Does the Prime Minister even know what our “strategic partners” have actually sold to Serbia, and what is he doing about it?

France’s Delegated Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad, who was warmly hosted yesterday by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, finally explained to us why France sold to Serbia a modern and more advanced model of the Rafale and, more importantly, what role it assigned Croatia in this matter. “France, Croatia and other partners in the European Union and NATO share a strategic interest that the region, and especially Serbia, is gradually freed from its reliance on Russia and strengthens its ties with Western states. In this context, Croatia has a beneficial role, namely, to provide alternative routes of oil and gas supply for its neighbours, including Serbia. The procurement of defence equipment from France or other Western countries, such as the United States of America, for countries outside of NATO follows the same logic”, the Minister noted.

Therefore, the French minister actually confirmed to us that the project of drawing Serbia into the West is being implemented behind Croatia’s back and to the detriment of Croatia’s national interests.

It is France’s interest to sell its aircraft to whoever wishes to purchase them, and at the same time make money and enlargen the circle of its “strategic partners”. It is also expected to be Serbia’s interest to buy the most moderns planes and to achieve the best possible cooperation with France. The key question is – where is Croatia’s interest in this?

Now it is certain that when contracting and purchasing the French aircraft Rafale the Croatian Government did not protect Croatian interests in any way and did not care at all whether France will sell the same or even more advanced models of aircraft to a neighbouring country of ours that is not a member of NATO. And that this is exactly what happened. That France has contracted with our neighbours to sell a more advanced aircraft model is confirmed by the hasty upgrade of the Croatian Rafales that is being carried out less than a year after they were delivered.

In any case, Croatia should not have been reduced to just a “useful role” in attracting Serbia to the West, a role intended for Croatia by France, and apparently accepted by the Croatian Government. The key question is how this came to be:

1.         If the Croatian Government did not know or ask about future French plans about the Rafale, then it evidently acted in an amateur and irresponsible way.

2.         If the Croatian Government knew that the French would sell the most advanced model of aircraft to Serbia, then it acted submissively and to the detriment of Croatian national and security interests. I therefore ask the Prime Minister – does he even know what our “strategic partners” actually sold to Serbia and if he does, what is he doing about it?

Since the Croatian Government also contracted the procurement of 18 French self-propelled howitzers CAESAR MK2, a question arises: did the Prime Minister ask that France, as Croatia’s “strategic partner” sell these or even more advanced howitzers to our neighbouring states that are not a member of NATO?

The example of the purchase of the French Rafales has shown that every state looks first and foremost after its own interests, including profits. That is why I call on Prime Minister Andrej Plenković – who appointed himself head of the Interdepartmental Commission for the Development and Strengthening of Defence Capabilities and the Defence Industry in Croatia – to stop following orders and to start primarily looking after Croatian interests, and to condition the purchase of military equipment on participating in its production and maintenance, as all other NATO and European Union member states do. That this is possible and that other states act in this way is proven by the example of the purchase of German Leopard tanks, during which the buyer states also incorporated national industries into the production and maintenance of these tanks. Once again, Croatia did not do this.