Croatia's president rebukes PM for invitation snub as rift deepens

ZAGREB (Reuters) - Croatia's new president called the prime minister's behavior "unthinkable" on Tuesday after he ignored her invitation to discuss the country's economic woes, deepening a rift between the two top politicians from opposing camps. Croatia, which joined the European Union in 2013, is struggling with an economy that last grew in 2008, and is burdened by high public spending, lack of reforms and a stifling investment climate. President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, a conservative who won a presidential election in January as a candidate for the opposition HDZ party, invited leaders of all political parties for a series of separate meetings this week. Tuesday was reserved for Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic, a Social Democrat whose government is increasingly unpopular for failing to kickstart the economy since taking office in 2012. But Milanovic failed to show up. "Such behavior, not deigning to heed a call from the head of state, is unthinkable in a civilized country," said Grabar-Kitarovic, a former foreign minister and NATO official. "Either his vanity is preventing him from coming here or he has nothing to say about ways to end the (economic) crisis," she said. Milanovic has not publicly commented on the president's invitation, but the independent T-portal news website quoted on Monday a close ally of his as saying "as a party leader, Milanovic is accountable only to his party and not to the president". The head of state in Croatia has a largely ceremonial role, with a say in defense, foreign affairs and intelligence, but lacking power to veto laws or shape economic policies. Grabar-Kitarovic and Milanovic have had several run-ins in recent months and have met only twice since she took office. When the president wanted to convene a cabinet meeting to discuss the economy, Milanovic said such a meeting was "inconceivable" and would not work. The Social Democrats are trailing the opposition HDZ in opinion polls ahead of a general election due in late 2015 and the economy is forecast for a zero growth at best this year. The government is also under pressure from Brussels to contain the high budget gap and its officials are due to present a new reform package to the European Commission on Tuesday. (Reporting by Zoran Radosavljevic; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)