Representatives of protesting farmers, who have been organising tractor blockades of roads in the interior of Croatia for nearly two weeks, on Monday arrived in the government headquarters in Zagreb to present their demands in writing, insisting on their meeting with Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic.
Before coming to St Mark's Square that houses the government's main offices, one of farmers' leaders, Zvonko Pipic, told the press that they insisted on the talks with PM Milanovic on the payment of the remaining 37% of state subsidies to farmers and on low prices of agricultural produce.
"We give the premier 24 hours to respond. If he fails, this means that he has encroached upon our rights," Pipic said adding that the next step for the disgruntled farmers would be to seek assistance from the European Commission.
He said that although their talks with the agriculture and finance ministers, Tihomir Jakovina and Slavko Linic, had been unsuccessful, the farmers "will eventually win this war".
President Ivo Josipovic announced his meeting with protesting farmers as he found it necessary to promote dialogue and seek other ways to alleviate the position of farmers if there was no money.
"Farmers have their own expectations which, judging from what the government has said, cannot be met in the financial terms. I will meet them (farmers), I think that talks should be held with them," Josipovic said on Sunday.
Earlier on Sunday, the protesting farmers from easternmost Croatia were prevented by the police from heading towards Zagreb on their tractors.
