ZAGREB, 9 February 2021 - President Zoran Milanović on Monday commented on Gender Equality Ombudswoman Višnja Ljubičić's criticism of his statements about sexual harassment, calling Ljubičić a "so-called ombudswoman" who is not doing her job.
"After carefully pondering for two days, the so-called gender equality ombudswoman, known for sailing into the office for a second term just before the last parliamentary elections, spoke. In 2011 she sailed into the office for her first term during which she never made a statement," Milanović said in a Facebook post in response to Ljubičić's comment in which she criticised him for his statements about victims of sexual harassment and violence.
"I think that publicly expressed views of public figures, especially the president, should indicate support and understanding of all initiatives aimed at protecting all victims of sexual harassment or rape, without questioning possible manipulation, 'appropriateness' or co-responsibility of victims, because that is statistically negligible and it perpetuates common gender stereotypes of expressing distrust of victims," Ljubičić said.
Last Friday, Milanović was asked by reporters to comment on accusations of sexual harassment at university faculties and the public television service and he said that one should fight against it at all times.
But he also said that when "such cries come from Hollywood actresses who do not get out of bed for less than five million dollars" he does not see it as something he should pay attention to, but "the problem is when this is done by working women, clerical workers, mothers and academy students because it is common knowledge how one can advance in those systems."
In his latest Facebook post, Milanović says Ljubičić's comment on his statements is "as sophisticated as a tax form", "as if downloaded from the website of some association."
Apart from Ljubičić's latest reaction, Milanović also resents her failure to respond when MP Dalija Orešković a few months ago described people who frequented a bar owned by former JANAF oil pipeline operator CEO Dragan Kovačević, charged with corruption, as "prostitutes and criminals."
"That cruel statement was not sufficient to end the ombudswoman's hibernation... Since she is not doing her job at home, how many times in these nine years has she personally taken part in the work of the renowned, Brussels-based Equinet? Does she know what that is?" Milanović says in the post.
