Former Večernji list journalist announced candidacy for President of Croatia

(Patria) - Former Večernji list journalist and former president of the Croatian Journalists' Union Anton Filić announced that he will run for President of Croatia.

Filić claims Croatia has been in decline for decades, therefore it needs new people and a complete turnaround, which he believes none of the current candidates offer.

"Let us finally cast off the yoke of the corrupt HDZ and its sister party SDP. Both have shown that they have no solution for corruption, but rather that they are neck-deep in it themselves. They have shown what they know and can do, it's time to try with new people...", Filić wrote in a statement.

He said that Croatian President Zoran Milanović wants to portray himself as a Croatian patriot and social democrat, but he is not, because he called Croatia a 'random state' and enacted the worst laws for Croatian workers while he was prime minister.

"Nor do the other candidates who have announced their candidacy so far inspire confidence that they could bring about significant changes. Most of them are, in one way or another, part of the existing establishment. Either they were in power (Primorac) or they are members of parliament (Selak Raspudić, Bulj, Kekin...)", says Filić.

He claims that Croatia, besides demographically, is also declining economically and depends on the thin thread of subsidies from European funds and tourism.

He believes that "politicians who cared more about implementing Brussels' orders than about the needs of their people, as well as those whose ego is more important than the national interest, should be thanked and fired".

He states that it is necessary to open a public debate on increasing the powers of the President of the state, who would at least have the right to call a referendum and veto laws.

If elected, he will advocate for the popularization of families with more children, strengthening domestic military production, introducing mandatory military service, and stricter border control and a tougher stance on illegal migrants.

He is also in favor of strengthening ties with Croats in neighboring countries, as well as with emigrants around the world, and regarding relations within the EU, he believes that it must remain a community of free peoples and states and that it must not allow itself to be underestimated in relation to major world powers - the USA, China, and Russia.