Row between President Milanović and Defense Minister Anušić continues

The Office of the President issued a statement on Monday in which it rejected the Defense Ministry's claim that the Croatian President had revealed classified information or committed treason, when he cited the number of active-duty personnel in the Croatian Armed Forces on Sunday.

President Zoran Milanović’s comments came on Sunday when he suggested that Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ivan Anušić had failed to inform Prime Minister Andrej Plenković of the fact that neighboring Serbia had acquired new Chinese ballistic missile systems. However, the Defense Ministry responded by alleging that the president had committed treason when he publicly stated the number of active-duty personnel were in the Croatian Armed Forces. This prompted a response from the Office of the President on Monday.

EXCERPT FROM A STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT:

"First, the Minister of Defense called out the President of the Republic for revealing 'classified information' when he spoke publicly about the number of active-duty personnel in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. Yesterday, the Ministry of Defense went a step further: it claimed that revealing data on the number of active-duty personnel in the Croatian Armed Forces was 'treason'. So, the Ministry of Defense has accused the President of the Republic of 'treason'. The Ministry of Defense has issued its accusation unofficially, likely through employees whose security clearance certificates have been revoked. The Office of the President of the Republic has therefore decided to officially inform the Ministry of Defense that the data on the number of active-duty personnel in the Croatian Armed Forces has been publicly released and is publicly available in the Annual Defense Report for 2024, which was prepared by the Ministry of Defense and personally signed by the Minister of Defense."

The issue was also commented on by Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković ahead of a session of the HDZ Party Presidency and National Committee. He said that the news that Serbia has acquired supersonic missiles was no reason for irresponsible statements and cheap internal political battles, and instead called on political actors to discuss about these serious issues at a session of the National Security and Defense Council or in some other official format: "We're reducing ourselves to these cheap shots and in-so-doing are making issues that are very serious banal. We do not live in a peaceful world anymore. Day-to-day thousands upon thousands of people are being killed, and the global order is changing. I would say that Croatia is an island of peace and stability, and it is in our interest to preserve that. So I repeat once again, let's talk a little more seriously, and not reduce ourselves to this kind of attempt to score cheap political points by accusing the Defense Ministry or creating confusion with regards to relations between the defense minister and the prime minister. This is all hogwash. I will repeat once again, we need to sit down and hold serious talks."

Source: HRT