President Zoran Milanovic said on Thursday it made no sense any more for the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) to be funded by everyone in business who did not know what they were getting in return, adding that the mandatory monthly membership fee should be abolished.

“The mandatory fee is a parafiscal levy par excellence,” he told the press.

Milanovic said the HGK was “a political den,” much more so than the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts which “has a certain function, although politics managed to become implanted there as well, and deeply. But it has its point, its function and use for Croatia’s economy and enterprise.”

He said the HGK was not an essential institution of the Croatian people and state, but a useful institution which had become useless. “Political showdowns are taking place there on a weekly basis. The election of a new HGK president after Nadan Vidosevic left has turned into a political showdown.”

Milanovic said that he too had paid a monthly HGK fee but received nothing in return. However, he stressed, he is not for abolishing the HGK.

He agreed with the demand by the Voice of Entrepreneurs NGO for abolishing the mandatory HGK membership. He said that when he was prime minister, his cabinet failed to do so because of serious and deep problems. “That should be done right away.”

‘Epidemiological measures are not equal for all’

Asked about yesterday’s protest in Zagreb, organised by the Voice of Entrepreneurs to show dissatisfaction with how the COVID-19 crisis is being dealt with, the president said the epidemiological measures were not equal for all.

However, he added, he does not see in that “any devious scheme or conspiracy” by the national COVID response team, only inconsistent messages. “I see no evil intent in that, but it should be elaborated further”.

‘Protests were expected’

Milanovic said that the protests were expected because when people give up something they demand consistency. He recalled that he had been warning from the start that restrictions must be clearly based in law and logic.

“Legally, the measures should have been passed by a two-thirds majority in parliament because this is a state of emergency,” he said, adding that some people were fed up with the state of emergency and the government should talk to them.