Politics

ZAGREB, Dec 10, 2020 - President Zoran Milanovic has issued a message for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which begins in the evening of December 10 and ends in the evening of December 18. "I wish a happy Hanukkah to all citizens of the Jewish faith. May this festival of light and hope bring you good health, prosperity and peace and may it reinvigorate your faith and hope, which are much needed in these times. I wish you to spend the holidays in joy, surrounded by your family. Hag Hanukkah Sameah!" Milanovic wrote in his message. Hanukkah commemorates the rededication…

ZAGREB, Dec 9, 2020 - Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Tomislav Coric said on Wednesday that Croatia had made huge progress in waste sorting, which increased from 31 to 37 percentage points in 2019. "The results in the past few years, notably during 2019, point to Croatia's huge step forward and a significant increase in awareness among people and all stakeholders in the process," he told the press, adding that the increase from 31 to 37 pp "has rarely been seen in Europe in the past ten years." Coric was asked for a comment on Green Action's criticism of a new waste management…

ZAGREB, Dec 9, 2020 - The government has adopted two decrees enabling tourism boards to absorb funds from two tourism funds; one for underdeveloped and continental areas, and the fund for associated tourism boards to support them amid a fall in revenue resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. Tourism and Sports Minister Nikolina Brnjac explained that the decrees would enable support to be paid out this year already. She added that the law on tourism fees and membership fees in tourism boards prescribed the establishment of a fund for support to tourism boards in areas with an underdeveloped tourism sector and continental…

ZAGREB, Dec 9, 2020 - Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Tomislav Coric said on Wednesday after a cabinet meeting that today already 21 applications for COVID loans had been received and that the refreshed HAMAG-BICRO agency for SMEs was processing the applications promptly. With regard to fast COVID loans, he underlined that credit loans until now covered about HRK 1.8 billion and that 2,600 loans had been approved out of 3,860 applications, while 1,200 were rejected for justified reasons. He recalled that a government decision in early August increased the tranche for these loans by HRK 1 billion and facilitated HRK 1.3 billion for COVID loans.…

ZAGREB, Dec 9, 2020 - Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa will represent Croatia at Thursday's EU summit, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Wednesday. Plenkovic will not attend the summit as his isolation has been extended due to a cough caused by COVID-19. Speaking at a virtual cabinet meeting, he said he first suggested to President Zoran Milanovic to attend. "I offered (Milanovic) to go on Croatia's behalf. He appreciated the gesture, thanked me, but given the topics, he assessed that he would not go to Brussels," Plenkovic said, adding that Milanovic agreed with Jansa being authorized to represent Croatia. The two-day in-person summit…

ZAGREB, Dec 8, 2020 - During a debate in parliament on the implementation of the Declaration of the Status of Croats in BiH on Tuesday, MP Miro Bulj (Bridge) and MP Ante Prkacin (Homeland Movement) commended President Zoran Milanovic's policy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). MP Bulj claimed that Croats in BiH were "a forgotten people" and called out the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) for its policy towards Croats in BiH, that it had reduced the number of delegates from BiH from six to three and that it has renounced HVO Croat defenders from the Homeland War. President Zoran Milanovic is a greater…

ZAGREB, Dec 8, 2020 - The far-right political scene in Germany obtained weapons through arms dealers in Croatia, the German ZDF public broadcaster said on Tuesday. Prosecutors in Munich have indicted a 47-year-old Alexander R. for buying weapons in Croatia for the far-right in Germany, says ZDF's Frontal21 political magazine. The main suspect and several clients have been found to possess a number of weapons, including pump-guns, and more than 200 pieces of ammunition, a representative for the prosecution, Klaus Ruhland, told ZDF. The persons in whose hands the weapons have ended up can be considered part of the far-right political scene, Ruhland…

ZAGREB, Dec 8, 2020 - Defence Minister Mario Banozic said on Tuesday that the government would decide on the procurement of fighter jets at the beginning of 2021 and that a contract to that effect could be signed in late 2021. During his visit to the city of Petrinja today, Minister Banozic recalled that the interdepartmental commission had five more days to make its recommendation on offers forwarded to Croatia regarding its plan to provide the air force with 12 fighter jets. Croatia has received four offers. The United States is offering the new F-16 Block 70, Sweden is offering…

ZAGREB, Dec 8, 2020 - The Most party parliamentarian, Nikola Grmoja, claimed on Tuesday that the national COVID crisis response team has lost trust because of the disputes that have emerged in the government's scientific advisory council and that citizens no longer believe in the measures being introduced. "The crisis response team has lost its trust and a dispute has erupted in the government's scientific council itself. How then can people have confidence in the decisions it adopts when they are squabbling between themselves and do not want to admit that some things were done poorly. We are not asking for saints…

ZAGREB, Dec 8, 2020 - Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said on Tuesday that the Dayton peace agreement should be amended to ensure equality and a constituent status for all of the country's three peoples as well as other citizens. "The Dayton agreement has been transformed beyond recognition, we have been warning about it at NATO and EU meetings and now that we are members of those organisations, our voice is heard much better," Grlic Radman said in a reply to MP Marijana Petir's question while submitting a report on the implementation of the Declaration on the status…