Politics

ZAGREB, July 18, 2019 - The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a Velika Gorica County Court decision convicting a former Yugoslav and Croatian intelligence official Zdravko Mustač to 40 years in prison for the 1983 murder of political emigrant Stjepan Đureković. Mustač was tried and sentenced by the German Court to life in prison and Velika Gorica County Court translated the conviction to the Croatian system of 40 years in prison. Mustač's defence attorney appealed the conviction and the Croatian Supreme Court dismissed the appeal. He will be probably transferred to a Croatian prison at the beginning of September. Mustač,…

ZAGREB, July 18, 2019 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who held a news conference on Wednesday evening to present ministerial nominees as part of his cabinet reshuffle, said that this was a larger-scale reshuffle meant to enable an unburdened government to continue implementing its agenda and thus enable the national economy to continue growing as well as the Croatian society to strengthen its solidarity and reduce polarisation and tensions. Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić, who is leaving the government as she was recently appointed secretary-general of the Council of Europe, is to be replaced by Croatian Ambassador…

ZAGREB, July 17, 2019 - Croatian member of the European Parliament, Mislav Kolakušić, said on Wednesday that he had not supported the election of German politician Ursula von der Leyen for the European Commission President due to "the Germany supremacy" in the European Union. "Instead of the equality and the rule of law we have the supremacy of Germany. I could not accept that in addition to all other posts allotted to German representatives, the job of the EC president is also going to Germany," Kolakušić told Hina the day after von der Lyen was confirmed as the EC President.…

ZAGREB, July 17, 2019 - The Forum 2020, an informal civil society platform, on Wednesday outlined its four priorities during Croatia's chairmanship of the European Union in the first half of 2020 - a law-based Europe, a Europe of sustainable development, a Europe as a peace-building model, and a Europe with the potential for enlargement. Forum 2020 is an informal platform of civil society organisations that have gathered in relation to Croatia's chairmanship of the EU at the start of next year. It comprises more than 20 NGOs and is coordinated by the CROSOL platform, the organisation informed on Wednesday.…

ZAGREB, July 17, 2019 - President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović will receive Vukovar mayor Ivan Penava on Thursday for talks on the enforcement of a Constitutional Court decision under which the rights of the Serb ethnic minority in the eastern town must be enhanced, her office said on Wednesday. Penava said on Sunday the dialogue and cooperation between Vukovar's Croatian and Serb residents was satisfactory, and that any expansion of Serb minority rights would hurt ethnic relations. He added that it was first necessary to resolve outstanding issues dating back to 1991. Penava also said he had talked with Prime Minister Andrej…

ZAGREB, July 17, 2019 - The Centre for Peace Studies (CMS) said on Wednesday that an anonymous complaint by border police officers about systematic unlawful actions by the Croatian police towards migrants showed that the system was "bursting at the seams", and called for an independent and effective investigation as well as for stopping and punishing unlawful actions. Human Rights Ombudswoman Lora Vidović yesterday published the complaint and the CMS said it was the first confirmation of unlawful police conduct on the ground, given that many domestic and international organisations, institutions and media have been warning about this for years.…

ZAGREB, July 17, 2019 - The Croat and Bosniak members of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić and Šefik Džaferović respectively, on Tuesday decided to launch proceedings against Croatia over the construction of the Pelješac Bridge, while the chairman of the tripartite presidency and its Serb member, Milorad Dodik, said that he would attempt to thwart them by using the mechanism of protecting vital national interest. The decision is considered to have been formally adopted, but considering that each member has the right to vital interest, I as the Serb member of the presidency raised the issue of…

ZAGREB, July 17, 2019 - The Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for president, Zoran Milanović, on Tuesday said that he is not opposed to introducing the euro currency in Croatia, but the condition for that is continual talks which will lead to a decision on the fate of the country. "Croatia in the euro area in five years' time, why not?" Milanović said in a video posted on his Facebook profile and underscored that that does not mean cheaper money because lower interest rates exist only in functioning countries. He said that he was not for introducing the euro at…

ZAGREB, July 16, 2019 - Germany's population rose by over 400,000 in 2018 as a result of immigration and Croatian citizens, numbering 29,000, were the second largest group of immigrants from the EU last year after Romanians, the Federal Statistical Office of Germany said on Tuesday. A total of 1.58 million people moved to Germany in 2018, while 1.18 million moved out so that, as a result of migration, about 400,000 more people lived there at the end of 2018 than at the beginning of the year, the office said in a press release. In 2018, 57,724 Croatian citizens arrived…

ZAGREB, July 16, 2019 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković said on Tuesday that he hoped that an extraordinary parliamentary sitting with a government reshuffle on its agenda might be held by the end of this week. "I hope that the Sabor's meeting will be by the end of this week, the consultations are still under way," Jandroković told reporters while entering Government House in Zagreb on Tuesday afternoon. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković is holding consultations on his plan to rearrange his cabinet, following the resignations of two ministers and the fact that the current Foreign and European Affairs Minister, Marija…