Politics

ZAGREB, June 8, 2020 - The president of the Social Democratic Party's Osijek-Baranja County branch and former MP, Domagoj Hajdukovic, was physically assaulted in Osijek on Sunday, sustaining light injuries, and the attacker has been arrested, county police said on Monday. Without identifying either the attacker or the victim, police said they were notified around 5.30 p.m. on Sunday by a 39-year-old man that he had been verbally and physically attacked in the street by a 26-year-old man known to him. Doctors established that he was lightly injured.

ZAGREB, June 7, 2020 - Science and Education Minister Blazenka Divjak will be running in the forthcoming parliamentary election as an independent candidate on the Croatian People's Party (HNS) slate in Constituency 3, which covers the northern counties of Krapina-Zagorje, Varazdin, and Medjimurje. "Behind us, behind me, are indeed three demanding and challenging years in government during which we launched education reforms and investments in education and science, and we also successfully coped with the consequences of the global coronavirus pandemic, the (March 22) earthquake, and teachers' strike," Divjak told a press conference in Varazdin on Sunday, with HNS leader…

ZAGREB, June 7, 2020 - A coalition of six left-wing and green parties are launching a petition on Tuesday to ask President Zoran Milanovic to call an emergency meeting after the formation of the new parliament to adopt a new reconstruction bill after a strong earthquake struck Zagreb on March 22. The initiative is being launched by the coalition of the parties We Can!, the New Left, the Workers' Front, Sustainable Development of Croatia (ORaH), Zagreb Is Ours! and For the City. The petition will be open for signature at several locations in the city and online, Tomislav Tomasevic, who will…

ZAGREB, June 6, 2020 - Prime Minister and HDZ president Andrej Plenkovic said in Pozega on Saturday that in the July 5 parliamentary election citizens would choose whether to vote for those who had ensured health, jobs and economic growth or groups which were an end in themselves. He said over HRK 12 billion had been contracted as part of the government's Slavonia Project. "In the last campaign, we announced the Slavonia Project as a priority. Over HRK 12 billion has been contracted. We are realising projects. The government and the ministers are present in Slavonia. I think voters, having learned from…

ZAGREB, June 6, 2020 - The leadership of the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS)  on Friday decided to join the "Restart" opposition coalition led by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the upcoming parliamentary elections which Croatia will hold on 5 July. The IDS leadership said that the decision was made after a series of negotiations with the SDP which accepted all the conditions set by this regional party. One of the conditions was that any future territorial reorganization of Croatia would preserve the autonomous status of Istria as a county. Also, the IDS insisted on having its four candidates on the Restart slate…

ZAGREB, June 5, 2020 - Leader of the Restart coalition and of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Davor Bernardic said on Friday that the state has to adapt to citizens and entrepreneurs and to save their time and money, improve the quality of life for citizens and the economy's competitiveness. "Citizens need to be offered a palette of services that will make state and public administration more accessible, save time and money and improve the quality of life and provide enterprises with a series of tools that will boost their competitiveness, automate them and relieve administrative burdens while ensuring the digital transformation…

ZAGREB, June 5, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Friday in Mostar, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, that he is opposed to a wire fence on the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina after the migrant crisis has once again escalated. Over the past few weeks, the number of migrants coming to Bosnia and Herzegovina has increased once again, and they are trying to reach European Union members passing through Croatia. Bosnia and Herzegovina's Security Minister Fahrudin Radoncic resigned earlier this week due to a difference in opinion in the ruling coalition with regard to resolving the migrant problem.  Plenkovic, who today met…

ZAGREB, June 5, 2020 - The Franak Association reported Croatia to the European Commission, for the breach of the treaty with the European Union, the association said on Friday, claiming that the Supreme Court's multiple arbitrary actions during the so-called model proceedings amounted to the breach. Calling for the action to be taken against Croatia at the EU Court, the Association made accusations against the Supreme Court noting that there were no grounds for initiating the model proceedings and that a series of misinterpretations and wrong conclusions were presented during the proceedings about consumer protection on the basis of the EU legislature. "The report…

ZAGREB, June 5, 2020 - Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Davor Bernardic said on Friday that the court ruling allowing the use of the Ustasha salute "For the Homeland Ready" in a song was scandalous, adding that this was the result of fascism being downplayed the current government. "The ruling by the High Misdemeanour Court that Marko Perkovic Thompson may use the salute For the Homeland Ready (in his song) is scandalous. Imagine a German court allowing the use of the salute Sieg Heil or Heil Hitler! in Germany," Bernardic said at a press conference while commenting on the court ruling.…

ZAGREB, June 4, 2020 - Croatia's Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic Radman on Thursday met with ethnic Croats in Kotor and Tivat during a two-day visit to Montenegro, expressing Croatia's support to Montenegro on its European journey as well as satisfaction with the status of the Croat minority in the country. Grlic Radman met in Tivat with the president of the Croatian National Council of Montenegro, Zvonimir Dekovic, and the president of the Croatian Civic Initiative (HGI) and member of parliament, Adrijan Vuksanovic. "The native Croatian community of Boka Kotorska fosters Croat identity, history, the common past. They are a jewel here…