ZAGREB, 1 May 2022 - President Zoran Milanović on Sunday said that any member of the Croatian parliament who votes for Finland and Sweden joining NATO prior to the election law in Bosnia and Herzegovina being amended is a traitor.
Milanović has already said on several occasions that he is opposed to Finland and Sweden joining the North Atlantic Alliance if the election law in BiH is not amended as it enables the more numerous Bosniaks to outvote the Croats in that neighbouring country.
Speaking in Varaždin where he attended a celebration of International Workers' Day, Milanović reiterated that Croatia has a "historic opportunity" to fight for BiH Croats, which is also in "Croatia's interest and not just a wild wish."
"I will label anyone who votes otherwise (for Sweden's and Finland's accession to NATO) a traitor. And I will label anyone who drinks coffee with them a traitor. There's no other way," said Milanović.
"If I were to speak sleep-inducingly as (PM Andrej) Plenković does... then no one would listen to me. This way, I am taking on the burden of being awful, of people hating me, throwing eggs at me, booing me because I am fighting for a just cause. That is my duty. I am the president and supreme commander," he added.
Rafale jets are attractive but useless
Milanović also spoke about the purchase of 12 Rafale multipurpose fighter jets from France, underscoring that they were overpaid and useless, and that France has not advocated changes to the election law in BiH.
"Where if France's assistance regarding BiH? How much needs to be paid, ten billion euros? Is a billion and a half not enough?" asked Milanović.
He believes that it would have been better for Croatia to have bought a hundred drones and strengthened its air defence. But, he said, Plenković decided personally to buy the jets that are unnecessary for Croatia and "useless" in war but good "for showing."
"What use do we have of 12 Rafales with very little equipment and very few missiles? Do you see how short a jet's lifespan is in a war if they aren't the best?" he said.
He added that Hungary, with ten to twelve interceptors, did not manage to detect a Soviet-produced drone that fell in a Zagreb suburb in March.
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