BUZ President Milivoj Špika has called for the government's irrevocable resignation and early parliamentary elections, describing the illegal hazardous waste dumping in Lika as "environmental terrorism."
The Bloc of Pensioners Together (BUZ) called on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, for the Government of Andrej Plenković to submit its irrevocable resignation and demanded the urgent scheduling of early parliamentary elections. The reason for this radical demand is the case of illegally disposed hazardous waste in Lika, which, according to BUZ President Milivoj Špika, has transcended the issue of corruption and become a direct threat to human health, drinking water, soil, and the environment.
In a sharply worded press release, Špika characterized the events in Lika in the strongest possible terms. "Ecocide, or better yet, ecological terrorism in Lika, possibly under the patronage of the current local authorities, and very likely from higher levels, is the breaking point after which the Government, along with the Prime Minister, should immediately submit its irrevocable resignation and urgently call early parliamentary elections," Špika said.
He believes that this environmental scandal has reached a point of no return for the current administration. BUZ claims that a number of individuals linked to the ruling party were involved in committing criminal acts or covering up the case, although these are for now political claims, and any criminal responsibility is to be determined by the competent authorities.
In the party's statement, it is emphasized that the disposal, or rather the secret burial of toxic and even carcinogenic waste in Lika, in terms of consequences for people and the environment, has surpassed all previous corruption scandals involving someone from or close to the HDZ. "It is no longer just about money, favoritism, or corruption; this is about human health, drinking water, soil, nature, and the future of an entire region," the BUZ statement reads.
The party also states that this can already be characterized as terrorism that endangers people's lives and destroys an area that should be the most ecologically clean and healthy in the entire country.
The BUZ president does not place responsibility solely on those who illegally disposed of the waste but raises a key question about the work of state institutions. "Where were the Government, the relevant ministry, and the State Inspectorate? Where were those paid to control, prevent, and sanction such occurrences? If the institutions knew, why did they not react? If they did not know, why were they not doing their job?" Špika asked.
He added that any deliberate failure to react by the institutions would represent not only incompetence but direct political and institutional responsibility. According to him, the way the Government communicates after the revelation of the scale of the pollution only confirms this conclusion.
BUZ also stated that there should be no mercy for anyone, especially for the Government, which, along with the relevant ministry and the State Inspectorate, did absolutely nothing to prevent the disaster, and now that everything has been uncovered, they are trying to relativize the problem by downplaying the damage already done, as well as the damage that could follow without urgent remediation.
Špika directly called out the Prime Minister and his cabinet. "The behavior of the Government and the Prime Minister after the revelation of the scale of the pollution is proof that they are fully aware of their responsibility, but, as is their usual practice, they do not want to accept it," he stated. In its statement, BUZ joins all political and social actors demanding the Government's resignation and early elections, calling on citizens to decide at the polls.
The party stated in the release that this is the moment for all honest and well-meaning citizens to give the Government a thumbs down and send it to the dustbin of history, with the message that the evil they have inflicted during their ten-year rule must never be repeated.
"Enough of corruption and thievery under the auspices and protection of the authorities. Let the citizens decide to whom they will again give their trust, and after that, let the institutions finally start doing their job, without political protection, without favoritism, without cover-ups, and regardless of party affiliation," Špika said.
For BUZ and its president, the case in Lika represents a definitive line after which seeking individual responsibility is no longer sufficient. He concluded his address to the public with a direct attack on the ruling party, calling for a comprehensive political reckoning.
"Enough of corruption! Enough of crime! Enough of impunity! It is time for the HDZ and its satellites to answer to the citizens," concluded Milivoj Špika, president of the Bloc of Pensioners Together.
