Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic in Parliament on Wednesday did not respond to a question of deputy Tomislav Karamarko of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) about the results of his cabinet's economic policy, but he criticised the opposition leader for tolerating xenophobic outbursts of candidates on the HDZ slate for the European Parliament, instead of participating in the work of parliament. This provoked a number of negative reactions from the HDZ parliamentary bench.
The HDZ chief Karamarko reminded the prime minister that five months ago he had asked him in parliament about the results of the government economic policy and that Milanovic's response was "we are thinking and we are working", which was why, Karamarko today insisted on a concrete answer.
However, instead of a concrete answer, Milanovic started his address in parliament by telling Karamarko that he had been preparing a question for the past four months and that he was not even capable of reading it to which HDZ deputies responded by banging on the benches in disapproval.
Milanovic said Karamarko's question was aimed to provoke him and that he was not falling for that, stressing that his government was introducing order in the country and that four minutes given to him to address parliament were not enough to concretely answer the question about his government's work.
"While we are bringing order in the country which you left in this state, not only in the economic sector but in everything else as well, you don't show up in parliament, which I was criticised for when I was in the opposition. Look how many times I addressed the parliament, more than all of my predecessors together and still it is not enough. You are not even here, you show up every three or four months, you are not present. The answer suits the question," the prime minister said, adding that he would respond Karamarko in writing.
"This government is introducing order so that there would be work tomorrow. Therefore, you cannot get a concrete answer to such a question. Instead of attending parliamentary sessions, you are cynically smiling at xenophobic outburst of people you put on the slate for the European Parliament," Milanovic told Karamarko.
Following loud disapproval of HDZ deputies, the PM said. "Why are you nervous," stressing that he would use every opportunity to publicly tell Karamarko what his work and the work of the party he represented was about, regardless of the criticism of his style, even from his Social Democrats.
"They are giving me different advice, they are telling me to let it go, but I need to tell you this because of the Croatian public, as we want to make this country better and raise the standard and improve politics," Milanovic said.
He wrapped up his parliamentary address by urging deputies to, in light for first elections in Croatia for the European Parliament, say 'no' to nationalism and xenophobia and to advocate a modern and European Croatia with a modern and open economy.
Responding to the prime minister's answer, Karamarko said he expected such a response, expressing regret that Parliament Speaker Josip Leko failed to react.
"I am sorry that you are taking part in this poor performance orchestrated by the prime minister, this is really unworthy of the Croatian parliament," Karamarko told Leko.
Karamarko added that Croatia's credit rating was dropping, adding that its GDP went down 2 per cent last year,
