.png)
Zagreb - Left and liberal opposition MPs said on Tuesday they boycotted the prime minister's state-of-the-nation report because he evaded questions about the INA corruption affair, adding that his successes are "nonexistent" and his government is "marked by theft and corruption."
Peđa Grbin of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) said Plenković was "systematically running away" from responsibility and the obligation to answer MPs' questions about corruption and "the theft of HRK 1 billion" in the INA energy company and how Croatian oil and gas were managed.
Everything the government is doing is ad hoc and "there is continuity only in corruption and theft," Grbin said, adding that the debate on the government's annual work report should be held only before the Anti-corruption Council.
Grbin said Plenković did not have the courage to answer the Council's questions and that was why part of the opposition did not want to participate in today's "charade" in which Plenković "will again boast about non-existent successes."
Sandra Benčić of the Green-Left Bloc said Plenković and his government would have no legitimacy until they organised a parliamentary debate with all ministers on the INA case and supported the establishment of an inquiry commission for the case.
Plenković will also have no legitimacy, she said, until he answers what he, his HDZ party and the government "owe" Hungary and its Prime Minister Viktor Orban for "letting Orban run the energy policy in Croatia through MOL" for six years now, and why he did not vote for sanctions against Hungary in the European Parliament.
Benčić said Plenković must also say why he "gave the green light to close the Sisak Refinery."
She said the MPs who stayed for today's debate on Plenković's report gave him "the legitimacy to ignore, humiliate Croatia's institutions as well as the entire public."
Anka Mrak Taritaš of GLAS said Plenković was boasting of being the longest running prime minister, for six years, yet, she added, that was "thanks to corruption". She said a number of ministers had been in custody on suspicion of corruption.
She said her biggest criticism was the lack of reform and "bringing absolute disorder." She said Plenković was "firmly turning a blind eye" to the INA affair but added that the opposition would not let him.
Krešo Beljak of the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) said they considered Plenković "a former prime minister" and would not ask him anything because "he has no legitimacy until he answers what exactly happened and what his personnel did."
"There is no rug under which you can sweep a stolen HRK 1 billion, and I'm sure it's not just one billion," he added.
Beljak said Plenković was "denigrating the opposition, calling some Russian spies" although, he added, it was clear that MOL was refinanced with Russian capital in 2009. "If someone is a Russian player, then it's the one who works for MOL, and Andrej Plenković works for MOL."
He said that when they came to power in the next election, they would investigate "who sold the future of Croatia's energy and for how much."
Damir Bajs (Fokus, Reformists and Independents) said Plenković could boast about his successes but that the 450,000 people who left Croatia thought differently.
He said it was exaggerated to accuse the opposition of working against the government and say that it was illegal, adding that the opposition's job is to show, by participating in today's debate on Plenković's report or not, that the incumbent government is not good and should be replaced.
Asked why the entire opposition did not boycott the debate, as previously announced, Grbin said it was up to each party or group whether to call out the nature of Plenković's government or not.
He said those who opted for the boycott wanted to clearly say what was wrong in how Plenković and his HDZ party ran Croatia.
Plenković's report was boycotted by the SDP, the Green-Left Bloc, Centre, Glas, the HSS, the Workers' Front, Fokus, the Reformists, the Sovereignists, and independent MPs. The Social Democrats said from the start they would not boycott it, while the Istrian Democratic Party, the Homeland Movement, and For a Just Croatia eventually chose to hear the report.