Sanader Invites Opposition to Gospić for Public Toast with Tap Water
HDZ Caucus Leader Dismisses Opposition Claims of Hazardous Waste as 'Documented Lies', PM Plenković Announces Accelerated Cleanup of 37,000 Tons of Waste
HDZ Caucus Leader Dismisses Opposition Claims of Hazardous Waste as 'Documented Lies', PM Plenković Announces Accelerated Cleanup of 37,000 Tons of Waste
Ante Sanader, the leader of the HDZ caucus in the Croatian Parliament, issued an unusual invitation to opposition MPs on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. He called on them to come to Gospić on Friday and, together with the parliamentary majority, drink a glass of water from the local water supply, in an attempt to refute claims of contamination.
"We invite our valiant opposition colleagues to join us on Friday in Gospić to drink healthy, safe water from the tap. Let them dial down the hysteria they've been fabricating," Sanader wrote in a Facebook post.
In his post, Sanader fiercely attacked claims that the Croatian Government had issued a permit for hazardous waste in Lika or had covered up the case. He called them "documented lies" and warned that they would come back to haunt the opposition like a boomerang.
He specifically singled out SDP leader Siniša Hajdaš Dončić, comparing the current situation to "two months of the Traveling Circus." "Just as the Traveling Circus came back to haunt Hajdaš and the SDP," Sanader's post read, adding that the whole story would ultimately backfire on the SDP president.
The case of the illegal waste dump at Bilajska 50 in Gospić, where approximately 37,000 tons of waste have been identified, has escalated into a serious political crisis. The opposition parties Most, SDP, and Drito have called for an urgent session of Parliament and announced they would initiate a no-confidence vote against the government.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković held an online meeting with coalition partners the same day, followed by a statement to the media. "We held a meeting of the inner cabinet and the coalition regarding the waste situation in Gospić in Lika-Senj County. The key messages are: the criminal proceedings are ongoing, the cleanup is being accelerated, and the coalition remains stable," Plenković said.
The issue of water quality came back into the spotlight after the release of expert findings showing that PFAS compounds, so-called forever chemicals, were found in groundwater downstream from the illegal dump. The findings so far do not indicate that these substances have entered the public water supply system.
Krunoslav Capak, director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), stated that the water from the public supply system in Gospić is safe for drinking and health-wise secure, but recommended that owners of private wells contact the HZJZ to have their water tested, as these sources are not part of the public supply.
Prime Minister Plenković emphasized that according to HZJZ measurements, there is no threat to drinking water in Lika, and the public will be regularly informed about water quality. "We will accelerate the cleanup process for the total of 37,000 tons of waste. All those who committed criminal acts will be held accountable, and the state will also seek reimbursement of funds for the cleanup," he stated.
Sanader, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Nature Protection, announced that the committee would hold a thematic session in Gospić on Friday, August 14, dedicated to the case of illegally dumped waste. Plenković, for his part, said the government is approaching the situation "calmly, rationally, seriously, professionally, and responsibly, without hysteria, panic, or drama."
"The coalition is stable, and the opposition's initiative for a no-confidence vote will end like many before it," the Prime Minister concluded.
