ZAGREB, May 14, 2018 - Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Martina Dalić said on Monday that, in agreement with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković she had submitted her irrevocable resignation as she had become a burden and a liability to the prime minister, the government, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the ruling majority over the Agrokor case.
"In this unbelievable set of circumstances and interests surrounding Agrokor, it suddenly turns out that I have become a liability and a burden to the prime minister, the government the HDZ and the ruling majority. I most definitely do not want to be that," Dalić told a news conference in Government House.
I was given a political task to find a solution that will prevent Agrokor from dragging the entire economy back into the recession, Dalić told the press conference, adding that the task and the approach to its solving was given to her following a political agreement between the then coalition partners – the HDZ and the MOST party.
"The job was done, a solution was found which met all the requirements set back then, including the one that there be no costs for taxpayers. Therefore, I would like to say that passionate critics today can thank their luck it wasn't them who were tasked with this job," Dalić said.
She said she expected a settlement deal in Agrokor to be reached within the legal deadlines and that all objectives and goals of this process would be fulfilled. "I also expect an investigation into who leaked fragments of the communication between a deputy prime minister, as this is not insignificant at all, not for my sake, but for the sake of the state institutions. Unauthorised release of emails is a crime in Croatia," Dalić said.
"Personally I have done nothing wrong, immoral or illegal. However, the perception, which apparently is the one and only thing that matters in politics, resulted in coalition partners expressing their dissatisfaction with me to the HDZ, the prime minister and the government. This is why I am resigning, as I do not wish to be a burden to the prime minister, the government or the HDZ,” Dalić said.
There will most definitely be time for me to explain my role in the Agrokor case, Dalić said.
