intimidating” advertisements against the three union federations’ campaign to collect the required number of signatures to call a referendum on lowering the statutory pension age from 67 to 65.

Kuscevic countered that trade unions also spent money of tax payers who pay union membership fees for the promotion of their campaign.

Asked why the government is ignoring the Venetian Commission’s recommendations that the government should not be actively engaged in referendum petitions by taking one side, Kuscevic says that this has nothing to do with the referendum and that the government’s obligation is to explain in detail everything that concerns the pension reform.