Politics

ZAGREB, 17 Nov 2021 - State Attorney Zlata Hrvoj-Šipek on Wednesday dismissed claims in the media and the public that her office (DORH) and the USKOK anti-corruption office were under the government's influence, adding that the withdrawal of the Agrokor indictment did not mean they had dropped the case. Speaking at a press conference, Hrvoj-Šipek said that as state attorney she was firm and resolute in her intention to raise the level of responsibility at DORH. "Some believe dirty laundry should be washed in one's own backyard behind closed doors. On the contrary, I think we should talk about that openly and that, as DORH,…

ZAGREB, 17 Nov 2021 - Education Minister Radovan Fuchs said on Wednesday the COVID certificate and testing mandates were being complied with in most cases without excessive problems and that sanctions should be imposed for those flouting them. The mandates by the national COVID-19 crisis management team are being implemented as conceived and planned, he told the press after a cabinet meeting. "The principals have organised things brilliantly and we are in contact with them," Fuchs said, adding that some school employees "refused testing and de facto entered schools and held classes. No one physically stopped them." He said there was…

ZAGREB, 17 Nov 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Thursday announced legislative changes and sanctions for persons defying the COVID-19 certificate mandate and inciting protests, describing as unusual protests against mandatory testing. Addressing a government session, Pleković said that he had instructed Justice and Public Administration Minister Ivan Malenica, Health Minister Vili Beroš and Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović to see which of the relevant laws should be amended to introduce fines for those defying rules introduced by the COVID-19 response team. He recalled that the introduction of COVID-19 certificates did not make vaccination compulsory but made it possible…

ZAGREB, 17 Nov 2021 - The Croatian government on Thursday adopted changes to the Croatian Citizenship Act, put forward due to a large number of citizenship applications based on a law that went into force on 1 January 2020 and problems in their submission, caused by the coronavirus pandemic.  The deadline for the submission of applications for Croatian citizenship under the current law expires on 1 January 2022 but since the pandemic has made it difficult for many to apply, the deadline will be extended by one more year. The pandemic has caused problems in the submission of applications at diplomatic missions…

ZAGREB, 16 Nov 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Tuesday that the government will relieve Gordan Lauc of his duties as a member of the government's scientific council after he called on citizens to take part in protests against COVID certificates. "We have tried to eliminate any possible discrimination and then someone accuses us of tyranny... I don't think it is good to mix politics with science and the profession. I believe the government will terminate the collaboration with Lauc on the scientific council," Beroš told reporters. In a post on social networks earlier on Tuesday Lauc called…

ZAGREB, 16 Nov 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said on Tuesday that the latest arrests connected with the Agrokor case, including that of former Zagreb County Deputy Prosecutor Mirela Alerić Puklin, who had worked on the case, were "a total embarrassment" for the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor (DORH).   "This is a total embarrassment for DORH. It is quite obvious that they used expert witnesses that they should not have used. This is called a mistrial in the US... the timing, too, is interesting. As the saying goes, they are doing something in order to cover up something," Milanović told reporters. Either Laptoš…

ZAGREB, 16 Nov 2021 - The opposition MOST party said on Tuesday it was starting to collect signatures for a referendum against the COVID certificate mandate to access the workplace and state and public institutions. MOST president Božo Petrov said on Facebook the party had consulted legal experts and that it was formulating the referendum question. MOST "is firmly standing up for the defence of constitutional values" and "will not allow our constitutional rights to be breached by arbitrary decisions" of the national COVID crisis management team "which acts as a para-political body," according to the post. Vice president Nikola Grmoja said…

ZAGREB, 16 Nov 2021 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Tuesday thanked Slovak National Council Speaker Boris Kollar for Slovakia's firm support for Croatia's membership of the euro and Schengen areas. The two officials said Croatia and Slovakia were close allies and friends who had excellent cooperation within the EU and NATO, according to a government press release. Kollar, a businessman himself, said Slovak business people stood ready to continue to invest in Croatia. Plenković and Kollar exchanged views on the situation in Southeast Europe, notably Bosnia and Herzegovina, and on EU enlargement.

ZAGREB, 16 Nov 2021 - Dozens of staff have been protesting outside Zagreb's Remetinec prison since 6.30 am on Tuesday due to the enforcement of the COVID certificate mandate in public and state services as of today, as have dozens of staff of the Commercial Court in Split. One of the protesters outside Remetinec told the press they wanted equal treatment for staff, whether they have recovered from COVID or not, because everyone spread the virus, while another said they were not against vaccination but against forcible vaccination. In Split, Commercial Court employee Višnja Rakić said they were under no obligation to show personal data to…

ZAGREB, 15 Nov 2021 - Croatian President Zoran Milanović met with Pope Francis during his visit to the Vatican on Monday, discussing the situation in the Western Balkans and Europe, as well as vaccination against COVID-19. Speaking to reporters after a private audience with the pontiff, Milanović said he agreed with the Pope's view that vaccination is "an act of love for oneself." He added that he does not think this is different from the recent statement made by Croatian bishops, who said that vaccination should be voluntary and testing non-invasive. "In the Vatican, everyone has been vaccinated, and it appears…