- Published: 26.10.2019.
Bozinovic: Those who don't think that Croatia is ready for Schengen show ignorance
Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Saturday that Croatia's admission to the Schengen Area should be one of the priorities for Slovenia and the European Union, and that those who did not think that Croatia was prepared for the Schengen passport-free area "make not only highly politicised comments but also show their ignorance."
In the Slovenian political scene, too, there are those who say that Croatia's entry into the Schengen Area is also in the strategic interest of Slovenia, Bozinovic said in an interview with the Croatian Radio on Saturday morning.
Croatia meets 270 recommendations for application of Schengen rules
"Being exposed to the growing migrant pressure, Croatia has met the conditions (for the entry) in a situation in which not any member of the Schengen has been so far. Croatia has fulfilled 270 recommendations assessed by European Commission experts and experts from the Schengen area, the minister said.
Asked whether Slovenia could block Croatia's Schengen bid and whether Ljubljana could lobby for this blockade among other EU member-states, Bozinovic said that it was in the EU's strategic interest to support Croatia.
In this context he recalled that Bavaria's Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrman, who visited Zagreb this past Thursday, thanked the Croatian police for protecting the European border.
On 22 October the European Commission assessed that Croatia was prepared for the entry into the Schengen area.
Commenting on a meeting on Friday after which the Croatian People's Party (HNS), a junior partner in the HDZ-led coalition government, said that it would not support next year's budget without a pay rise for teachers, Deputy PM and Minister of the Interior Davor Bozinovic of the HDZ said that "it would be a grave mistake to think the HDZ can be blackmailed" and that the HDZ was prepared for elections at any moment.
"The HNS has raised the issue of the labour, i.e. financial status of teachers in primary and secondary schools. We have been saying from the start that individual groups of employees in the government and public sectors should not be set apart because that sends a message that every minister should fight solely for their own departments, without having in mind the big picture," Bozinovic said in an interview with Croatian Radio.
"In relation to previous governments, the incumbent government has raised incomparably more the wages of the public and government sector employees. It has raised the minimum wage and pensions. Wages alone have been increased by 18%, not taking into account an increase in the nontaxable income. Each employee in the public sector has seen their wage go up 21, 22 or 23% during the term of this government," the minister added.
As for the HNS's position after the ruling coalition meeting on Friday, Bozinovic said the HDZ had been clear about the matter from the start.
"We want to enhance the financial status of employees in Croatia. We have been doing our best within a realistic framework, but we have been doing so for everyone. But it would be a grave mistake to think that the HDZ can be blackmailed," the minister said, adding that the HDZ was prepared for elections at any moment.