Ivana Kekin, the presidential candidate of the We Can! party, said on Saturday that Croatia can become "free from corruption," emphasising that the fight against corruption begins with a partnership with citizens.

“Croatia can be free from corruption, with strong and healthy institutions and healthy citizens. As a president of a new generation, I will build a partnership with citizens for a healthy Croatia,” Kekin stated at a press conference.

Kekin criticised what she described as a conspiracy between the country’s leadership, organised crime, and a segment of the healthcare elite, claiming this results in the theft of at least 10% of public funds.

“Ten per cent goes to them, and as a result, our citizens live three years less than the EU average. Ten per cent goes to them, leaving us with the second-worst cancer mortality rate in the EU. Ten per cent goes to them, so 300,000 women are without a gynecologist, while only 55 child psychiatrists serve 50,000 children with mental health issues,” Kekin said.

She highlighted that the stolen funds, which citizens contribute through wages and pensions, are desperately needed by Croatia’s neglected healthcare system. “That money has been stolen by (former Health Minister) Beroš and his partners from the criminal underworld, as well as prominent doctors,” she added.

Kekin urged citizens not to succumb to despair, even in the face of what she described as a compromised justice system. “The HDZ counts on this despair, as it helps them stay in power. Many citizens don’t even vote because of it,” she warned.

She called for a Croatia that protects its citizens instead of killing them through corruption. “A healthy Croatia is one where the system helps the vulnerable and where truth and justice prevail over privilege,” she said.

Gordan Bosanac, an EU Parliament member from We Can! said that he had questioned the European Commission regarding the state of the rule of law in Croatia, referencing the recent “microscope” corruption scandal involving former Health Minister Beroš.

Kekin suggested that EU prosecutors should handle the case, citing the risk of losing EU funds and concrete evidence of bribery at the Split Clinical Hospital Center.

“Beroš has been thrown under the bus. Blocking the EU Prosecutor’s Office from pursuing this case appears to be an attempt to protect someone. We’ll see who shocks Plenković next – or maybe the Prime Minister will surprise himself,” Kekin concluded.

She also called for legal reforms to ensure that disputes between Croatia’s State Attorney’s Office (DORH) and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) were resolved by the Supreme Court, rather than DORH.

“If my neighbor and I have a dispute, I can’t be the one to decide who’s right – that decision has to come from an independent and impartial body,” she said.