"I also ask the minister and the entire system not to destabilise the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration as it is very important in the process of accession to the European Union and NATO, so I will not allow its destabilisation," Sanader told the press at a Christmas reception staged by his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party.
The ministry said in a statement last night that based on the findings of a commission it had established to investigate the Barisic case, it would launch proceedings for neglect of duty against former Croatian consul to Los Angeles Sanja Bujas-Juraga and a former state secretary at the foreign ministry, Gordan Bakota, who is the incumbent ambassador to Turkey.
Asked if the provision banning any blood alcohol for drivers would be changed, Sanader said he had discussed this provision at a Christmas lunch with the HDZ's coalition partners.
He said the provision was not against drinking alcohol, but against drunk driving. "If we have saved, and we have, even one life, especially of the young people who were dying, then that law has paid off. Nothing is final, including that law, so if a better proposal is made... We did not make any decision yesterday, we just talked about the effectiveness of the law and its contribution to elevating the culture of driving in Croatia," he said, adding that relevant institutions would continue to monitor statistics to see if drivers' conduct had changed.