President Zoran Milanovic said on Tuesday that the government should extend the moratorium on debt enforcement until a lasting solution was found, given that in the present situation the government itself was unable to meet all its obligations.

“The economic consequences of the pandemic are still incalculable, but social consequences are palpable and require brave moves by the government without textbook alibis. The least the government can do is extend the moratorium, taking into account social aspects, until a lasting solution is found,” the President posted on his Facebook profile.

The debt enforcement moratorium, imposed due to the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, ended on Monday.

“The emergency situation in which we have been living for months and because of which the moratorium was imposed, has not gone away and will no doubt go on for months to come,” Milanovic said.

In a situation when the government itself is unable to meet its obligations, as can be seen in the case of its failure to repay its debts to drug wholesalers, people with blocked bank accounts have the right to expect protection from the government or at least a fairer solution, he said, adding that the government must not treat these people in the same way as banks.

“The government has shown that it is not afraid of the banks and that in the case of CHF loans the citizens come first,” the president recalled.