ZAGREB, 15 May 2022 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Sunday visited an international sausage festival taking place in Sveti Petar u Šumi, describing it as an important event bringing together domestic enterprises and reflecting the synergy between the state, local government and the producers.
Devised as an event promoting the making and sale of traditional Croatian charcuterie products, the festival at Sveti Petar u Šumi sets an example of how to use the opportunities provided by EU membership and is proof that local government can be a successful partner to private businesses, said Jandroković.
"Istria is well known for its olive oil, wine and the restaurant and tourism industry, and the sausage festival is a new brand for the region which in many ways leads the way and sets an example, not only to other Croatian regions but to regions in other parts of Europe," Jandroković said.
On Milanović, abortion law
Answering reporters' questions, he declined to comment on President Zoran Milanović's proposal to make Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO conditional on the reform of Bosnia and Herzegovina's election law, saying that he found the sausage festival more important "than anything Milanović has to say on any topic."
Asked if the Constitution should be amended to state that the right to abortion is a constitutional right, which is a proposal to be put forward by opposition parties, Jandroković said that it was a topic causing deep divisions in Croatian society.
We don't need topics that cause divisions
"Considering the current situation, the deep global crisis, the Russian aggression on Ukraine and serious announcements of a global recession, we do not need topics that cause divisions in society, we need to work on mutual respect, tolerance and diversity," said Jandroković.
He went on to say that one should put an end to discussions about the topic because "there is a law which is in line with the Constitution, and which, when compared to the laws of other EU countries, is somewhere in the middle, neither too liberal nor too restrictive."
It is not wise to try to score political points on this topic, which is what some political parties are doing, he added.
Commenting on announcements that Slovenia would make Croatia's entry to the Schengen area of passport-free travel conditional on the implementation of the border arbitration ruling, Jandroković said Croatia and Slovenia were so much oriented towards one another that neither country would benefit from any disputes.
"... I hope we will continue in the spirit of good neighbourly relations, taking care of our common interests. The present times are difficult, one needs to have friends, allies and partners instead of opening topics that divide us," he said.
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