ZAGREB, Dec 8, 2020 - Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Pedja Grbin on Tuesday condemned the expulsion of five scientists from the government's Scientific Council for combating the coronavirus pandemic, saying that in dealing with the coronavirus the government was not guided by science but by the political needs of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party.
"Are we living in the 16th or 17th or 21st century? The prime minister expelled the scientists from the Science Council because they insisted on working on the basis of science and scientific facts and not on the political views and convictions of the prime minister," Grbin said in parliament.
"You decided to silence the scientists because they gave science priority over politics. This is reminiscent of the 17th century, but it won't change scientific facts," Grbin said, addressing the HDZ lawmakers.
Noting that Croatia's response to the coronavirus pandemic was among the worst in the world, Grbin said that this was no surprise because in combating the crisis the government was not guided by science but by "the impressions and daily political needs of the HDZ and its leader Plenkovic, which is bad because this won't help the country overcome this difficult situation."
According to media reports, five scientists have been kicked out of the Scientific Council after 26 prominent Croatian medical doctors and scientists issued an appeal to the public expressing concern about the spread of the pandemic and a large number of deaths in Croatia. Late on Monday, government spokesman Marko Milic denied the reports of their expulsion.
