Croatian President Zoran Milanovic is facing a backlash over his use of military helicopters, igniting a fresh political conflict with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s government. The issue, which has sparked a debate about the misuse of military resources, comes as the Ministry of Defense estimates the flights have cost taxpayers at least €1mn.

The row is the latest in a series of stand-offs between Milanovic, backed by the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD), and Plenkovic’s ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). The acrimonious relationship between Milanovic and the government has intensified as the December presidential approaches. That will pit Milanovic, who is seeking re-election, against the HDZ’s candidate Dragan Primorac. 

The controversy escalated after reports surfaced that Milanovic had flown military helicopters 348 times during his presidency, including to popular destinations such as Hvar and Brijuni. 

Defence Minister Ivan Anusic criticised the president's frequent use of military resources, and claimed the president "misled the public and made untrue claims" regarding his use of these aircraft.

According to Anusic, the 348 flights, totalling 241 flight hours, were conducted at Milanovic’s request, at a cost of at least €1mn. He detailed that 90 flights were made using Black Hawk helicopters, 120 with Mi-8 MTV helicopters and 138 with Mi-171 Sh helicopters, all of which accumulated significant expenses.

The Office of the President, however, pushed back on these figures, reporting that Milanovic had used a military helicopter only 74 times and a military ship eight times since February 2020, with fuel costs amounting to €127,000 for the Croatian Air Force and €22,800 for the Croatian Navy. A statement from Milanovic’s office described additional claims as "manipulations" and "completely inaccurate data”. 

In response, Anusic argued that the fuel costs represented only a portion of the total expense, saying that the use of military resources for the president’s travels diverted personnel and equipment from essential military training. 

In his latest comment on the issue on September 3, Anusic challenged Milanovic’s account, saying that 348 helicopter flights had been made in response to the 74 orders from the presidency. 

“[A]s the Minister of Defence I am responsible for the transparent spending of money and resources of the Armed Forces … In my opinion, that is too much, the cost is over €1mn," he said, according to a government statement. 

He called again for Milanovic to publish a report on where he flew in Armed Forces helicopters and what state affairs he did.

As the row intensified, Plenkovic accused Milanovic of treating military resources like a personal taxi service. "Croatia did not buy Black Hawk helicopters to use them like a taxi," Plenković told reporters, adding that military resources are not intended for casual use. "I do not see any of the rest of us using the army’s resources so nonchalantly."

Milanovic has now ordered the military secret service (VSOA) to investigate leaks from the Ministry of Defence regarding his helicopter flights, which he claimed posed a threat to national security. Milanovic expressed frustration after national television cameras filmed his helicopter landings on two occasions, prompting him to question how journalists were informed of his movements.

In a retaliatory strike, Milanovic criticized Plenkovic for using government planes, which he claimed were "10 times more expensive”.

On September 4, the president took to Facebook to criticise Anusic. He claimed to previously have had a good relationship with the defence minister until the current row, saying the current 

“I would therefore like to hear from the minister; what has changed in the last month? I can only guess and somehow it seems to me – and I am not the only one – that Minister Anusic's dissatisfaction with our cooperation coincides somehow with the beginning of Mr. Primorc's campaign,” Milanovic wrote on his Facebook page. 

“And this can only mean that Minister Anusic also unquestioningly put himself at the service of Andrej Plenkovic.” 

The scandal has drawn widespread public attention, raising questions about the balance between the president’s role as commander-in-chief and the government’s oversight of military expenditures. It follows previous high-profile debates between Milanovic and the government over issues such as Croatia’s stance on the Ukraine war and the actions of the right-wing Homeland Movement, the HDZ’s junior coalition partner.