Minister Žužul brought irrevocable decision to resign from the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs

In the letter he has handed today in Zagreb to Prime Minister Sanader, Minister Žužul thanks Prime Minister for his confidence, emphasises excellent achievements of the Government and the Ministry in the implementation of Croatian foreign policy, and outlines reasons which made him resign voluntarily from the position of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Following is the text of the Minister Žužul’s letter:

To Prime Minister Dr. Ivo Sanader

Dear President,

Today, when even for a while and even at the surface the accusations I was exposed to in the past few months have quieted down, when I can analyse from a distance and in a relative peace all repercussions these accusations have caused in the public, I wish to inform you that I have brought an irrevocable decision to resign from the position of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

I brought this decision after a careful analysis of pros and cons, and after I realised that my stay at the position you entrusted me with became too big a burden for both the Government and the Ministry that I lead.

My decision does not in the least mean that I bow to pressure of imputations I was exposed to. On the contrary! All relevant institutions and bodies of the rule of law have confirmed my innocence in the media surroundings in which it was difficult for them to retain their impartiality. I am deeply convinced that court proceedings I have instituted will once again prove groundlessness of all false accusations said against me. However, damage has been done in the public, and regardless of the fact that I know I have not deserved it, I cannot close my eyes to it.

The Ministry that has achieved considerable results is led by a Minister whose image in the country is significantly different from the one based on his achievements. Even those who have repeatedly attacked me could not deny my work results. The support I have been receiving from certain people during this unprecedented media campaign gave me the strength to carry on. But there is a discrepancy between my achievements and my image in the public and I do not want to ignore it. Therefore, I choose to resign, after surviving all of the political imputations and accusations that have been thrown my way, accusations that you have personally rejected in public, knowing that they are completely groundless.

When I took over the Ministry, I told my colleagues in my inauguration speech that each of us has the right to be ambitious. I have expected the same from myself. In 12 months’ time, we have gone from accusations that we are a Government that is drawing Croatia away from Europe to a Government that has obtained a positive opinion from the European Commission, EU candidate status and a date for the start of the negotiations. Croatia’s reputation in the world is now greater than ever before, the everyday political practice proves that. The credit for that goes to you. As for my part, in the past 12 months as a Foreign Minister, after years of diplomatic service, I have held more than 540 bilateral and multilateral meetings, and I believe I have contributed to our mutual success.

As a diplomat, I am proud of what I have achieved in the past year. However, as a politician, I am aware that I have made a mistake at home. I believed that my work and my achievements, as well as the success of the Ministry I am the head of, will be enough to earn me respect. I should have known that the results are only a part of a politician’s success and that it is equally important, if not more important, to know how to transfer these results into an accessible image that the public will be able to recognise.

By my resignation I wish in the first place to facilitate the progress of the Government you are the head of towards full EU membership. I do not want to be a burden on the road we have successfully trodden together. I want to spare the diligent employees of the Ministry from further pressures they have been subjected to by constant attacks on their Minister and enable them to go on with their work instead of wasting their time and energy in an atmosphere of uncertainty because of insinuations they have nothing to do with. Finally, I want to give back my family the peace they deserve and that I am obliged to give.

Mr. Prime Minister,

I thank you for the trust you have shown me by appointing me the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I have done my work dedicatedly, always giving my utmost. Therefore, I am able to resign with my head held high, proud of what I have done. I will continue to share the vision we have created and realised together, and wish you and the Government success in achieving the goals we have set for ourselves.

Yours sincerely,

Miomir Žužul
Croatian Minister for Foreign Affairs