Reactions to yesterday's events in parliament

Insults, provocations and treason, are all words that were used frequently today, a day after yesterday's conflict in parliament - first between Social Democratic Party MP Franko Vidović and Minister of Defence Damir Krstičević, then between MOST party MP Nikola Grmoja and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

Following accusations from MOST party members yesterday Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has ruled out any possible cooperation with that party. At the beginning of today's government cabinet session, the Prime Minister said that accusations of high treason will not be tolerated.

“We can put up with insults, we can put up with lies, we can put up with slander, but we will not put up with accusations of high treason. That is very important. It is a question of a continuous contribution by that party to strengthening hate speech, a spiral of hate that is spinning, and in my response I very clearly said that myself as the prime minister, this government and the governing party, the Croatian Democratic Union, will not allow such hate to be spread in Croatia, like that being spread by the MOST party. They are the type of political actors that we will not cooperate within any variation,” said Prime Minister Plenković.

MOST MPs said that they will not retract anything said in the parliament chamber yesterday. Nikola Grmoja even emphasized the message sent to the prime minister.

“I will not withdraw, even a millimetre, in fact, I will underline all of yesterday's statements. Treason is in question since a session of the relevant committee is not being called. Concentration camp survivors are filing lawsuits against Serbia on their own, without legal assistance and the committee has received concrete instructions,” said Grmoja.

The head of the Croatian Democratic Union club of representatives in parliament, Branko Bačić said that this is all frustration on the part of the MOST party which has dropped to a level of 5% support.

“There is a curse that says, may you have and then not have. Today MOST has lost everything and been reduced to three inconsolable people, Mr Petrov, Mr Grmoja and Mr Bulj, who are frustrated by this fact and day in and day out spread insults and slander,” said Bačić.

Source: HRT