Anušić and Medved reject allegations of conflict; All set for military service

Minister of Veterans' Affairs Tomo Medved and Minister of Defense Ivan Anušić have rejected speculation about a possible conflict. Some media outlets cited the dismissal of the head of the Aeronautical Technical Center (ATC) Ivica Vidović as the reason.

“We are not in any conflict. Minister Tomo Medved and I cooperate, we sit together in the government, and we sit together in the party. ATC has no direct links to either the prime minister or Minister Medved. I do not believe that he is protecting him. Why would he protect him,” said Minister Ivan Anušić.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Croatian Veterans' Affairs Tomo Medved on Monday completely rejected allegations from the Jutarnji List newspaper about a conflict with Minister of Defense Anušić over the dismissal of the head of the Aeronautical Technical Center (ATC) Ivica Vidović.

“First, there is no conflict. Second, we are responsible people and everyone performs their duties responsibly. Talking about a conflict is not at all benign and I completely reject such theses”, Medved said after the identification of the remains of victims of the Homeland War at the Institute of Forensic Medicine and Criminalistics of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zagreb.

As Jutarnji List reports, citing several sources from the government building, the conflict between the two deputy prime ministers of the Croatian Democratic Union Government, and ministers, Anušić and Medved, has been going on for two months now, due to the dismissal of Vidović from the head of the ATC Management Board, who is being called Medved's cadre, and on which Anušić allegedly insists.

“I will remind you of 2022, I think, when the Minister of Defense at the time called me for consultations in terms of selecting people for that company. That's when the person who is currently running ATC was found. What I have been focusing on all this time is their efficiency, of course, in a special way of respecting those deadlines for servicing fire-fighting aircraft,” said Medved.

Medved: I have only met Vidović once in three years

He stressed that he had only met Vidović once in these three years, when he took over the management of ATC, after which, he added, they had not even heard from each other.

“I met the man mentioned here once, and that was precisely the occasion when he took over the management of that company, and after that I think we never met or heard from each other again. Therefore, I completely reject all these theses that are stated there,” Medved emphasized.

Rejecting the allegations of Jutarnji List that the two most important people in the hierarchy in the Government after Prime Minister Andrej Plenković (Medved and Anušić) have hardly spoken at all in the last two months, Medved said that he does not understand the motives for someone to raise such questions and try to create a problem where there is none.

“I completely reject all these theses that are stated. Each of us has our own department, no one interferes with anyone else's responsibilities, and when it comes to the Government, we meet regularly, analyze all the challenges, and there are quite a few of them, and everyone finds solutions in the best possible way. Once again, I really don't understand the motives behind someone instigating and raising such issues and trying to create a problem where there is none,” he pointed out.

"Everything ready for military service, pay for conscripts 1,100 euros"

Minister of Defense Anušić and Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid, paid a working visit to the "Eugen Kvaternik" military training ground near Slunj. They toured the facilities intended for participants in basic military training, and the minister stated that everything is ready for the reintroduction of military service.

“About 15 percent of those who decide to voluntarily serve in the military service are girls. The same applies to them as to young men, 1,100 euros is the monthly salary, and the period is included in their pension seniority. It will not be allowed that someone who has a job and goes to serve will be fired. Conscripts will also have priority in employment in the state administration,” said Anušić.

He added that a legal framework must be adopted before basic military training begins, and that this must be previously agreed upon by the offices of Prime Minister Plenković and President Zoran Milanović. “The Prime Minister's office has all the documents that are a prerequisite for the implementation of the process. I hope that the laws will be adopted by the end of the summer break, and after that there are no obstacles, we will have time to do everything by the fall,” says Anušić.

He also stated that Milanović was informed about everything and that he did not make any objections, adding that the purpose of the project is also to fill the Croatian Army reserve.

Kundid showed Anušić the dormitories, classrooms, the mess hall and other areas where conscripts will stay for the two-month training. He said that the concept for implementing basic military training is ready and developed, and its integral part is the training program.

“One day for a conscript is a classic military early rise, exercise, morning training, lunch, and then an afternoon training cycle until dinner. The training is designed to prepare conscripts for active military service or reserve,” said Kundid, and when asked whether the two-month military term is too short, he replied "that it is sufficient, and that the army did not aim to turn away young people".

Source: HRT