Croatia's Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovic, said on Wednesday that "the state is functioning normally," dismissing interpretations that he is squabbling with President Zoran Milanovic and that their relationship is affecting the state of the country.

“There is no squabbling. What you are saying is misrepresentation of facts and deduction of a conclusion that does not exist,” Plenkovic told reporters in Sibenik when asked if the country can function with him and the president squabbling for months.

“There is civilized, polite communication, arguments… listen, watch, follow and you will see who is insulting whom, who is arguing with whom, who is whose target,” Plenkovic clarified. “The government has always been constructive and willing to resolve problems and negotiate. But there is no sense in faking some sort of unity that doesn’t exist,” he said.

“The state is functioning well. There is nothing wrong with the state – everything that needs to function is functioning… Everyone is receiving their wages, pension allowances, a Covid supplement will be paid to pensioners, tax refunds and job-keeping measures will continue,” Plenkovic insisted.

“The election will be held, we need to fix some details regarding vaccination and we are working on enabling the tourism season,” he added in reference to his visits to Dalmatia today and yesterday.

Plenkovic dismissed accusations by the opposition that he and Health Minister Vili Beros are to blame for the problems in organising vaccination against Covid-19, saying that the opposition, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in particular, were trying to score cheap political points due to their unfavourable approval ratings and likely poor results in the local election.

He said that it was thanks to the engagement of his government and not that of the opposition that Covid-19 vaccines had been secured.

“As of today, with the latest shipment of the Pfizer vaccine, Croatia has received a total of one million doses of vaccines. Thanks to me and my government and not the opposition’s, in the next two months more than 3.2 million doses will come. And now it is up to the healthcare system, in coordination with (Health) Minister (Vili) Beros, to intensify inoculation and  ensure citizens’ health protection,” said Plenkovic.