President Milanović: We must be very careful not to be drawn into some global hostilities and conflicts
“’A great plan in warfare does not guarantee success, no plan guarantees failure’ – we see this now in Iran, in the Gulf, in a series of attempts, efforts, and missteps by the European Union in its attempts and plans for armament. The EU is no longer a peace project; we are part of a society in which big plans are being made, but in whose strategic thinking we do not participate. We are too small, yet it concerns us,” said the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović at the special session of the County Assembly of Krapina-Zagorje County, held today to mark County Day.
President Milanović reminded that the European Union was created as a “project with a vision and a realistically achievable plan.” “This plan is a peace project and a trade union based on certain freedoms. The European Union was a tame project aimed at unification. The European Union as a project of peace and security – and not a war project, as it is turning into – can proudly say that it is successful as a whole. The European Union produces almost all categories of food for its needs, and even a bit more, which is a big achievement. Everything is produced within the European Union, but not everyone produces equally. Croatia produces almost nothing enough for its own needs,” said President Milanović, adding that Croatia’s poor foreign trade balance of goods and services is a topic for discussion and action.
As the EU increasingly turns into, as he put it, a war project, President Milanović asked, “What kind of path is this for the European Union and what is it arming itself for?” “These are fateful questions,” believes the President of the Republic, who called for caution so that Croatia does not get dragged into any foreign conflict.
“We actually don’t have an enemy. We have Serbia, with whom we can’t harmonize relations – it would be great if that were possible but I don’t see Croatia as the culprit in this. We are doing everything we can on our side. But aside from that threat, for the first time in history, we don’t actually have anyone we could call an enemy. And we must be very careful if we are drawn, whether according to plan or by inertia, into some new global hostilities with countries that may not be to our liking, and often aren’t, but with whom we don’t want conflict,” warned President Milanović, emphasizing that Croatia has the right to this type of foreign policy. “Not only do we have the right, it is our existential need: to be ourselves, with our own intelligence and our own judgment of what is good for us and what is not, what we should get involved in, where we should actively participate, and where we should withdraw and step back,” explained the President.
“I want you to be successful to the extent that you can be successful. You are an example of how it can be done,” President Milanović said to the citizens of Krapina-Zagorje County, warning that “next year is a new time.” “The National Resilience Plan is over. Next year, a few billion euros will be missing to maintain this level of growth in public spending. We will borrow to maintain this level of growth, but that is not a long-term solution, it is not a vision, and we must all think about it a lot and talk a lot, and then, at some point, start acting. What Zagorje has achieved is respectable,” concluded President Milanović.
In addition to President Milanović, County Day of Krapina-Zagorje County was congratulated by the President of the County Assembly Ivan Hanžek, Prefect of Krapina-Zagorje County Željko Kolar, Mayor of the town of Zabok Valentina Đurek, Prefect of Brod-Posavina County and President of the Croatian Union of Counties Danijel Marušić, Mayor of Krapina and delegate of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Zoran Gregurović, and the Minister of Science, Education, and Youth and delegate of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Radovan Fuchs. On this occasion, awards and recognitions were presented to this year’s laureates.
President Milanović was accompanied by the President’s Adviser for Local and Regional Self-Government Relations Nikša Peronja and the President’s Special Adviser for Energy and Climate Julije Domac.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas