Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said on Thursday that her predecessor Ivo Sanader's request to activate his mandate as a member of the national parliament was aimed at toppling the government, the ruling coalition and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), and at halting Croatia's EU membership talks, the implementation of the Economic Recovery Programme and the fight against corruption, adding however, that Sanader's request did not come as a surprise to her.
"As far as the activation of his mandate is concerned, this is something we have been expecting, something I have absolutely predicted. We could say that this has already been seen, if not before than on 3 January (when he unsuccessfully attempted to return to politics). These moves are definitely aimed at toppling the government and the ruling coalition and most definitely at the destruction of the HDZ," Kosor told reporters after a government session.
Kosor also reflected on Sanader's testimony before the parliamentary commission probing the privatisation of the leading Croatian oil and gas company INA.
"You could see how each of them behaved and the questions they asked, certainly with the SDP (Social Democratic Party) 'holding the candle'. You could see the thrill on their faces and in their statements and behaviour," the PM said.
"Croatia has no alternative to wrapping up the EU membership negotiations - this is our historic, our strategic objective. And those who wish to stop these processes want to side-track Croatia, want to make Croatia wait, I could even say to wait in uneasy suspense, in total darkness - we absolutely won't allow that. But we also won't allow anyone to stop the fight against crime and corruption and the Economic Recovery Programme. We want Croatia to be economically strong when it joins the EU as the 28th member state," Kosor said.
