Politics

October 14, 2020 – Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković met with Mate Rimac, founder and CEO of Rimac Automobili company. At the meeting, the potential of the electric vehicles industry in Croatia was discussed. As stated in the announcement of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the investments planned by Rimac Automobili have a broader context for the development of local and national transport, as well as educational and research and development infrastructure. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković expressed his support for the development initiatives and investments of the company Rimac Automobili and announced institutional support to all investors who…

ZAGREB, Oct 14, 2020 - Labour and Pension System Minister Josip Aladrovic said on Wednesday that the government, together with restaurant and bar owners, employers and trade unions, was expected to redesign job-keeping measures by Friday, after which they would be activated next week. Speaking to reporters ahead of a government session, Aladrovic said that the government would do what was necessary to help retain jobs. He said that there were currently no mass-scale layoffs due to the coronavirus crisis in relation to the most critical months of the pandemic, which he said was a good indicator. However, the government must act…

ZAGREB, Oct 14, 2020  - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Wednesday that Monday's Zagreb Square shooting, when a 22-year-old man opened fire at policemen protecting Government House, hinted at radicalization, which should make institutions and the society think about the motives and reasons for that act. "This is a serious situation that should make institutions and all of us as a society think why this happened," Plenkovic told a news conference at the government in reference to Monday morning's shooting in St Mark's Square when a police officer sustained serious injuries and the 22-year-old gunman later committed suicide. This is something that crossed the line and brought…

ZAGREB, Oct 13, 2020 - Parliament will continue sitting on Wednesday and Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic will once again chair the session after recovering from the coronavirus he contracted in early October. The Speaker has recovered, he is well and will chair the session, Jandrokovic's office confirmed on Tuesday. Deputy Speaker Zeljko Reiner, who has been in self-isolation due to having contact with an infected person, is also returning to his duties. I have been in self-isolation for 14 days, I did not have any symptoms, I was not positive, Reiner told Hina. Lawmakers will debate six items on the agenda this week - amendments to…

October 12, 2020 - Almost without exception, whenever there's a new development going on, someone is going to have objections and feel wronged, and that's exactly what happened today at the site where the Pelješac bridge access road is being built.  A winemaker from Ston, Miho Rozić, was trying to save his vineyards and olive groves near Ston. today, Slobodna Dalmacija writes. The Ston bypass will become a part of the road system which will make the Pelješac bridge accessible from the South, and Rozić's property is located exactly where it's supposed to pass. So, when the construction machinery arrived…

ZAGREB, Oct 12, 2020 - Seventy-six percent of Croatian citizens do not trust their government, whereas the average in other EU member states is 50%, according to a survey published on Monday by the European Committee of the Regions. The survey was conducted for the Committee by the Kantar consulting firm online on September 3-11. It covered 1,040 residents of Croatia, 76% of whom said the did not trust their government, while 20% said they did. Croatian citizens do not trust their regional and local authorities either, with 74% saying they did not trust them, and only 21% that they did. As for the EU,…

ZAGREB, Oct 12, 2020 - Following an attempted murder of a policeman in St. Mark's Square, where the buildings housing the government and the parliament are located, President Zoran Milanovic on Monday said that the current accessibility of the square was unacceptable and he urged higher security. "The highest state institutions are there, it should not be a tourist destination, those institutions should be appropriately protected," Milanovic said in a comment on the incident in which a 22-year-old man shot and wounded the policeman and later committed suicide in a nearby street. Milanovic called on the government to protect St. Mark's Square…

ZAGREB, October 11, 2020 - Social Democratic Party president Pedja Grbin on Sunday once again called on the ruling HDZ to support the establishment of a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the JANAF oil pipeline operator corruption affair. The SDP is very clearly appealing to the HDZ, if there is something in the motion for the establishment of the commission of inquiry that doesn't suit you, tell us, we'll sit down and talk, and amend it if necessary, Grbin said in Velika Gorica. Don't hide behind technicalities to stop what is crucial for Croatia at the moment, which is, let's take measures so…

October the 11th, 2020 - Mike Pompeo in Dubrovnik attracted a lot of media attention, and the former head of the CIA had a clear message to Croatia when it comes to doing business with the Chinese - Be careful. As Novac/David Lekaj writes, "Open your eyes when doing business with China," was the message of the former head of the Central Intelligence Agency, who received his military training at the prestigious West Point and his doctorate in law from Harvard. Mike Pompeo in Dubrovnik explained the geopolitical dangers and pitfalls of cooperation with China in great detail as part…

ZAGREB, October 10, 2020 - Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Pedja Grbin said at a founding session of the SDP Main Committee on Saturday that Croatia could never move forward without a strong SDP and that that would continue to be so. "In the recent intraparty election the SDP has shown that it is still here, that we can create ideas, proposals, suggestions and visions that will push forward not only the party but, much more importantly, our country," Grbin said in his address at the event which completed the intraparty election process and at which the party secretary-general, the Main…