During the 12th session of the Croatian Parliament, MPs Mišel Jakšić and Željko Lacković debated, with old political issues concerning the operation of Podravka coming to the fore during the time when the company was led by Zvonimir Mršić.
Željko Lacković asked whether the attitude towards agriculture was the same as when Zvonimir Mršić took the helm at Podravka, dismissing 1,500 people, and selling Studenac, the yeast factory, the meat industry, and the bakery. He also asked whether the Republic of Croatia would sell its stake in Podravka.
Mišel Jakšić described Lack as a 'petty lackey of HDZ'. He continued speaking after the allotted time and was reprimanded for it. He stated that the petty lackey of HDZ had no answer to the question of whether Podravka would be sold as part of the OECD package. He criticised Lack for representing the city of Đurđevac in legal proceedings, despite being the president of the local city council. He stated that he did not wish to answer someone whose ultimate reach was limited to representing that same city of Đurđevac in legal proceedings, hoping that the railway tracks in Đurđevac had been removed.
According to media reports, the state may sell shares in a number of companies from the portfolio of the Restructuring and Sales Agency (CERP) in the next two years, with Podravka mentioned among them. According to the reports, 16.56 per cent of Podravka's shares, or 19.72 per cent of the total, are managed by CERP. An additional 5.7 per cent is held by the Capital Fund. There was no mention of the sale of the entire public stake in Podravka.
The Ministry of Finance and CERP stated that the work plan for CERP did not include the sale of Podravka's shares, and that no decision had been made on the sale, nor had a procedure for the disposal of those shares been initiated. From Podravka, it was stated that there was no knowledge of any major shareholder considering withdrawal from the ownership structure.
The Prime Minister responded to Jakšić, rejecting the claim that the OECD was forcing the sale of Podravka. He stated: 'Let us clarify to everyone here in the Croatian Parliament, and to the Croatian public, how the OECD is forcing Croatia to sell the company? Podravka, in which, by the way, the state already holds about 25 per cent.' He added: 'Explain to us why you, as mayor, are bringing the public into complete confusion? What is your interest in that? Either you do not know the current ownership structure, or you have no idea about the OECD, which is likely, or C: you are creating a non-existent issue.' He also said: 'You are sticking to the truth if you can. If you cannot, you will hardly be able to compete with Dončić's successor.'
Mišel Jakšić strongly criticised HDZ over the Podva issue and the delay in projects, also commenting on the municipal fee.
