President Milanović on Attempted Assassination of Trump: Horrifying, the shooting is a threat to life and democracy
“The attempted assassination of Trump is a horrifying event that should not have happened. There wasn’t even a drone to monitor the area and immediately see what was happening, nor was it all secured in any approximately decent way. There are maniacs everywhere, but you can’t legally acquire, or own, long guns everywhere. And then between that and a shooting, there are just a few steps you need to climb and shoot. Luckily, he missed, but he killed one person, and two were seriously injured,” the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović told the press after participating in a special session of the Novigrad Podravski Municipal Council, commenting on the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The President of the Republic believes that the atmosphere in the U.S. is much more toxic and ugly than in Croatia. “The shooting is a threat to life and democracy. Trump, unfortunately, advocates something that almost cost him his life, the unregulated sale of weapons. And that’s how the maniacs come into possession of long guns,” he said.
Responding to a journalist’s question about possible candidates for the presidential election, President Milanović said that he was not thinking about it. “I do my job, I represent Croatia and I will do my best to make Croatia a country that is as fair and normal as possible, which does not cannonball into stupid adventures that serve someone else’s private interests. I am awaiting the presidential election calm and ready because I know what I’ve been doing,” said President Milanović, adding that Prime Minister Plenković would make a great candidate. “It would be cool, but most likely it will not happen. He can be a candidate and run a campaign. It is not prohibited, just as I had the right to be a candidate in the parliamentary election,” he added.
Journalists were also interested in why Croatia did not sign an agreement with Ukraine on the margins of the NATO Summit in Washington. The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Gordan Grlić Radman, claims that President Milanović is responsible for this. “Grlić Radman does not decide on anything and I do not plan to deal with him. That is Plenković’s nightmare and he can have it if he wants. We did not sign the agreement because the Government signs agreements. Croatian laws state that they are negotiated and concluded by the Government, and ratified and confirmed by Parliament. Radman probably doesn’t know that, but I am now telling him. Plenković probably knows, so let him do something about it,” he said.
Speaking about the content of the agreement itself, the President of the Republic says that he would not sign it, and that such an agreement is a topic for the National Security Council, which, he reminded, Plenković and his associates systematically avoid and obstruct. “Simply, that kind of cooperation which includes military aid is not something I see Croatia being part of. I say this all the time and consistently stand as the last barrier of reason and responsibility between Croatia and HDZ and Plenković, who are trying to involve us in the war as much as possible. The current situation is such that I cannot say I am optimistic about the security situation in Europe and the world. It is not appropriate for Croatia to push itself where common sense dictates it does not belong. Croatia is not a border country, it is not in the Baltic, nor in the Caucasus. Croatia has suffered and bled a lot for what some today are defending and others are destroying. That is my position. Regarding the responsibility for assuming obligations for Croatia, even harmful ones, that is what the Government does,” he said.
President Milanović also commented on the appointment of Constitutional Court judges. “I hope that one side of Parliament would do their best to nominate to these positions people with impeccable careers, public status and unsullied intelligence, people who are not exhibitionists and posers who go around and interpret the Constitution as they see it. In fact, according to my criteria, the choice has been narrowed down to a very small number of people, but we can anticipate all sorts of people from the demi-monde, but also great people. I am certain that this time there will be more great people, because only a few people who deserve to be called constitutional judges sit on the present Constitutional Court. They carry an enormous burden on their shoulders and in their hearts,” he said.