January 16, 2025

16.01.2025 – President of Croatia Milanović’s Verbal Attack on Journalist Sparks Backlash from Croatian Media Community

During a presidential TV debate on Croatian Radiotelevision (Hrvatska radiotelevizija – HRT – https://www.hrt.hr/), President of Croatia Zoran Milanović targeted journalist and columnist Tomislav Krasnec (@krasnec) with verbal insults. The incident occurred on 7 January 2025 as Milanović faced off against rival Dragan Primorac. When Primorac referenced passages from Krasnec’s book “Neprijatelja niotkuda”, which analyzes the turbulent relationship between Milanović and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, the president responded by dismissing Krasnec as a “court writer” and labeling him a “corrupt person.”

You can watch the debate by HRT here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zl9peGt_Vo

The attack was immediately condemned by the Croatian Journalists’ Association (Hrvatsko Novinarsko Društvo – HND – https://www.hnd.hr/ ). HND President Hrvoje Zovko criticized the remarks as “unacceptable communication” and expressed concern about the repeated use of hostile rhetoric by Milanović toward journalists. Drago Hedl, HND’s vice president and a respected investigative journalist, also condemned the incident, noting that it is troubling when journalists become targets in political debates.

Krasnec, a long-time reporter and columnist for Večernji list (https://www.vecernji.hr/), is known for his detailed political analysis. His book, published in 2023, explores the long-standing tensions between Croatian President Milanović and Croatian Prime Minister Plenković. The book became a focal point in the debate, with Primorac citing excerpts to highlight the strained relationship between the two leaders.

Croatian journalists are calling for accountability and demanding that political leaders refrain from using hostile language that undermines their work and endangers press freedom in the country.

The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the unacceptable verbal attack on journalist Tomislav Krasnec by Croatian President Zoran Milanović during a televised debate. Such rhetoric toward journalists, especially from high-ranking officials, poses a serious threat to media freedom and undermines the essential role of the press in a democratic society. SEEMO emphasizes that no journalist should be subjected to insults for their professional work and calls on all political figures in Croatia to respect media independence. SEEMO will continue to monitor this situation closely and advocate for the protection of journalists in Croatia and the wider region.

South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.

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