Politics

ZAGREB, 3 Aug, 2021 - Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has offered his condolences to Turkey, where forest fires have led to deaths and material damage, and invited his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit Croatia. I spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this evening and he thanked Croatia for sending the Canadair CL415 plane and two crews to help put out wildfires in Turkey. I extended my condolences to him and the entire Turkish nation for the suffering of people in the wildfires," Milanovic wrote in his Facebook post on Monday evening. He said that sending the firefighting airplane to Turkey was…

ZAGREB, 1 Aug, 2021 - Defence Minister Mario Banožić said on Sunday that the defence cooperation between Croatia and the United States has been going on for many years and that Croatia very much appreciates the support and donations form the US government for the development of Croatia's defence capabilities. Banožić and the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Admiral Robert Hranj, were attending a formal reception on board the command ship of the US Sixth Fleet , USS Mount Whitney, which had arrived in Split on Friday for a visit. Banožić said that the ship's…

ZAGREB, 31 July 2021, 2021 - The command ship of the United States Sixth Fleet, USS Mount Whitney, is visiting the southern Croatian Adriatic city of Split, and its commander said on Saturday that the US-Croatian partnership on land and at sea is crucial for the military cooperation and common security of the two countries.  The US vessel arrived on Friday and visited the Split shipyard, while reporters were invited to visit the ship on Saturday. US Chargé d'Affaires Mark Fleming said they were glad to be in Split and that the defence cooperation between the United States and Croatia was the…

ZAGREB, 30 July 2021 - In just two days the new mayors of Pula and Vodnjan rejected two major projects by the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) worth about HRK 90 million, Jutarnji List daily said on Friday. Both projects are from the EU's Integrated Territorial Investment (ITU) mechanism, and a portion of the funding was grants from the European Regional Development Fund. But both independent mayors decided to forgo the grants arguing that the stakes of their respective cities in the investment projects were too high. The aim of the projects was to convert a former industrial complex in Pula and an…

July the 30th, 2021 - Finance Minister Zdravko Maric has announced that he does indeed intend to slash VAT on food during a recent guest appearance on RTL Danas (Today). As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, before we take to the subject at hand, it's worth noting that Finance Minister Zdravko Maric did not accept the proposals of the National Association of Caterers on lowering VAT on beverages and respecting labour costs as a tax deduction. Let's look at precisely why didn't he satisfy this association's wishes. "We always end up talking about VAT somehow..." stated Maric. "It's not just a question of…

July 29, 2021 - In honor of Ivo Banac, an almanac by his friends and associates was recently published to reflect on this famous yet controversial academic and showcase the research Banac inspired in others.  The first anniversary of Croatian academic Ivo Banac's death coincides with publishing an almanac of scientific work in his honor. As the Ivo Pilar Social Research Institute reported on its website, the motivation for the book is not Banac's death, but rather the 70th birthday Dr. Banac celebrated in 2017, when the honoring symposium was arranged for him. Ivo Banac sadly died on June 30,…

ZAGREB, 28 July, 2021 - The presidency of the Homeland Movement (DP) party on Wednesday unanimously accepted party leader Miroslav Škoro's irrevocable resignation as well as the resignation of secretary-general Dario Žepina, launching disciplinary proceedings against DP MP Vesna Vučemilović, who is Škoro's sister. DP vice-president Mario Radić said that the party leadership concluded that preserving DP's stability was of the utmost importance at present and that "the party's unity was not in question at any moment, despite media reports to the contrary." He added that disciplinary proceedings were launched against DP member and MP Vesna Vučemilović because she had abused…

ZAGREB, 28 July, 2021 - Six prominent members of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) have not had their membership renewed following membership reviews in the party's Zagreb and Slavonski Brod branches, Hina learned unofficially. The members in question are: MP and former cabinet minister Ranko Ostojić, MPs and former secretaries-general Zvane Brumnić and Nikša Vukas, MP Marina Opačak Bilić from Slavonski Brod, who was involved in a financial scandal, former head of the Zagreb branch Gordan Maras, and Tihomir Barišić, best man to former party leader Davor Bernardić. The reasons for their expulsion are of a political nature. They were…

ZAGREB, 28 July, 2021 - Defence Minister Mario Božinović said on Wednesday the Croatian Armed Forces had zero tolerance for drug abuse, and in the context of the latest drug abuse cases, the minister announced stricter control and disciplinary measures aimed at reducing drug abuse to a minimum and protecting the reputation of the Croatian Armed Forces. Speaking to the press ahead of an inner cabinet meeting, Banožić said that in accordance with the Drug Abuse Prevention Act, the military police were implementing emergency control measures. He confirmed that along with the four soldiers who had tested positive for drugs in early July, another…

July the 28th, 2021 - Edward Bernays is offering education for all Croatian politicians in an attempt to recognise the need for education in modern democracies and to try to restore at least some public faith in politicians. As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, a proper education is one of the fundamental pillars of a modern democratic society and a condition for its economic and social development. Over recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the need for lifelong learning in all segments of society, including in politics. Recent political elections have shown that it is becoming increasingly important…