Milanović on conflict between ambassadors of Iran and Israel: We do not want other people's germs

President of the Republic Zoran Milanović commented on the invitation to talk that he sent to Israeli Ambassador Gary Koren after he called on the Republic of Croatia to break diplomatic relations with Iran and inspect the staff of the Iranian embassy.

President of the Republic Zoran Milanović first responded to the claims of Defense Minister Ivan Anušić that the president cannot prohibit him from cooperating with other countries.

“The Minister of Defense is not my interlocutor. My interlocutor can be the Prime Minister. The minister can be a kind of colleague, but in the command structure and hierarchy, the commander-in-chief is the commander-in-chief. The minister can travel wherever he wants, issue travel orders, take pictures with whoever he wants, and work for Croatian interests as he interprets them. I can't do anything about that and I have never questioned that. I can't forbid him from going somewhere, but I won't say that I will refrain from commenting when I see that something is harmful and immoral,” he said.

“We are not on the same political level, I hope that is clear and that it is not at all arrogant on my part. The Prime Minister is another matter, but he has decided that this system suits him. In diplomacy, he has fixed the personnel structure with the former president and does not want to change that, and there is nothing that threatens him politically to force him to do so. This is a peasant abuse of the system, but without consequences. As for the minister, let him just travel further and practice Krav Maga,” he added.

He also commented on the transition of independent parliamentary representative Dario Zurovac to the governing majority, emphasizing that he is accountable to his voters, assessing that standards in Croatia are low and that some other representatives behave even more suspiciously.

“He is accountable to the voters, but in Croatia these standards are strikingly low. Anyone can enter into combinations with anyone at any time, and then this is perpetuated through election cycles,” Milanović said in a statement after participating in the opening of the Money Motion 2026 conference.

He added that Zurovec should be given credit for twice entering Parliament independently.

“But you have those who attach themselves to other people's lists as complete insignificant people and then just run away. That is the most suspicious. Zurovec is the master of his own destiny and will live with the consequences of his decision, successfully or unsuccessfully, which is why I am excluding Zurovec from this,” the president said.

Asked if this was for the State Attorney’s Office to look into, given that Zurovec moved to the majority, with the comment that the opposition is always missing one piece of paper for projects, Milanović responded with a counter-question – “who leads the State Attorney’s Office?”

“The State Attorney’s Office is led by a politician who was not elected to that position, but was appointed and installed by Plenković. I have said it all, there is no need to be personal. At one time, there was a need to be personal because the actions and moves of these people are ultimately very personal in their consequences and results,” he said.

He added that this branch of government is "a huge power without a democratic mandate" and that, like any other, it must be monitored.

President of the Republic criticizes German Chancellor

Milanović was also asked about the start of basic military training.

“Anything more than what we had is good. We are short of several thousand soldiers and officers according to the organization, and the organization is up to 17,500 soldiers, officers and non-commissioned officers, which is very few. All European countries have very small professional armed forces. We tried to attract enough people to fill our ranks according to the criteria and standards that we ourselves set, in agreement with NATO,” he said.

He also touched on European security policy and criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

“Everyone, when it comes to defense, looks after themselves. The idea that there will be some European hyperstate that will have a common defense and foreign policy - will not work. Europe is a pack of cats, house cats. Each will go its own way, they are not wolves,” he asserted.

“Look at the other day, the American president is trampling the floor with the Spanish prime minister, who dared to advocate for international law. Watch out for the bandit,” he concluded ironically.

“And the German chancellor is sitting with some cards next to the American president and smiling. As if it doesn't concern him. Well, yes, it doesn't concern him, but that's Europe. That's not what they're fantasizing about in Brussels, a narrow caste that some of our people belong to, but not many. That's not sustainable,” Milanović concluded.

On the conflict between the ambassadors of Iran and Israel: We won't have foreign germs in Croatia

He also commented on the invitation to talk that he sent to the Israeli ambassador Gary Koren after he called on the Republic of Croatia to break diplomatic relations with Iran and check the staff of the Iranian embassy because, as he claimed, there were members of the Revolutionary Guard there.

“He wasn't at the talk, but he was invited. He could have declined. My associates said everything in the statement. Therefore, we will not have other people's infections and bacilli in Croatia, neither Israeli nor Iranian. Let the gentlemen behave accordingly. If they don't, it means that the government tolerates them. The government has executive mechanisms, and that's great for the government. That certain official from Tel Aviv said that it is a terrorist den in the middle of Zagreb in the Iranian embassy. Let us disperse them, I don't need the Israeli ambassador for that,” he said.

He also referred to the activities of the IRGC in the Middle East.

“They really, when it comes to the Middle East, like Israel, are prone to terrorist methods. What is the killing in Gaza but terrorism and the survival of Israeli soldiers? But when it comes to Europe, Iran does not conduct terrorism in Europe, as far as I know,” he asserted.

The president has already condemned the American and Israeli attacks on Iran, and today he said again that it should be remembered that Iran is a member of the United Nations and that "it was attacked without a UN mandate".

Milanović briefly referred to Croatia's compliance with the common foreign and security policy of the European Union, saying that this is not sustainable and possible at all times.

“You cannot lead a common foreign policy at all times or in close agreement with Estonia and Portugal, that is out of mind. We are a different kind of country and we are all together in Europe a different kind of country,” said Milanović, rejecting "the idea of governance from Brussels through some officials like Ursula Von der Leyen."

About INA: Sanader's bravado has come for payment

The arbitration proceedings determined that Croatia was obliged to compensate MOL, and Milanović assessed that Sanader's bravado had come for payment.

Among other things, he asked whether INA should have been sold.

“That is an act of, I won't say high treason, but I can't think of another word. Why did it have to be done? Why did everything have to be sold to the Hungarians? That is, up to the point where they exercise practically absolute business and financial control,” Milanović stated, adding that he would remind citizens of such things.

Source: HRT