President Milanović slams Croatian Government over Rafale sale to Serbia

Croatian President Zoran Milanović has sharply criticized the government over France’s sale of advanced Rafale fighter jets to Serbia, saying Croatia’s interests were ignored.

France’s Delegated Minister for European Affairs, Benjamin Haddad, recently explained that Croatia’s role in the region is primarily to help draw Serbia closer to the West. “Croatia has a beneficial role, namely, to provide alternative routes of oil and gas supply for its neighbours, including Serbia,” Haddad said.

Milanović argued that the deal exposes the government’s failure to protect Croatia’s national security. “It is now clear that Croatia did not care whether France would sell the same—or more advanced—jets to a neighbouring country outside NATO. And that is exactly what happened,” he said, pointing to the rushed upgrade of Croatia’s Rafales less than a year after delivery.

The President warned that Croatia has been reduced to a “useful role” in France’s strategy to draw Serbia into the West, apparently with the government’s consent. He questioned whether Prime Minister Andrej Plenković even knows what France sold to Serbia and what steps he is taking.

Milanović also raised concerns about Croatia’s recent purchase of 18 French CAESAR MK2 howitzers, asking if similar considerations were made regarding non-NATO neighbours.

“The Rafale purchase shows that every state prioritizes its own interests, including profit,” Milanović said. He urged Plenković to prioritize Croatian interests in future arms deals and to condition purchases on local production and maintenance—an approach successfully used with German Leopard tanks.