ZAGREB, CROATIA - There was no sign that premier Ivo Sanader resigned in parliament. The atmosphere was mainly like any other day, and there was a discussion on agricultural subsidies. The biggest difference was on Andrija Hebrang’s face, who came before the press with a wide smile. Ivo Sanader offered him to be HDZ’s (Croatian Democratic Union) candidate at the upcoming presidential elections:

“I am honoured by the offer, it is a great honour to be HDZ’s presidential candidate. It is not correct as some reported that I was given a deadline of 24 hours to decide if I accept it. That deadline is a lot longer and I will accept it”.

When asked by the press if he was surprised by the premier’s decision and what the real reasons are for his departure, he answered “I do not want to comment that”.

His party colleague Krunoslav Markovinovic told us:

“We were also shocked! Most of the HDZ parliamentarians found out today, and it is clear that we were shocked. We found out exactly the same reasons that the premier gave the public. I can understand him in coming to be tired of the materials if the work day lasts long, so I assume that he will return after a quick recovery. The situation is normal in the party, and I expect that the new cabinet will focus by the end of the week as predicted” said Markovinovic.

“Reconstruction of cabinet”

The coalition partners of Slaven Hrelja from the Croatian Pensioner’s Party (HSU) and Semso Tankovic who heads the national minorities, have already given their support to the new cabinet with premier Jadranka Kosor.

For Hrelja, a ‘reconstruction of the cabinet’ is in question:

“I have to say that I am very surprised. I did not expect this event. This is a time when you need to be restrained and without big words, because we have yet to find out the real reason. There is no reason for celebration in HDZ or SDP (Social Democratic Party) because it is not easy to catch this hot potato. If early elections are filed, we will support them” concluded Hrelja. He stressed that his condition of support to the new cabinet is to not touch the rights pensioners have gained up until now.

Semso Tankovic described the meeting with Sanader and Kosor at 11am to the press:

“The premier announced his decision that he has to get out of the current situation. He mentioned fifth gear, leading the party the last ten years, and said that Jadranka Kosor will be the premier. He is obviously leaving due to health problems. He mentioned that his doctors advised that he slow down that fifth gear”.

“I do not believe Sanader even when he is leaving. I think that it is a shameful exit or manoeuvre which wants to create the impression that the country is without a head, only for him to quickly return to politics in the race for president. He is leaving only to announce his candidature to his loved people. This must not be the end of Ivo Sanader, I want him to live 101 years, but it must be the end of the era of Ivo Sanader” said Damir Kajin, an opposition parliamentarian from IDS (Istrian Democratic Parliament).

Coward

This is also the stance of Radimir Cacic and Vesna Pusic, who organised a press conference of HNS (Croatian People’s Party) for the resignation:

“We heard that the premier said that the job of a politician is not serving itself but the people. This is why the leader that gave the key contribution to bring the country to an economic crisis and collapse must not and cannot leave the sinking ship. That is not a leader! That is a coward! There is no apology for this. If illness is in question then he should say it and call early elections and give the people a chance to choose a new cabinet” says Cacic.

Vesna Pusic says: “If this really is a departure and not a manoeuvre for the presidential elections, then this new cabinet should be only short and temporary”.

Dragutin Lesar, an independent parliamentarian from Medjimurje, found the only local word to describe the situation: ‘escapee’ (or someone who flees). Watching Sanader’s press conference on television, he concluded that it is full of ‘set phases’ like ‘serving the people’, ‘feeling the instinctive command of the moment’, ‘we have achieved our strategic aims’, ‘I am leaving politics, but politics is not leaving me’…

“I listened to those set phases and I do not understand why that man escaped from the Cabinet. In me town they call them ‘escapee’. Is it possible that in a democratic country a state premier resigns, and to not admit the mistakes of his cabinet with one word. If he is ill he should say so clearly” says Lesar, asking the premier to explain the reasons for his resignation: failure or illness?