The German Social Democrats are changing Germany at the most challenging of times in its history, Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said on Thursday in Leipzig at a celebration marking the 150 years of the SPD's existence, adding that he is trying to do the same thing with his government in Croatia.
"It is the Social Democrats in fact at this most challenging time in recent German history, that are changing the country and the last to do so was Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Germany's current stability when so many others are in problems, France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain and Croatia, is the result of the work done by the Social Democrats", he told reporters.
Recalling that the German Social Democrats at times had to adopt unpopular measures and laws and adapt the country to new conditions, he said that he was trying to do the same with his government. "That is what we are trying to do in Croatia. That is the more difficult way", Croatia's PM said.
He repeated the words of SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel that in its 150 year history the SDP had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. "They did not support the communists or the Nazis, but the truth, and they paid the price for that", Milanovic added.
Milanovic commented on an article in Thursday's edition of the Bild daily which writes about Croatia's accession to the EU under the headline, The next graveyard of our millions, stating that things of that nature were found in tabloids and that Croatia would not be a burden to anyone.
Citing the federal state of Saxony, which was riddled with enormous economic problems in former East Germany, Milanovic said that "reforms and determined efforts with the use of European funds changed that trend".
