Politics

ZAGREB, October 29, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday that his government was doing its utmost to ensure funds in the revised 2020 budget for the disbursement of Christmas bonuses. "Considering Christmas bonuses, so far in my premiership, we have never omitted to pay Christmas bonuses, and you know that we increased their amount," Plenkovic told a news conference, reassuring the general public that efforts were being made to find enough funds for this purpose in 2020, too. Plenkovic commented on the situation in the KB Dubrava hospital, following a letter by a physician at the hospital who alerted…

ZAGREB, October 29, 2020 - Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Thursday that any new epidemic measures would only be more restrictive that those currently in place, but did not specify whether and when they would be imposed, saying that this would depend on further developments. "Any new measures that may be adopted in the coming days or longer may only be more restrictive considering the present epidemiological situation, but I will not be more specific because you more or less know the direction in which new measures would go," Bozinovic told the press ahead of a regular cabinet meeting.…

ZAGREB, October 29, 2020 - Science and Education Minister Radovan Fuchs said on Thursday that closure of schools and online classes would be the government's last resort and that he was not considering that measure for now. He cited the study conducted in 133 countries, according to which school contributed very little to the transmission of the infection. There are 0.2% children who tested positive for coronavirus in the education system. Yesterday 27 children from kindergartens tested positive in Zagreb and over 70 kindergarten teachers, so kindergartens mostly closed down because of staff, he said. Fuchs said that they were…

ZAGREB, Oct 28, 2020  - Vukovar City Council concluded by a majority vote on Wednesday that conditions have not yet been reached to expand ensured individual rights and to regulate collective rights for members of the Serb minority who live in that town. The conclusion was adopted following several hours of debating on the achieved level of understanding, solidarity, tolerance, and dialogue among Vukovar residents - members of the Croat majority population and the Serb national minority. The conclusion received the support of 15 councilors while 6 voted against it. The conclusion notes that in conditions "when fundamental human rights are still…

October 29, 2020 - Leading Croatian lawyer Vanja Juric is interviewed on N1 on the subject of hate speech in society. Vanja Juric, a lawyer who often deals with court cases involving hate speech, explained to N1 the causes of this phenomenon in Croatia, the consequences for society, as well as how society can resist this phenomenon. Juric said that hate speech as a phenomenon is not the basis of radicalization in society. "I think a lot more care has to be taken that hate speech is a consequence, not a cause. It is a consequence of the general social…

ZAGREB, Oct 27, 2020 - Croatia is a role model for the world with regard to tolerance towards minority and religious communities, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said during a visit to the Islamic community in Croatia on Tuesday. According to Grlic Radman, "Croatia is a model state in Europe and the world when it comes to tolerance, safety, respect of others and those who are different," at a time when tension is growing between France and Islamic countries, primarily Turkey, being stirred up by a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed and murder of a French teacher who was killed by…

ZAGREB, Oct 27, 2020 - Croatia's parliament will convene for a new session in November and the new meeting will begin on 3 November with Question Time and Prime Minister Andrej Plenovic's report on European Council sessions. The premier is expected to submit the government's annual report on 4 November, and the next day, the proposed revision of the 2020 budget will be on the agenda, whereas on 6 November the legislature is expected to confirm its standing orders to the latest ruling of the Constitutional Court and the current epidemiological situation. The parliament is expected to consider the government's proposal…

ZAGREB, Oct 27, 2020 - Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic Radman has described as "ill-intentioned" reports that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit has been postponed for political reasons, stressing that a future meeting "is beyond question." The Russian minister was to have visited Croatia on Tuesday but the visit was postponed. The Jutarnji List daily of Monday said that "Russian sources claim Minister Lavrov is angry because Prime Minister (Andrej) Plenkovic did not want to meet with him", a claim that was strongly dismissed on the same day by the Croatian government, which said that the visit was postponed…

ZAGREB, Oct 27, 2020 -  Vukovar Mayor Ivan Penava said on Tuesday that not holding the commemoration procession in Vukovar on October 18 is not an option and that city authorities plan to organise it adhering to epidemiological measures. "Not observing Remembrance Day or not holding the commemoration procession is absolutely out of the question," Penava told reporters. He underlined that city authorities are sending messages that there is no room for any tension in the procession that marks the calamity of Vukovar in the Homeland War, "nor when politics is concerned, nor when coronavirus is concerned," he said. Penava said that city authorities would carefully…

ZAGREB, Oct 27, 2020 - Finance Minister Zdravko Maric said on Monday the ruling coalition partners supported the government's 2020 state budget revision and 2021 budget. "The revision and the budget were presented, the latest numbers and data," he told the press after a coalition meeting. "They are aware of the circumstances and how much coronavirus has cost the state budget to date. The figure will go up to HRK 28.5 billion by the end of the year. These are increased expenditures that we didn't plan which are first and foremost intended for job retention and the health system." Maric said challenges…