Politics

ZAGREB, November 15, 2019 - Former Austrian Defence Minister Mario Kunasek, at a ceremony in Zagreb on Thursday, was presented with the Croatian Order of Duke Trpimir with Neck Badge and Morning Star for his outstanding contribution to the promotion of relations between the two countries, the Croatian Defence Ministry said in a press release. The medal was presented on behalf of the President of Croatia and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, by Defence Minister Damir Krstičević, who also cited Kunasek's great contribution to the return of the MiG-21 fighter plane which Croatian pilot Rudolf…

ZAGREB, November 15, 2019 - The Documenta nongovernmental organisation on Thursday called on the Justice Ministry to ensure that war crimes trials, including those of Branimir Glavaš and Dragan Perenčević, are completed before judges presiding over those trials take office at the High Criminal Court. Documenta proposed the adoption of a regulation whereby future High Criminal Court judges Tanja Pavelin and Tomislav Juriša would be obligated to complete the war crimes trials they are currently conducting before assuming their new posts. Documenta recalled in a statement that under the amended Courts Act, the High Criminal Court was to be established…

ZAGREB, November 14, 2019 - The Croatian parliament on Thursday adopted the state budget for 2020 with 80 lawmakers voting in favour, 41 against and one abstention. The budget, proposed by the government, plans 145 billion kuna on the revenue side and 147 billion kuna on the expenditure side, and a majority of government departments can expect a rise in their funding from the state budget. The budget has been prepared with the assumption that Croatia's economy will grow 2.5% in 2020. The government plans 6.7% higher revenues in comparison to the original 2019 plans, that is 5.4% more in…

ZAGREB, November 14, 2019 - The government on Thursday decided to call the first round of the presidential elections for 22 December, and deadlines relevant for the procedure start running on 21 November. The official campaign in the run-up to the first round of the elections will take a fortnight. Presidential hopefuls can collect signatures of voters for their candidacies from 22 November until midnight of 3 December, and the minimum number required is 10,000 signatures. The State Electoral Commission has a 48-hour deadline as of 3 December to announce the official list of eligible candidates. The official campaigning starts…

ZAGREB, November 14, 2019 - Neither the presidency nor the political assembly of the European People's Party (EPP) will hold a meeting on the premises of the Croatian Parliament (Sabor), the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), a member of the EPP group said on Thursday confirming media reports that, after all, the Sabor will not be a venue for the EPP gathering in Zagreb. The European People's Party is holding its Statutory Congress on 20 and 21 November in Zagreb. Some of the technical meetings were initially planned to take place in the Parliament Hall (Sabornica), however, in the meantime the…

ZAGREB, November 14, 2019 - Croatia can be proud of its defence industry and the progress it has made, Defence Minister Damir Krstičević said at a Croatia-USA defence forum in Zagreb on Wednesday, according to a statement from the ministry. The event was organised with the aim of encouraging further economic cooperation and relations between the USA and Croatia in the defence and security sector. "Croatia is turning resolutely to the future in terms of state policy, research and economy. We are particularly proud of the Croatian defence industry and the progress it has made," the minister said, citing in…

ZAGREB, November 14, 2019 – Teacher unions on Wednesday rejected a new offer by the government to end the strike and said that it was even lower than what they had been offered last week, adding that the current teachers' strike would continue and that further negotiations had been suspended until further notice. At negotiations at the Ministry of Labour and Pension System, the government presented a new proposal to the unions - the already proposed increase of 6.12% of the base wage and an analysis of the entire wage system in the public sector to include the job complexity…

ZAGREB, November 14, 2019 - After media reports that Croatia asks Serbia to give it back 148.5 million dollars, which is a part of the total succession fund after the break-up of the Yugoslav Federation (SFRY) and which Belgrade reportedly unlawfully spent, Foreign Affairs State Secretary said on Wednesday that Croatia demanded the explanations of how the funds went missing. The State Secretary Andrea Metelko Zgombić told reporters that Croatia would insist on the compensation of those funds. The Zagreb-based Večernji List daily reported on Wednesday morning that at the time of its disintegration the then Socialist Federal Republic of…

ZAGREB, November 13, 2019 - The Human Rights House on Wednesday organised a round table discussion at which it was said that dealing with the problem of hate speech required a good and broad social discussion and that hate speech should not only be removed but should also be punished. "Hate speech constitutes a violation of human rights of marginalised groups, LGBT persons and members of ethnic minorities and it constitutes a basis for racial discrimination. That is why it is not enough to just remove it from the public arena but those who spread it should be punished," said…

ZAGREB, November 13, 2019 - Croatia's Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman on Wednesday had a brief audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican, and he discussed the status of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States, Paul Richard Gallagher. Grlić Radman and Gallagher confirmed the traditionally excellent relations between Croatia and the Holy See, based on their historical partnership and mutual understanding, as evidenced by reciprocal visits by high-ranking officials in the last two years. Grlić Radman informed Gallagher of Croatia's coming presidency of the EU, and they also discussed…