The leader of Domovinski pokret (DP) party, Ivan Penava, said on Friday that Stephen Nikola Bartulica continues to enjoy the party's trust. Asked whether Bartulica's recent statements had damaged the party's reputation, he said that it was difficult to say, as the party had results to show for it.

“Domovinski pokret has reason to be satisfied because we are part of the parliamentary majority, we participate in government work and we confirmed in the European elections that we are the third political force in Croatia. But the public has been following this affair since Sunday and most people do not agree with it,” said Penava, describing Bartulica as a quiet family man.

Bartulica, who was elected a member of the European Parliament in last Sunday’s European elections on the DP’s list, arrived at his party’s election headquarters on election day in a Ferrari driven by a person with a criminal past.

“We all make mistakes”

“He is aware that he made a mistake and caused damage to the party and that’s it. We all make mistakes, especially when we are under the pressure he and his family were under, including his brother’s health. All these factors influenced his judgement,” Penava said.

He noted that the party’s leading men – he, Mario Radic and Josip Dabro – had not heard from Bartulica since Sunday’s European Parliament elections, but that Bartulica had contacted some other party members.

The media wanted answers we didn’t have, and we learnt some of the details from the media. That’s probably how Bartulica learnt them. When we realised what was going on in the background, we asked him to take a step back, Penava said.

“Bartulica is now in Brussels, where he is focussing on the office he was elected to, and we are putting this affair behind us, but not with the fondest memories. We will have to take measures to minimise the possibility of such cases in the future,” Penava said.