"Lorencin and Ivicic were each in their own way the IDS candidates for tourism minister. Lorencin represents the political line and Ivicic, who is a non-party candidate and is not a member of the IDS, was nominated by the tourism sector," Jakovcic told an extraordinary news conference in Pula, voicing confidence that "this combination of the political and the professional is a winning one and can give very good results."
Jakovcic said he did not think it would have been good for him to have been appointed tourism minister and that he was glad the prime minister had removed this possibility because he wanted to run for the European Parliament. He refuted claims that he was "shunning responsibility and running away to Brussels."
He voiced hope that everyone would accept Lorencin and Ivicic, who he said would give new impetus to development now that new investments in tourism were necessary.
Asked if Lorencin was expert enough for the tourism minister's office, Jakovcic said he was "a politician and an economist well acquainted with economic trends," and that this reconciled the prime minister's idea to have a politician in that office and his own to have an expert.
Jakovcic also said that if he was elected to the European Parliament, he would not criticise the government but support and help so that Croatia could move forward.