Politics

ZAGREB, November 30, 2020 - Economy Minister Tomislav Coric said on Sunday evening that during the weekend, the government's delegation led by Finance Minister Zdravko Maric had listened to the proposals of employers for measures to ease their situation after the imposition of tighter anti-COVID restrictions.  Coric told the RTL commercial broadcaster that the government was fully aware of the adverse impact of the latest epidemic prevention measures on certain businesses and that the government would propose compensatory measures on Monday. We will continue implementing the scheme of grants in the amount of HRK 4,000 per employee per month, the…

ZAGREB, November 30, 2020 - Former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic on Monday called for solidarity in the struggle against COVID-19 pandemic, and underscored the importance of vaccines to immunise the population. "I believe that it is not easy to those who make decisions on (anti-COVID) measures, since it is necessary to strike a balance between the public health and economic implications. One should make it clear that all this is not about measures but it concerns the responsibility of individuals and the general public. No measure can be successful unless it is respected by citizens," said Grabar-Kitarovic, a member of the International Olympic…

ZAGREB, November 29, 2020 - The head of the prime minister's office, Zvonimir Frka-Petesic, said on Sunday PM Andrej Plenkovic was self-isolating from his wife, who has coronavirus, and their children, adding that he had no symptoms, was continuing to do his job and that the government was working normally. Plenkovic has been self-isolating since Saturday, when his wife tested positive. His test came back negative. "The government is working normally. This morning we had two meetings via video link," Frka-Petesic told the press. He said the prime minister would participate in Monday's cabinet meeting via video link and that…

ZAGREB, November 29, 2020 - The Croatian Prime Minister's wife, Ana Maslac-Plenkovic, tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday and after that Plenkovic himself underwent testing and his test was negative, however, he went into self-isolation, the government's public relations office reported on Saturday evening. After a having a slightly elevated body temperature, Mrs Ana Maslac-Plenkovic underwent testing for coronavirus on Saturday and her test was positive, the government stated. After his wife was diagnosed with coronavirus, the Prime Minister also underwent testing and his test was negative. However, the  precautionary measure of staying at home for 10 days was imposed on…

ZAGREB, November 28, 2020 - The Centre party on Saturday proposed dissolving what it called the ruling HDZ's national COVID response team and the establishment of a new advisory body by a two-thirds majority in parliament. Speaking at an online press conference, the opposition party's co-president Dalija Oreskovic said people no longer trusted the response team because of "its inconsistent, incompetent and politicised measures." The team "which lost its authority and credibility because of its oversights must be dissolved," she added. Oreskovic said the time had come for top state officials to act statesmanly and nationally. The party called on President Zoran Milanovic…

ZAGREB, Nov 27, 2020 - A final bill on ratifying an agreement with the United States concerning the deployment of Air Marshals was discussed by Croatian members of parliament on Friday. Mario Kapulica of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) announced support for the ratification of the agreement aimed at the protection of Croatian and U.S. citizens on flights and called on all other lawmakers to support the ratification. Davor Dretar of the Homeland Movement also announced support for the agreement which is perceived as a prerequisite for Croatia's admission to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. The agreement defines the subject matter and area of application, relevant…

ZAGREB, Nov 27, 2020 - Parliament on Friday gave the green light for the deployment of Croatian army personnel to nine international peacekeeping missions in 2021 and 2022. The proposal was put forward under six decisions each of which was put to a vote. They received between 108 and 112 votes in favour. The peacekeeping operations in question are: the UN's KFOR operation in Kosovo, the EU's Sea Guardian mission in the Mediterranean, NATO's Forward Enhanced Presence in Poland, Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2, EU Naval Force Somalia Atalanta, and UN peacekeeping operations. The ruling majority rejected the amendments submitted…

ZAGREB, Nov 27, 2020 - Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Tomislav Coric has won the confidence of the parliament following a no-confidence vote on Friday. Fifty-one MPs voted in favour of the no confidence motion of the necessary 76 votes for the motion to be adopted, while 76 voted against. There were no abstentions. "I declare that the decision on showing no confidence in Minister Coric has not been adopted," Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic said after the vote. The no confidence motion was launched by 40 opposition lawmakers claiming that Coric had granted preferential treatment to the investor in the Krs-Padjene wind park,…

ZAGREB, November 26, 2020 - The government on Thursday amended the decree on designation of protected persons and buildings, designating St Mark's Square, the location of the buildings housing the government offices, parliament and the Constitutional Court, as a category 1 guarded area. The amendment came after a 12 October shooting incident in which a police officer guarding the entrance to the government building was shot and wounded and the perpetrator later committed suicide. Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said that the designation of the area as a guarded area created the legal grounds for stepping up security measures in order to reduce the possibilities of direct access and undermining…

ZAGREB, November 25, 2020 - The Croatian Parliament on Wednesday passed the new Foreign Nationals Act under which there will no longer be an annual quota for the employment of foreign nationals. None of the 32 amendments put forward by the opposition were accepted. Under the new law, the government will no longer establish an annual quota for the employment of foreign nationals, but employers will be obliged to submit a request to the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) to conduct a labour market test. If there are no unemployed persons in Croatia that meet employers' criteria, employers will then submit…