President Milanović Announces Talks with Prime Minister on Functioning of State Institutions

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović announced that he would hold talks with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on the JANAF case and the functioning of state institutions. Speaking to reporters during his visit to Pregrada, President Milanović said that the topic of ambassadors, which Plenković wanted to discuss with him, would be a topic of secondary importance at the meeting, while the real topic would be “the way this country functions.”

“The more serious topic is how investigative bodies are acting, and they’re acting as if it’s their private business. (The leaking of information related to the investigation in the JANAF case) constitutes not only a violation of the rules under which an investigation is not a public matter but also a violation of basic moral principles. You’re in a confrontation with the people you want to put in jail, maybe they deserved it. You brutally abuse your position, your power and do not answer to anyone. This is a topic for discussion with the Prime Minister. It is important to see how this country works, to finally see what the Prime Minister knows. For months his ministers had put themselves in a situation to compromise themselves, quite unnecessarily. Someone should have known about and prevented that. Not to mention damage to JANAF. That is a topic for discussion between the Prime Minister and me because we represent the state authorities, he has greater powers than I do and that is why I will adapt to his schedule. Speaking of the principle of separation of powers, there is also the principle of cooperation between state institutions. One has to be able to trust someone at the top of the chain of command, primarily in the Government. That person is the Prime Minister and he cannot run away from responsibility,” President Milanović emphasized.

“He and I can consider the issue together; we could convene the National Security Council. I have also thought about it, but I am not sure that would bear fruit. The solution to the problem of information being leaked is for Plenković and policies to protect the system and themselves. I did not appoint Kovačević,” President Milanović pointed out, adding that the Prime Minister had told him that they had to meet. “I do not have the last say here, he does, but I will not stop talking. This is simply a test, which has shown that Croatia has a problem,” said President Milanović.