Penava: We will not abandon declaration on Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Domovinski pokret (DP) leader Ivan Penava has reaffirmed his party's commitment to a parliamentary declaration advocating for a special electoral unit for Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Penava, speaking after a period of reflection on the island of Vis, stated that the Croatian Parliament must adopt a firm stance to prevent Bosnian Croats from being outvoted in elections for the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Are we supposed to 'check' every act or idea that DP has with our partners? Let's not be ridiculous, who does that with us?

Penava also addressed the friction with his senior coalition partner, HDZ, which reacted negatively to the DP's proposal, particularly because it was announced without prior consultation. Penava dismissed these concerns, questioning whether DP's ideas always require partner approval. He countered Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's claim that DP ministers were unaware of the declaration, asking if HDZ ministers were always informed of the Prime Minister's plans.

The DP leader acknowledged speculation that his party is trying to differentiate itself from HDZ to maintain its public image, given DP's declining poll numbers since joining the coalition. "We are a political party with our own views and recognizability," Penava stated, asserting that DP has remained authentic and influential within the coalition.

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We are a political party that has its views and its recognizability, people have reasons to like us or not. Despite the specific circumstances of being in power, we intend to maintain our recognizability, views and program.

Intriguingly, Penava did not rule out the possibility of dissolving the coalition. He suggested that if a partnership becomes detrimental and efforts to improve it fail, it is better to end it. However, given DP's current poll standing of just over 2 percent, such a move appears improbable. Analysts suggest that neither partner has much room to maneuver, as extraordinary elections would likely be detrimental to the current coalition.

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In any partnership, when the relationship no longer suits you, when you feel it is threatened and you cannot fulfill yourself and you are drowning in that story, and when despite appeals it does not work, then it is better to break it, whether by calling the secretary or by open access, the question is where the line is.