President Zoran Milanović suggested that Prime Minister Andrej Plenković convene a meeting of the National Security Council, and although no specific reason was given, there is little doubt that the reason is the government’s proposal to appoint Judge Ivan Turudić as the new State Attorney, a proposal Plenković has publicly opposed.
In his letter to the government, Milanović does not give a specific reason for his proposal to convene a meeting of the National Security Council. However, there is little doubt that the reason is the government’s proposal to appoint Turudić as the new State Prosecutor, which has become a new stumbling block in the relationship between the head of state and the head of government.
This, after all, follows from the content of the letter that the Office of the President sent to the media.
“Based on Article 4 of the Act on the Security and Intelligence System of the Republic of Croatia, I suggest that we convene a session of the National Security Council due to the extraordinary and unexpected situation in the Croatian judicial system that has a negative impact – and could have a negative impact in the future – on coordinated action and stability state authorities and the national security of the Republic of Croatia”, it is stated in the letter that Milanović sent to Plenković.
Milanović reiterated in the letter that, by the regulations, the president and the prime minister are authorised to arrange and convene a session of the National Security Council.
“Therefore, I expect that you too will recognise the need and accept my proposal to convene the National Security Council as soon as possible”, concludes Milanović in the letter.
On 25 January, the Croatian government proposed Turudić for the post of Prosecutor General. His appointment must be confirmed by parliament, which is expected to decide on Wednesday.
Milanović publicly opposed the government’s proposal to appoint Turudić as Prosecutor General. On Saturday, he held a press conference where he warned that there was evidence of meetings under the cover of night between Turudić and Zdravko Mamić, the former director of Dinamo who was found guilty by the court in 2018 of extorting money from the Zagreb football club.
As a result, the proposal to appoint a new chief prosecutor became another issue in the tense relations between the head of state and the prime minister.
On Sunday, the Jutarnji List daily published the correspondence that Turudić, then president of the Zagreb County Court, had via Viber with Josip Pleslić (then Rimac), the former mayor of Knin and state secretary who was arrested in 2020 on suspicion of corruption.
Turudić rejected accusations that he is friends with both suspects and defendants. In an interview for Nova TV, he said that everyone who was said to be close to him and that he favoured them was eventually convicted. He also rejected claims that he is close to the ruling HDZ party.
From the start, the opposition opposed the government’s proposal to appoint Turudić as the new State Prosecutor, claiming that he was the man behind the HDZ and was linked to numerous suspects and defendants.
On Monday, the opposition SDP MP Arsen Bauk said that the parliament should not discuss the appointment of Turudić on Wednesday but the dissolution and holding of the parliamentary elections, which are planned for this year anyway.
Parliamentary representative of Možemo Sandra Benčić threatened to bring the Turudić case before the EU Commission.
(Adriano Milovan | Euractiv.hr)
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