Like Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic has not congratulated Zoran Milanovic on his second presidential election, the Parliament has refused to publish the congratulatory message from the Chairman of the Defence Committee, Arsen Bauk (SDP party), to the President of the Republic on its official website.

“Since the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, unlike in 2015, did not congratulate the newly elected President of the Republic, I considered it my duty as Chairman of the Defence Committee to congratulate the President, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. I also thought it was appropriate to publish this on the Croatian Parliament’s website,” Bauk told the daily Novi List.

Message from the Speaker of Parliament from 2015

In 2015, SDP member Josip Leko congratulated the election winner Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic as Speaker of Parliament, although the then Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic did not do so, and informed the public via the parliament’s website.

“I warmly congratulate you on your victory in the presidential election on the honour that this victory has given you of becoming the first female President of the Republic of Croatia. In this election you have shown confidence and determination, and I wish you luck and success in carrying out this high and responsible task, especially in realising the goal of leading Croatia out of the long-lasting crisis and leading it towards prosperity and progress for Croatian citizens and the Croatian state. Working for the betterment of our common Croatian homeland requires unity, which I believe you are in favour of. Therefore, it would be a pleasure for me to work with you on the path to a prosperous and flourishing Croatia, in the fight for national interests, strengthening the rule of law and continuing the fight against corruption, all in a democratic atmosphere for the benefit of our citizens,” Leko wrote ten years ago.

“The resources of the Croatian Parliament cannot be used for promotions or activities before, during or after the elections”

Bauk’s congratulatory letter to Milanovic was shorter:

“I congratulate you on your decisive victory in the election for President of the Republic of Croatia. According to the will of the Croatian people, you will continue to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. I look forward to further cooperation in the Defence Committee, the Defence Council and all other mechanisms of parliamentary control and cooperation prescribed by law.”

However, the Parliament’s administration responded that “the resources of the Croatian Parliament cannot be used for promotions or activities before, during or after the elections” and that therefore no “individual congratulatory messages of this type from MPs” can be published on the official website

“I trust the state officials in the administration and will not verify their claims further, but I disagree with the notion that this is about publicity or post-election activities. Rather, it is a regular activity of a committee chair, just like meetings with ambassadors or other activities that are routinely announced and publicised through statements. I have asked the administration to draw the attention of the current Speaker of the Croatian Parliament to the former President’s congratulatory message from 2015,” Bauk told Novi List.