The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has the historic task to offer an entirely new model for the state and society, SDP president Zoran Milanovic said on Saturday on the 20th anniversary of the strongest opposition party's Velika Gorica town branch.
Milanovic said the SDP had to change the model by which the state and society had functioned over the past 20 years, describing it as a period of aimless wandering in which "the only success is Croatia's independence."
He reiterated that the SDP pushed for holding elections as soon as possible, that it had been patient with its demand and that it insisted that all political processes take place in institutions.
"We want elections soon, we must preserve the institutions, the government, parliament, but we also realise that when citizens become disgruntled, the street is a Croatian institution too. We will be patient and honest till the end, till winning citizens' trust, till victory."
Milanovic said the SDP's job was to be honest with citizens, otherwise "tomorrow they will treat us as they are treating the (ruling) HDZ," which he said was paying the price of dishonesty and inaccessibility.
"People are taking to the streets because the institutions are closed, hermetic. They feel cheated."
Milanovic said the HDZ's accusations that the SDP was against Croatia's accession to the European Union were absurd. "We want to tell everyone who is scaring people, deluding them with stories that EU accession will bring an abyss, that they aren't telling the truth."
He said the EU was a big opportunity for Croatia, which must be a small, successful and self-sufficient member, an above-average one, "so that we don't become an area of special European concern."
Asked by the press afterwards to comment on the HDZ's latest accusations that it had proof that the SDP was behind the recent anti-government protests, Milanovic urged the press to ask the HDZ about the proof. "I don't know what should be proved."
Asked if the Alliance for Change coalition had formed a shadow cabinet, Milanovic said that if citizens voted for them in the next election, the coalition government would be "expert and political," with politically active people known to the public.
He said he expected the coalition partners to assume responsibility. "I don't see it as a fight for cabinet posts. It's a fight for Croatia and a fight for a difficult job."
Asked if they had allocated ministerial seats in the coalition, Milanovic said it was impolite and inappropriate to talk about that before winning the elections.
