Politics

ZAGREB, 31 March 2022 - Ensuring equal opportunities for all children and including them in the education system, increasing the number of children included and improving the quality of the education system is the aim of the final draft bill on preschool education. The recommended amendments the government sent to parliament on Thursday are part of the education reform within the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO), with Science and Education Minister Radovan Fuchs saying the bill by no means revokes the National Pedagogical Standard. In order to ensure that all children aged three to six can…

ZAGREB, 31 March 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Thursday remembered the first victim of the 1991-1995 Homeland War - police officer Josip Jović who was killed by Serb insurgents near the Plitvice Lakes 31 years ago. "This is an opportunity for us to once again remember and thank all Croatian defenders, soldiers, police officers and all those who gave their lives for freedom," Plenković said. In a separate message on this occasion, Defence Minister Mario Banožić said: "We are proud of Josip Jović and all defenders, Croatian police officers and Croatian soldiers, who showed how to fight for the…

ZAGREB, 31 March 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković opened a cabinet meeting on Thursday by commenting on the government's HRK 4.8 billion (€640m) package of measures aimed at mitigating the impact of increased energy prices on households and businesses, which enters into force on Friday. The increase in electricity prices was capped at 9.6% and the increase in gas prices for households at a maximum of 20%. The VAT rate on gas deliveries was reduced for a year from 25% to 5%, and VAT was also reduced on food, agricultural costs, cultural and sports activities, and so on, the prime…

ZAGREB, 31 March 2022 - Split Mayor Ivica Puljak and his first deputy Bojan Ivošević on Thursday confirmed they were stepping down, adding that they intended to run in a snap election. "This is not an extorted resignation. It is virtually impossible to remove a mayor. I could have remained mayor until the end of the year, the budget would not be adopted and there would be an election for the City Council, which is something we seem to be accustomed to in Croatian politics," Puljak told an extraordinary press conference, confirming his resignation and a fresh election. "I am not…

ZAGREB, 31 March 2022 - Over 720,000 pensioners in Croatia with a monthly pension allowance of up to HRK 4,000 will receive a one-off energy allowance as part of government measures to alleviate the impact of increased energy prices, and it will be paid out no later than May, the Labour and Pension System Ministry has announced. Pensioners with a monthly pension allowance of up to HRK 1,500 will receive the highest amount - HRK 1,200. Those with a pension allowance of between HRK 1,500 and 2,000 will get HRK 900, those whose pension allowance is between HRK 2,000 and 3,000 will…

March 31, 2022 - Telegram revealed that the Ministry of Economy awarded a security company with a hydroelectric power plant in Croatia. Ćorić gave 30-year concession to the 007 Miletić company through a tender that was announced on the eve of last Christmas and was not published on the Ministry's website. Some entrepreneurs claim that they were ready to give twice the amount, but they simply did not see the tender. Despite everything, Minister Ćorić signed the decision to award the hydroelectric power plant to the company 007 Miletić for 30 years, reports Telegram.hr. The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Tomislav Ćorić,…

ZAGREB, 30 March 2022 - The committee on the Constitution on Wednesday recommended by majority vote that parliament forward the questions from the Bridge party's referendum petitions against COVID certificates, and the national COVID crisis management team, to the Constitutional Court for assessment. Parliament is expected to vote on the recommendation before the Easter recess. Seven members of the parliamentary committee were for and five against asking the Constitutional Court to assess the question against the certificates, while 11 were for and one - Božo Petrov of Bridge - against the constitutionality test for the question against the crisis management team. The…

ZAGREB, 30 March 2022 - Caritas Croatia has dispatched two more lorries full of humanitarian aid to Kyiv, Oleksandrivsk, Mukachevo and Ivano-Frankivskin Ukraine, a press conference heard on Wednesday. "This shipment includes many donations that people themselves have donated directly such as food, hygienic products, appliances in addition to other aid previously collected by Caritas organisations in the country", Caritas Croatia's deputy director Suzana Borko told the press conference. She thanked everyone for their donations and in particular the Miroslav Krleža elementary school which itself suffered huge damage during the 2020 earthquake. "The next load of aid will include medicines and other…

ZAGREB, 30 March 2022 - The Civil Protection Directorate head Damir Trut and the Croatian Red Cross executive president Robert Markt on Wednesday visited the busiest reception and transit centre for Ukrainian refugees, set up at the Goričan border crossing through which 8,300 Ukrainians have passed lately. After being escorted to the reception and transit centre by Goričan Mayor Emanuel Sinković, Trut and Markt met with Međimurje County Prefect Matija Posavec.  After the talk, Trut said that all efforts should be made to make sure that displaced persons from Ukraine are accommodated in the best possible way. "Međimurje County is a very good example. Cooperation at the national,…

ZAGREB, 30 March 2022 - The three members of the Bridge party in the Split City Council have terminated their cooperation with Mayor Ivica Puljak over his failure to resolve the case of his deputy, Bojan Ivošević, and Bridge's local branch has called for a fresh election. Ivošević has been indicted for threatening an editor of the Slobodna Dalmacija daily. "Mayor Puljak's actions have presented us with a fait accompli, irreparably compromising our cooperation with him and the executive authority. That's why we are compelled to terminate our cooperation," Bridge Councillor Josip Markotić told a press conference in Split. Markotić said…