Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Sunday he regretted that during its election campaign the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) was trying to undermine the credibility of the national coronavirus response team and the professionals involved in the team.

“It’s not good when politicians, quack doctors and specialists from other scientific disciplines start dispensing their advice rather than listen to those who helped us overcome the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak in February, March and April,” Plenkovic said in response to questions from the press after meeting members and sympathisers of his HDZ party in the eastern city of Osijek.

“Right now we have a slightly increased number of infections, but like elsewhere in the world, in the time ahead we will need to balance between protecting public health and maintaining the economy and tourism,” he said.

“Thanks to the government’s efforts, the entire healthcare system has been raised to a high level, protective equipment has been provided. All that has been done by the government of the HDZ and not the opposition, and we will continue to behave responsibly like that,” he added. 

Earlier on Sunday, the centre-left SDP slammed the national coronavirus response team, saying it contributed to the spread of the infection in the country through confusing instructions and insufficient testing, demanding that all members of the ruling HDZ party leave the team.

Speaking at a press conference, prominent SDP member Branko Grcic criticised the double criteria in defining self-isolation rules, saying that the team’s decisions had begun to irritate the public, making the team passive and resulting in an uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus in the country. 

Plenkovic also commented on Bosnian media reports about Bosnian citizens being denied transit through Croatia and the Bosnian foreign ministry’s announcement of reciprocal measure, saying that the two countries should make maximum efforts to reduce the number of new coronavirus cases for the sake of the citizens of both countries.

“We will pursue dialogue in that regard, and as soon as the epidemiological situation allows, we will lift those measures,” Plenkovic said.