HDZ and SDP to meet on Wednesday to discuss the appointment of judges

The HDZ and SDP will meet in Parliament on Wednesday to discuss the election of three Constitutional Court judges and the President of the Supreme Court. The HDZ want to link the two issues, while the SDP insists they remain separate.

Speaking to reporters in parliament today, SDP MP Saša Đujić echoed the sentiments of the opposition by emphasizing that the two procedures are and must be separate: "For us these are two absolutely separate processes, and we do not, in any way, agree to join them nor will we buckle to blackmail or conditions. However, we are ready to discuss the election of three Constitutional Court judges. But we'll see what the HDZ will say tomorrow."

However, the Chair of the Committee for the Constitution, Rules of Procedure and Political System, Ivan Malenica of the HDZ, remained confident that HDZ leader Andrej Plenković’s plan to assert its will on the process would bear fruit: "We will open both issues, but I'd rather not get into the details of tomorrow's meeting. But as Prime Minister Plenković announced, our goal is to reach an agreement on these two issues."

According to Plenković’s plan the HDZ would select two of the judges on the Constitutional Court, while the third would come from the opposition.

The Croatian Judges Association has already stated its view that it is unacceptable to politically link the election of the President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia to the election of judges of the Constitutional Court, emphasizing that these are two separate procedures and bodies.

Source: HRT