This is how we would have obtained relevant data, Mesic told the press on a visit to Krapina-Zagorje County, which today marks its day.
Mesic recalled that according to the last census, in 2001, Zagreb had a population of 780,000 and that to qualify for a separate statistical region according to European Union criteria it should have 800,000 inhabitants.
One should see if an earlier census, before 2011, would be cost-efficient for receiving more money from the EU's pre-accession funds.
Asked if perhaps the state administration had failed with regard to the census, Mesic said he did not know who failed, but that it had been known that the creation of statistical regions was based on the last census.
"If that was known, someone should have thought of organising a new census," he said, adding that if a public debate had been held, Croatia would not be in the current situation.
A referendum is a democratic expression which citizens are entitled to, but the question is how to change the draft statistical division before the EU bodies which have already set criteria, Mesic said, adding that it should have been shown before that Zagreb has at least 20,000 inhabitants more than in 2001.