ZAGREB, June 13, 2020 - The leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Davor Bernardic, said on Saturday he was confident that together with their partners from the centre-left Restart coalition they would win enough votes in the forthcoming election to form a firm and stable government.
"Today is a very important day for the SDP on the road to a final victory at this election and I am certain that after this day we will be a step closer to it because we have the most competent people, as we showed at the European and presidential elections," Bernardic said in his opening remarks at a meeting of the party's main committee where lists of candidates were to be agreed.
He said that their mission was to ensure a better life for the citizens and that no one would stop them from achieving that. "Only together can we succeed, as we did at the European and presidential elections, riding on a wave of unity, good ideas, good programs, and the faith and vision that our country deserves better."
"That's what will happen at this election too. Rest assured that the SDP and its coalition partners will have a sufficient number of seats to form a firm and stable government. Today I am certain of a victory more than ever before," Bernardic said.
He said that Croatia needs a decent, responsible, and transparent government with a strategy to address the present crisis and with a clear vision of the future. In the past four years Croatia has not carried out a single reform and lags behind other EU countries on all criteria, while it can do better and deserves better, he added.
Bernardic said that If elected, in the first week in office the Restart coalition will extend the job retention scheme by passing a law on a shortened work week, a law on a moratorium on loan repayments, a decision for the development bank HBOR and the SMEs agency HAMAG to provide loans to small businesses and family-run farms, a set of measures for the most vulnerable social groups and a law on the reconstruction of Zagreb after the March 22 earthquake.
He said that his government would have five priorities - kick-start economic recovery and growth, boost employment, wages and pensions growth, a crackdown on corruption, implement a comprehensive digital transformation of the system, reform the state, and local government system, and reform the healthcare system.
"Our goal is a progressive, modern, and successful Croatia. At this election, the citizens will choose whether they want a Croatia free of corruption, poverty, and injustice or a return to the old ways. They will decide whether they want a Croatia without discrimination that will give everyone, and not just some, a chance to succeed," the SDP leader said.
