Jukić: It's Easy to Bash HDZ, but MOST Was the One Who Dug Up the Dirt
Ante Jukić's column analyzes the political battle over the waste scandal in Lika, while the Prime Minister simultaneously celebrates the successes of Croatian athletes.
Ante Jukić's column analyzes the political battle over the waste scandal in Lika, while the Prime Minister simultaneously celebrates the successes of Croatian athletes.
While the Croatian public grapples with the waste scandal in Lika, the political scene is divided over who truly deserves the most credit for exposing it. In a column published on the portal Budica.info on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, columnist Ante Jukić poses an uncomfortable question to the far left: how to accept the fact that it was precisely MOST, a party they "organically cannot stand," that played a key role in bringing the issue to light.
Jukić does not spare the Government: "It must always be emphasized that the greatest responsibility and blame lie with the Government; there is no stunt or PR campaign that can absolve them in this situation." However, he simultaneously questions the role of the opposition, especially its far-left segment. "If they knew or suspected something and remained silent, then they are complicit. If they had no idea, then they are quite incompetent," the columnist writes.
He specifically targets the Možemo! party, which, as he notes, was until recently in power and controlled the ministries responsible for waste. "Everyone talks about what they know; Možemo! talks about garbage," Jukić quips, adding that they are currently in power in Zagreb, where waste is one of the burning issues.
The column's author believes that the role of the opposition is misunderstood: "The opposition's job is not to shout, throw around clichés, hysterically hunt for Ustasha everywhere, and insult anyone who doesn't fit your ideological mold." Instead, the opposition should "hold the government accountable, investigate, expose, and back it all up with concrete evidence."
Jukić concludes that the far-left opposition is now caught off guard because, according to available information, MOST played the most significant role in uncovering the case. "As easy and sweet as it is to attack HDZ, it is equally hard to accept that the party most responsible for bringing the dirt to the surface is one they organically cannot stand," Jukić writes.
While the political battle over the scandal rages on, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, on the same day, August 19, 2026, posted a series of activities related to Croatian sports. He met with the leadership of the Croatian Gymnastics Federation on the occasion of hosting the European Championships in men's and women's artistic gymnastics in Zagreb.
"We are proud that Croatia is hosting as many as 4️⃣ European Championships, in men's and women's senior and junior artistic gymnastics," Plenković wrote on Twitter. He also highlighted impressive numbers: two Olympic silvers, five world and ten senior European medals, and a total of 187 medals from World Cups.
Plenković also received top Croatian athletes Sara Kolak and Marino Bloudek on the occasion of their medal wins at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. "Athletics is the queen of sports, and this outstanding success is a continuation of the great tradition of Croatian athletics," the Prime Minister said.
Sara Kolak, ten years after her Olympic gold in Rio, became the European champion in javelin throw, while Marino Bloudek achieved a historic result with a silver in the 800-meter race. Plenković also emphasized financial support for sports: investments have increased sevenfold, investments in athletics have risen by 140 percent, and more than 20 athletics tracks have been renovated and built across Croatia.
