(ANSAmed) - ZAGREB, MAY 19 - Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic and the government of Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic - already divided on a number of issues - have clashed on the opportunity of voting in favor of Findland and Sweden joining NATO. The first ties a yes to certain conditions while the second is decidedly in favor. The president said that he intends to order Croatia's ambassador to NATO to veto the adhesion for the moment. Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić-Radman stated that in such a case he would personally give the green light the two northern countries.
    The Croatian Constitution provides for the president of the Republic and head of government to lead the country's foreign policy in a coordinated way. But a situation like the current one, in which the president and premier have opposite positions, is unprecedented.
    Milanovic praised Turkey's position and set conditions for his consent, stating that national interests are only defended in this way. "My role is not to defend the borders of Finland, but Croatian interests, including those of Bosnia", explained Milanovic. The Croatian president asked for a reform of the electoral system in Bosnia-Herzegovina, believing that the current one does not guarantee to the Croatian population of Bosnia the possibility of electing their legitimate representatives at the institutions of Sarajevo, in particular the Croatian member of the tripartite presidency. The current system, since Croatians are fewer than Bosnians, allows the representative of Croatians not to respect the electoral will of his or her population, and, even if Croatian of origin, the representative can be elected with Bosnian votes.
    President Milanovic and Premier Plenkovic have been for a year involved in an open political and personal conflict. The head of State has repeatedly insulted the premier and, over the past few days, also on the issue of Croatians in Bosnia he called him a "traitor of the nation". The government has interrupted any contact with Milanovic, with whom it communicates in written form only on strictly necessary issues.(ANSAmed).