The Fokus party representatives announced on Monday that next year’s budget shows a significant increase in expenditures for employees and transfers to citizens and households. According to Fokus, this signals that the HDZ is in serious trouble and is at risk of losing the upcoming elections. The party accused the HDZ of trying to prevent this by buying votes, particularly in regions such as Dalmatia and Slavonia. Fokus leader Davor Nađi claimed that the HDZ’s internal polls even showed that they are not winning the elections and will not form a new government.
Nađi criticized the budget for reducing revenues from European funds by one billion euros while increasing expenditures dramatically. He accused the HDZ of shamelessly buying votes with taxpayers’ money in order to improve their chances in the elections. This includes a 70 percent increase in employee expenditures and a 50 percent increase in transfers to citizens and households.
Fokus representative Dario Zurovec criticized the government’s focus on infrastructure, particularly in the form of increased spending on Croatian Roads without corresponding income. He also pointed out that excessive spending in areas such as the Slavonija Project has not led to positive outcomes for the region.
In addition to economic concerns, Fokus expressed disappointment in the behavior of some individuals at a recent commemoration in Vukovar, with representative Damir Bajs calling for fair treatment by the police for those causing disturbances.