Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Friday called out President Zoran Milanovic for calling the rise in the price of purchased fighter jets a scandal, saying he "evidently doesn't know, doesn't follow, doesn't read."

Speaking to Croatian reporters covering his visit to Montenegro, Plenkovic said Milanovic had the opportunity to participate in the purchase of the French Rafale but did not.

Now that the agreement has been signed, he added, what is Milanovic is trying to say?

“That it is unusual, when this type of military equipment is being procured… that a kind of indexation will occur in the payment of the installments, which is done according to a formula as in the case of our deal with France? The same would be done between France and another country, or between Croatia and a third country.”

Last Friday, Milanovic said it was scandalous that the price of the Rafale aircraft was going up from €990 million to 1.2 billion.

Plenkovic, however, said “a normal deal” was signed and that in the end Croatia will pay €999 million and that it will pay VAT into its own budget.

“These are all delusions by those who, out of envy, I guess, would like to bring into question the brilliant job of strengthening the Croatian Air Force and the Croatian Army.”

The government adopted a decision to buy the Rafale aircraft in May. Before that, the Defence Council convened and Milanovic was at the meeting.

Milanovic claimed then that he knew everything, Plenkovic said, adding that “evidently he doesn’t know, doesn’t read.”

“As the commander in chief, you should pay attention, read the papers,” he said.