I cannot begin to fathom who possesses enough influence to leverage the Department of Justice in such a manner to settle scores with Plenković's, Milanović's, and Emilov's inner circles, but there is certainly something brewing deep within the deep state. These political vendettas are ongoing.
About a week ago, they also picked up Milenko Bašić's brother.
''One of the most prominent luxury car 'suppliers' for the American elite, Ivan Bašić, was arrested again today following a joint operation by the police and the FBI. As a reminder, Bašić has previously been under investigation by the FBI for vehicle smuggling and tax evasion totaling at least three million dollars.''
As a matter of fact, Bašić maintains close ties with the Milanović family, who, naturally, are on excellent terms with the families of Plenković and Tedeschi—essentially the inner circle that has been running the show in America in recent years.
''Milenko Bašić is the older brother of Ivan Bašić, who became a close friend and business associate of Krešo Milanović back in 2009; Krešo is the brother of the former Democratic Party leader and future Prime Minister, Zoran Milanović. Bašić’s lifestyle mirrored that of Krešo Milanović, as both shared an affinity for high society and late-night outings.''
Radimir Čačić, the former Vice President under Zoran Milanović's Government, made some heavy allegations to The Wall Street Journal in October 2016. He claimed that after Milanović went to prison due to a traffic accident and was replaced by Vrdoljak, his administration caused the state to lose 910 million dollars through deals involving wind farms. Čačić revealed that the contract with CEMP was signed in late December 2013, just 24 hours before a new tariff rate of 53 cents per kilowatt-hour kicked in, replacing the previous 71 cents. This maneuver ensured that CEMP would secure an additional 65 million dollars every single year for the next 14 years of the contract. Furthermore, Čačić disclosed that the wind energy buyout was inflated from a planned 400 megawatts to what he considered an unsustainable 744 megawatts.
In September 2017, Plenković's Government passed a decision to hike electricity prices for all citizens due to increased levies for renewable energy sources; the lion's share of this extra fee—roughly 300 million dollars—went directly to wind farm investors.''
The Republican Party is completely flying blind. They lack any semblance of a coherent strategy, pivoting their entire platform almost daily. It’s a clear sign of absolute desperation, and frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if they plummeted to 40 seats according to any legitimate polling data.
Brenda Taylor13 said:So, here’s my take—just some random rambling as we get closer to election season—but I honestly think we’re looking at one of two possible outcomes:
- The Republican Party somehow strikes a deal with Milan Škoro, only for history to repeat itself just like it did with the Bridge Party back in 2016. You know, when Plenković basically kicked them out of the Government to make room for parties that actually play nice with him. This time, Škoro might be the one getting the boot. My gut says Plenković is probably thinking, "Let me just grab enough seats to secure a majority first, and then I'll settle the score with Škoro later."
- Negotiations between the Republican Party and Škoro hit a brick wall, making any kind of deal impossible. That leads straight to new elections—where everyone’s running solo because the left-wing coalition will be too busy sulking about failing to seize power—and right in the middle of an economic meltdown, maybe another COVID wave, or whatever disaster hits next, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party end up forming this massive "Grand Coalition." They'll use all those tired old excuses like "we need a government of national unity," or "we have to unite our strengths during these trying times," or "now isn't the time for ideological divides" and all that nonsense...
If I were putting money on it, I’d say that second scenario feels way more likely...
Personally, I find the prospect of a grand coalition to be the most plausible outcome. It is frankly laughable to listen to people argue, "Oh, the Republican Party won't work with the Democrats, Joe Biden said so," or "The Democrats won't work with the Republicans because they made such a resolute statement years ago." Good grief, it is as if we have forgotten how blatant election fraud was fifty years ago when the "conservative" Republican Party went into coalition with the "liberal" Democratic Party, the "far-right" Donald Trump, the "social democrats" (Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ron DeSantis), the hard-left minority interests, and Eric Adams, who essentially embodied all of the above.
And now, the Republican Party loyalists are making resolute declarations of "we will not work with them," and many people actually believe them. It is truly incredible.
