Politics

March 10, 2020 – On Sunday evening Croatia Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced a bold financial incentive to encourage emigrants to return to Croatia from abroad. “The Ministry of Labour is preparing a new measure – a financial incentive measure for the return of our people who have temporarily gone abroad. We will financially support them to return,” Plenković said at the presentation of his team "Boldly for Croatia" at the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) elections in the crowded hall of the Radisson Blu hotel in Split, which was greeted by applause. HDZ Speeches Frequently Interrupted by Wild Applause Raucous…

ZAGREB, March 10, 2020 - Presenting his defence in the Fimi Media trial on Tuesday, a former customs administration director and former treasurer of the Croatian Democratic Party (HDZ), Mladen Barišić claimed that everything he did was according to the party leader Ivo Sanader's instructions. Barišić was presenting his defence in the trial against him for his role in the Fimi Media scandal in which money was siphoned from state institutions through the Fimi Media marketing agency. "Everything I did as the party's treasurer was done in accordance and agreement with the party's leader. Ivo Sanader was authoritarian and did…

ZAGREB, March 10, 2020 - Since the beginning of the year Bosnia and Herzegovina's border police have prevented more than 1,600 migrants from illegally entering the country from Serbia and Montenegro, the Dnevni Avaz daily reported on Tuesday. By 8 March there were a total of 1,656 attempts of illegal entry recorded. According to information from the county's border police, more than 1,300 people attempted to cross the border in the area of Zvornik in eastern Bosnia. Most of the irregular migrants come for Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. The border police have assessed that this is somewhat less pressure by…

ZAGREB, March 10, 2020 - The busts which used to be placed in the vestibule of the Pantovčak presidential office were removed last week, a source from the office of President Zoran Milanović told Hina on Monday adding that the talks are being held with museums and other institutions for the storage of those statues. The vestibule was until recently decorated by the busts of prominent Croatian politician sand leaders including the first Croatian president Franjo Tuđman, as well as renowned leaders and dignitaries from the past: Josip Juraj Strossmayer, King Tomislav, Ivan Mažuranić, Ante Starčević, Stjepan Radić and Alojzije…

ZAGREB, March 10, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Monday that there was no need for now to review the state budget in light of increased costs caused by the coronavirus outbreak. Plenković said that the situation regarding the new coronavirus is being followed, with concrete measures being taken to ensure the safety of citizens in public health and monitor the possible impact on the economy, finances and tourism. "When the time comes, we will know what measures to introduce. We are conducting all processes responsibly and soberly," he said. Earlier in the day Plenković held a video…

ZAGREB, March 9, 2020 - Croatia is prepared to adapt to the crisis situation and accept unaccompanied children migrants who are identified to be without their parents on its territory, Demography and Social Policy Minister Vesna Bedeković said on Monday. "The social welfare system in Croatia has a developed service to accept unaccompanied children who are found on Croatian territory. Croatia is prepared to adapt to the crisis situation and challenges and accept unaccompanied children who are found in the country without their parents," Bedeković told reporters. She believes that this is primarily a humanitarian issue as it concerns children…

ZAGREB, March 9, 2020 - The Zagreb Administrative Court has admitted a lawsuit by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and quashed a decision by the Conflict of Interest Commission under which in the case of appointment of his close friend Igor Pokaz as Ambassador to the UK, Plenković had breached principles of conscientious and transparent conduct. The Administrative Court's ruling quashes the Commission's decision and suspends the proceedings in the case and the Conflict of Interest Commission is instructed to compensate the plaintiff for litigation costs in the amount of HRK 3,125. The Conflict of Interest Commission, however, has said that…

ZAGREB, March 9, 2020 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has held a video conference with the president of Cyprus and the prime ministers of Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Israel, Italy and Romania on possible joint activities in containing the spread of the coronavirus, a government press release said on Monday. Plenković informed Nicos Anastasiades, Sebastian Kurz, Boyko Borissov, Viktor Orban, Benjamin Netanyahu, Giuseppe Conte and Ludovic Orban about 12 confirmed coronavirus cases in three cities in Croatia. He said that Croatia had responded promptly and coordinated the activities of all government departments in preparing measures for the protection of public…

ZAGREB, March 9, 2020 - Croatian and Bosnian police cooperate well in controlling illegal migration, and the two countries should also address their outstanding issues through dialogue, Croatia's Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ivan Sabolić, said in an interview with the Sarajevo newspaper Dnevni Avaz of Monday. Sabolić said that a recent meeting between Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović and his Bosnian counterpart Fahrudin Radončić was an example of good cooperation that had already produced results and improved communication, especially in fighting illegal migration. He noted that the recent Croatian government decision to donate police equipment to Bosnia and Herzegovina…

ZAGREB, March 8, 2020 - Croatia is ready to take in some of the child refugees trapped in inhumane conditions in refugee camps on Greek islands, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Sunday. A great number of young refugees, who are not accompanied by parents or by some older relatives, are stuck in makeshift camps for refugees and migrants. Plenković, who was visiting the town of Sinj today, confirmed that Croatia was ready to accept some of those unaccompanied minors who are staying in difficult conditions on those islands. The transfer of child refugees and migrants from those islands…