Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Wednesday strongly condemned the violence that had occurred after the LGTBIQ Pride Parade in Zagreb on Saturday. 

“That is unacceptable, Croatia is a free country and everyone should be what they are. Human rights and the rights of all minorities, including sexual minorities, should be respected,” Plenkovic said in an interview with Croatian Radio.

“Croatia is big enough for everyone to be free,” he stressed.

Plenkovic recalled that Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Human Rights Boris Milosevic had also condemned the physical assaults on members of the LGBTIQ community, noting that what Milosevic wrote in his Facebook post was on behalf of the whole cabinet.

“I totally agree with him. I think that violence and inciting to violence is unacceptable. And now (Bridge MPs) Petrov and Grmoja are crying because they have received threats, they were obviously perceived as some kind of inciters. I receive such threats on a daily and weekly basis and I don’t speak about it with anyone. One learns to cope with it, while they are now crying about it,” the PM said.

“The worst actors on the scene are those who are exclusive, and I want us to build an inclusive society in which everyone will advocate and stand behind their values and in which everyone will be able to ensure an education for their children based on the values that they have and share. Things should not be imposed on anyone. If someone is different, respect them, they also have their freedom and their choices. We must build a society that is inclusive, that’s the most important thing, and I don’t see why it should be any different,” he added.

He said that people in Croatia needed a little encouragement to get vaccinated against COVID-19, while certain actors in society needed encouragement to be more tolerant. “That will come about, I am optimistic.”

Milanovic’s double standards

Plenkovic also talked about the environmental devastation of Vruja Cove on the southern Dalmatian coast and Sunday’s protest rally ironically called the Illegal Construction and Nature Devastation Festival, where protesters called out Stipe Latković, a businessman from Split and a friend and donor of President Milanovic.

Asked why the government was not acting, given that the property in case is state-owned, Plenkovic said that the relevant inspectorate had issued a number of decisions, “which obviously were not complied with”, and imposed fines,

“Those decisions were made not just this year but for many years, and now these campaigners for (an independent) judiciary, who are accusing the judiciary, as Milanovic is, of being under the control of the (ruling) HDZ, are protecting these illegal builders. This is a fantastic example of double standards,” Plenkovic said.

He said that this was not the only “brilliant” example of double standards, citing the cases of Constitutional Court judge Andrej Abramović, who used a garden hose to pour water on his neighbours, SDP MP Marina Opacak-Bilic, who is suspected of economic crime, and Sisak mayor Kristina Ikic-Banicek who failed to provide requested documents to USKOK anti-corruption investigators.

“All these are double standards of campaigners for an independent judiciary, and here I mean Milanovic,” the prime minister said.

Bacic’s arrest not pleasant for either HRT or Parliament

Commenting on the arrest of the director-general of the HRT public broadcasting service, Kazimir Bacic, on suspicion of corruption, Plenkovic said that the judicial authorities were acting completely independently and impartially.

“I don’t want to speculate about anyone’s responsibility, but the situation is not pleasant either for the HRT or for the Croatian parliament which appointed Bacic,” he said.

The parliamentary Media Committee is meeting today to discuss the proposal to relieve Bačić of his duties and appoint an acting director-general.