After trading accusations and now even ultimatums, it is hard to believe that relations could ever be mended.
The level of communication between HDZ and MOST continued to deteriorate during the past week. Tomislav Karamarko allegedly set three conditions to the MOST leadership for the continuation of their cooperation – he wants the government to abandon the arbitration proceedings regarding INA and to allow HDZ to choose directors of police and PNUSKOK (Police Department for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime), reports Index.hr on May 8, 2016.
There are more and more MOST representatives who openly demonstrate their uneasiness when it comes to further cooperation with HDZ. The most obvious example was the recent statement by Ivan Kovačić, at that time president of the MOST Parliamentary Group, who openly cursed at HDZ.
Despite the fact that he continues to call for further cooperation, even MOST president Božo Petrov is being increasingly firm in his statements against HDZ. “Ultimatums are certainly not the way in which we should communicate. Therefore, we will certainly not agree to any ultimatums”, said Petrov on Saturday.
High-ranking HDZ members hint that, after the completion of the intraparty electoral process by the end of this month, the moment will come for the reckoning within the coalition. HDZ secretary general Milijan Brkić said that HDZ was ready to accept things “to a certain level”. “We are ready to do it, but not at the expense of reforms,” he warned.
HDZ’s Josipa Rimac also warned that there was a possibility to reshuffle the government, if HDZ feels that the proposed reforms were not being implemented as fast as it is expected by the party president and leadership. “In sporting terms, we are always ready to replace ‘players’ who are not giving us the best result, but it does not mean that we will do it”, she said cryptically at the time. She also added that she expected new laws drafted by the relevant ministers to be announced, which should contribute to the long-term development of the country. If that does not happen in the next few months, she said, there will be changes.
Since then, HDZ has decided to move from warnings to ultimatums, so now it is slowly becoming clear that Tomislav Karamarko’s party believes that “successful implementation of reforms” also includes submission of MOST to HDZ demands, especially when it comes to the Interior Ministry.
But, it seems highly unlikely that MOST would accept such demands.
