"This confirms that Prime Minister Milanovic was wrong in thinking that Commission Vice President Viviane Reding was bluffing or didn't have the backing of President Barroso and other Commission members. This is a serious situation. Croatia is now officially facing sanctions. The political responsibility is on Prime Minister Milanovic to repeal Lex Perkovic tomorrow or, if he doesn't have the courage, to go, to resign and let Croatia function normally in the European Union," Davor Stier told reporters in Brussels.
He said the announced suspension of funds for the Schengen Facility, Croatia's second strategic goal after EU accession, was now "on ice."
As for announcements of enhanced monitoring, Stier said Croatia barely managed to avoid this before joining the EU thanks to some member countries such as Germany. "But the patience of those states is running out and we are in a serious situation. Croatia risks being a second tier member like Bulgaria and Romania."
He described the law limiting the application of the EAW to crimes committed after August 2002, dubbed Lex Perkovic, as "anti-Croatian and anti-European."