Plenković's ultimatum: Čović to request the EU sanctions for Dodik or no support

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, seems to have set a kind of ultimatum to the HDZ BiH leader - either Čović will give up his alliance with and support for Milorad Dodik's policy, or the Croatian Government will withdraw its support to HDZ's demands for changes to BiH Election Law.

It has become absolutely clear that Milorad Dodik manipulated Croat politicians (HDZ) and, for the sake of his interests ultimately aiming for the RS secession, caused incalculable damage in the Croatian public, which is inter alia manifested in quarrels between Croatian leaders, especially Plenković and Milanović.

To make things even worse, on January 9, at the celebration of the so-called Day of Republika Srpska, Dodik made it clear to Croats where they belong, just like Bosniaks. In the song of the RS Ministry of Interior, 'For the cross, for the cross of Nemanjić, for glory, for glory of Obilić. Banja Luka, our pride... Serbs are like leaves, no more communists. For the cross, for the cross of Nemanjić. For the glory, for the glory of Obilić. Our pride, the new Serb Republic, has grown big...' In the 'new Serb Republic' there is neither place for Croats nor Bosniaks.

In addition, as we have learned, this position of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia was made known after a series of speeches by the Croatian MEPs who maintain close cooperation with the HDZ BiH leader - Željana Zovko and Tomislav Sokol being the most prominent ones.

The said Croatian MEPs, who are frequent guests in Mostar, oppose the imposition of sanctions against the SNSD leader and Serb member of the BiH Presidency Milorad Dodik, which significantly complicates the position of the Croatian Government and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković in the European Union and the Council of Europe.

These Croatian MEPs often speak in public with attitudes that contradict the pro-Brussels policy of the Croatian Prime Minister, and it is believed that such appearances were encouraged through their daily communication with HDZ BiH, which does not give up its alliance with secessionist policy of Milorad Dodik.

For example, the day before yesterday, the Croatian MEP Tomislav Sokol, who politically belongs to the group of EU parliamentarians gathered around Željana Zovko, stated that the 'Bosniak' policy led to the fact that Croats in BiH have to cooperate with Dodik on some issues, which is entirely in line with HDZ BiH politics and Dragan Čović.

According to our source, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković, in order to bring Croatian MEPs under his control, but also to improve relations with the authorities in Sarajevo, insists that Dragan Čović and HDZ BiH publicly and decisively condemn Milorad Dodik's policy and request the European Union to impose sanctions on Dodik.

Otherwise, as we have learned, Plenković will withdraw support of the Government of the Republic of Croatia for Čović's and HDZ's demands for changes to the BiH Election Law.