"Croatia has come out of the international isolation it was in during the previous HDZ government, it has started functioning as a law-based state," Mesic said in Sisak. He conceded there were still people denying Croatia a European identity, but said the rule of law was becoming a standard.
Mesic said it was not important only to get a date for European Union entry talks but also to behave in a European fashion. "We have to introduce European standards but also protect our interests, and only when we have achieved the standards of the other EU members should we consent to reciprocity with the other member countries."
He said the team that would negotiate EU membership should be chosen according to competence and not party affiliation, adding that if there were not enough such competent people Croatia should use the experience and experts of the countries which had joined the Union.
Mesic said he would advocate that Parliament comprise people who would open new jobs and improve living standards. He urged opening free zones and said that no problem burdening Croatia could be solved without new jobs and the introduction of new technologies.
Mesic also visited Petrinja and Kutina.