The Constitutional Court of Croatia has banned pro-Russian President Zoran Milanović from running for prime minister until his term expires in February 2025.
According to Politico, the court ruled that the president is by definition a "non-partisan" and is not allowed to participate in the political activities of any political party.
"This is a coup dʼétat. They are trying to prevent the will of the Croatian voters. I will be the prime minister, but I won’t tell those illiterate mobsters how I intend to do it," Milanović responded to the courtʼs decision.
On March 15, Zoran Milanović, who is currently the president of Croatia, announced his candidacy for the post of prime minister from the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the parliamentary elections in April.
The position of president in Croatia is largely ceremonial, but Milanović is formally the supreme commander of the Armed Forces. His premiership may have consequences for the European Union. Croatia, which under Prime Minister Andrii Plenkovich is a strong supporter of Ukraine, can change this position with a pro-Russian leader.
- Previously, the president of Croatia spoke against the admission of Finland and Sweden to NATO, as well as against the training of Ukrainian troops in Croatia as part of EU efforts. Milanović also criticized Western countries for supplying Ukraine with tanks and other weapons, saying that these efforts would only prolong the war. He also does not support the use of the phrase "Glory to Ukraine!", saying that it resembles the German "Sieg Heil" greeting and the Croatian "Za dom spremni!" used by the Nazis. In addition, Milanović said that Ukraine will never regain the occupied Crimea, and Russia will use nuclear weapons in case of a loss. He said that "Crimea will never be Ukraine again", clarifying that this is what "leading German generals" are allegedly saying.
- On January 25, 2022, before Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the president of Croatia declared that Ukraine "has no place in NATO", and in the event of a war between Russia and Ukraine, his country would distance itself from it as much as possible.