Politics

ZAGREB, February 19, 2020 - President Zoran Milanović said on Wednesday that he would agree with the government's proposal that Rear Admiral Robert Hranj be appointed new military chief of staff. In his address to reporters Milanovic, who was inaugurated on Tuesday, said that he had already discussed this topic with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. In comments by reporters that it seemed to them that Plenković had appeared displeased at his inauguration, the new president said that their conversation yesterday was normal. Milanovic admitted there were normal sparks, and there may be some in the future or maybe there won't…

ZAGREB, February 19, 2020 - Justice Minister Dražen Bošnjaković said on Wednesday that he expected Chief State Prosecutor Dražen Jelenić to resign over his membership in a Masonic lodge, which he described as unacceptable. "Membership in any civic association of this kind is unacceptable, regardless of the fact that it was registered in line with the law. Its activities are shrouded in mystery, as is its membership, so there are certain risks for the chief state prosecutor and others who are members of such organisations," Bošnjaković said after a session of the inner cabinet. He confirmed to reporters having talked…

ZAGREB, February 19, 2020 - Chief State Prosecutor Dražen Jelenić has confirmed he is a Freemason and said doctor Nikica Gabrić tried to influence a preliminary investigation into three reporters who allegedly blackmailed him, demanding that he give them 200,000 kuna or they would publish photographs of a ceremony of the Masonic lodge to which he belongs. Asked by Hina to comment on an article in the Nacional weekly which said that Jelenić was a Freemason and that Vuk Radić, a reporter for the 7Dnevno weekly and one of the suspected blackmailers, was also a Freemason who attended Jelenić's initiation,…

ZAGREB, February 19, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday the nomination of Vice Admiral Robert Hranj as new military chief of staff would be on the government's agenda on Thursday and that there were no problems with President Zoran Milanović in agreeing on the nomination. Plenković told reporters Hranj was one of the key people in the Main Staff who, together with the head of his office, was at the helm of a task force for the procurement of fighter jets. Most important for the government and the defence minister is that the Croatian army functions well…

February 18, 2020 - A couple of days ago, a small scandal appeared in the Croatian media, and as time passes and more people get accused of being members of the freemason organisation, it seems to be getting worse. The first inkling that this might be a big story happened three days ago, when it was reported that several Croatian journalists from the website and magazine dnevno.hr were arrested (Mark Cigoj, editor in chief, Vuk Radić, a journalist and apparently also a mason himself, and Marija Dekanić, the owner). The reason for their arrest was that they were attempting to…

The conversation with my Uber driver took a familiar turn once he detected my American accent. I was on my way to the inauguration of Zoran Milanović, the fifth president of Croatia. It was my first presidential inauguration. Of course, he wanted to know what I thought about living in Croatia and my answer was typically positive. But, it’s too bad so many people are leaving. He had traveled the world in his former profession, and assured me that new people, immigrants, would take their place and the country would be even better because of it. Croatia could benefit from…

ZAGREB, February 18, 2020 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Tuesday President Zoran Milanović's inauguration speech was a good start to his term, highlighting the need to cooperate to Croatia's benefit. "I can assess it as a fair speech in which he gave several essential messages, the most important being that we should cooperate and work to Croatia's benefit regardless of political differences and different world views," Jandroković said. "I think it's a good start and hope President Milanović's term will pass in that spirit." Jandroković said he did not find it contentious that Milanović opted for a minimalist…

ZAGREB, February 18, 2020 - Croatian People's Party (HNS) leader Ivan Vrdoljak on Tuesday condemned an announcement by Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban that "the alliance against the European Union will include Croatia too," and called on PM Andrej Plenković and President Zoran Milanović to "stand in defence of a pro-European Croatia." Vrdoljak said in a press release that "extremists, nationalists and populists like Orban want to drag the EU and Croatia backwards," to violations of the fundamental principles of democracy, rule of law, freedom of the press and human rights. As a liberal party that advocates a pro-European, open…

ZAGREB, February 18, 2020 - President Zoran Milanović said in his inaugural address on Tuesday that elections are a way of reaching a peaceful compromise between the opposed wishes of different people, and that he will play a constructive role as President. Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Milanović said that the truth and voters' desire should be kept apart and that elections are not the way to find the truth but to reach a peaceful compromise between the opposed wishes of different people. "It seems to me that there is only one right way, and that is full and active support…

ZAGREB, February 18, 2020 - Croatia will donate €1 million to Albania for reconstruction of healthcare and education infrastructure following a devastating earthquake that hit the country last November. "The Croatian government decided at its meeting on 13 February to donate one million euro for infrastructure reconstruction in the area of healthcare and education," Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in his address to a donors' conference in Brussels on Monday. The conference was organised by the European Commission after a strong earthquake struck the Adriatic port city of Durres claiming the lives of 51 people and causing extensive property damage,…