Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) president Jadranka Kosor has said that contrary to some HDZ members of parliament, she does not intend to use the legal possibility to apply for pension to be retired for one day so that, under the pension scheme for privileged pensions, she could later receive a substantially higher pension.
The Croatian parliament on Monday published on its web site a list of 46 members of the previous, sixth parliament who applied to be issued a certificate on the duration of their term as MPs based on which they can request the activation of their pension as MPs. The 46 MPs include seven who were elected also to the new, seventh parliament - Vladimir Seks, Stjepan Milinkovic, Ivanka Roksandic and Ana Lovrin of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ); Boro Grubisic of the HDSSB party; and minority MPs Denes Soja and Furio Radin.
All of this came into the media limelight after announcements by the parliamentary majority that it would see to it that the so-called privileged pensions be annulled.
Kosor told reporters in parliament on Wednesday that she did not intend to seek a privileged pension.
"I didn't know about the moves of the colleagues (from the party), they didn't consult me. I have learnt about it from the media," the HDZ leader said, adding that everyone made their own decisions.
"These are private matters, and they have nothing to do with the functioning of the HDZ club," said Kosor, who is also at the helm of the HDZ club of deputies.
Regarding this matter, Vladimir Seks, an HDZ official, said he could not understand why the applications for privileged pensions had provoked so much criticism.
"I know that Croatian citizens are outraged at MPs, I know that they are pointing the accusing finger at us, but I cannot see the reason for such criticism," Seks told reporters in parliament on Wednesday.
He said that he had earned many times over all the benefits from the privileged pension during his 22-year-long political activity and his seven terms as a member of the Croatian parliament.
He also said that he had more that 43 years of service.
"The Croatian Pension Insurance Bureau (HZMO) has calculated that my monthly pension would be slightly over HRK 12,000. I decided to activate my status as a pensioner after the announcements from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) regarding changes to the pension scheme," Seks said.
The Central Bureau of Statistics HAS reported recently that the average salary earned in October was HRK 5,406.
