President Zoran Milanovic on Friday described as "scandalous" the increase in the price of fighter jets Croatia purchased from France from €990 million to €1.2 billion, warning that at the same time material conditions in the land forces were difficult.

“The way we have started… the difference in the price is likely to reach the amount for which we could have equipped the entire army with Bradleys, anti-tank and anti-aircraft equipment. We do not have that equipment at all and its procurement has been scrapped without any explanation,” Milanovic said after an event marking the 30th anniversary of the Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences.

He said that he would be satisfied with the Croatian Army’s new capacity and noted that it was good to have good relations with France.

Milanovic warned that material conditions in the land forces were unsustainable and that the item on the procurement of the Bradley tracked fighting vehicles had been entirely removed.

“The military must be run in a planned way,” he said.

He also noted that the agreement on strategic cooperation with France “was written in the semi-darkness of the office of PM Andrej Plenkovic’s chief-of-staff for months” and that he and his advisors had no access to it whatsoever.