Parliamentary opposition parties on Wednesday strongly opposed Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic's plan to cut gross salaries of public-sector employees by three per cent, saying that such a move would not get the country out of the recession.
"Croatia cannot overcome the crisis by cutting salaries by three per cent, but by pursuing a policy that will get the country out of the crisis and reduce the number of the unemployed, which this government is obviously incapable of," Zoran Vinkovic of the regional HDSSB party told the press in the parliament building.
"I have nothing against cutting the salaries of MPs, ministers and government officials, but that cannot be the only measure to overcome the crisis," he added.
Martina Dalic of the strongest opposition party, the HDZ, agreed, saying that the government was not in control of the situation. "The fact that salary cuts are being announced in February for April and that this budget was adopted in November, clearly shows that the government is not in control of the situation," she said.
Dalic said that a budget revision was in sight, but that it would not solve the problems. She said that the government should urgently adopt a comprehensive three-year plan for economic growth that would clearly define how public finances would be stabilised and how the economy would be put in motion.
"The government is in panic. They are disoriented and don't know how to help themselves," Labour Party deputy Nikola Vuljanic said, telling the ruling coalition to consider stepping down.
