Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Thursday accused the GONG non-governmental organisation of campaigning against the Croatian candidate for European Commission Vice-President, Dubravka Suica.

“Dubravka Suica got through the hearing before the Croatian Parliament’s Committee on European Affairs where members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) raised these topics which are now, ostensibly accidentally, being recycled by GONG, which always steps in on the SDP’s side,” Plenkovic told reporters in Brussels after a working lunch with European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen.

Plenkovic was responding to questions about Croatian media reports on Suica’s personal assets and whether those could do her damage during a European Parliament committee hearing next week.

“GONG is a left-wing non-governmental organisation which has launched a major campaign by sending letters to all MEPs in an effort to sway their view on the Croatian candidate for European Commission Vice-President. The public should know this. The seemingly independent GONG is conducting a fierce campaign against the future European Commission Vice-President from Croatia. They are the long arm of the SDP, asking the same questions as MP Grbin. … This is orchestrated and intentional and I am saying this with full responsibility so that the Croatian public should know,” Plenkovic said.

Asked if this campaign managed to shake the confidence of Ursula von der Leyen, Plenkovic said: “Not at all.”