Milanović's "only task is to make outbursts of insults on a personal level and thus create the impression for Croatian voters and Croatian citizens and public that this is quite normal," Plenković told press when asked about the political one-upmanship between the heads of state and government in Croatia.
Plenković said that in his capacity as Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) president he had the task, responsibility and duty to warn that normal people did not behave like the current president.
He elaborated that one could not avoid responding to Milanović, otherwise this would lead to keeping the whole nation silent. "You (media outlets) will reduce it to political one-upmanship. This is not political one-upmanship," the premier told the press outside HDZ offices in Zagreb.
Milanović's agenda is to insult all who think differently
Plenković said that Milanović's agenda was to insult all who did not share his opinions, and in this context he cited the case of the Vice-President of the Supreme Court (Marin Mrčela).
"Yesterday, he (Milanović) was whining that we should not issue a press release with an excerpt quoted from the programme of Professor Zlata Đurđević," Plenković said, adding that the president accused the government of having violated the constitution with that press release.
"Look at that totalitarian approach," Plenković said, adding that he must respond to Milanović so that one could not say that "we are a political nation of cowards, eunuchs and silenced miserable people. That is the option," he said.
He also accused Milanović of assisting the Social Democratic Party in the election campaign. "That is o.k. The more he helps them, the less visible (the SDP leader) Peđa Grbin is," said Plenković.
Text: Hina