Politics

ZAGREB, 29 August, 2022 - The European Union's member-states -- Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria -- meet the criteria for the Schengen area membership and Germany will work to make it possible for them to join the border-free area, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Prague on Monday. "Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria fulfil all the technical requirements for full membership. I will work to see them become full members," he said in his speech titled "Europe is our Future", delivered at the Charles University in Prague. Scholz said that Germany would continue supporting Ukraine as long as necessary, foreign news agency reported. Commenting…

ZAGREB, 29 August, 2022 - The INA oil company said on Monday that its management and supervisory boards did not decide on the contracts that are being investigated by the USKOK anti-corruption office and that Damir Škugor was authorised to sign contracts worth up to €20 million, co-signed by his deputy. "The INA Management and Supervisory Boards did not decide on the disputed contracts that are being investigated by USKOK. Damir Škugor, who is a manager three levels below the Management Board, had the authority to sign contracts worth up to €20 million, with the co-signature of his deputy. In line…

ZAGREB, 29 August 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković told Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob on Monday that the Croatian parliament would never ratify the arbitration ruling on the border between the two countries and that the two friendly countries would "resolve the border issue eventually." On the eve of the Bled Strategic Forum, Plenković met bilaterally for the first time with the recently inaugurated Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tanja Fajon. The officials discussed the improvement of mutual relations, the energy situation and cooperation, joint initiatives at the level of the EU, the strengthening of economic cooperation, Croatia's assistance to…

ZAGREB, 29 August 2022 - The head of the ruling HDZ party's branch in Zagreb's Maksimir district, Stanko Gačić, said on Monday the party had launched disciplinary proceedings against its member Damir Škugor, arrested on suspicion of masterminding a scam in which the INA energy group was defrauded of more than HRK 1 billion. In an operation launched on Saturday by the USKOK anti-corruption office and the police, five persons were arrested on suspicion of wrongdoing with INA's natural gas, which was sold below the market price. Investigators believe the suspects bought gas from INA for €19.5 and sold it for…

ZAGREB, 29 August, 2022 - Interior Minister Davor Božinović has said that thanks to actions by state bodies, data were collected and bank accounts were blocked, preventing major damage to the INA company in a case of fraud exceeding one billion kuna, and that corporate procedures that failed to detect the fraud are a different matter. "I am satisfied that the police, Tax Administration, the Uskok anti-corruption office, and other competent services collected enough evidence in a long-lasting investigation to file charges and identify the perpetrators," Božinović told reporters in Obrežje after meeting with Slovenian counterpart Tatjana Bobnar. He underscored that thanks to the…

ZAGREB, 29 August, 2022 - Interior ministers Davor Božinović of Croatia and Tatjana Bobnar of Slovenia said on Monday the removal of razor-wire fences from the Croatian-Slovenian border was a symbol of the two countries' friendship and good cooperation. Slovenia started erecting the fence on the Croatian border during the 2015 migrant crisis. Early in July this year, its government adopted a decision to start removing it. At her first meeting with Božinović, Bobnar said the razor-wire fence was a disproportionate tool and that its removal was "a symbol of the friendship and good cooperation between the states." "The symbolism of removing the…

August 30, 2022 - The election of a youth delegate to the United Nations is foreseen by the act by which Croatia, as a member state of the UN, adopted the content accepted by the World Program of Action for Youth from 1995. As Poslovni writes, for the first time in 2020, the procedure for selecting youth representatives took place at that largest international organisation. Josip Perkušić, a 24-year-old law student from Split at the time, was chosen for this role from a number of applicants for the previous two years. It's worth the effort These days, it will be…

August the 29th, 2022 - Croatian Eurozone accession is just around the corner, with all requirements filled, all boxes ticked and the date for entry marked out for the 1st of January, 2023. The public is still divided on the issue, however, so what are some of the advantages and some of the risks and costs of Croatia finally becoming a Eurozone member? As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marina Marovic writes, here is no alternative to joining the Eurozone for Croatia, as it was part of the referendum the country held on joining the bloc. It did so back in July 2013 and according…

ZAGREB, 27 August, 2022 - SDP leader Peđa Grbin said on Saturday that Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's announcement about a plan to buy back Hungarian energy group MOL's stake in Croatian peer INA had come to nothing while the plunder at the once successful company was continuing, a reference to arrests made earlier in the day. Earlier on Saturday several persons, including an INA executive, were arrested on suspicion of abuse of trust in doing business and money laundering in gas trading, which, according to available information, has caused damage to INA in the amount of more than HRK 100 million. "Six years ago Plenković announced INA's buyback.…

ZAGREB, 27 August, 2022 - Shots were fired at the main offices of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in downtown Zagreb on Friday afternoon but fortunately there were no casualties even though employees were in the building at the time of the shooting, the party said on Saturday. "The SDP is appalled at and strongly condemns this act. Any violence against or an attack on the property of any party is unacceptable and deplorable, especially an act as dangerous and mindless as this one," the party said. An on-the-site investigation was carried out due to damage caused to a window on…