Defence Minister Mario Banozic said on Wednesday that until now the president had never withheld support for Croatia's participation in military missions, but the opposition said the Constitution and the law were ignored regarding the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Croatia.

Speaking in a parliamentary debate on Croatia’s participation in the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM), Banozic said that during the 2012-15 government, then defence minister Ante Kotromanovic requested the consent for similar decisions from then presidents Ivo Josipovic and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic under the same procedure.

Asked by MP Nikola Mazar of the ruling HDZ if he obtained President Zoran Milanovic’s consent for four peace missions in August, Banozic said he did.

Responding to a question from MP Josip Djakic (HDZ), he said EUMAM was nothing new in relation to a civilian mission in 2014. “This is about military assistance. This is only a continuation of what we had in 2014 with the EUAM (European Union Advisory Mission) operation of assistance to Ukraine.”

Ruling majority MPs accused the opposition of running away from a decision on Croatia’s support to and solidarity with Ukraine as part of EUMAM, saying that neither the Constitution nor procedure have been breached.

HDZ MP Marko Pavic said 44 similar decisions were made in the last 15 years and that the opposition was hiding behind legal tricks.

MP Domagoj Hajdukovic of the opposition Social Democrats told Banozic that in this case, the correspondence between him, the president and the prime minister showed that the law was not complied with.

Banozic said the government’s decision was made in line with the Constitution and the Defence Act and that neither required authorisation nor the procedure of seeking the president’s consent for a draft decision.

MP Kreso Beljak of the opposition Croatian Peasant Party asked him if he had tried to talk with Milanovic before pledging Croatia’s support in the EU and NATO. “You pledged the HDZ’s support, but you evidently didn’t count on the fact that you have a president of the republic who is not the HDZ and that you have a numerous opposition.”

Beljak urged Banozic to try and talk with Milanovic about EUMAM.

Banozic said he publicly asked the president a dozen times that they discuss matters concerning the army, but the president avoided talks, which led to the current situation.

“Despite everything that has been said, the Defence Ministry wants to work in the interest of the Croatian army and the security of Croatian citizens,” the minister said.