Croatian president slams EU chief as “unelected bureaucrat”

Croatian President Zoran Milanović has sharply criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, describing her as a bureaucrat rather than a politician due to her unelected status.

Speaking to journalists, Milanović questioned von der Leyen’s authority within the EU, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“The idea of governance from Brussels through a wave of bureaucrats like Ursula von der Leyen… She was a politician, now a bureaucrat. She was never elected, not even a candidate for the European Parliament. For me, she has no authority,” he said.

Milanović emphasized the legitimacy of his own mandate, obtained directly from the Croatian electorate. “I was elected by the votes of the Croatian people, and I have limited powers. That’s the system—if it doesn’t suit you, don’t go into politics,” he added.

While acknowledging that the structure of European treaties has not changed, Milanović expressed concern over what he perceives as a concentration of power within the EU. In his view, the current situation reflects a “seizure of power.”

By Vafa Guliyeva