Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic agreed with Croatian Sovereignist MP Marijan Pavlicek in Parliament on Wednesday that food prices are too high, but said he did not see any pressure on retailers and that the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) should do a "serious job" to tackle this problem.

Plenkovic disagreed with Pavlicek’s claim that hyperinflation was caused by Croatia’s entry into the eurozone.

“There needs to be significantly more public pressure on all participants in the supply chain to lower prices. But this pressure does not exist… I do not think the eurozone is the reason. On the contrary, perhaps it was misused to increase prices,” Plenkovic said during question time.

“Thanks to the measures we have taken, inflation has been falling for months”

He also mentioned that in addition to the state, inspectorates, and consumer protection associations, the CCA must also take serious action against high prices. “I have asked Economics Minister Susnjar to carry out an analysis of 30 essential products so that we can assess the situation. Thanks to the measures we have taken, inflation has been falling for months.”

MP Dusica Radojcic from the Mozemo party, referring to Serbia, which revealed it had signed 11 agreements on other forms of cooperation when purchasing the French Rafale fighter jets, asked what agreements the Croatian government had signed when purchasing the Rafales and why the residents of Pula only recently learnt that a military base was to be established there.

“When the decision to buy the planes was made, the relevant parliamentary committee was consulted and had full insight, and… absolutely nobody was against it. There is no country in the world that has put such contracts online,” Plenkovic replied.

There will be no large centre in Pula, just a pilot school, he said. “Surely the people of Pula will not have a problem with pilots being trained at the airport?”