Croatian parliament continues extraordinary session

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament on Saturday continued the extraordinary session called by President Zoran Milanović, who proposed that the government be given 15 days to ensure the normal functioning of the judiciary and establish the responsibility in the gas sales scandal.

The first day of the session, held on Friday, lasted for 16 hours, focusing on the judiciary and the ongoing strike of judicial workers demanding a €400 pay rise and better working conditions.

The gas scandal broke out after it was found that the national energy company HEP had sold surplus gas at rock-bottom prices that resulted in millions of euros in losses, and the parliamentary Economy Committee was told that PPD had purchased 63 per cent of the surplus gas.

The second day opened with accusations traded by the opposition Bridge party and the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) concerning the PPD gas company and its CEO Pavao Vujnovac.

Miro Bulj (Bridge) said that the HDZ is kneeling before Vujnovac and that Vujnovac is their boss. "While women are striking and you are trampling on them, you are kneeling before the tycoon Vujnovac acting like timid little mice," the Bridge MP said.

Mato Franković (HDZ) said that what links Milanović and Bridge together is Vujnovac.  "It's not ideology or faith that links them together, but Pavao Vujnovac," he said.

Nikola Grmoja (Bridge) said it is well-known that Vujnovac had lent money to the HDZ, rejecting Franković's claim that Bridge made it possible for PPD to enter the southern Adriatic port of Ploče.

Marijan Pavliček (Sovereignists) said that Croatia has been in a state of emergency for months with corruption scandals erupting all over the place. "There is no answer as to who is responsible for the 'gas for a cent' scandal," he said.

Stipo Mlinarić (Homeland Movement) pointed the finger at Prime Minister Andrej Plenković as the head of "the corruption octopus". 

Katarina Peović (Workers' Front) said: "We are not interested in who is friends with whom, but we want to replace this corruptive model of government."