MP accuses PM of trying to present as a new idea something the government previously rejected after the Gospić affair. Plenković says the coalition is stable and remediation is accelerating.
MP Marija Selak Raspudić reacted fiercely on Tuesday to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's statement about the planned introduction of the criminal offense of ecocide into the Criminal Code, accusing him of deceiving the public. The trigger was the affair involving illegal disposal of hazardous waste in Gospić, and the MP claims that an identical proposal has been in parliamentary procedure for two years and was previously rejected by the government.
Earlier in the day, Plenković announced amendments to the Criminal Code that would introduce a special criminal offense against the environment, following the earlier introduction of femicide. He stressed that a special working group is already working on the amendments and that the hazardous waste case in Lika must be addressed on three levels: criminal, remediation, and political.
Selak Raspudić denies the PM's claims of a new initiative. According to her, the proposal to introduce ecocide was drafted by experts from the Department of Criminal Law at the Zagreb Faculty of Law, led by Professor Roksandić. The proposal provides for strict prison sentences of at least five years for those who intentionally cause serious and long-term damage to the environment.
"While the government was waiting for harmonization, Croatia became a destination for hazardous waste. Ecocide was committed in Lika, and now the PM claims he will introduce a criminal offense he could have already accepted," said Selak Raspudić.
The MP claims that Andrej Plenković's government previously rejected the proposal, citing the need to harmonize with European legislation. In her post, she highlights the irony of the situation: "Well, while they were waiting and deliberating, some EU member states nicely harmonized with Plenković's government and dumped their garbage on us."
She also added sharp criticism of the ruling party: "HDZ members, your hindsight and false promises are useless. Nothing is enough anymore, nor will it be."
Selak Raspudić concludes that due to the waste affair in Gospić, Plenković's government no longer has political legitimacy and reiterates the demand for its resignation. "Because of Gospić, Plenković's government must fall," the MP said.
On the other hand, PM Plenković posted on his Twitter profile that a meeting of the inner cabinet and coalition was held regarding the waste situation in Gospić in Lika-Senj County. "The main messages are, the criminal process is ongoing, remediation is accelerating, and the coalition is stable, with everyone wanting the perpetrators of these crimes to be punished most severely," the PM wrote.
