Asked if the European Union would criticise Croatia over the government-sponsored bill on the construction of sports halls for the 2009 World Handball Championship without a public invitation for bids, PM Sanader said the government would withdraw the bill from the procedure should negative criticism continue.
In the first political talk show of RTL journalist Tomislav Jelincic, Sanader, Mesic and Seks spoke about about Croatia's joining the European Union.
Commenting on the construction of sports halls for handball, Sanader said the construction of the halls would be financed with private funds, according to the model of the public and private partnership. The PM once again dismissed claims that the government and the City of Zagreb would jointly finance the construction of the sports halls in Zagreb, saying that the statement by Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic had been misinterpreted.
Mesic, Sanader and Seks said that Croatian citizens had no reason to fear the country's joining the bloc, adding that fears of losing sovereignty, national identity or the sale of national treasure had no grounds.
The three officials said that the planned reforms were progressing well, adding that progress was also made in the judiciary. They stressed that the election campaign should not bring Croatia's joining Euro-Atlantic associations in question.
PM Sanader said that Croatian citizens would decided whether they want the country to join the European Union at a referendum which will be held after the accession talks end, expected by the end of 2008.