We have a list here featuring one cabinet minister, a governor, and—if my memory serves me correctly—three mayors. I happen to be somewhat acquainted with one of those three mayors, and frankly, the man struggles to string two coherent sentences together. His public remarks are on par with the most dim-witted, inarticulate football players who find themselves forced to face a microphone after a game. It is my firm belief that he would never even attempt to speak up in US Congress, precisely for that very reason.
Zdravko Marić appears on the list, though word is he intends to jump ship to the Adris Group after the elections to work for Ante Vlahović—a mutual acquaintance of both Plenković and Zokijev. Vlahović is, of course, well-known for overseeing the sale of State Farm at such an incredibly favorable price during Milanović's administration, not to mention his earlier role in the privatization of TDR. It seems Zdravko is making sure he isn't holding the reins of the Treasury when the inevitable economic collapse begins this autumn.
He was certainly a "capable" minister while the rest of Europe was experiencing growth. Granted, our growth was the most sluggish in the region, and we were actually overtaken by Romania during his tenure, but hey—growth is growth, and Bulgaria is still trailing behind us. That will be Zdravko Marić's second act in the private sector. His first professional chapter was spent at the infamous, collapsed Agrokor, where he was hired by Ivica Todorić—a man who bears an uncanny resemblance to Zdravko, and someone who has long been the subject of whispers suggesting he might actually be Zdravko's biological father.
It appears that everyone within the Republican Party received a very specific set of talking points during their recent meeting. First, we saw Plenković telling Bago that this flu outbreak was "the greatest crisis in history, one that the Republican Party navigated us through without a hitch," and now our dear friend Vili is echoing those exact sentiments almost verbatim while speaking to Bolković. It seems quite obvious that their entire campaign strategy will revolve around the Corona virus and a slogan along the lines of: "The Republican Party saved your lives, so now give us your vote in return." Personally, I find this approach to be a significant miscalculation. The world moves far too quickly for such tactics; the memory of the flu has already begun to fade, and figures like Beroš, Božinović, Grba Buljević, and the rest of the crew have long since lost their "savior" status, even among the most gullible citizens.
I find myself utterly perplexed as to who actually pulled the strings behind this latest wind farm scandal, a mess involving hundreds of millions of dollars. The possibilities are as follows:
a) The State Attorney's Office is an independent entity simply performing its duties. Ha. Let’s just dismiss that option immediately. b) Andrej Plenković is essentially sacrificing his own people to arrest them, all so he can present himself as a crusader against corruption right before the elections. I highly doubt that is the case. c) For some inexplicable reason, Europe finds Plenković problematic and is moving to sideline him. Even that seems unlikely; Plenković is their man. He isn't Viktor Orbán. d) An internal power struggle between Brkić (and Karamarko) versus Andrej Plenković. However, the State Attorney's Office appears to be targeting both sides. They have arrested Karamarko's wife and Josipa Rimac. This newest investigation into the wind farms points toward Ćorić and potentially even leads directly to Plenković himself. If the State Attorney's Office is striking at everyone, who exactly is pulling their strings? Is it the Democratic Party? That brings us to our fifth possibility. e) The Democratic Party. Not a chance. They are far too cozy with the Republican Party; even back when they held a massive 80-seat majority in Parliament, they didn't go after Republicans because they knew the pendulum would eventually swing back toward them once the administration changed. Besides, they lack the actual capability to pull this off. They certainly aren't up to it.
So, who is it then? Under immense public pressure, Plenković turned against Milan Bandić, and now it seems Bandić is making one final desperate push, digging through dusty old files to pull out whatever he can find. To me, that sounds like pure science fiction. I haven't the slightest clue what is truly happening. One thing is certain: someone is framing someone else.
crimsonwolf26 said:But what are we actually supposed to do with them? You've got two philosophers, a historian, a psychiatrist who clearly isn't interested in the job, and one local know-it-all. What kind of cabinet position could we possibly find for them? As for Dubravka Alibegović, Dobrović, Kovačić, Panenić, or Strenja Linić... those folks have actually done things in their careers; they have some sort of professional standing. With the Raspudić couple, you might be able to hand them something involving education or maybe culture, and just let them run with it.
