Politics

ZAGREB, April 4, 2020 - The Croatian Pensioners' Union (SUH) on Friday most strongly condemned member of parliament Ivan Pernar for making statements against elderly persons in the context of the coronavirus epidemic. The union says that the MP has called for lifting restrictions that were imposed to curb the spread of the disease, explaining that elderly people have to die of something anyway. SUH notes that Pernar has been conducting an opinion poll about the coronavirus pandemic on his Facebook wall, claiming that restrictions introduced to help fight the coronavirus have economically destroyed the country and its citizens and…

ZAGREB, April 4, 2020 - Residents of Zagreb came to their windows and balconies on Friday evening and banged at their pots and pans and blew whistles in protest at how Mayor Milan Bandić was running the city in the present situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the March 22 earthquake. The protest was initiated by a civil society group called "Zagreb Is Calling You", who called on residents to come to their windows and balconies at 7pm and express their anger for five minutes at how the mayor was handling the crisis. The group said that the mayor…

ZAGREB, April 3, 2020 - Croatian President Zoran Milanović on Friday met with representatives of the Croatian Chamber of Civil Engineers and representatives of structural engineers, many of whom volunteered to help after the recent earthquake in Zagreb, and expressed his thanks for their unselfish work and effort. "Repairing earthquake damage is work that has to be carried out primarily by the government, that is the state. It is important that Zagreb be reconstructed in a quality manner, according to recommendations by professionals, and that we as a state learn from this natural disaster and pass legislation that will minimise…

ZAGREB, April 3, 2020 - The COVID-19 pandemic is a global issue hence it is especially important to help the Western Balkans as a European region, Croatia's Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said after a video conference of EU foreign ministers, stressing that the EU has been generous in that regard. The meeting, which was presided by the EU's High Representative Josep Borrell, discussed aid for third countries in curbing the pandemic which has killed 53,693 people in the world while 1,035,380 are infected with the virus in 188 countries. "The pandemic is a global issue and…

ZAGREB, April 2, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said at the government's meeting on Thursday that in the circumstances of the struggle to curb the coronavirus epidemic, his cabinet decided to put off the procurement of fighter jets for the time being. "At this moment this is the only logical and correct decision," Plenković said. Croatia will notify in writing all the countries that are participating in the tender process, of its decision to postpone the process of purchase of fighter jets. The government today also decided on the postponement of the CROIMAS international military air show that was…

ZAGREB, April 2, 2020 - Following an agreement between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 20 border crossings between these two countries were closed temporarily at 7 am Thursday, the Croatian Automobile Club (HAK) said on Thursday morning. In order to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have agreed to temporarily close 20 of their mutual border crossings as of 7am Thursday, the Croatian Police Directorate announced on Wednesday. The traffic is thus suspended at the following border crossings: Svilaj, Gejkovac, Pašin Potok, Bogovolja, Kordunski Ljeskovac, Lička Kaldrma, Bili Brig, Aržano Pazar, Dvorine, Cera, Jovica…

ZAGREB, April 2, 2020 - The government-sponsored motion to give some of the police powers to army servicemen along the border with Croatia was turned down by the Slovenian parliament's defence committee on Wednesday evening. For the proposal to be adopted, a two-third majority vote was necessary. However, during the vote, out of the 19 members who attended the committee's meeting in Ljubljana, 11 voted for the proposal, which was not enough to have the required two-third majority. As a result, the motion could not be added to the agenda of the parliament. Proposing the motion, the government led by…

ZAGREB, April 1, 2020 - Bosnia and Herzegovina started constructing a new border crossing to Croatia, located by the bridge over the Sava River in the village of Svilaj, near Slavonski Brod, it was announced on Tuesday by the Indirect Taxation Authority (UNO) of Bosnia. The UNO and three Bosnian companies signed a €9.5 million contract on building the border crossing, which should be completed within 300 days. The three companies that won the tender are "Niskogradnja" from Laktaši "Alfa term" from Mostar, and "Tehton" from Banja Luka. Four lanes will be built at the entrance to the border crossing…

ZAGREB, March 31, 2020 - President and Armed Forces Supreme Commander Zoran Milanović on Tuesday lit a candle at a monument at Plitvička Jezera commemorating Josip Jović, the first Croatian police officer killed in the Homeland War, on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of his death. Milanović's envoy, Brigadier Darko Podrug, head of the Croatian Navy commander's office, laid a wreath at Jović's grave in Arzano. Jović, 22, was killed and nine other police officers were wounded in a police operation on 31 March 1991 after Serb insurgents occupied the Plitvice Lakes National Park and blocked the D1 state…

ZAGREB, March 30, 2020 - The Social Democratic Party (SDP) wants parliament not to stop sitting for as long as the coronavirus epidemic lasts, recommending that parliament should sit from Monday to Friday and not from Wednesday to Friday as is now the case. The chairman of the SDP's parliamentary group, Arsen Bauk, sent a letter to Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Monday calling for the current sitting to continue until 3 April as previously scheduled and that during that time the Sabor should sit every working day. There are still 81 items on the agenda that have not been…