President Milanović on Daruvar Crime: Not only regulation, but also the implementation of gun control laws is important
“I wouldn’t point the finger at anyone because all the relevant facts need to be seen. But, in a small community like Daruvar, everything is known. The task of prevention in the implementation and enforcement of the law is in the hands of the police. In such cases, even the burden of proof is on them. It is not the same if something happens in Zagreb or Split or if it happens in a small and peaceful town in Slavonia, because in such environments any type of blood crime and aggression is perceived as a shock to the residents. Something like this is unprecedented in Croatia. The man was illegally armed and many people there knew it. His weapon should have been taken away. This shows how important not only regulation is, but also the implementation of gun control laws,” said the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović, commenting on the horrifying crime in Daruvar, and once again expressed his condolences to the families of the six killed in a nursing home in the small town.
Warning about the issue of illegal gun ownership, he noted that “fortunately, we are not like the United States, where a 20-year-old lunatic can legally buy a rifle and shoot at a presidential candidate.” He emphasized the need for stricter gun control legislation, saying, “We need to move from strict to stricter. It is not typical for the average citizen to possess a weapon,” he pointed out.
President Milanović also commented on the recent cyberattacks targeting Split Airport and the Demerje toll booth on the A1 highway. He stated, “The persistent issue with this type of criminal activity is its hybrid nature, which often makes it difficult or even impossible to pinpoint its origin. This poses a grave threat to global peace and security. It’s conceivable that one major country could already tomorrow launch an attack on another country under a false flag, without it knowing and being able to clearly identify the source of the aggression,” President Milanović added.
Regarding the situation in Croatia, President Milanović said that he “knows quite well and in detail what our agencies and the SOA are doing about it.” He added, “However, in terms of coordinating security and foreign policy, Croatia is completely dysfunctional because at the head of the Government is someone who, for the third consecutive year, maliciously and deliberately obstructs the work of the highest coordinating bodies and the national security system. These bodies are also crucial for making operational political decisions.” The President also warned that “Croatia is not sufficiently resilient to such threats and will not be if we do not operate as the Constitution prescribes.”
“The issue is that the Prime Minister is usurping all power in the country and undermining the governing mechanisms because he doesn’t want the relevant bodies to convene. It appears that the National Security Council will not meet because Plenković refuses to allow it, and the Constitutional Court will not caution him that he is violating the Constitution. However, when it comes to an election, that’s when the Constitutional Court gets involved,” he said.