Politics
Thursday, 14 January 2021
Data on Post-War Reconstruction in Sisak-Moslavina County Made Public
ZAGREB, 14 January 2021 - The central state office for reconstruction and housing on Thursday released information on the post-war reconstruction in Sisak-Moslavina County which includes lists of architects, contractors, building control surveyors engaged in that project, as well the costs of reconstruction. The quality of reconstructed houses and other buildings in Sisak-Moslavina County came into focus in the aftermath of the 29 December 6.2 magnitude earthquake which significantly damaged numerous buildings that were rebuilt after the 1991-1995 Homeland War. The extensive damage caused by the disaster raised points of the quality of construction and supervision of works and also of the political and legal…
Thursday, 14 January 2021
Croatia, Slovenia and Estonia EU Members Least Affected by Brexit
ZAGREB, 14 January 2021 - Croatia is one of the three European Union members that will be least affected by the exit of Great Britain from the bloc, and consequently, it will be awarded a lower amount of aid to deal with the aftermath of Brexit. The European Union's Multiannual Financial Framework has a special €5 billion fund for mitigating the consequences of Brexit. In 2021, 4.2 billion is to be allocated for that purpose. The European Commission has outlined a draft scheme for the disbursement of assistance to the 27 member-states in proportion to the expected impact of the UK departure on them.…
Thursday, 14 January 2021
PM: No Reason Why Public Shouldn't Know Who Took Part in Post-War Reconstruction
ZAGREB, 14 January 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said at a government session on Thursday that there was no reason whatsoever why the public should not be informed of who had taken part in housing reconstruction after the 1991-95 war. Plenković said that he had instructed the state secretary of the Central State Office for Reconstruction and Housing to systematise lists on housing reconstruction after the Homeland War in Sisak-Moslavina County, noting that there was no reason why those lists should not be made available to the public. Data contained in those lists are to be linked with the houses…
Thursday, 14 January 2021
Ministry Says its Goal is to Help Farmers in Quake-Hit Areas to Keep Cattle
ZAGREB, 14 January 2021 - The Agriculture Ministry said on Thursday its goal was to ensure such conditions that farmers in earthquake-hit areas can keep their cattle through feed donations, cattle relocation and sale mediation, adding that it had mediated the sale of 114 head of cattle to date. The ministry was asked by Hina about reports of cattle buyers in quake-hit areas, if it was doing anything about it and if it was considering intervention buying to help farmers. Some media have reported about profiteers coming to Sisak-Moslavina County to exploit the situation after the earthquake by buying land and cattle below price. The ministry said it…
Thursday, 14 January 2021
Petrinja Mayor Thanks Volunteers: We need a Functioning System Now
ZAGREB, 14 January 2021 - Petrinja Mayor Darinko Dumbović said on Thursday that earthquake-hit areas did not need volunteers any more but a functioning system and expert teams to inspect damaged buildings. "Structural engineers have conducted part of that task and I thank everyone who volunteered. Now we do not need volunteers in that regard but people who will be given that job, who will be paid and who will have set deadlines," said Dumbović after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Petrinja earlier in the morning. According to Dumbović, so far just over 6,000 of 13,000 buildings have been inspected. He said that…
Thursday, 14 January 2021
Germany, France, Austria send Croatia Additional Assistance After Quake
ZAGREB, 14 January 2021 - Germany, France and Austria have sent Croatia additional assistance following a magnitude 6.2 earthquake on 29 December, including sleeping bags, housing containers, lighting systems and mattresses, the European Commission said on Thursday. They "are on their way to Croatia or will be in the coming days," the Commission noted, adding that "Slovenia delivered supplementary housing containers to Croatia on 11 January." The same day of the devastating tremor in the Petrinja, Glina and Sisak area, Croatia activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, requesting winter tents for six to eight persons, lamps, light towers, electrical heaters, folding beds, sleeping…
Thursday, 14 January 2021
French Foreign Minister Visits Earthquake-Hit Petrinja
ZAGREB, 14 January 2021 - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Petrinja on Thursday, saying that his visit, which had been planned earlier, could not have started without first visiting earthquake-hit areas. "It would have been unthinkable to come to Croatia without visiting Petrinja," Le Drian said in the Petrinja barracks at the start of his official visit. "I wanted to start my trip by visiting Petrinja and the region to express my empathy and to show just how much we in France were touched by what happened to the population here," said Le Drian, who expressed solidarity with rescuers…
Wednesday, 13 January 2021
Milanović: It's a Shame Post-War Reconstruction was Botched
ZAGREB, 13 January 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said on Wednesday it was a shame that post-war housing reconstruction had been botched, but that this was not a matter for the State Prosecutor.'s Office (DORH). "It is obvious botch jobs were done, or blueprints were so bad. These houses were poorly built or someone stole by sparing building material. Twenty years have passed and I think that a statute of limitations has expired," Milanovic told reporters in Petrinja on Wednesday. He added that that cannot be considered as war profiteering and that no profit was made in post-war reconstruction but botch jobs were…
Wednesday, 13 January 2021
Hungary to Rebuild Primary School in Petrinja, Church in Žažina
ZAGREB, 13 January 2021 - Hungary will rebuild an earthquake-devastated primary school in Petrinja and a church in the nearby town of Žažina, the Hungarian secretary of state for religious and ethnic relations said on Wednesday. During a visit to Petrinja last week, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced that Hungary would rebuild a school and a church and that more details would be known during a visit by the secretary of state. He made the announcement during the delivery of the first two of 56 container homes donated by the Hungarian energy company MOL. Secretary of state Miklos Soltesz said on Wednesday…
Wednesday, 13 January 2021
Opposition MP Demands Data on Post-War Rebuilt Houses Destroyed in Quake
ZAGREB, 13 January 2021 - Anka Mrak-Taritas of the GLAS party has asked the relevant state office to provide her with data on the number of properties reconstructed after the 1991-1995 Homeland War. According to a press release issued by GLAS, Mrak-Taritaš says that it should not have happened that properties reconstructed in 1996 were destroyed in the 29 December earthquake, which took seven lives and caused extensive damage in Sisak-Moslavina County. She said that the authorities were obliged to investigate any wrongdoing in the process of reconstruction under the 1996 law on reconstruction, underscoring that human lives were endangered in those rebuilt houses that…
Wednesday, 13 January 2021
Signal in Banovina to Improve, Reconstruction of State Roads to Begin, Butković Says
ZAGREB, 13 January 2021 - Transport and Infrastructure Minister Oleg Butković said on Wednesday that the phone signal in rural and border areas of Banovina would soon improve and that the reconstruction of state roads in that area should soon begin. Answering a reporter's question about mobile and phone signals in the quake-hit Banovina, Butković said he had spoken with all telecoms, who had very soon after the earthquake restored the existing signal, so the signal was now as it was before the 29 December earthquake. "However, since the signal coverage in rural and border areas of Sisak-Moslavina County was rather…
