President Milanović: Corruption and greed disheartening people, making them leave Croatia
“My message to everyone: Manage public money fairly! If you want to harm Croats, our small nation, the best way to do it is to steal money from people in broad daylight and fail to hold anyone accountable,” the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović said today at the special session of the Municipality of Lipovljani Municipal Council.
Speaking at the special session of the Municipality of Lipovljani Municipal Council on the occasion of Municipality Day, President Milanović warned about the devastating consequences of corruption. “At the local level, there should be as little ideology as possible. When we talk about ideology, we talk about the soul, and the best way to dishearten people is to destroy their trust in public offices, and that trust is lost due to corruption Croatia is riddled with. I’m talking about greed, the need to take what does not belong to you. That is what disheartens people and what makes them shun public engagement and ultimately leave Croatia,” he emphasized.
Money, even though important, is not the main reason for emigration, he added. “A modern society, a wealthy society is a society of consumption that has its shortcomings and defects. But that modern, capitalist society was built on relations regulated by a contract. A contract is always a matter of trust,” said President Milanović, adding that if citizens’ trust is betrayed, it undermines the system.
Speaking about the community of Lipovljani, the President recalled his previous visit, saying that “this area is symbolic because it is where two Croatian identities – Shtokavian and Chakavian – meet in their milder form.”
“This is one of those unique characteristics of us as a nation, a group of people with a common history, but who differ from each other. There is so much diversity in the unity that exists within the modern Croatian nation. It may have stood in our way, but in the end that obstacle was bypassed. We became a nation and we defended and fought for that nation in this last, most mature stage, in the Homeland War. But the Croatian nation is older, as is our awareness of the historical right to a state and the need to realize that right. This is something that we should constantly keep in mind in the European Union, even ten years after joining it. If we don’t take care of ourselves and our interests, no one else will. Because only we care about this country and its people. Others don’t mind, but they are indifferent. We must not be indifferent!,” concluded President Milanović.
Speaking at the special session apart from President Milanović were the President of the Municipal Council Tomislav Lukšić, Head of the Municipality of Lipovljani Nikola Horvat, Mayor of Čabar Antonio Dražović, and members of the Croatian Parliament Željko Lenart and Mirela Ahmetović.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan