"Serbia pressured Croatia's allies," claims party leader

"Serbia pressured Croatia's allies," claims party leader

According to him, the outcome represents "a debacle of (Croatia's) government and diplomacy."

Speaking about the upcoming celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the military-police Operation Storm - during which 250,000 ethnic Serbs were expelled from Croatia and several thousand killed or gone missing - Karamarko said authorities "came up with the parade in order to stifle popular festivities, festivities of the defenders and the young."

The leader of Croatia's biggest opposition party also stressed that his country was facing "a Greek scenario - if it continues to be headed by fake left-wingers and fake social-democrats," and described the situation in EU's newest member-state as "anything but good."

Karamarko accused the government of conducting a policy of "cabinet left's social-democracy" which "does not understand and does not live the problems of the Croatian people."

He reiterated that "after the homeland war and the creation of the Croatian state under the leadership of the HDZ, the party now has before it a different responsibility and a second homeland war, because the HDZ is the only party that can get Croatia out of problems with its strength and energy."