ZAGREB, February 18, 2020 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Tuesday President Zoran Milanović's inauguration speech was a good start to his term, highlighting the need to cooperate to Croatia's benefit.
"I can assess it as a fair speech in which he gave several essential messages, the most important being that we should cooperate and work to Croatia's benefit regardless of political differences and different world views," Jandroković said.
"I think it's a good start and hope President Milanović's term will pass in that spirit."
Jandroković said he did not find it contentious that Milanović opted for a minimalist inauguration and an unpretentious speech. "That's his decision, he's the president, he won the confidence of citizens and that needs to be respected."
Although he often argued with Milanović when the latter served as prime minister, Jandroković said he hoped the cooperation now would be fair and that both would keep their positions and views on life and politics.
"I hope for a fair cooperation, which is the task and obligation of all of us holding a senior office. Regardless of different political preferences, we have to cooperate. The people expect that of us and I hope we will abide by that."
Former President Ivo Josipović said on Tuesday that he expects President Zoran Milanović to lead the country in a pro-European way and help the Croatian society to end wars and become a peacetime civic society, as well as that the best values of antifascism and the Homeland War to be part of Milanovic's policy and a basis of Croatia's policy.
"I consider his statement that wars are over to be very important. I believe that Milanović has an ambition to help the Croatian society put an end to World War II and the Homeland War and to help it become a peacetime civic society, with the best values of both antifascism and the Homeland War being part of his policy as well as a basis of Croatia's policy," Josipović said in a comment on Milanovic's inauguration speech.
He described the inauguration as low-key, pleasant and dignified.
Commenting further on Milanović's speech, Josipović said that the new president had pointed out three important areas - judiciary, science and education, and the welfare component of society.
"That means that he sees the role of the president in a broader sense, as one surpassing their formal powers," he said, adding that he expected Milanović to promote European values.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković did not wish to comment on the inauguration of Croatia's fifth President Zoran Milanović on Tuesday and just waved off reporters who were waiting for him at the president's office.
Plenković was one of about only forty guests invited to Milanović's inauguration and oath-taking ceremony but was virtually the only person who did not wish to make a comment on the ceremony nor on what he expects from Milanović during his term in office.
It seems that Plenković is sticking to his announcement that he and Milanovic will have a "tough cohabitation."
More news about Zoran Milanović can be found in the Politics section.
