Politics

ZAGREB, February 9, 2020 - Social Democrat leader Davor Bernardić said on Saturday that in the next elections voters would be able to choose between "the SDP's vision of a progressive Croatia" and a conservative vision of individual interest groups from the current government. As for speculations about a grand coalition, Bernardić told the main committee of this leading Opposition party that the SDP would accept only the formation of a grand coalition with Croatian citizens. "The elections are ahead of us. One should decide about what kind of Croatia we want," he said. Bernardić went on to say that…

ZAGREB, February 9, 2020 - Public Administration Minister Ivan Malenica said that the term of Anita Nosić as the head of the southern municipality of Lovreć ceased as soon as she changed the place of residence to buy a socially-subsidised flat in Zagreb through the Real Estate Agency (APN). Nosić's deputy will be now in charge of the municipality, said Malenica. Malenica's comment ensued after media outlets reported that Nosić, a member of the HDZ party and head of Lovreć municipality in Split-Dalmatia County, had bought a socially-subsidised flat in Zagreb and also changed the place of residence. Even though…

The Swedish media has launched some scathing attacks on the Croatian Government and the current Croatian EU presidency, referencing the treatment of migrants, multiple failures to align with EU law and the dire demographic picture. As Index/Slobodan Mufic writes on the 8th of February, 2020, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and several of his ministers have repeatedly called on the Croatian media in recent weeks to pay less attention to disgraceful scandals caused by Croatian politicians and more attention to the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Although each EU member state at some point or another assumes…

ZAGREB, February 8, 2020 - President-elect Zoran Milanović on Saturday attended a session of the SDP Main Committee to say goodbye to his soon-to-be former party colleagues, saying that "if the truth were the only election criterion, the SDP would be in power forever." "Even when we slip, we speak with the best intentions, and it has been so for 30 years. We had governments and people didn't leave those governments nor were they expelled because of corruption scandals, dishonesty, betrayal of the public trust, practically ever. I'd say the choice is simple: the truth, vote for Croatia's left wing,…

ZAGREB, February 8, 2020 - Members of a delegation of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, who visited Croatia on Friday, say in an interview with Hina that all the EU member-states tacitly accept the violation of migrants' rights at the Croatian border, while Interior Minister Davor Božinović adamantly dismisses any claim about rights' breach. The three-member delegation on Friday held talks with the Croatian minister Božinović, the public ombudswoman Lora Vidović and activists from civil society associations, and on Saturday they will visit Bosnia and Herzegovina to get an insight into the migration situation along the border between…

ZAGREB, February 8, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Saturday he would do everything so that in the European Union's next seven-year budget Croatia was given appropriate cohesion funds, which he added were the driver of development and investment. "We must do everything to get as much as possible now that a big member state, a net contributor, Great Britain, has left the Union," he said in Brussels. "Alongside Portugal, we are one of those countries in which European funds account for the bulk of public investment. Also, the fact that we have been an EU member state…

ZAGREB, February 8, 2020 - The spokesman for Andrej Plenković's campaign for intra-party elections of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) confirmed on Friday that apart from Plenković, who is running for top position in the party leader, War Veterans' Affairs Minister Tomo Medved would be the nominee for the party's deputy leader. The other nominees for four vice president positions are Transport Minister Oleg Butković, Foreign Ministry's State Secretary Zdravka Bušić, HDZ whiip, Branko Bačić, and Osijek-Baranja County Prefect Ivan Anušić. The new leadership will be elected in line with one member, one vote principle on 15 March. If a…

ZAGREB, February 8, 2020 - The Croatian EU Presidency is taking place at a decisive period for the future of Europe, when the multiannual EU budget is being decided on, while London and EU are beginning negotiations on future relations, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said for the Italian agency Agenzia Nova. Politically and economically, the most important topic of the presidency is the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), noted the prime minister. "We will work on reaching an agreement, along with European Council President Charles Michel, who has taken over the negotiations." This is one of the most complex topics within…

ZAGREB, February 7, 2020 - The We Can! platform and a same-sex couple who wants to foster a child said on Friday they were pleased with a Constitutional Court decision under which everyone is entitled to foster under equal terms, while In the Name of the Family and Vigilare said it was bad for children and the judiciary. Earlier today, the Constitutional Court published a decision in which it concludes that courts and relevant bodies have the duty to enable everyone to participate in "the public service of foster care" under equal terms. The court reached the conclusion after considering…

ZAGREB, February 7, 2020 - European Council President Charles Michel has convened for February 16 an informal meeting with Western Balkan countries' leaders which will also be attended by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković as the premier of the country presiding over the Council of the European Union. The meeting will also be attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. The meeting has been convened as part of preparations for an informal summit of all EU member states and Western Balkan states due in Zagreb in…