Politics
Thursday, 22 October 2020
Gov't for Enabling Civil Servants to Work From Home
ZAGREB, October 22, 2020 - Due to the deteriorating epidemiological situation, the government has tasked state administration bodies and offices and other public services to take measures in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus and arrange for work to be done from home or in rosters where possible. The government on Thursday authorised Minister of Justice and Public Administration Ivan Malenica to adopt, following prior approval from the Prime Minister, a binding instruction identifying measures related to the epidemiological situation. "The instruction will, depending on the epidemiological situation, in detail prescribe cases and possibilities to work from home and arrange work in…
Thursday, 22 October 2020
Croatia Among 17 EU Countries with Budget Surplus in 2019
ZAGREB, October 22, 2020 - Croatia and 16 other EU member states recorded a budget surplus in 2019 but the public debt was above the prescribed upperlimit of 60% of GDP, shows a second Eurostat estimate released on Thursday. The EU27 in 2019 recorded an average budget deficit of 0.5% of GDP, down 0.1 percentage point from the previous estimate, released in April. In 2018 the deficit was 0.4%. The euro area saw a budget deficit of 0.6% of GDP in 2019 and of 0.5% in 2018, which confirms the previous estimate, released in April. Budget revenue expressed as a share in GDP was 46.1%…
Thursday, 22 October 2020
Beros: Week Behind Us With Highest Number of Infections and Deaths
ZAGREB, October 22, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beros said at a cabinet meeting on Thursday that despite continual measures and responsible behaviour by most citizens, the past week has seen the largest number of people infected with coronavirus and related deaths. "We cannot be pleased with the current epidemiological situation or with the irresponsible behaviour of some individuals. All of that puts a lot of pressure on epidemiologists and other health workers, physicians and nurses, hospitals and the health system overall," said Beros. He added that today, the 241st day since the outbreak of coronavirus in Croatia, a total of 1,563 new cases…
Thursday, 22 October 2020
Gov't to Provide HRK 7.5bn in Grants for Wages in Private Sector this Year
ZAGREB, October 22, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday that government allocations for workers' wages in the private sector would reach HRK 7.5 billion kuna by the end of this year. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has allocated HRK 6.85 billion to help private-sector companies ensure wages for their workers. The proof that the government measures have been successful is data from the Croatian Pension Insurance Agency (HZMO) showing that there are currently 3,200 more pension insurees than at the outbreak of the corona crisis in late February, the premier said. "The measures have been…
Thursday, 22 October 2020
Capannelli: No Progress Unless Government Changes Public Policies
ZAGREB, October 22, 2020 - If the government does not change the public policies, there will be no progress, World Bank (WB) Country Manager for Croatia Elisabetta Capannelli said in Thursday's issue of Vecernji List daily. Boosting the efficiency of the Croatian judiciary, increasing the public administration's efficiency by streamlining administrative procedures and reducing bureaucracy and investing in education, research and development and innovation are the crucial but not the only areas of the public sphere in need of an urgent reform so that the business climate would improve and that the trust in Croatian public institutions would be strengthened, Capannelli…
Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Bozinovic: We Will Concentrate on Punishing Violations of Epidemiological Measures
ZAGREB, Oct 21, 2020 - The head of the national Covid response team, Davor Bozinovic, said on Wednesday that as long as the number of people infected with coronavirus continued to grow they would concentrate on punishing violations of epidemiological measures, in particular legal entities. Bozinovic visited the National Civil Protection Authority's warehouse in Jastrebarsko and told reporters that new measures would not be needed to curb the spread of coronavirus if measures already adopted were adhered to. "We are monitoring the situation. The numbers are growing. They are growing outside Croatia too," said Bozinovic and underlined that they will concentrate the most…
Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Zagreb Mayor Bandic Stands Firm With Capital's Enfeebled Hospitality Sector
October the 21st, 2020 - The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a horrific blow to the world's tourism, travel and hospitality sector, and countries which rely more heavily on attracting foreign tourists have struggled to stay afloat as the virus continues to spread. Croatia is not immune (no pun intended) to these negative trends, and the Croatian hospitality sector is now at its weakest. Zagreb Mayor Bandic has vowed to stand by and support the Croatian capital's suffering hospitality and catering sector. As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, following a meeting with Zagreb Mayor Bandic, the president of the National Association of Caterers, Marin…
Tuesday, 20 October 2020
Croatia, USA Make Yet Another Step Towards Cancellation of Visa Requirements
ZAGREB, Oct 20, 2020 - Croatia on Tuesday made another step towards accession to the US Visa Waiver Programme by signing an agreement on cooperation with the USA in passenger data disclosure, Croatia's Minister of the Interior Davor Bozinovic and US Ambassador Robert Kohorst said. The signing of the document is a major step towards having visa requirements lifted, said the US ambassador. Step by step, Croatia has done everything necessary to qualify for the Visa Waiver Programme, he said, adding that there were more things to be done to conclude that process. The document was signed in two locations, in…
Tuesday, 20 October 2020
PM: Meeting with Police, State Prosecutor because of Video Recording of Attack
ZAGREB, Oct 20, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has sent a message to President Zoran Milanovic saying he did meet with police and prosecutorial representatives on Saturday because he personally wanted to see for himsef if a recording of the attack that occurred in St. Mark's Square last week could be released. Plenkovic confirmed that the meeting was held at his request and that the Interior Minister, the head of the Security-Intelligence Agency (SOA), the chief-of-police and the county prosecutor attended the meeting because he wanted to see if releasing the video recording would interfere and exclude it from any criminal proceedings. He explained that…
Tuesday, 20 October 2020
Plenkovic: Milanovic's Behaviour is Bizarre
ZAGREB, October 20, 2020 - Prime Minister and Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) leader Andrej Plenkovic said on Monday that President Zoran Milanovic's conduct over the past few months had been bizarre. "The thing that I consider to be crucial is to recognise three fundamental points in this truly bizarre behaviour by President Milanovic over the past few months which I consider to be problematic, not just from my aspect as prime minister but from the aspect of society overall," Plenkovic said ahead of a meeting of HDZ's leadership when asked by the press to comment on Milanovic's behaviour. In that regard, he…
Tuesday, 20 October 2020
Milanovic First President to Visit Roma Settlement Parag
ZAGREB, Oct 19, 2020 - President Zoran Milanovic wrapped up his one-day trip to Medjimurje County on Monday by visiting Parag, the largest Roma settlement in Croatia. The president met with Roma representatives, including Parag official Radovan Balog and the president of the county council of ethnic minorities, Matjaz Orsos. Milanovic inquired about Roma employment and education as well as about Parag's infrastructure. The president's arrival was a big deal, with Parag residents saying he was the first president to visit their community. According to the 2011 census, Parag had 1,170 inhabitants. It is believed that the current population exceeds 2,000.