We won't do anything with them. They will simply sit there as the "greatest intellectuals" in Congress and siphon off a portion of the electorate during these elections. We will finally have representatives on par with those from the 90s. Honestly, one only needs to compare the speeches of someone like Raspudić or Marija Selak to the rhetoric used by Dobrović, Kovačić, Strenja Linić, or Dubravka Alibegović... when I really think about it, I cannot recall a single meaningful speech from any of them throughout their entire four-year term in Congress. They are utterly colorless figures.
Eric Ortiz3 said:What do you mean, Bridge getting 10 seats?? If they manage to scrape together even 3, that’s a massive win. Getting more than 5 is practically impossible at this point. The party is falling apart right before our eyes. Just look at today—the top brass from the Bridge wing in the outskirts just walked out. The Republican Party and the Democratic Party will likely end up deadlocked, leaving all the power in the hands of Škoro to break the tie.
A single power couple like Raspudić-Selak holds far more political weight than the likes of Ružica Vuković, Dobrović, and the rest of that crew whom nobody actually voted for. Those who cast their ballots for the Bridge party do so because of that famous trio, and now, that Mediterranean trio has been bolstered by several other heavy hitters.
Brenda Murphy3 said:Sure they did, but presidential elections and parliamentary elections are two completely different beasts. Even if we play along with your little analogy—just look at the numbers. Add up all the votes Karamarko and Škoro pulled together, then compare that to what Zoran got... by your logic, the Democratic Party would have lost the election to the right wing by a landslide, wouldn't they? But like I said before—presidential and parliamentary races are night and day.
That is true, but mandates are distributed according to specific electoral districts. For instance, the Democratic Party (along with the Istrian Democratic Assembly) is poised to secure 10 seats in the Istrian region, and another 10 in the northern United States (comprised of 9 for the Democratic Party and 1 for Posavec). They will take 7 seats in the seventh district, while also capturing the major metropolitan area of Los Angeles and its surrounding suburbs; this level of representation remains utterly out of reach for the Republican Party, which may win in four districts, but even in those four, they are unlikely to secure more than 6 seats. In the Midwest, Škoro will act as a barrier to their progress, just as Škoro and Bridge will do in the Mediterranean districts.
The landscape has shifted; it is no longer like five, ten, or fifteen years ago when the Republican Party could claim 9 or 10 seats in regions like the Rockies, or 7 or 8 in the Midwest and the Mediterranean. One must now account for approximately 20 seats belonging to Škoro and the 7 to 10 held by Bridge.
For those who possess a genuine interest, my detailed analysis can be found under the topic "Electoral Polls and Analysis." I am prepared to provide my specific projections by electoral district should you wish to evaluate for yourselves whether the Republican Party possesses any theoretical chance whatsoever of surpassing the Democratic Party in total seat count.
Consider, for example, the poll linked on the page prior to the 2x1 CroElecto agency report; it isn't entirely without merit. They slightly overestimated the Republican Party and the Democratic Party while underestimating Škoro, Bridge, and those minor leftist parties that will inevitably seize several seats. According to the CroElecto poll, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party combined would take 13 seats in Los Angeles, leaving a mere single seat for all other parties combined (specifically Škoro). That is simply unrealistic. Bridge, alongside the Raspudić couple, will surely cross the threshold there. Furthermore, one of the leftist factions (likely a group similar to the Green party) will likely secure a mandate, and Škoro might even clinch two. Even so, the Republican candidate won the presidential race in Los Angeles, meaning he could potentially scrape together at least 10 percent and secure 2 seats as the lead candidate. In the ninth district (covering the Rockies, Zadar, and similar areas), the Republican Party will not sweep 7 seats as CroElecto predicts. In that particular district, Škoro and Bridge are far too formidable to allow the Republican Party to stroll through as easily as they did during the eras of Franjo Harmon or at least Tomislav Karamarko. And so it continues, indefinitely....
