Politics

ZAGREB, January 15, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday, on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition, that the political legacy of the first president, Franjo Tuđman, was that in less than 30 years Croatia had politically established itself internationally and was now chairing the Council of the EU. "Twenty-eight years ago, Croatia was internationally recognised and today is also the 22nd anniversary of the completion of the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube River Region into the constitutional order, which is Croatia's success and president Tuđman's political legacy," Plenković posted on Twitter. "In…

ZAGREB, January 15, 2020 - Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) chief Krešo Beljak on Wednesday reiterated his apology over a tweet in which he justified political assassinations in ex-Yugoslavia, however, he found it hypocritical of those "who support war criminals and terrorists that disgraced Croatia" to criticise him. "I have apologised and I am sincerely sorry. Of course, I do not support killings. I let myself be provoked and this is my big mistake," Beljak said, adding that in the future he obviously would have "to control it". He said that it was hypocritical of those who support war criminals and…

ZAGREB, January 15, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday he would not allow Croatia to be labelled as a country of anarchy, disorder and distrust in the system. "That simply isn't correct," he said in parliament during Question Time after Social Democratic Party president Davor Bernardić said a recent triple murder in Split pointed to a lack of trust in institutions, which he said was Croatia's huge problem. Citizens are bitter with good reason and side with those who take justice into their hands, which is not good. People have lost trust in the police, the State…

Croatian taxpayers are financing new expensive Audis for three parliament vice presidents. The monthly payment for each car equals the average Croatian citizen’s take-home pay. The brand-new cars were delivered in December 2019, came with 60-month contracts and a monthly installment of 5541 HRK (744 EUR) per car. Three of Five Vice Presidents Accepted Audi A6 Three of the five deputies in Croatian Parliament accepted and are driving brand new Audi A6 cars, the Croatian Parliament press office confirmed to Hina. The new cars were offered to four vice presidents, as Božo Petrov (Most) had refused an offer to use…

ZAGREB, January 15, 2020 - On this day, 28 years ago, the then member-states of the European Union recognised Croatia and on this day 22 years ago, the country completed the peaceful reintegration of its Danube region. On 15 January 1992, Croatia's independence was recognised by the members of the EU and Germany as well as the Vatican were perceived as protagonists in those developments, while 15 January 1998 saw the completion of the peaceful reintegration of the until then occupied Danube River Region into Croatia's constitutional and legal order. On 15 January 1992, Croatia was in the midst of…

ZAGREB, January 15, 2020 - The Human Rights Watch (HRW) warns in its latest annual report on human rights' state of affairs worldwide that despite reports "about illegal and violent pushbacks of migrants by Croatian police into Bosnia and Serbia, in breach of EU refugee and human rights law, Croatia faced no consequences from EU institutions." This New-York based international non-governmental organisation described these reports as credible. It cited statistics provided by the Croatian Ministry of Interior which show that "in the first eight months of 2019, 11,813 new migrants and asylum seekers were recorded, mainly from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and…

ZAGREB, January 14, 2020 - The Croatian Nursing Council (HKMS) on Tuesday condemned a statement made by President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović in which she mentioned nurses in the context of corruption. Talking about corruption in Croatian society, Grabar-Kitarović said that "friends asked her why she did not take anything to the hospital, because nurses expect that." The President insinuated that nurses "expect gifts" from their patients, HKMS stated. "Nurses and medical technicians do their jobs in a professional and ethical manner, and they are wholeheartedly committed to their patients' well-being. We find linking this humane profession with corruptive actions unacceptable,"…

ZAGREB, January 14, 2020 - The EU is faced with numerous challenges and it must find a way to respond to its citizens' concerns, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković warned on Tuesday while presenting the priorities of Croatia's EU presidency in the European Parliament. The world is growing more complex by the day, the number of our tasks is growing as is the number of those who offer simple answers and quick solutions, often unfounded and based on false information. Our citizens' expectations are growing. We must get close to them, listen to them and respond to their concerns, Plenković…

ZAGREB, January 14, 2020 - Croatia will not become an informal hotspot for migrants, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in the European Parliament (EP) on Tuesday after several MEPs objected to the way Croatia's police treat illegal migrants. Croatia will not become a country that will be an informal hotspot, Plenković said and added that unlike other countries, Croatia did not decide to build barricades and barbed wire but to protect the Croatian, European and future Schengen border with 6,500 police officers. The solution is to protect the external border, particularly between Turkey and Greece where the eastern-Mediterranean and western…

ZAGREB, January 14, 2020 - In an interview with the Croatian Radio national broadcaster on Monday, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Davor Bernardić said that he was absolutely going to go for the prime minister's office, rejecting the possibility of a grand coalition with the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). "I'm absolutely embarking on a fight for the prime minister's office. SDP is preparing for the parliamentary election and we've already formed a campaign team," Bernardić said, rejecting criticism that there is not one woman among the coordinators in the ten electoral constituencies. "Women will, as always, have their…