Another pressing issue prompts MPs of national minorities and HDZ to leave the parliamentary chamber.
Member of Parliament Ivan Pernar (Živi Zid) was once again at the center of attention in the Parliament recently, after he criticised MPs from national minorities for their support for the newly-formed parliamentary majority comprised of HDZ and HNS, reports vijesti.hr on June 11, 2017.
His main criticism to national minorities’ representatives was the fact that some of them have been elected to the Parliament with just a handful of votes, unlike other MPs who need many thousands of votes to enter the Parliament.
Italian national minority MP Furio Radin later accused him of Fascism. “We have so few voters because your people have driven us out of our homes,” said Radin angrily.
“Wherever minorities want separatism, they were thrown out of the country. This is a historical lesson for you”, replied Pernar, which prompted representatives of national minorities to leave the parliamentary chamber.
“Shame on you. Who was separatist in 1941 in your silly head?!” asked a visibly outraged Milorad Pupovac, who is the leader of Serb minority MPs and is no stranger to controversy, while leaving. He then also demanded a break in parliamentary proceedings due to Pernar’s statements.
After Pupovac finished with his speech after the break, Pernar came once again to the podium to make additional remarks. At this point, HDZ MPs left the parliamentary chamber, in solidarity with the representatives of national minorities.
Italians and Serbs used to represent a much higher share of the overall population in Croatia, but their number dropped significantly after World War II and the Homeland War. According to the latest census in 2011, there are 186,000 Serbs living in Croatia (4.4 percent) and 17,000 Italians (0.4 percent).
Complaints that national minority MPs do not have full legitimacy due to a small number of votes needed to enter the Parliament are common. There are eight such MPs out of 151 (3 for Serbs and 5 for other national minorities), and they have the same rights as other MPs. For example, Czech and Slovak representative Vladimir Bilek was elected with just over 1,300 votes.
In the new HDZ-HNS ruling coalition, national minorities have a vital role, since without them the coalition would have just 70 votes in the Parliament, much less than 76 which is the minimum needed for ministers to be confirmed and major laws to be passed.
