ZAGREB, July 23, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday it was not his fault that MPs received the new government's programme late, and that the new parliament included plenty of sensitive MPs who had yet to toughen up.
"I'm satisfied with what we presented as our programme," he told press during a break in a parliamentary debate on his new cabinet's programme.
"As for this argument that the programme wasn't sent 25 days earlier, it's always been so. After parliament yesterday adopted a law on fewer ministries, the material was sent to parliament. Whether it was delivered at 8 or 9 a.m., it's not on me as the prime minister-designate. They knew the programme. It doesn't contain any particular surprises in relation to the (election) campaign," Plenkovic said after MPs claimed they received the programme too late to be able to examine it.
He said that during the debate none of the new MPs made him lose his temper, but noted that plenty of the new ones were quite sensitive and that they appealed to the deputy speaker for protection.
Plenkovic was referring to MPs who accused him of interrupting Tomislav Tomasevic of the green-left coalition during his address and warned deputy speaker Zeljko Reiner that Plenkovic was in breach of standing orders.
"They'll toughen up," said Plenkovic.
He went on to say that the support of 76 MPs for his cabinet was enough and that he would not persuade or lobby to ensure a broader support.
He said government members would be stripped of immunity when it came to corruption-related offences and that this was an important political statement and a contribution to the fight against corruption.
