ZAGREB, June 20, 2020 - Homeland Movement leader Miroslav Skoro on Saturday criticised former President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic for launching "a middle-finger coalition" against him, after his statement about raped women and abortion caused an outrage.

Skoro's statement, made during a recent election debate, that if a woman becomes pregnant after being raped, she should agree with her family what to do next, has triggered an avalanche of reactions and comments on social media, especially among women, who showed him their middle finger in protest. Grabar-Kitarovic joined them on Thursday by posting a photograph of herself with a raised middle finger in support of women.

Skoro was in the eastern city of Osijek on Saturday to present the election candidates of the Homeland Movement for Constituency 4. The party's list for this electoral unit is headed by his sister, Vesna Vucemilovic.

Skoro accused Grabar-Kitarovic, Plenkovic and Jandrokovic of ignoring the will of Croatian voters and referendum initiatives. He said that the ruling HDZ was in a coalition with the leftist faction of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament which includes Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's people.

"That makes it clear why (Croatian Serb MP) Milorad Pupovac supports Plenkovic and why Plenkovic does not want to and cannot renounce him," Skoro said.

"The Homeland Movement advocates traditional Christian Democratic values, protection of life from conception, reforms, and a better life in Croatia. Young people are key to survival and it should be made possible for them to educate themselves, work and start their families here," he added.

Skoro said that his statements were "maliciously taken out of context" to raise a fuss, but that "all masks are off now."

The press conference was also addressed by Tado Juric, the party's expert in demography and youth issues, who said that the Slavonia region was "a demographically scorched country" as far more young people had emigrated than official figures indicated.

"Young people think that this country and this society has morally declined. It is high time we changed that. Unfortunately, right now we don't have patriotic elites to raise the issue of emigration to the EU level," Juric said.

ZAGREB, June 19, 2020 - Former president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has joined women who have shown their middle finger at statements about abortion made by Homeland Movement leader Miroslav Skoro and some other politicians, making an off the photo of herself with her middle finger extended.

"I am joining all women who with this 'indecent' act are showing their stand and raising their voice against those who are trying to take us centuries back," Grabar-Kitarovic told the Jutarnji List daily, to which she sent her photo.

The former president said the time was gone when men made decisions for women.

"I have always advocated life but I have also advocated a life that has the right to choose. Without pressure, without stigmatisation and without conditions, particularly in the most sensitive situations such as rape," Grabar-Kitarovic said, adding that she had shown her middle finger as a sign of support for "us women and our rights as well as for men who support us."

Grabar-Kitarovic's statement was one in a number of reactions prompted by Skoro's statement that "if a woman becomes pregnant after being raped, she should agree with her family what to do next."

Commenting on those reactions, Skoro said that his statements were being taken out of context because there was nothing he or the election candidates of the Homeland Movement could be reproached for.