Politics

ZAGREB, Dec 8, 2020 - Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Pedja Grbin on Tuesday condemned the expulsion of five scientists from the government's Scientific Council for combating the coronavirus pandemic, saying that in dealing with the coronavirus the government was not guided by science but by the political needs of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party. "Are we living in the 16th or 17th or 21st century? The prime minister expelled the scientists from the Science Council because they insisted on working on the basis of science and scientific facts and not on the political views and convictions of…

ZAGREB, Dec 7, 2020 - Tourism Minister Nikolina Brnjac and the chairman of the national hospitality industry association, Marin Medak on Monday held talks on the challenges facing that sector, the consequences of the pandemic, legal solutions, digitisation and other topics, the ministry said in a press release. "Until now too, through dialogue we have arrived at a series of solutions with which we are trying to save jobs in the tourism sector and related activities and today's meeting was constructive," Minister Brnjac said briefly after the meeting. She added that last week she had met with representatives in hospitality from various parts of Croatia…

ZAGREB, Dec 7, 2020 - Labour  Minister Josip Aladrovic said on Monday that closing shopping malls was not an option at the moment. "At the moment, closing shopping malls is certainly not an option and I personally believe that it will not be an option. We can consider some possible additional anti-epidemic requirements for shopping malls in order to reduce the potential spread of the epidemic but closing shopping malls as such is not on the cards at the moment," Aladrovic said responding to reporters ahead of a government meeting when asked if there were any projections of the burden to the…

December the 7th, 2020 - The saga surrounding Croatia's purchase of fighter jets still isn't over yet. Despite the numerous options on the table from numerous countries, the Swedish offer is looking tempting indeed... As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, we're finally nearing the end of the competition for the selection of new fighter jets for the Croatian Air Force, and Sweden with its Gripen, France with Rafale and the USA, which offers a new F-16 in its own arrangement, and a used Barak with Israel are all competing for Croatia's attention with more or less equal offers. The decision should…

ZAGREB, December 5, 2020 - Croatia's having kept its investment grade credit rating proves that the government's response to the crisis has been good, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Saturday in reference to a report by Fitch Ratings, which affirmed the country's investment grade rating for the third time this year. Fitch Ratings has for the third time this year affirmed the country's investment grade rating, which is owing to an expected gradual recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and the government's strong aid measures, accession to the Exchange Rate Mechanism II (ERM II), and fiscal consolidation having been maintained, Plenkovic stressed in…

ZAGREB, December 4, 2020 - Labour and Pension System Minister Josip Aladrovic said on Friday that HRK 7.6 billion from the state budget had been disbursed so far for job retention grants and shortened working hours, and the amount could climb to HRK 8 billion until the end of this year. Aladrovic told reporters that the government had already outlined three measures to bail out the economy. They are job retention grants of HRK 2,000 to 4,000 as a monthly allowance for workers which means that if an employer is shut down for more than 14 days they receive HRK 4,000 for each employee. In this case,…

ZAGREB, December 4, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic is ready to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in public and fully supports the campaign of promoting COVID-19 vaccination, the government's spokesman Marko Milic said on Friday. The spokesman explained that PM Plenkovic has contracted the coronavirus virus and is currently in isolation, which is why he will hold the necessary consultations with doctors on the appropriate time for him to be vaccinated. Since the very beginning Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has fully and publicly supported vaccination as the method to immunise people against the COVID-19 disease. Having in mind that in the period when the delivery of…

ZAGREB, December 4, 2020 - Parliament on Friday amended the law on the protection of the population from infectious diseases, making it possible to fine those who do not comply with anti-COVID measures. Seventy-six MPs voted for and 53 against the amendments. Parliament also tasked the government to report to it three times a year on the implementation of said law for the duration of the epidemic, with 77 votes for a conclusion to that effect moved by the ruling majority. The government is expected to submit a report in January, June and September. Parliament rejected the opposition's amendments that the…

ZAGREB, December 4, 2020 - President Zoran Milanovic thinks that all Croatian citizens should get vaccinated against COVID-19 and is himself ready to do so in public to show the importance of vaccination, his spokesman said on Friday. "President Milanovic is of the view that everyone should get vaccinated. He counts on civil responsibility and awareness, and is himself ready to get vaccinated in public to show by example the importance of vaccination," presidential spokesman Nikola Jelic said in response to Hina's query. Milanovic said on November 24 that, if necessary, he will be the first to get vaccinated because…

ZAGREB, December 4, 2020 - The government is aware of the problems and challenges faced by tourism and sports, and to additionally help those sectors, it has been working on a programme of support for tourism and related services to be implemented in 2021, Tourism and Sports Minister Nikolina Brnjac has said. The new programme, which envisages government subsidies for tourism and related sectors, will focus on small, medium and large entrepreneurs and it will amount to around HRK 1.5 billion, the minister said in an interview with Hina. "The subsidies will cover many activities, such as food and drink preparation and…