The anti-pandemic restrictions currently in force in Croatia "make no sense anymore," President Zoran Milanovic said on Thursday, adding that Croatia should follow the example of Sweden rather than France and Germany when putting forward measures to combat the COVID pandemic.

Milanovic said this did not mean that Croatia should not look to others, however, he admitted that the country was also a part of a wider community and “it cannot always be the way we believe is the smartest.”

“I think now that it would be more prudent to do something different than France and Germany or some other country are doing,” Milanovic told the press in the Dalmatian town of Kijevo near Knin where he attended ceremonies commemorating civilian victims of the war who died 30 years ago.

“I would follow the example of Sweden. Sweden can afford it for itself, however it pays a political price, we obviously cannot do that,” the president said.

The president explained that many people had got vaccinated against coronavirus which now made the anti-epidemic rules unnecessary, unless the healthcare system and intensive care wards were exposed to strain.

He again called on the Croatians to get vaccinated.

“Get vaccinated. Trust science, be pragmatic, take care of yourselves,” Milanovic said.