ZAGREB, 19 May 2022 - In a comment on the High Administrative Court's ruling quashing a decision that he had been in a conflict of interest, former HDZ leader and Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Karamarko has said that the damage caused to Croatia would possibly amount to billions of kuna.

The 2016 decision by the Conflict of Interest Commission, which found that Karamarko had been in a conflict of interest, resulted in his withdrawing from politics.

Commenting on the ruling quashing the decision, Karamarko said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that Dalija Orešković, chair of the Conflict of Interest Commission in 2016 and now a member of parliament, "was rewarded by being launched into high politics after completing her task."

As for the Bridge party, which made its participation in the then government led by the HDZ conditional on Karamarko's resignation, Karamarko said that it had caused considerable damage to the Croat people whose interests it claimed to protect.

Describing Orešković and Bridge as "pawns", Karamarko said that damages to be paid by Croatia to the Hungarian MOL oil company would be known soon and that they would possibly amount to billions of kuna.

Karamarko resigned after the Conflict of Interest Commission concluded that his wife Ana's company Drimia had received money from individuals lobbying for MOL.

In June 2016 the Commission concluded that Karamarko, at the time First Deputy Prime Minister and HDZ president, had been in a conflict of interest because he presented his personal views and proposals for Croatia's withdrawal from arbitration proceedings with MOL, notably at meetings of the Cooperation Council.

For more, check out our politics section.

Even though rumours were coming from HDZ yesterday that PM Oreskovic will be asked to resign, the tables have now turned.