Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday that Croatia could not be competitive without a good education system, and as for demands by the teachers' unions for higher wages he said the government would try to accommodate them as much as possible.

“I understand the responsibility and the importance of work of teachers for the future of Croatia and its children, as well as the fact that if we don’t have a good education system we cannot be a competitive economic actor either as individuals or as society or the country. We want to accommodate them as much as we can,” the prime minister told the press outside the government headquarters.

He said that Finance Minister Zdravko Maric, Labour and Pension Minister Josip Aladrovic and Science and Education Minister Blazenka Divjak would make an analysis and give the teachers’ unions suggestions and proposals.

Plenkovic said that today’s meeting with representatives of the teachers’ unions was part of ongoing social dialogue, recalling that his government had increased the wage base for public-sector employees by over 11 percent.

Asked if he resented the fact that Minister Divjak sided with the unions, he said that the government was a team and took all decisions unanimously. “We expect all government members to act like a team and take account of what is realistic and practicable,” he added.

We have condemned each case of violence at party level as well

Commenting on the case of a former HDZ member of Parliament and current president of Automobile Club Siget, Damir Skaro, who has been remanded in 30-day investigative detention following accusations of rape and sexual harassment, Plenkovic said that he condemned any form of sexual and domestic violence.

He said that legislative amendments were being prepared that would speed up the prosecution of cases like this and provide for more stringent penalties. He added that the HDZ would decide on Skaro’s party status.

Responding to a reporter’s remark that no other political party in Croatia had so much problems with bullies and individual outrages as the HDZ, Plenkovic said that they had condemned each case of violence at party level as well. “I don’t know, nor can I know, what people do in their private lives,” he noted.