Asked by the press if Social Democratic Party (SDP) president Zoran Milanovic had avoided her in Opatija today, Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said in the northern Adriatic resort on Wednesday he certainly had, as he did not want to reveal the real plans and platform of his opposition coalition for the upcoming parliamentary election.
Milanovic was announced as a participant and speaker at a conference on Croatia's economic policy in 2012, but he did not arrive in Opatija.
Kosor thanked the Croatian Economists' Society, saying "they always give in election year an opportunity to those who run the government at that moment and those who want to run the government to state their positions and present the most important parts of their platforms."
Responding to questions from the press, she said Milanovic's failure to arrive meant that he wanted to avoid a debate and reveal the opposition coalition's real plans and platform.
Kosor reiterated that part of the coalition's plan was to bring the International Monetary Fund to Croatia and reduce salaries and pensions, "whereas I have shown how we can work rationally, how we can act in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act."
She said the coalition's campaign consisted of "Mr Milanovic talking as little as possible" and that by not attending today, he showed that "he knows nothing about the economy and that it doesn't interest him."
Asked why her HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) was running in the election in coalition with Split Mayor Zeljko Kerum's party in constituencies nos. 9 and 10, where the HDZ used to be the strongest party, Kosor said they wanted to increase their potential and achieve the maximum, adding that this was a sign of the HDZ's strength and that the election results would surprise many, especially the opposition coalition, despite the setbacks and, as she said, the HDZ's unequal treatment in the media.
Asked if she still insisted on all four opposition coalition leaders taking part in a debate with her on RTL television, Kosor said she did. Asked if Kerum would sit by her side in the debate, she said it would be only her.
Asked to comment on reports that minutes from HDZ Presidency sessions had disappeared, Kosor said: "I can't comment on that or any media reports because this is becoming terrible. There are so many lies in the media, untruths, attempts to discredit the HDZ and its leadership that this is unprecedented in Croatia's history, but the HDZ will withstand it and win."
