President Milanović ahead of the Defence Council session: We need to talk and reach agreements on the military and defence
“We agreed that the session of the Defence Council would take place between the two rounds of elections – that was our shared position even two weeks ago. Now is the time. We’ll be discussing some documents – some of which we should have addressed long ago, but better late than never,” said the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović on Wednesday in Brela, commenting on the agreement to hold the Defence Council session on Friday, 23 May.
The President of the Republic stressed the importance of dialogue and coordination between institutions. “Some documents fall under my jurisdiction, and some can be formally adopted by the Government and the ruling majority without me. However, it would be better if we could reach an agreement, as decisions made unilaterally could have repercussions for military management later on. Ongoing discussion and agreement are necessary wherever possible. I cannot dictate how much Croatia allocates for defence – that is the Government’s responsibility – but with that responsibility also comes accountability for success or failure,” he said.
President Milanović confirmed that the reintroduction of compulsory military service should also be discussed at the session, “albeit within the limitations imposed by the Croatian Constitution,” adding that individuals would be able to opt for a civilian alternative. “I believe this new concept is better than what we currently have – which is essentially nothing,” he said.
He also voiced concern about the current state of the reserve forces: “I think we’re losing our reserves – reservists are people who have had some military training. The last basic training was in 2007. That means those people are now 18 years older and soon won’t meet the physical requirements. We need to motivate and invite a larger number of people to take part in two-month training. It can’t be shorter – and even two months is too short – but it’s still better than what we’ve had so far,” he said, noting that compulsory service will be part of Friday’s discussion at the Defence Council.
When asked about the possibility of increasing defence spending to 5% of GDP, President Milanović responded: “That’s not a legal obligation. If NATO adopts such a measure at the next summit, it won’t carry legal weight. Croatia certainly won’t oppose such conclusions, but we won’t be able to implement them – it’s too much. At present, we’re spending less than 2%. Two percent is about two billion dollars. Now imagine five percent – that’s five billion, because according to the latest figures, our nominal GDP is nearly 100 billion dollars. It sounds like a lot – and it is – but the real question is: what can you actually buy with that?”
Furthermore, the President reiterated his position on holding a military parade to mark the anniversary of Operation Storm: “If there’s going to be a parade for Storm, then it should be held on 4 August – just like ten years ago.”
Asked about the possibility of Croatia becoming a drone exporter, President Milanović said: “I would love for that to be possible. It would mean we could also acquire domestically produced drones for our own needs – and probably at a better price.”
He also warned in this context about the inflated prices of foreign combat systems: “We can’t buy from the Chinese or the Russians – that’s out of the question. So we’re left with a very narrow market. A narrow market means monopoly and the absence of real competition. In the end, someone has to pay the price – and that’s the Croatian people, citizens, and taxpayers. The Government doesn’t have much room to manoeuvre, but it must be vigilant to avoid overpaying. The prices are astronomical, especially when you consider what these systems actually offer and what a potential adversary could use to neutralise or destroy them. We’re talking about enormous sums of money,” he emphasised.