"(Education) Minister (Dragan) Primorac knows statistics and I can say that that we have been creating conditions for six years for a knowledge-based society and that there are considerably more students now than in 2003 when we stepped into office, and that there are more polytechnics and universities," Sanader said in response to the question by a parliamentarian of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) who asked about tuition fees.
The MP accused Sanader of demagogic speech and of ignoring demands of protesting students who have been organising sit-ins in several faculties in Croatia for 30 days.
The SDP MP also claimed that tertiary education tuition fees had risen ten percent annually for the last five years, that the number of students paying fees had doubled and that with the average university education fees of HRK 8,000 (a little over EUR 1,000) Croatia was among the most expensive countries in Europe.
During Question Time Health and Social Welfare Minister Darko Milinovic refused criticism of a representative of the Croatian Pensioners' Party (HSU) about the government's insensitiveness for needs of pensioners when it came to health reform.
When asked about preparations for the peak of the summer season, Minister Milinovic said that 18 new first aid centres would be established during the summer in the coast and that HRK 8 million was earmarked for this purpose.
The Croatian highest law-making body began its 11th session on Wednesday with Question Time.
The session is to last until mid-July.