Plenkovic responds sharply to Seselj Jr provocation

"As far as I understand, the Council of Europe fights for democracy and the rule of law. Today we have before us a man who glorifies Jasenovac, a concentration camp for 700,000 Serbs, Jews and Roma, who glorifies Bleiburg, a leader of a neo-Nazi regime in the heart of Europe who treats Serbs as second-class citizens," Seselj junior said before being interrupted by the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Liliane Maury Paquier.

I have to interrupt. Please respect our guest and change your tone as I have already warned you, she told Seselj.

Plenkovic, who addressed the Parliamentary Assembly and took part in a discussion, sharply responded to Seselj, listing facts about his party's platform that was founded by his father.

"As far as representative Seselj's comments are concerned, I think he is a living example of the saying that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You represent a political party whose platform and statute - and this is something this parliamentary assembly should be aware of - promotes a Great Serbia policy that lays claim to the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia," Plenkovic said.

"That's the truth. That is exactly what your father did and was convicted for as a war criminal in The Hague, even though you do not have to be responsible for your father's actions. We experienced a tragedy in the 1990s because of such a policy. My country suffered because of Slobodan Milosevic's policies - 15,000 people dead and 37 billion dollars in war damage. We are sick of false information being spread around and this is an example of just that, when you try to portray Croatia in a negative light. That will always come across a very strong response from a country that is democratic, one that is oriented to Europe and is very much opposed to policies that result in thousands dead, that have resulted in the tragedies in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and before that in Slovenia and eventually in your own country. And the fact is that as a party not so long ago you orchestrated an incident in the Serbian parliament during a visit by our delegation headed by the Parliament Speaker, which is consistent with your policies. Despite people like you, we want to build normal good neighbourly relations and resolve problems from the past with Serbia. To build a future with those who wish to build the future and to clearly say who was who in the 1990s. We know, you were the aggressor and we were the victim," Plenkovic said.

"If you really want to know, I went to Jasenovac personally this year and last year, and I am far from what you have just said. The Croatian government's policy toward the 20th century totalitarian regimes is clear and will remain clear and it will condemn what has to be condemned," Plenkovic concluded, receiving applause from the Parliamentary Assembly.

Text: Hina