Plenković Launches Patriotic Offensive: Gospić Affair Becomes Hybrid War
Prime Minister accuses opposition of hysteria and undermining the tourist season, while public call for waste removal announced by August 25. Capak and HZJZ stand by him.
Prime Minister accuses opposition of hysteria and undermining the tourist season, while public call for waste removal announced by August 25. Capak and HZJZ stand by him.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, head of HDZ and the government, has decided to respond to the toxic waste affair in Gospić with a multi-front offensive. On Tuesday, he stated that we are witnessing "the complete fabrication of hysteria by those who have nothing else to offer citizens but spreading panic in the public sphere."
Instead of focusing solely on the remediation of the illegal landfill of heavy metals and microplastics, the Prime Minister directed most of his communication toward criticizing the opposition, environmental associations, and the media. His message to the citizens of Gospić was clear: do not succumb to panic.
Plenković emphasized that the waste problem in Lika is being addressed on three levels: criminal, remediation, and political. "Regarding criminal responsibility, everything will be investigated. The Environmental Protection Fund has been tasked, and all institutions are doing their job," said the Prime Minister.
According to him, the public call for waste removal will be issued by August 25. "The Environmental Protection Fund will proceed steadily, especially with this waste on the surface. It needs to be removed and disposed of properly. This is not a one-day job," Plenković stated.
To ease citizens' concerns about water quality, the Prime Minister cited institutional findings. He stressed that drinking water is fine according to HZJZ findings. Additionally, he included Krunoslav Capak as an additional shield against accusations that the water in Gospić is contaminated.
"Drinking water is fine according to HZJZ findings. People are scared because the opposition feeds them such things. Citizens of Gospić can rest assured, it is of good quality," Plenković said.
In his clash with critics, Plenković resorted to a narrative already seen in his previous affairs. He accused the opposition of hating Croatia, undermining the excellent tourist season, and driving tourists away from the Adriatic. "They are jealous because inflation is falling and the credit rating is rising," he added.
This is not the first time the Prime Minister has used such rhetoric. When the secret Borg group, which drafted "lex Agrokor," was exposed, Plenković spoke of a "hybrid war" against Croatia. He reacted similarly when a billion kuna from gas trading was discovered in a pensioner's account, calling opposition protests an "orchestrated attack by paramilitary groups."
The author of the article in 24sata compares this affair to Fimi media, which cost former Prime Minister Sanader his career and freedom, and to the canopy collapse in Novi Sad, which brought Serbian President Vučić two years of protests and blockades. In Gospić, fortunately, there are no dead, but this is a long-standing problem of devastation in what was once the cleanest part of Croatia.
However, Plenković did not even bother to visit Gospić, instead communicating everything in a chat format. According to him, the opposition is trying to profit from the findings of the Faculty of Geotechnical Engineering due to poor public opinion research.
In the shadow of this affair, the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the HDZ Youth marked August 12 as International Youth Day. The government stated it is committed to creating conditions where young people in Croatia can realize their potential through quality education, opportunities for personal and professional development, dignified work, and independence.
The HDZ Youth highlighted this year's theme "Different Contexts, Common Aspirations," which reminds us that young people, regardless of different circumstances, share common goals and face similar challenges.
