President Milanović: We have a serious candidate for the Supreme Court, and let Plenković discuss the election of Constitutional Court judges with the opposition because I have no competence over that

“I cannot organize this package of Constitutional and Supreme Court judges. I am responsible for proposing candidates for the President of the Supreme Court. It is up to the HDZ and Plenković to decide whether or not they will. This delay is already problematic because a stain has been cast on a person who is completely clear. They are trying to link her to some spy stories. That is low. They also smeared the previous candidate,” said President Zoran Milanović in Čakovec, ahead of the ceremonial observance of the Day of the Unification of Međimurje with the motherland, Croatia.

From Plenković’s recent words, it turns out: whoever allows him to get two constitutional judges – he will let any candidate through. Now, how credible is that? On the other hand, we have 90 diplomatic positions to fill. Well, here’s the rule – everyone will be entertained until dawn with the devil. Well, that’s impossible. And about the constitutional judges, he would agree with an axe – everything to me, nothing to you,” added President Milanović.

Commenting on the election of Constitutional Court judges, he also said: “I have no competence over that. I can only observe and conclude how it was a year and a half ago, how those 10 vacant positions were filled. Half and half, just like in 2016. Let him talk about that with the opposition. Unlike the judiciary, which is independent and must be strictly dedicated to law and justice, constitutional judges are, unfortunately, largely political figures. The authorities care who will be in those positions and how they will be filled. And that clearly worries Plenković, but I am not the address for that.”

As for the Supreme Court, he reminded everyone, “we have a serious candidate.” “She even had a conversation with Plenković and was told to get in touch. I can’t interpret it any other way than that she will be elected. And then we stopped. Even if I wanted to negotiate, I have nothing to offer,” said the President, adding that “it matters to me whether Croatia will have a Supreme Court President or not, and who that will be.” Regarding suspicions about the judge he is proposing for Supreme Court President, President Milanović confirmed that he had “addressed the security agency regarding that person.” “I asked generally if there were any obstacles regarding that person, and I was told there are none. And that’s how I always operate,” said the President.

Regarding the election of constitutional judges, President Milanović also stated, “I cannot participate in the process, I am not the proposer, let them come to an agreement.” “I will not even beg them not to mix the two procedures. That water is already contaminated, and there is no going back. As far as I’m concerned, another very professional and politically neutral person will head the Supreme Court. That is my contribution, after the agony that has lasted for half a year,” President Milanović concluded on the subject.

In a media statement, President Milanović also discussed the appointments of Croatian diplomats, saying: “It is clear that Plenković doesn’t want an agreement. Every agreement and every change to the current situation cuts into his balance sheet. The standard and threshold he won’t go below is total control over diplomacy – from the porter to the last ambassador and, of course, the Ministry. The Constitution clearly states how ambassadors are selected and what their role is in the formation of foreign policy. He systematically destroys and tramples on this. This behaviour is fundamentally contrary to the spirit and letter of the Constitution. He can do this because he is aware there are no consequences. Citizens don’t see this, they even feel a kind of contempt for diplomats. And Plenković can manipulate that.”

Regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland, an overseas Danish territory, President Milanović said: “It’s Danish territory, you can’t help but be on Denmark’s side. Things are completely clear.” He described American claims toward Greenland as “proof that international law doesn’t even exist as fiction.”

“The European Union must finally understand what it is and where it belongs. It is not a power in the way others are, because it is composed of more than twenty heterogeneous nation-states that will never be able to function as a single centre of decision-making and will,” said President Milanović, emphasizing that one of the proofs of this is the so-called Coalition of the Willing. “A Coalition of the Willing, where everyone should think as one –that is impossible. Croatian interests will not always be the same as French or British ones. And it’s not possible for all of us to always raise the same hands, because that means someone else is thinking for us. We have our own head, which may not be perfect, but we have our own interests. Without malice, without intrigue, but we will simply decide our fate, as much as possible, on our own,” said President Milanović.

He also commented on the €15 million that Croatia recently donated to Ukraine and warned that, at the same time, the Government refuses to allocate €12 million to complete the construction of Croatian patrol boats. “The Government proudly announced the other day that it gave €15 million to Ukraine. For Croatia, that’s not an insignificant amount of money. How secure is that money in Ukraine? More secure than in the hands of HDZ members, but that money is gone,” he said, recalling that almost 12 years ago, when he was Prime Minister, Minister Kotromanović signed a contract with the Split Shipyard to build five coastal patrol boats.

“Our shipyard won the contract. A year and some later, the Government changed, and to this day, only two ships have been launched. The others remain on the slipway, and the private owner has registered them. Nothing will come of those boats. The Government, Plenković, has simply given up on them. The state is in a dispute with the contractor, the Split Shipyard, over around €12 million. So, €12 million stands between the decision to finish those boats, to launch them, to fly the Croatian flag on Croatian seas, or to leave them in the scrapyard and end up with nothing. Meanwhile, billions are being spent on foreign products, some kind of extortion is being paid to the French for upgrading planes previously bought,” emphasized President Milanović, who believes the Croatian Government should have long ago resolved the dispute with the Split Shipyard.