Politics

ZAGREB, July 3, 2019 - The parliamentary Defence Committee on Wednesday endorsed the opinion of Defence Minister Damir Krstičević on initiating the process of purchasing multi-purpose fighter jets for the Croatian Air Force. Addressing the Committee, Krstičević said that Croatia was embarking on the acquisition of 12 multi-purpose combat aircraft. "If we can't get all 12 aircraft at once, we can initially acquire a smaller number of aircraft and then gradually come to the desired number," he said, adding that the procurement process should be launched taking into account the necessary capabilities and financial means available. Admitting that Croatia has…

ZAGREB, July 3, 2019 - Administration Minister Lovro Kuščević on Wednesday told reporters after being asked if he would step down that his assets have been transparently listed in his Declaration of Assets and that there have been no violations or murky dealings. "All my assets are transparently presented in my Declaration of Assets and there have been absolutely no violations or suspicions of misconduct. I am staying on," Kuščević told reporters outside Government House after meeting with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and Croatian Democratic Union (HDU) whip Branko Bačić. He said that he would see…

ZAGREB, July 3, 2019 - German Ambassador to Croatia Robert Klinke made his inaugural visit to Vukovar on Tuesday where he met with Mayor Ivan Penava and later with young people from the German towns of Geisa and Vacha who are currently visiting Vukovar as part of an exchange programme. We spoke about Vukovar as a European town and I am very pleased to see that here too young people have an excellent role, representing the town's development potential. These young people from Germany have come here to develop friendly dialogue, and that means respect and understanding that is turned…

ZAGREB, July 3, 2019 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Brussels on Tuesday evening he was pleased with the agreed package of appointments for top EU jobs. "I think we can be pleased with this outcome and this compromise. From the point of view of Croatia and our national interests, I think each of these candidates, especially the Commission President nominee, is a very good solution for Croatia," Plenković told the press after the EU summit. After three days of arduous negotiations, the leaders of the EU member states agreed on the new heads of the European institutions.…

ZAGREB, July 2, 2019 - Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić said on Tuesday that the monument to be erected in Zagreb to commemorate Holocaust victims would be in line with the project design that had been selected as the best, adding that the inscription on the monument would "say what it should say." "The monument project that has won the tender will be installed at the selected location. We will do it and we owe it to all Holocaust victims," Bandić said. He added that the inscription on the monument would say "what it should say" and that talks on the…

ZAGREB, July 2, 2019 - A member of parliament, former minister of the interior and leader of the recently established New Politics party, Vlaho Orepić, has said that Croatia's attitude to Bosnia and Herzegovina, notably the interests of Croats in that country, had to change as it had become evident that the situation could not be changed for the better only through cooperation with the HDZ BiH party. Orepić, who used to be minister of the interior nominated by the Bridge party, told the Bosnia and Herzegovina new agency Patria on Tuesday that he was concerned about the conduct of…

Amid recent reports from the expert witness who revealed his damning findings about just how much of Agrokor's company money the Todorić family used for their own personal expenses, Ivica Todorić, the former owner of Agrokor, hits back publicly. "The key thing I want to point out today is the fact that the money they're talking about for the fourth time, in what I have to admit is the most totally sensationalist manner, is my money, and I've paid all of the necessary taxes on it," stated the former Agrokor owner and boss. Ivica Todorić spoke up about the matter…

ZAGREB, July 2, 2019 - In the six years of its EU membership Croatia has proven to be a member that promotes European values and at the same time it has strengthened its reputation, influence and visibility in the European, global and multilateral context, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MVEP) said in a press release on Monday, on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of Croatia's joining the EU. By using the numerous advantages of EU membership, including the possibility of taking EU grants, Croatia has achieved visible progress in several areas, the press release said. "Croatia is…

ZAGREB, July 2, 2019 - The Social Democratic Party's (SDP) candidate for President and former prime minister, Zoran Milanović, said on Monday that with his "private behaviour" Prime Minister Andrej Plenković was harming Croatia's interests in the EU and would therefore have to explain, upon his return to Croatia, whose interests he defended and promoted in Brussels. "I still hope Plenković can become the President of the European Commission. Only that can help lessen the damage to Croatia's interests in the EU he has caused with his behaviour," Milanović wrote on his Facebook wall. Commenting on Plenković's stay in Brussels…

ZAGREB, July 1, 2019 - State Assets Minister Goran Marić on Monday denied media allegations according to which his son had moved into a newly built Zagreb apartment worth almost 2.5 million kuna under suspicious circumstances, saying that his son was a tenant and that there was no conflict of interest in the case. Asked why he had transferred his family business to his friend Zvonko Šarić even though the business had 800,000 kuna in its account and an apartment valued at one million kuna, Marić said that the family business had not existed for more than ten years and…