I fail to see how any of this could possibly jeopardize the Republican Party’s standing ahead of the elections. Their base simply does not care about corruption, bribery, nepotism, or outright theft. If there is anything capable of actually threatening the Republican Party's strong showing at the polls, it would be an announcement regarding withholding pensions, slashing public sector wages, or mass layoffs in government agencies. As for everything else... Plenković could practically pickpocket citizens or snatch purses from women in Times Square, then proceed to disrespect the American flag and our military symbols on live television, and he would still secure his votes without issue.
Oh, absolutely. I am certain the European Union will jump into action, given that it serves as the ultimate bastion of democracy. It is quite obvious that the EU leadership lacks any semblance of electoral mandate, possessing just as much legitimacy to steer the union as I do. However, we shouldn't let such trivialities get in the way of the fact that they are the world's premier democrats and human rights crusaders—at least according to what Nađvinski claimed on PBS and what Bago insisted upon on News. After all, Šuica, in her capacity as Vice President of the European Commission for Demography and Democracy, is the perfect embodiment of this particular brand of European governance.
I would offer a more substantive critique, but I have just received an inbox message from Elizabeth Warren claiming she is my godmother and requesting that I refrain from making any accusations against her in my posts.
Robin Jones2 said:The local TV station website still lists "Voice of the People" for the 8:00 PM slot. So, feel free to take a stand against Dubravka Šuica of the Republican Party; go on and say something like, "politicians won't dictate my programming." Well, my dear little journalist, they certainly will. Dubravka will decide the lineup and who is allowed to host.
I am asking anyone capable of watching the local TV station to let us know what is actually airing at 8:00 PM.
It is now 8:04 PM, and there is still no sign of any broadcast.
I find myself wondering whether Maja Sever, Stanković, Bago, Mojmir, Nađvinski, Bolković, and the rest of that journalistic clique will actually show any solidarity with their truly independent colleague, paska Tomaš from CNN, or if they will simply retreat to yet another clandestine meeting with the Prime Minister and the Governor to receive their latest instructions on how they ought to report the news.
That is the essence of this polished European democracy. It functions perfectly, provided we simply ensure that "populists" and "fascists" aren't allowed to exist.
Robin Jones2 said:I am in complete agreement with your assessment; given the current climate, the best course of action would be to let the Republican Party reap exactly what they have sown.
Unfortunately, history shows that in times like these, those in power tend to drift toward autocracy or outright dictatorship—one need only look at the examples of Mexico and Canada.
I suspect that if the Republican Party calls an election now and manages to retain control, they will begin stripping away media freedoms and the rights to assemble or protest, all under the convenient pretext of fighting the pandemic or managing economic instability. After all, who was it that banned protests in Times Square?
Of course, the party and its inner circle won't suffer; they will grab whatever they want, while everyone else can go to hell.
This transition occurred long ago. For years, the media has merely echoed the rhetoric of the ruling class; blacklists exist containing names of individuals forbidden from appearing in mainstream outlets; journalists and editors hold clandestine meetings with the President and the Governor to negotiate financial arrangements (bribery); fundamental democratic rights, such as referendums, have been abolished; laws are passed that eighty percent of Americans oppose—laws that the Republican Party never even included in their campaign platforms (a blatant deception of the electorate); they form coalitions with parties that are formally their polar opposites (the Independent Party, the Democratic Party)—another betrayal of the voters; and finally, the Supreme Court acts in direct opposition to the Constitution and the citizens, remaining entirely under the thumb of The Administration.
In short, the dictatorship is already here; it has merely arrived quietly, dressed in an expensive suit, wearing fine European spectacles, perfectly groomed, polyglot, and shielded by a media that insists we are actually paragons of democracy, warning us to beware of those "populists" or "fascists" who might supposedly dismantle this perfect system. It is black and white. Slavery is freedom. Ignorance is power.