The Mozemo party’s parliamentary representative, Ivana Kekin, spoke to HRT following the protest on Markovo trg. She conveyed that the protest, attended by “ten thousand citizens” on Saturday, was a clear call for elections. The citizens have had enough and want change, especially following the controversial selection of Ivan Turudić as the state attorney general.
Kekin expressed the citizens’ displeasure at having someone with criminal affiliations heading an institution tasked with prosecuting criminals. She also commented on Prime Minister Plenković’s recent statement about the ongoing battle between truth and lies. Though she doesn’t often agree with him, she concurred in this instance. According to her, by choosing Turudić, Plenković sided with the lie, which she believes has led to the downfall of HDZ.
The parliamentary representative of HDZ, Nikola Mazar agreed with Kekin’s sentiments. He assured that HDZ would demonstrate their stance at the parliamentary session on Wednesday. He criticized the opposition’s efforts to dissolve the parliament, stating they had only managed to dissolve themselves in the past.
Mazar also strongly condemned the statements made by Peđa Grbin, Ivica Puljko, and Kreša Beljak during the protest. He rebuked Grbin’s critique of the Croatian Language Act and Beljak’s derogatory remarks about the first Croatian president. He was also critical of Puljko’s comments about imprisoning and arresting political dissidents, stating that the protest had ultimately worked in HDZ’s favour.
Arsen Bauk, the representative of SDP, expressed surprise at the support for the protest. He believes that HDZ did not anticipate this level of backing, forcing them to resort to labeling the opposition as pro-Russian and lacking substance.
Bauk dismissed questions about the opposition doubting its strength, stating that they never doubted their capabilities. The support they received at the protest was both unexpected and uplifting.
The HSLS parliamentary representative, Darko Klasic, emphasized the importance of political slogans. He expressed his focus on tax relief and increasing the non-taxable part of income to 50,000 euros.
Klasic also highlighted the importance of energy independence to a nation’s sovereignty. He stressed the significance of including renewable choices and focusing on nuclear energy in future planning.
