President Milanović Gives Interview to N1 Television: I Must Draw Attention to Things That Can be Rectified

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović gave an interview on Sunday to N1 Television. In a conversation with Nataša Božić, he commented on current events, particularly on the situation in Croatia caused by the coronavirus pandemic and on the work of the crisis management team of the National Civil Protection Directorate – on the measures it has thus far imposed and is still imposing.

President Milanović’s position is that the situation we are living in now due to the pandemic “has become a state of emergency and it has not been aligned with the Constitution.”

“From the start I have been saying that the situation, which we are in now, has become a state of emergency and it has not been aligned with the Constitution,” the President said and further clarified: “My role is to draw attention to some things that I think can be rectified. We are living in a state of emergency. We are free, I am free to dress the way I want. There are restrictions being imposed on a number of things but it’s not a dramatic situation. It shouldn’t be dramatic if Parliament revises things at certain points. That is not what Parliament is doing.” 

The President of the Republic warned that restrictions are being imposed on citizens’ rights by the decisions of the National Civil Protection Directorate. “It’s not normal for a group of individuals, who were not chosen by the people, to specify how many persons are allowed at a wedding. I am in favour of initially deciding by a two-thirds majority. The Government needs authorization and Parliament should be the one making decisions on the crisis management team of the National Civil Protection Directorate,” President Milanović emphasized.

Regarding the European funds that Croatia will receive, the President of the Republic underscored that “we must act intelligently and wisely.” “None of us stand a chance alone, if we don’t unite with someone and have no allies. We know which these countries could be, and Germany certainly isn’t among them,” said President Milanović.