President Milanović Confirms He Will Get Vaccinated against Coronavirus
“I will get the vaccine against the coronavirus”, the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović has told reporters when asked about the vaccine that should soon arrive in Croatia. “Experience until now, along with all eventual errors, has indicated that the vaccine is good and that it is a huge success of humanity, science, the financial power of certain countries, first of all the United States regardless of who is ruling the country”, President Milanović said after the event celebrating the 29th anniversary of the foundation of the “Dr. Franjo Tuđman” Croatian Defence Academy and the graduation ceremony of undergraduate and graduate students of the Military Engineering and Military Leadership and Management study programmes.
Since surveys have shown that only about 40 percent of citizens intend to get the vaccine, reporters asked President Milanović how to force people to get it. “The intention never was to force someone to get the vaccine”, the President replied, and added that greater interest for the vaccine could be achieved if its importance was talked about publicly.
“People who will not get vaccinated will take responsibility for their health on themselves. If they become ill, I assume the system will treat them the same way it treats someone who has smoked for 30 years and becomes ill. The system doesn’t ask why they smoked but treats them. The same will occur with people who do not get vaccinated, contract the coronavirus and become ill,” President Milanović said, adding that he is confident that a sufficient number of vulnerable people and those exposed to the virus will get vaccinated.
He indicated that he would like the Croatian army to be a priority group for vaccination. “I realize that it is necessary first to vaccinate health workers. The elderly are the most exposed, and people with other medical conditions. The army, they are people who have taken an oath that they will die for Croatia if need be, and this is serious, it happens. They should be among the first to get the vaccine,” President Milanović noted. He said that he had made such a suggestion to the Government and is confident that all soldiers will get vaccinated.
Reporters were interested in the President’s view on the procurement of fighter jets. President Milanović considers that the process should not be deferred on account of the coronavirus epidemic. “I don’t think that it should be deferred. The Croatian state needs them, in spite of the corona crisis. I assume that life will be more normal next year”, the President noted.
The President explained that he cannot discuss the bids, but as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, he has that information. He reiterated that he didn’t favour the American bid and that he never said that their bid was the best, adding that he would support whatever decision the Government makes. “I never favoured the Americans but I said that it’s a country we received a lot of donations from and will continue to. We purchase equipment from them and will continue to. We are not obliged to buy anything from them but in my judgement they entered the bidding process with those references. If they offer something inappropriate, then there will be no business. The same goes for the French,” the Croatian President indicated.